Should I replace my x200s?

[treefort]

I use a laptop for field work and love my x200s for it's portability, wxga+, and long battery life with 2 9 cells. And I prefer the trackpoint any day to the trackpad. To me you're wasting time and energy moving your hand to stroke the stupid trackpad.

But....my x200s is falling apart. First the screen produced a vertical line down the center , then the motherboard started powering off out of the blue, which then killed my Crucial SSD .

What thinkpad is better than the x200s? It needs to be solid and portable.

Thanks!

[EOMtp]

... love my x200s ...portability, wxga+ ...

Well, if portability and WXGA+ are important to you, then there is nothing better than an X200s ... assuming you can find another X200s with WXGA+ ... which will not be easy!

[treefort]

Ughh, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. Do I really need wxga+??

There has to be a better laptop than the x220s. I would consider up to 14".

What is your favorite thinkpad EOMtp?

[EOMtp]

Do I really need wxga+??

Not if you have never had it! But once you have had one, you will miss it if you go to any screen with less vertical real estate. It is surprising how much perceived difference there is between whateverx768 and 1440x900 -- it's the difference between usable-yet-annoying and this-is-how-it-should-be!

If 14" is okay for you, then consider a T420s with WXGA+. [To answer your other questions: for now, my favorite Thinkpad is the X200s for all the reasons you mentioned -- WXGA+, portability, long battery life.]

[ZaZ]

But once you have had one, you will miss it if you go to any screen with less vertical real estate.

I had a R60 with the UXGA IPS mod. I went down to a X200 cause I got tired of lugging around the six and half pound R60. I thought it would bother me, but it really didn't. I find the stick so easy to scroll on, it mitigates the loss in resolution. Plus I like to be able to read my screen. The 140+ pixel density is too high for me.

A lot of applications like browsers, office docs and PDFs allow you to control the size of the text, making things smaller, which has the same effect as having a higher resolution.

[Tony Chan]

I think the last 12" 1440x900 thinkpad is x201s. But it is extremely rare and hard to find.

I'm also using a x200s and LOVE the resolution. If I'm gonna replace my x200s I would probably choose between a x220 ips or T420s if you don't mind the slightly larger dimension. x220 being very close to what I have except for the resolution ( annoying ) and T420s actually has slightly higher resolution (1600 vs 1440) but few onces heavier than my x200s.

[Atreides]

As others have said, (provided you want to stick with the X-series) you'll need to decide what WXGA+ is worth to you. If its a must have, then your only options are another X200s (uncommon, but possible to find) or a X201s (they're pretty rare, only a handful have gone through ebay in the past year).

The weakest element of the X200s is the CPU, but for what I do its not usually an issue. Personally I feel I gain a lot from WXGA+, so I'm planning to either wait until the next generation (X221 or whatever) and hope those have higher resolution screens or try and find a X201s.

[Soul_Est]

A X200s or X201s (If you've got the money) is you best bet if you want that sweet ~140 DPI that the 1440x900 12.1" display gives you. I'd personally consider repairing it if you can source the parts you need at the right prices.

[IRN]

You might try cleaning the fan, and see if that stops the sudden shutdowns. I had a similar problem with my X301 and after cleaning the fan it ran much cooler and no more unexpected shutdowns. Just remove the keyboard to get access to the fan. Hold the fan in place with a tooth pick or something similar and spray dust out with compressed air in a can. If you don't hold the fan still while spraying the compressed air it may spin much faster than it was designed to and break.

Here is a link to the X200 service video.

http://lenovo.f.relayware.com/content/C ... index.html

[treefort]

Hey! Thanks for everyone's comments and opinions.

Good call on dusting it out IRN. After reading I looked and the cpus were at a wopping 71C! After a little air the cpus are back to normal at 41C.

My ssd says failed to initialize at boot up. I never tried too hard, but it was pausing when trying to get into the bios to see if it even recognized the disk. Anyone have any ideas, or know if the disk is garbage or not? That would be great if I could revive it.

I have decided to keep my x200s and eventually get a new wxga+ screen for it. If anyone knows where the best deal for a new screen is that would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks again,

[treefort]

Update: Blowing the dust out has not fixed my sudden power failures. It still shuts off whenever it pleases.

Being the cheap a$$ I am, I bought another x200s wxga+ off of eBay for $400. It has a dead pixel but it will seem like nothing compared to the vertical line down the center of my screen. As long as it doesn't shut off unexpectedly I will be happy.