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help me choose a newer travel machine

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Whitieiii
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help me choose a newer travel machine

#1 Post by Whitieiii » Fri Jun 08, 2018 10:00 pm

I used to have the x220 as my main travel laptop but I found it not to be so good on battery life with it's full power CPU and with all the batteries I used to attach to it, it wasn't worth the extra weight on it for what I wanted to do with it... I've tried to make it work but I've just sold it...
I'm looking at getting a "newer" portable machine but don't know what to go with... I'm not going to be doing any extensive or heavy tasks with it and was thinking of getting a tablet but I just don't like most of the windows 10 tablet offerings right now especially most of them they come with an atom CPU, 4GB ram and 64GB SSD and I find that just to be a tad too slow and not enough storage...
I do however love the design, weight and battery life I get on my T440s with the 72Whr extended battery but it's just too big to make my travel machine and was thinking about pick up an X240 with i3/i5, 72Whr battery and 1080p non-touch screen and that option is always open but I'm wondering if there is there a Thinkpad Yoga or Thinkpad convertible laptop/tablet design based on the same (or close to same) internals as the T440s and same chassis design as the T440s in a 12" size that I'm maybe missing?

how is the X240 and what other options are out there? thanks for your help guys! this truly is the best place for all your thinkpad information!
My Collection:
A30 Pentium 3 512MB ram 60GB HDD Win 98SE
HP 8460p 2nd gen i7 8GB ram 500GB HDD Radeon 6470m Win 7
T440p 4th gen i7 12GB ram GT 730m 1TB SSD Win 10
X1 Extreme Gen 2 16GB ram 1650 M-Q 1TB SSD Win 10
x260 6th gen i-series
Mum's T440s 4th gen i5 8GB ram 300GB SSD Win 10

GomJabbar
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Re: help me choose a newer travel machine

#2 Post by GomJabbar » Sat Jun 09, 2018 12:32 am

I just bought an X280 recently to replace my X220. It's about 1/2 as thick as the X220, but width and length are about the same. Battery life is supposed to be better, but the battery is internal. I mostly run off the AC, so I do not have any good feel for battery life yet.

I do like the speed of my X280 over my X220. I do miss the larger keys and keyboard of the X220 (11-1/4" x 4-3/4" for the X220 vs 10-1/2" x 4-1/8" for the X280). There are not so many expansion ports on the X280 as on the X220, but it does have an HDMI port that the X220 lacks. Windows 10 does take a little getting used to, but it is really not so different from Windows 7 except that the majority of the X280's also have touch screen input if you want to use it (I don't).

Can't say that I have looked very closely at other model ThinkPads to compare.
DKB

Whitieiii
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Re: help me choose a newer travel machine

#3 Post by Whitieiii » Sat Jun 09, 2018 1:12 am

GomJabbar wrote:I just bought an X280 recently to replace my X220. It's about 1/2 as thick as the X220, but width and length are about the same. Battery life is supposed to be better, but the battery is internal. I mostly run off the AC, so I do not have any good feel for battery life yet.

I do like the speed of my X280 over my X220. I do miss the larger keys and keyboard of the X220 (11-1/4" x 4-3/4" for the X220 vs 10-1/2" x 4-1/8" for the X280). There are not so many expansion ports on the X280 as on the X220, but it does have an HDMI port that the X220 lacks. Windows 10 does take a little getting used to, but it is really not so different from Windows 7 except that the majority of the X280's also have touch screen input if you want to use it (I don't).

Can't say that I have looked very closely at other model ThinkPads to compare.
I'd love to have an x280 or even the x380 yoga but they are just not in my price range... Not for another 4 maybe 6 years... I love that the x240 has 2 batteries although it only supports 8GB ram it's more than perfect for whatever I need it for... I only want better battery life and lighter weight so that if I'm going away for maybe 4-6 hours I don't have to bring my power adapter along and I didn't want to lug the x220 with 9 cell and 9 cell slice (docking station port) battery... That thing was heavy! But the more I think about it I'd love to give a 12 inch Thinkpad Yoga type of Thinkpad a try because there are times when I need a keyboard or actual laptop and there are times where I just want to kick back in a bed or on the ferry or something and use it to read or watch videos like a tablet form... I'd love to at least give one a try
My Collection:
A30 Pentium 3 512MB ram 60GB HDD Win 98SE
HP 8460p 2nd gen i7 8GB ram 500GB HDD Radeon 6470m Win 7
T440p 4th gen i7 12GB ram GT 730m 1TB SSD Win 10
X1 Extreme Gen 2 16GB ram 1650 M-Q 1TB SSD Win 10
x260 6th gen i-series
Mum's T440s 4th gen i5 8GB ram 300GB SSD Win 10

GomJabbar
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Re: help me choose a newer travel machine

#4 Post by GomJabbar » Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:22 am

FYI, the X220 supports up to 16GB of RAM. Likely the X240 does as well. Lenovo's specs say the X220 only supports 8GB @ 1333, but reading the forums I found out otherwise. I bought 16GB of 1866 Crucial RAM for my X220 and it works fine. Passed all the memory tests and CPU-Z reports it is working at full speed. The forums also mention that only X220's with a BIOS version of 1.28 or older (or modified BIOS of a later version) will run the RAM at the full 1866 speed.

You might consider buying a SSD hard drive for your X240 if it is in good shape. I just ordered a 500GB Crucial SSD for my X220 from Amazon for $117.41 shipped. Just plug it in where the old hard drive was. It is recommended not to clone from a conventional HDD to a SSD, but to install Windows from scratch. I would just copy everything from your user folder to a USB key, then after getting windows and other necessary software installed, copy whatever directories and files you want to your new Windows user folder.

