Picked up an Edge E120 (X121e) via eBay & Short Review PIC

[underclocker]

An eBay seller states that he buys machines directly from Lenovo. He recently listed several Edge E120's, which appear to be very similar to X121e's for Eastern Europe and emerging markets (I think). At $399 (plus shipping) for a very well equipped machine, I couldn't resist.

9.3 hours runtime with the included six cell battery...we'll see!

A few are still available --> http://www.ebay.com/itm/160651878420

EDIT (9/18/2011): Seller added more units and raised the price to $419 (plus shipping).
EDIT (9/19/2011): Confirmed U.S. Lenovo warranty from serial number provided by seller.
EDIT (9/20/2011): All sold.

I'll post feedback once I receive it, but it should be rather nice with the i3 processor. Full specifications for this particular model are below.

ThinkPad Edge E120 (3043-42U)
Intel Core i3-2357M (1.3GHz) processor
2GB RAM
320GB 7200rpm HD
11.6in 1366x768 LCD (matte)
Intel HD Graphics
Intel 802.11bgn wireless (1000)
WWAN (Ericcson F5521gw)
Bluetooth
1Gb Ethernet
UltraNav (TrackPoint & ClickPad)
Camera
6c Li-Ion
Win7 Pro 64
65w AC adapter
1 year depot warranty

[azX32]

Interesting. Where does the info come from that this is an X121e? If the picture is accurate, it looks physically identical to the red Edge 14/15 series. It doesn't look like the photos I've seen of the X121e. It will be interesting to see if the keyboard on this is the same as on the Edge (which I consider good) or the X100/X120 (better).

I'll look forward to your report when it arrives.

[underclocker]

The first picture the seller posted is a generic Edge picture, the next two show the sealed Edge E120 box - I can just make out the 7 character model number as 3043-42U.

Here are links to product info for both the Edge E120 and the X121e, the specifications are identical (the listed options do vary slightly, but the respective Hardware Maintenance Manuals (HMM) show many more of the options between models do overlap);

ThinkPad X121e Product Info

ThinkPad Edge E120 Product Info


Also, here are Lenovo First Look videos for both via YouTube (same details right down to the matte black or red finish);

ThinkPad X121e First Look Video

ThinkPad Edge E120 First Look Video


Furthermore, the Lenovo Service Training videos for both the X121e and E120 are combined, link below;

Lenovo Service Training Videos for X121e & E120


Other than the tiny decal on the LCD bezel that reads either X121e or E120, the only other cosmetic differences I can find are 1) that the X121e appears to have dark trim around the LCD and the E120 appears to have bright trim, and 2) the word Edge is engraved below the ThinkPad decal on the palmrest.

Note: The E120 models are not offered with the TPM feature, whereas the X121e models are available with or without it. The TPM chip is not permitted in some countries.

[underclocker]

The E120 arrived on time and as expected, sealed and brand new.



Clearly, these were early or pre-production models, possibly not meant for U.S. consumption. In addition to the SIT/SVT Level Packing label on the box, there was a sticker on the bottom of the machine that read Not a Customer Ship Level System. The battery was also labeled SVT Sample. SIT stands for System Integration Test and SVT stands for System Verification Test. These are two important pre-production phases for laptop model development. The BIOS and EC were both version 1.01. I have since updated them to current. At least it has a valid, one year, U.S. Lenovo warranty.

Other than that, the machine was packaged and looked like a new ThinkPad, including documentation, etc. There was even a U.S. AT&T SIM card installed for use with the Ericsson WWAN adapter. It seems like a final pre-production sample to me.

First Impressions

It's a nice machine. The heatwave red with matte finish is really nice, luxurious even. The performance is great. It's very fast and quite smooth. It feels more responsive than the X100e or X120e, no lag or hiccups anywhere. It definitely runs cooler and quieter than either the X100e or X120e singel core & dual core models. The fan actually shuts off sometimes! The keyboard keys are the same chiclet style, with a slight variation in layout. If the battery really lasts several more hours than the X100e, I'll be pleased.

I'd say the downside is that the E120 is within a few millimeters in size to the X201. And the X201 has a 12" LCD. Since the X121e/E120 incorporate the six cell fully within the body, the chassis is deeper than the x100e.



This is more noticable with the 3 cell battery in the X100e. While the increased depth is only about 1/2", you actually need about 1 - 2" more depth to when open because the hinges articulate past and below the back of the chassis. This was not the case with the X100e/X120e models. The picture below shows both models opened with the backs of the LCDs aligned.



Even with the deep six cell battery installed on the X100e, the LCD opened upright and didn't protrude past the back of the chassis. This will probably only be an issue on airplane tray tables - and this is the machine I will use on airplanes! It's still a small laptop, but the X100e was really compact. Otherwise, the LCD being back a couple of inches and slightly higher is actually more comfortable.

For the price, I'd say this model is very tough to beat, as were the prior models. However, it has lost that netbook feel. The increased performance, finish and battery life are probably worth it for me, however, it may not be for everyone. I'll use it for a while and see how it goes.

