Thinkpads Forum

Okay, so my X220 arrived and I am writing this on it at this very moment. Some quick observations...

The IPS display is FANTASTIC! I am SOOO glad I sent the TN-equipped X220i back and ordered this one. Backlighting is even, color is good as is contrast, but the viewing angles are far better than any other laptop I've ever used. Side-by-side with my MacBook Air (mildly glossy) the X220 has less glare (I should hope so), blacks are about equal as is overall contrast, while colors are a bit more vibrant, which is saying a lot on a matte panel vs a glossy. Both are extremely good laptop displays, but the X220 IPS display is the better of the two. My MacBook Pro has the high-res matte display, and while the X220 has far better viewing angles, the MacBook Pro seems to have better color accuracy. Of course, the MacBook Pro is color calibrated, and I haven't calibrated the X220 yet (how do you do it in Windows?).

Build quality is exactly what I expected, which is to say solid. The case does have a bit of flex, to be expected in a plastic design, and the while the hinge feels sturdier than the Air's, but the Air's display housing, like the rest of the case just feels more rigid. Of course, the ThinkPad won't dent like the Air will if you hit it hard enough. I would give durability to the X220, but build quality (it is exquisite) to the Air.

Performance is something that I will just need more time to compare, though I'm sure that the X220 will trounce the Air due to the faster full-voltage processor. I upgraded immediately to 8 GB RAM, and have an mSATA 40 GB Intel 310 SSD and a 320 GB 7200 RPM 7mm HDD on order, so I should have most of the SSD performance of the Air, with HDD storage.

I haven't tested battery life yet, but I'm optimistic that the i5 and 9 cell combination will get me at least 10 hours, or double what I get with my 11" Air. I will buy the slice battery as well.

So my initial impression is extremely positive. I'm just waiting for my SSD and HDD to arrive so I can fully install my software load and get down to business with this thing.

I couldn't agree more and considering the cost, the X220 is a fantastic machine.

FredGarvin wrote:I couldn't agree more and considering the cost, the X220 is a fantastic machine.

Cost is a wash. My Air was only about $150 more than the X220, and the X220 only came with 2GB RAM. Add the RAM upgrade and the difference was only $85.

In my case I paid a little over $700 for my X220i. Factor in the $190 for the msata drive and it's about $950 total. Compared to the 13" Air, I'm not really interested in the 11", it about $300-400 less depending on where your buy. Plus I have the hard drive left over for more storage. That's not chump change at least not for me, but I'm not in the attorney tax bracket either.

FredGarvin wrote:In my case I paid a little over $700 for my X220i. Factor in the $190 for the msata drive and it's about $950 total. Compared to the 13" Air, I'm not really interested in the 11", it about $300-400 less depending on where your buy. Plus I have the hard drive left over for more storage. That's not chump change at least not for me, but I'm not in the attorney tax bracket either.

For menthe 13 Air is too large for my primary )had, went back to 11), and compared to the 11 the X220 costs about the same. Mine has IPS and he high-end i5 with 9 cell. Only options missing are camera, wwan and fingerprint, otherwise top of the line. Paid 940 but came with only 2gb ram and 128 gb SSD.