Why did YOU choose the X Series ?

[Aroc]

Hello -

Simple question. Why did you give up the bigger screen and 2nd spindle (ultrabay) of the T-series or bigger? Does anyone regret the decision at all?

I'm an IT admin (considering starting some consulting on the side) and am mostly curious about the differences between the resolutions.

I run Win XPP sp2 with VMWare test systems. The native apps I use are MS Office 2k3, Lotus Notes, windows admin tools, PDA applications (as I am also the enterprise moble data admin). Nothing strenuous, but I would like a 7200rpm drive as I am used to 15k SCSI drives at home. I don't game, and this would be my new main system. I'm mosting doing this like test installs and test configurations while simultaneously documenting what I'm doing in Lotus Notes (to skip pen/paper, which I then would transcribe). I would have access to a 21 inch monitor and a docking station 75% of the time.

I currently have a work related one-spindle Dell D400, 1.25GB, 40GB 5400rpm, 12.1 inch XGA. I either use the external CD ROM drive, or lately I'm been ripping 10-12 CDs to ISO images for use with VMWare.

Anyone miss the extra spindle or larger SXGA+ or UXGA screens?

Aaron

[Sandtigrr]

Anyone miss the extra spindle or larger SXGA+ or UXGA screens?

Not at all. I love the fact that I can get so many hours of battery time on my laptop. (X41) When I am at my desk I use a higher resolution Flatpanel and use the Thinkpads for IM. When I need a cd I just pop the system in a ultrabase or attach a usb optical.

[jolou]

BEFORE:
heavyweight Dell I800 15" high resolution display, 60Gb 2.5" 5400 rpm HDD and two drives (CDRW & DVD)

NOW:
X40 + 2 Ultrabays, each with power brick + 1.5Gb memory + Ultrabay DVD writer

Haven't regretted it a second. Like you I work abt 75% of the time with the X40 docked in the Ultrabase and a 17" LCD attached to it (I have the same set up at home and in the office). I either use the LCD alone or I use the DualDisplayMode (and drag for example my Outlook or Media Player onto the Notebook screen). The other 25% of the time this X40 is just perfect to carry around. The size, weight and battery life allow you to use it anytime anywhere.

One thing I must admit though: because of the X40's easy handling & great wireless qualities, I notice I use it the longer the more undocked when at home (couch, garden, bed,..).

HDD 1.8"
Yes it looks like the slow 1.8" HDD is the bottleneck of the X40. I added the extra memory and that helped: I open all my apps I plan to use during the day and can leave them open without any problem. Files still open a bit slow but other than that it's OK.

CD DVD DRIVE:
Never missed a built in extra spindle. I stopped taking the Ultrabase + DVDwriter with me on business trips. Instead I make ISO files from any CD's I might need. And I do the same with DVD movies, which I put on an external 2.5"HDD (Not enough space left on my X40's 40Gb HDD)

RESOLUTION
I prefer the X40's lower resolution to what I had on the Dell I8000 (1400x). 1024x768 is enough whilst traveling. And once it's docked and connected to the LCD monitor, there's plenty of "workspace".

[Aroc]

Thanks to both of the posters. Although I love 1400x1050 when using my external monitor, the 1024x768 XGA appears to be enough, so far. Also, except for maybe once or twice on the weekend, I never miss the optical drive.

most of the time at home, I'm now using the wireless while sitting on the couch or on the patio or front porch swing. It's nice to be able to sit with the wife and do that.

So because of the portability, I'd like to keep the unit as small as possible. Prior to this I was using a Gateway Solo 9100XL tankasaurus (9 or 12 pound with 14inch XGA).

[nolifer]

BEFORE:

AOpen 1557G /w 15" SXGA+ and stuff. Almost 3kg's and plastic body.


COMING:

IBM Thinkpad X31 /w Ultrabase.

I don't know yet if I miss the bigger screen

[bhtooefr]

My before and after:

Before:
Dell Inspiron 1100: 2.2GHz Pentium 4, 384MB RAM, 20GB HDD, 14.1" XGA, fixed CD-ROM, 6450mAh battery (IIRC), 8lbs w/o power adaptor

After:
IBM ThinkPad X21, specs below, 3.5lbs w/o UBX2 or power adaptor, approx. 5.8lbs w/UBX2, w/o power adaptor

I'm not losing too much switching to the X...

[mekman]

Simple question. Why did you give up the bigger screen and 2nd spindle (ultrabay) of the T-series or bigger? Does anyone regret the decision at all?

No regrets, actually very pleased with my decision.

Previous:
Thinkpad A21p, 8.3lbs. Very heavy to carry, especially with my Targus bag (great bag) and accessories (power, ethernet cable, mouse)

Current:
Thinkpad X32, 3.6 lbs. Very easy to carry around. I got a Brentahaven Fusion. The bag and accessories sometimes weigh more than the laptop!

