Will Windows 8 (RP) Work On Thinkpad X61 Not Tablet

[ThatJackrakinoGuy]

Hi
I have a thinkpad x61 (not the tablet version) that I want to install Windows 8 on. I have wondering if everything will work ( WiFi, Audio, USB etc) ?

Thanks

[Fixed_Rider]

Yes, I am running Win8 RP on a T43p and my x61 non tablet. It runs great! The only issue and this is a personal opinion, is the low res 1024x768 screen does not lend itself well the the Metro (main) user interface. Compared to my daughters T43p with the 1600x200 display where you can see everything in one shot. Which limits the left and right scrolling.

All other functions are great!

Go and have fun with it.

[ThatJackrakinoGuy]

Great! Thanks. Will try this tomorrow and post how it goes.

[Ashley_Pomeroy]

It'll be interesting to see what it's like. I have an X60 and an X61, and I was thinking of putting Window 8 on the X61.

Odd thing, though. I've downloaded the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant, which seems to be the only way to download Windows 8. On both my X60 and my X61 it doesn't run; if I double-click on the file it briefly pops up an hourglass but just stops before showing the WINDOWS 8 logo. This is with legit XP SP3. It works fine on my Windows 7 machine.

EDIT: Got it working - see the next message.

[Ashley_Pomeroy]

Well, after fiddling around with the BIOS and having some toast it suddenly worked, so I downloaded and installed Windows 8, viz:


I've read about it but never used it before. The start screen is... almost a good idea. It would be a nightmare if it was slower. Most of the live tiles are pretty useless. Needs work. "Overused word" is actually "n1ghtmare", for some reason the forum replaces it.

On my 2.0ghz X61 it feels fast and responsive. Here's my score, which is probably typical:


The graphics card is the let-down, although it runs Windows 8's bells and whistles without jerking or juddering. For a six-year-old machine it's nice that the rest is above average.

With an upgrade install I still had to run Windows Update to download proper drivers for the screen. The Thinkvantage software has now been banished; Windows 8's power manager is fiddlier. There seems to be no way to underclock the machine (there is a "maximum processor state", which I've set at 0%, but it doesn't appear to have an effect).

Took me a while to work out that, in the start screen modality, I have to grab the top of the window and swipe it down in order to kill off the application. Split doesn't work, presumably because of the 1024x768 resolution; I would never use it. I don't use the start screen much at all, to be honest, basically just as a loader for the desktop.

Still, the answer is yes, the full release version works, and well.