Thinkpads Forum

I am looking to replace my much-loved but now undisputed dieing T60. I've narrowed down my choices to either the T400s or the x200 and, while I think I prefer the former, I do have a few questions about it. For what it's worth, I'm a student and my laptop is my primary computer. I use it mainly for internet, word processing, and reading (my preference is to print, but this isn't always an option), but I also periodically use it for more graphics-intensive functions such as basic photo editing and watching movies.

I like the T400s' slimness (seems like it would slide easily into a full bag) and screen size, but I am a bit worried about the battery life. While the "official" reviews from places like Cnet generally comment favorably, I did notice some user reviews complain that the battery life is far less than expected. Further, how bad is the lifespan on the ultrabay batteries? How cost-effective are they?

I am very impressed with the battery life of the x200, and from my reading, it sounds like the graphics are better, but I am concerned that it would be a bit small to use as a primary computer...

The T400s/T410s weak spot really does seem to be the battery life. Because of that slimness, they had to use smaller batteries, so the largest one you can get is a 6-cell, and even that is smaller than the standard 6-cells (I think 44-48Wh, compared to 56Wh on all the T-series since T60). The Ultrabay battery can help, but it's expensive, adds weight, makes you lose the optical drive, and still, combined with the basic 6-cell won't hold as long as the standard 9-cell on a T400/T410.

Just to add to what the doctor said, the modular batteries always discharge first, which means they tend to wear out much quicker. I used to have a 15" Thinkpad, mainly for the IPS screen, but since I've migrated to the X200, I don't think I'd ever go back. I don't take my notebook out often, but even just lounging around the house, half the weight is so much better.

Text being too small is certainly a valid concern. The 125 pixel density on the X200 is starting to get up there. Perhaps you can head over to Best Buy or the like to check out some smaller notebook to see if you like it, though seeing one in store is probably not akin to using it every day. Like I said, I love my X200 and don't think I'd get something larger at least until the eyes go, but ultimately you're the one who has to live with it. Good luck.

I think the best use pattern for "X200 as a main computer" is to get a nice big monitor and possibly an UltraBase X200 (to get digital video output) and use that when home/office. Then you can unplug at any time and have all your work in a small package with you.

That's what I do and it's been working great!

Thanks. I understand that the ultrabay battery's lifespan is dependent upon the number of discharge cycles it goes through, but does anyone have a sense of what this means in months? In my experience, a regular T series battery starts to die after about two or three years. Considering the deals available at the Lenovo outlet, I'd be OK with the ultrabay battery only lasting about a year, but if it only lasts two or three months, that gets a bit absurd.

And while I'm asking, how portable do you find the T400s? It is quite thin (certainly thinner than the x200), but it has a rather large footprint.

If I were to get a T400s, I would definitely get an Ultrabay battery with it, but I would not necessarily use it all the time. Not always do I need long battery life. The 3 hours I expect to get from the 6-cell should be fine on most occasions, and I would keep the ultrabay one for when I really need the stretch. But that does depend on usage patterns. Just something to consider.

As far as portability goes - it depends on your definition of portable. If it is about carrying it with you, the weight counts more than anything. If it is about using it in tight places (on the plane/bus), then the footprint might matter. Personally, space is never a problem for me, so for a given weight - the bigger the better.

Two more questions:

How many extra hours of computing will the ultrabay battery add. The Lenovo website implies three (if it increases battery life from five hours with just the six cell to eight hours on T400s, as they claim), but I've read elsewhere that it is really more like 1-2.

I've seen a number of complaints about the reliability of the T400s, so I was wondering how common these really were--none of the major (CNET, PC World, etc) reviews mention them. Obviously, those with problems are more likely to speak out, but the level of complaints does seem to be a bit high compared to other models.

The modular battery is three cells, which is half the six cell battery. Five to eight hours seems unlikely given that you're getting only three hours on the main battery. I've not seen the T400s, but I wouldn't say I've seen more complaints about it than other ThinkPads. I would tend to take the complaints with a grain of salt. People only post when there's a problem. That often skews the perspective.

About the T400s complaints: There was an issue with the BIOS which basically fried the tiny loudspeakers in the T400s. This caused some heated postings and may cause the impression that there is more talk about the T400s. The issue is fixed for a while now, and I haven't read anything particular about T400s reliability since.

My T400s runs perfectly, and I also didn't fry my loudspeakers back then (I kept them on mute until the BIOS was fixed).

Before the T400s I had an X61s (predecessor of the X200s). The T400s is better in every respect except battery life: My T400s uses around 9-12W with WLAN on, which should give more than 3 hours of working time (44Wh / 12 W). Add the 20Wh of the Ultrabay battery, and you are getting close to 5-6 hours, possibly even more (the wattage drops to 7-8 watts if you don't use the machine for a few minutes).

A word of caution: This is on my T400s, and can be different for other configurations.

Best regards, Martin

tinue wrote:.

Before the T400s I had an X61s (predecessor of the X200s). The T400s is better in every respect except battery life: My T400s uses around 9-12W with WLAN on, which should give more than 3 hours of working time (44Wh / 12 W). Add the 20Wh of the Ultrabay battery, and you are getting close to 5-6 hours, possibly even more (the wattage drops to 7-8 watts if you don't use the machine for a few minutes).

A word of caution: This is on my T400s, and can be different for other configurations.

Thanks. The configuration I'm looking at is I think one of the less powerful configurations and doesn't have power-intensive things like Bluetooth, so I'd imagine that should help the battery life.

I assume that if I were to get two ultrabay batteries, when one ran down, I could swap it out for the other and get even longer battery life?

(I really like the battery life on the x200 because I like the idea of being able to commute to school w/o the charger but, as I need said hours and hours of battery life to write a thesis, a screen that I can read for hours and hours is also a bit of a necessity. I'm trying to determine how much I can shave off the difference in battery life between the T400s and the x200.)

I would definately go with the X200. There is always a way to zoom the browser (at least IE8) and Word, etc.

I do have external DVI monitors at home/work. I don't use the X200 base which is bulky for travel. Rather I use:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 72682.html

the USB to DVI adapter which runs 1600x1200 max. If you need higher resolution for your monitor (e.g. going with the Dell 27" or 30") then you would need the X200 base.

Thanks for the input. I ended up going with the T400s. The large screen was really the deciding factor: I have to work a lot with split screens and I need to be able to see enough of both of them (if I zoom in too much, I can't see enough of either page). A travel charger is easier carry around every day than a computer monitor.