How is the build quality of the x230t?

[USSS]

I will soon be migrating to an x230t from my (defunct) T43, which lasted more than 7 years.

How would current x230t owners -- especially previous owners of original IBM ThinkPads -- characterize the physical/mechanical build quality of the x230t? I read this post on this forum (http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=109888), but was interested in hearing from new x230t owners who received their purchases within the last month or so.

I have read complaints on several other forums that, for example, the keyboard may make indentations in the display when the notebook is closed. Others complain about the mechanical integrity of the hinge.

Thanks for any feedback.

[mybellyisempty]

As a long time Thinkpad owner (600E, i1300, T22, T23, X30 (3, actually), A30, X31, T40, T41, T41P, T42(14), T42P(15), T43 (14), T60(15.4), T61P (15.4), T61 (14W), W500, W510, X201, X230t), I'll chime in on my thoughts.

I picked up my X230t new off the outlet back in January due to an excellent deal that's since gotten better (unlisted inclusion of Adobe Acrobat Professional, Premiere Elements, and Photoshop Elements which I was able to sell off to buy a 6 cell battery, and a 3 year warranty that Lenovo never knocked down to a 1 year).

The X series has always been the best built of the Thinkpads I've owned. The new X230t feels a bit different than previous models, but I've never had a tablet before. Hinge is nice and sturdy, though I don't like how it only rotates one way (I had a Fujitsu that went both). The keyboard feels different from the old style of keyboards, but still feels very very good. I don't like the layout so much (I use the pause key a lot, so I miss that, everything else I can simply adjust to).

I did have a problem with there being a chip out of the corner of my palmrest, but I'm not sure how it happened. The rubber bumper that holds the screen off the keyboard jiggles on one side, but feels solid on the other. There's enough separation that you'd have to sit on the the laptop for the screen to touch the keyboard.


All in all, I'd rate this as much better than the W510 I had. I think my favorite as far as build quality went was the W500, with the X201 behind that. The X230t is right behind the X201, but loses out due to the keyboard change stealing my pause key, and due to some hinge flex that is present simply because it's a single rotating hinge, rather than the dual hinges of the non-tablet

[ZaZ]

I have read complaints on several other forums that, for example, the keyboard may make indentations in the display when the notebook is closed. Others complain about the mechanical integrity of the hinge.

I think the problem with relying on internet forums as a basis for research about the purchase of any product, not just notebooks, is people with a complaint tend to be more vocal, though greatly outnumbered by those without. It tends to skew the perspective in a more negative direction. That's not to say Lenovo is perfect and you shouldn't do your homework when buying a notebook, but take them with a grain of salt. When you make as many notebooks as Lenovo, there's bound to be a few lemons.

I own the X220i and reviewed the X230, not the tablet versions, and I consider my X220i to be as good as any ThinkPad I've used.

[USSS]

Many thanks for the prompt replies.

@ "mybellyisempty":
This will also be my first tablet as well. I have purposely waited for Lenovo to bring a high-end hybrid to market so that I didn't have to purchase a separate notebook and tablet. I have been writing professionally for more than 40 years, and for that reason I cannot place a price on a great keyboard. I'm certainly willing to take the time to adapt to the new island-style layout and Chiclet keys. At first, I lamented the loss of the ThinkLight, but the backlit keyboard will certainly more than make up for its absence.

@ "Zaz":
Point well taken with respect to Internet research; most of the complaints I found were on the other "official" forum. There were several comments there pertaining to the bumpers that prevent the display from resting directly on the keyboard. I tend to be very careful with handling my hardware, so this likely will not be an issue for me. I've read more than a half-dozen reviews of the x230t, and they were all very positive for the most part.

As for rumors about the x240t, I don't think I'm going to wait for it.

[barrywohl]

My X230T has been my main laptop for the last 11 months. My experience with ThinkPads goes back to 1995 and includes 755CX, 760D, A21p, R50p, Z60p, T61p, W700, T520i, and X201T.

For me, the X230T has been my best. It is fast, has a great keyboard and it is rock solid reliable. I love the new keyboard layout. I love the backlit keyboard.

I wish the battery life were 8 hours without a slice battery. I wish the screen resolution was much higher.

I run Windows 8 on my X230T. It has a 500 gb ssd drive and 16 gb ram. I bought mine with an i7 processor.