More pictures, large and small --> X100e & Edge E120 comparison pictures

Windows Experience Scores
Edge E120, 4GB RAM, i3-2357m, X25-G2 SSD, Win 7 Pro 64-bit
Processor - 4.9
Memory - 5.9
Graphics - 5.2
Gaming - 6.1
Disk - 7.7

X100e, 4GB RAM, L335, X25-G2 SSD, Win 7 Pro 64-bit
Processor - 4.2
Memory - 5.8
Graphics - 3.5
Gaming - 4.9
Disk - 7.5

PassMark CPU Mark Scores
Edge E120 w/Intel i3-2357m - 1725
X100e w/AMD L335 - 851

Upgrade Notes:
-The Lenovo 6250 WiMax / N adapter whitelisted & works
-The Lenovo Gobi 2000 WWAN adapter whitelisted, but does not work (probably need the Gobi 3000)
-The drive bay only holds 7mm thick drives
- PC3-8500 vs. PC3-10600 memory yields same Windows Experience memory score

[pianowizard]

it has lost that netbook feel. The increased performance, finish and battery life are probably worth it for me, however, it may not be for everyone.

Sounds like you will sell it within two months. That's my prediction!

[underclocker]

Sounds like you will sell it within two months. That's my prediction!

Funny, but possibly true! Especially if Lenovo introduces a new X model soon.

[dorronto]

I know the feeling Ed! Hey, nice x100e there.......................

Ron

[schiesz]

Very nice little TP there! I'd love to find a sub-compact with an i3 like that

[schiesz]

Is there any chance that a mSATA drive will work in the WWAN slot?

[schiesz]

I ordered one, and two more are now available here.

Looks like there is just one left now...

[schiesz]

I am really loving this Thinkpad. My only complaint so far is that the wifi card seems to be slow and drop a lot. I would NOT notice this, except this little guy is actually fast enough to play some modest online games, and I keep having network problems on them. I really can't complain, I never expect a ultra-portable like this to really have the power to do this stuff, but I will look to replace the card with something that performs better if possible.

**EDIT** It appears that the poor network performance might have been my fault after messing with a bunch of settings. I've got it back now and it appears to be working perfectly...

I noticed an OCZ Nocti mSATA SSD at a local store today so I picked it up to give it a try. I tried every combination of ACHI and SATA BIOS settings that I could think of and never got it to be recognized in the BIOS or Win7. I was really hoping that mSATA would work in the WWAN slot in this one, but if it does, I didn't get it figured out today.


Windows Experience Scores
Edge E120, 4GB RAM, i3-2357m, 320GB 7200, Win 7 Pro 64-bit
Processor - 4.9
Memory - 5.5
Graphics - 5.2
Gaming - 6.1
Disk - 5.9

[schiesz]

When I bought this E120, I was really wanting a X220, but not wanting to spend the cash. When I decided to go for it (the E120), I figured the biggest thing I would be losing is the IPS screen. Now that I have used this little guy for a while, I can honestly say that I love the screen, and it has great viewing angles as well. It is most likely NOT as good as an IPS, but it is definitely better than the screens on my X23, T40, T41, T42, T61, and T400 (at least in respect to viewing angle). All my other thinkpads have had decent screens, and the Edge 120 does as well, but its viewing angles are really better than all the others as well.

I am still using it daily and really like it. Everything works well, I love the size and weight, and the performance is great for a sub-compact. I wouldn't even rate it close to a netbook. I thought the lack of status lights would bother me, but it hasn't. I thought the lack of a thinklight would bother me, but it hasn't (so far). I'm sure i'll lit that time when I wish I had it, but it hasn't happened yet

The fancy red top is a little funny. In use,you never see it, and I frequently forget that it is there. I just feel like i'm using a thinkpad. When I close it up, or someone comes up to the machine, they see the red top and think its some fancy consumer machine. But from my side, it looks all thinkpad. It's kind of like the little mullet of the Thinkpad line; business up front, party in the back.

I think I just found the name for my Edge...

[schiesz]

Just a small update, adding another 3GB stick of memory brought the WEI for memory up to 5.9, but I recently added a Samsung 830 128GB SSD and 8GB of Samsung low voltage ram, and my WEI scores are now:

Windows Experience Scores
Edge E120, 8GB RAM, i3-2357m, 128GB Samsung 830, Win 7 Pro 64-bit

Processor - 4.9
Memory - 7.1
Graphics - 5.2
Gaming - 6.1
Disk - 7.9

[burhan]

Guys is this the same machine that has these specs:

AMD E-350 with AMD Radeon HD 6310 Graphics (dual-core CPU at 1.6GHz and dual DX-11 SIMDs at 500MHz)
4GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM (1333MHz, 2 DIMM)
Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
11.6" WXGA HD anti-glare LED Backlit display (1366x768)
320GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
802.11b/g/n, Gigabit LAN
3G/HSDPA Modem
4-in-1 card reader and webcam
6-Cell Li-ion battery
English Keyboard
Dimensions: (W x L x H) 11.1" x 8.2" x 0.6"/1.2"
6-cell battery

I'm thinking of picking this one up to use at conferences and while traveling. Would this support 8GB of RAM?

[schiesz]

It sure looks to be the same. Those are the exact physical dimensions of my Edge E120. Mine has the i3 cpu instead of the AMD, so I can't be sure by experience about the memory.