I chose the X32 for the "perceived" faster performance of the X32 vs. the X40/X41...I honestly don't think 2.0ghz vs 1.5ghz would be noticable. The extra touches such as firewire (which I rarely use) , compact flash reader, 2.5" HD and ability to go to 2 gigs of ram (I may only go up to 1.5 though). Also the X32 can re-use some components (dock, power) from the A21p.

Thoughts:

• Not having the DVD available shouldn't be a big deal... The model I got had the CD Writer/DVD ROM that attaches via the X3 Ultra Dock.
  
  The 1 speaker does take some getting used to, the sound from the A21p is much more "stereorific" . Then again I turn the sound down really low anyway so maybe thats why the 1 speaker doesnt wow me. But the X3 Ultra dock has 2 speakers.
  
  The screen is suprisingly useful even at 12" 1024x768, and being able to connect via the second dock to a 19" LCD works nicely.
  
  The built in Wireless is great! No more having to remember to take out the PC Card.
  
  It's also very quiet.

[benplaut]

i don't have an X series, but i have noticed that my T40 might as well be an X31, for all the uses. I never really use the CD burner any more, except occasionally at home. At home, i also connect to an external moniter, so the resolution (XGA) is no big deal.

go for the X31, not X40/41... the speed boost is great (my system compares to an X31, and it outperforms my friend's X40... by alot...)

[bhtooefr]

Yeah, but two really weak speakers are still useless - I've tried watching DVDs on my X21, and with every volume control I can find cranked up to 100%, I can BARELY hear what they're saying (Matrix Revolutions - it was what I had lying around).

I'm thinking about getting a nice pair of headphones

[billyb]

BEFORE - HP ZT3023AP, 1.7 GHz + 1 GB RAM + 80 GB 4200 + DVD Writer + ATI 9200 64 MB + 15.4 inch 1680x1050 WSXGA+ Screen, approx 3.2 kg travel weight with charger

NOW - X41, LV 1.5 GHz + 1.5 GB RAM + 60 GB 4200 + 8 cell battery, approx travel weight 1.35 kg with charger

I also bought a Plextor 716UF external USB DVD writer which I use to install software and read/write CDs and DVDs when required, etc. BTW it works perfectly as a boot drive when required, I have tested it with several variants of Live Linux boot CDs (Knoppix, Security Auditor Collection, Ubuntu) - all worked perfectly. I don't carry it when travelling.

I bought 3 chargers, 1 each for the normal work positions at home and work, and 1 for travel use.

In normal use, I just carry the notebook in a Vyper sleeve between home and work, no charger, and the difference between lugging the old behemoth and the new is so huge that there is literally no comparison. I will NEVER go back to the old.

The biggest adjustment I had to make was going back to a 1024x768 desktop. Traumatic at first. Having got used to 1680x1050 and a specific layout which had several windows open and arranged for working on simultaneously, it took me well over 10 days to get used to having everything running in a full 1024x768 window and switching apps by taskbar.

The other thing that took me a while to get used to was the pointing stick. This is my first Thinkpad and it took a while to get used to not having a touchpad. Again, 10 days up the learning curve and I am quite happy with the pointing stick. It's accuracy is amazing. I think I'd still prefer an Ultranav type solution, but not if it means increasing the size of the beast by even a few millimeters.

The battery life is fantastic - I regularly get 5 hours or so with wireless and bluetooth on, and this has led me to use the machine regularly untethered to power and connected by wireless while at home, something that I wouldn't dream of doing with the earlier machine.

Before each trip (I travel a lot, more than half the month in most months) I squeeze about a dozen or so DVDs onto the hard disk using ratDVD from the USB drive - they playback perfectly on the small screen though I often wish that IBM had gone widescreen with a 1280x800 12.1 inch screen like many others. The built-in speaker is miserable, but the Logitech bluetooth headphones that I had bought originally for my iPod work perfectly with the Thinkpad to give great stereo sound. In fact, I set aside a few GB on the HD for audio, and have stopped carrying my iPod - I just take the Logitech headphones, and run Winamp in the background when required.

The Bluetooth also syncs perfectly with my Sony Ericsson P900 PDA Phone.

The only REAL disappointment for me was the GMA900 graphics. I am an avid FlightSim enthusiast, and FS2004 ran perfectly on my old system even at max res, 1680x1050. On the X41, to get decent framerates I have to turn down details a fair bit, and run in 800x600 mode, to get smooth frames. Like all LCDs, the X41 doesn't like being run at a non-native resolution, and no doubt that is contributing a lot to the blurring I see. The graphics are more than adequate for all office applications, and no problem displaying DVD video either. I don't run any other games, so I can't comment on general graphics performance. The Intel website on the GMA900 page gives the green light for FS2004, saying no issues, fully compatible. Maybe I just haven't got the right combination of settings to enable me to run at 1024x768. I will keep fiddling with this whenever I get time.

So - all in all - Am I satisfied? YES!