I should have been working trying to fix my X220 before buying the X280. My X220 had several issues and finally it would not turn on. I bought a used replacement motherboard off off ebay for $45, a used replacement keyboard off of ebay for $18, 16GB of RAM from Amazon for $158, and a 500GB SSD from Amazon for $117. So for about $340 I got a very functional X220. Should be somewhat faster now than it was before the upgrades. I am still waiting for the SSD to arrive tomorrow. I plan to give the X220 to my wife, as her only computer is an old iPad (and her iPhone).
DKB

RealBlackStuff
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Re: help me choose a newer travel machine

#5 Post by RealBlackStuff » Sat Jun 09, 2018 10:23 am

The X240 has only one RAM-slot (and no RAM soldered), so unfortunately 8GB there is the limit.
However, even 8GB is rarely needed for run-of-the-mill programs.
But X240 is one of the few machines that can have 3 (THREE!) drives and battery life is more than respectable!
Replace the sh!tty clunkpad with one from the X250 and you have one heck of a decent travel machine!
I have a spare X240 with regular HD screen and modded touchpad+buttons, but also an FHD screen for it that needs a surround and LCD-bezel.
I might be persuaded to sell that if the price is right.
Lovely day for a Guinness! (The Real Black Stuff)
Lenovo: X240, X250, T440p, T480, M900 Tiny.

PS: the old Boardroom website is still available on the Wayback Machine
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Whitieiii
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Re: help me choose a newer travel machine

#6 Post by Whitieiii » Sat Jun 09, 2018 12:47 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:The X240 has only one RAM-slot (and no RAM soldered), so unfortunately 8GB there is the limit.
However, even 8GB is rarely needed for run-of-the-mill programs.
But X240 is one of the few machines that can have 3 (THREE!) drives and battery life is more than respectable!
Replace the sh!tty clunkpad with one from the X250 and you have one heck of a decent travel machine!
I have a spare X240 with regular HD screen and modded touchpad+buttons, but also an FHD screen for it that needs a surround and LCD-bezel.
I might be persuaded to sell that if the price is right.
I've never had a problem with 8GB ram on T440s for all I need my computer for (mostly email and web browsing) although I've gotta chase a ram hog (low ram error) that's recently showed up on the T440s... I'll have to restart it again and find it... Anyways but if I can get a good deal on a server SSD again I'll go and order it.. I got a 300GB Intel server SSD (DC4600?)for $50 practically brand new only used just a few times in my T440s.. if the X250 was 100-150 dollars cheaper used then I would much rather pick one of those up.. but I'm impressed with my T440s and wouldn't hesitate to go for the i7 model of X240 if the battery life is just as good... I'm debating now but definitely the t440/x240 is one of my favorite machines looks and battery wise right now... Is there a big difference between the x240 and x240s or is it just lack of the docking station port?
My Collection:
A30 Pentium 3 512MB ram 60GB HDD Win 98SE
HP 8460p 2nd gen i7 8GB ram 500GB HDD Radeon 6470m Win 7
T440p 4th gen i7 12GB ram GT 730m 1TB SSD Win 10
X1 Extreme Gen 2 16GB ram 1650 M-Q 1TB SSD Win 10
x260 6th gen i-series
Mum's T440s 4th gen i5 8GB ram 300GB SSD Win 10

RealBlackStuff
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Re: help me choose a newer travel machine

#7 Post by RealBlackStuff » Sat Jun 09, 2018 1:39 pm

X240s has no docking port and is slightly thinner and lighter than X240.
X240s is very hard to find, X240 not so.
X240s has two internal batteries [both 23.5Wh], X240 has one internal [23.5Wh] and one external battery, either 3-cell [23.5Wh] or 6-cell [choice of 48Wh or 72Wh].
X240 with internal 3-cell and external 6-cell-72W does 8-10 hours easily.
External batteries are abundantly available.

Whitieiii
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Re: help me choose a newer travel machine

#8 Post by Whitieiii » Sat Jun 09, 2018 4:35 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:X240s has no docking port and is slightly thinner and lighter than X240.
X240s is very hard to find, X240 not so.
X240s has two internal batteries [both 23.5Wh], X240 has one internal [23.5Wh] and one external battery, either 3-cell [23.5Wh] or 6-cell [choice of 48Wh or 72Wh].
X240 with internal 3-cell and external 6-cell-72W does 8-10 hours easily.
External batteries are abundantly available.
That's good... X240 it is.. no real big battery drain going with an i7 vs an i5 being that they are all 15w CPUs? I'm also finding that the x240 has the same CPUs as the T440s am I correct? If that's the case being that I get excellent battery life with my T440s I should get the same if not better battery life with the X240.. I'm getting more and more sold on the x240... Is there a 12 inch Thinkpad Yoga with a 4th gen i7 15w CPU?
My Collection:
A30 Pentium 3 512MB ram 60GB HDD Win 98SE
HP 8460p 2nd gen i7 8GB ram 500GB HDD Radeon 6470m Win 7
T440p 4th gen i7 12GB ram GT 730m 1TB SSD Win 10
X1 Extreme Gen 2 16GB ram 1650 M-Q 1TB SSD Win 10
x260 6th gen i-series
Mum's T440s 4th gen i5 8GB ram 300GB SSD Win 10

Thinkpad4by3
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Re: help me choose a newer travel machine

#9 Post by Thinkpad4by3 » Sat Jun 09, 2018 5:40 pm

1) Yea the battery life from the i7 will be quite similar
2) The Yoga S1 has a 4th gen i7.
Thinkpad4by3's Law of the Universe.

The efficiency of two screens equally sized with equal numbers if pixels are equal. The time spent by a 4:3 user complaining about 16:9 is proportional to the inefficiency working with a 16:9 display, therefore the amount of useful work extracted is equal.

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