Would I ever go back to a 3 Kg system? NO! NEVER!

I'm sold. I only wish I had shifted to the ultracompact form factor years ago.

BillyB

[Nik44]

Recently moved from my old T series to X32 (1.5GB, 7K60). Like every aspect of it except for the extra vibration of the hi-speed drive. Now getting used to it.

Went for X32 instead of X41 because I think I needed the performance of the 7200rpm drive. This thing is a lot faster than my earlier machine.

Lower resolution (1400x1050 ->1024x768) was surprisingly smooth.

Overall very satisfied. Would not go back to a bigger machine. Apart from T43, I seriously considered some Fujitsu, Sony and Toshiba models. They all lacked built-in mics which is a big for me as I do not wish to carry an extra mic for Skype. I found the Fujitsu build quality to be good (S7020).

[bhtooefr]

I've had no problems with going to the smaller form factor.

The only problems I've had? The heatsink must not be bonded to the CPU correctly - the fan IS running (it's VERY quiet - I had to put my ear up to the vent), but the temperatures are through the roof. I know ambient is really high here, but that's no excuse for those temps (86C outside of UB, 90-92C inside UB when folding at 100% CPU).

I'm doing a full charge right now, and then I'm going to do a battery refresh. It's telling me that the battery condition is "Yellow", and CHC is saying 35% wear level(!)

Well, once it's charged, I'm going to do a full discharge...

[verktyg]

I got tired of lugging around a T20 for 3+ years - 50 to 80 flights a year. I had a Sony 505g PII 200 with a 10.5" screen that I used for short trips. I really liked it because of the small size and light weight.

I wanted something faster than the Sony so I ended up getting two PIII 500 240x TPs (bought a refurbed one online and then found an almost new one on eBay for $300).

When my T20's system board died last fall, I bought an X31 2885-RGU with X3 Base. I figured that it would replace both the T20 and 240x laptops. It was just slightly larger than the 240x and the 12.5" screen wasn't that much smaller than the T20's screen plus it had built in wireless and Bluetooth.

I haven't used the X31 much because I changed jobs and no longer travel outside of my local area (150 SQ Miles). I use the 240x in my car as a big Palm Pilot and it takes a lot of abuse. I'm reluctant to put the X31 through the same conditions.

[vishnja]

Okay, I went opposite way: from a 12" to a 14" with SXGA. Though I hate carrying around the extra kg, I couldn't live with the low resolution and the small screen anymore (but I did for nearly 2 years ).
I never missed an optical drive, but I'm very particular about how the windows are arranged on my workspaces, so the low resolution really botherd me.
A 12" with a higher resolution would be perfect for me, I think, but for now the T Serie with an additional ultrabay battery is the right choice.

[bhtooefr]

I don't blame ya there...

One of the problems I had with my Dell was that it only had an XGA screen. Moving to the X21 didn't fix that, of course.

Why can't IBM get/make some of the 1400x1050 12.1" panels like Toshiba's using?

[brainpicker]

Why can't IBM get/make some of the 1400x1050 12.1" panels like Toshiba's using?

YIKES! I can barely read SXGA+ on a 15" Screen. It must be a demand issue like everything else. With the X series already pushing it for a lot of "2nd computer" budgets the way it is now, how many could they really sell if the price was $400 higher. That means they'd have X41's ( not to mention the X41T's ) in the price range of T43p's! Unless they were some kind of status symbol model, like one of those numbered limited editions Sony puts out every once in a while, I doubt the demand would make it worthwhile.

Just my opinion.

Yak

[bhtooefr]

You know, I don't really notice the difference between 1024x768 14.1" (90dpi) and 1024x768 12.1" (106dpi)... It's probably because I sit closer in to the X21...

Of course, I guess it IS a whole different ball game going from, oh, a 15" 1400x1050 (which I've seen - 117dpi) to a 12" 1400x1050 (144dpi)...

Still, I can see small stuff pretty easily...

[jhonyl]

Interesting debate.

I think that maybe it would be possible to install a 12" SXGA+ panel into an X privatly, you can ask people who sells LCD panels if that would work. It may be possible if the size of the panel match and if the interface of the Xs can handle an SXGA+. However, graphic performace goes down with the increase of resolution, therefor the graphic performance would be worse than it is now...

[qubix]

before: ibm tp 600x p3 500Mhz, 384 MB SDRAM, 20GB HDD, 1024x768 on a 13,1 inch screen. Nearly 3kg as I remember.

now: x31, 512 MB DDRAM, and so on. 1.6 kg.

I wear my lappy everyday, so weight and cassis durability are crucial. I'm a IT-consultant and use it for email/calendar, web and writing docs using tetex. I regret a bit, that the x31 does not give you that much of that rock-solid chassis feeling, as the 600x did.

If someone would make a lappy of magnesium allover, at about 1.5kg with a cd/dvd drive and a 12'1 screen, i would go for it...