macbook construction vs. x series

[apbudha]

So i checked out one of the new macbooks and I made a couple observations:

a) the lcd lid is very flimsy. It seems cheap and wobbles very easy. Doesn't feel sturdy at all, unlike a thinkpad lid.

b)the angle the lid will go back is restricted, there is a point where the lid will not go back any further, for example to try to open it flat. this is concerning. I don't know if the possible angles will support my lazy laptop practices in bed.

c)the lcd hinges on the bottom of the base, so rather than elevate the screen with an an extended battery ala xseries, the screen is even lower than it usually is on a notebook. I read a blog where the writer liked this characteristic, easier to use the laptop in close quarters like a plane. I dunno....downgrade!

d)the macbooks are only glossy now, no option for mattee. due to the store lights there was a terrible glare. Still I think in general I don't think I really want to be fighting glare to view the screen. just a good policy to have. The colors did look somewhat vivid, but I wasn't crazy about the effect.

these 4 reasons seem enough to dim enthusiasm. you want something that is built well and will last that costs this much. its enough that you have to BUY the warranty to cover you for three years, but this construction quality, pffft... and let's not even go into battery life and weight which are things I was trying to overlook. its all rather dissappointing. still i wish i could try one out for a week..

*cough* so when are the x60(s) coming out out with core 2 ? : D

oh well, still seems that vista+santa rosa+hybrid drive+wimax in early Q2 of 07 will be the best time to buy.

[duffy]

Those are some good points, but you're comparing a consumer model to a business/professional model. The X series is probably the best constructed Thinkpad model currently available. You would be hard pressed to find anything in the market that compares with the feature set. Lenovo just needs to offer the SXGA+ display from the X60 tablet in the non tablet model.

[pianowizard]

Lenovo just needs to offer the SXGA+ display from the X60 tablet in the non tablet model.

I just emailed Lenovo suggesting exactly that.

[gunston]

dont' you guys find that the font SXGA+ in 12' small LCD is extremely small,
personally, i would recommend XGA for 12' LCD,
if you do want a big screen, there is other better option i.e. get a 27-32" big HDTV screen!!!

[pianowizard]

dont' you guys find that the font SXGA+ in 12' small LCD is extremely small,
personally, i would recommend XGA for 12' LCD

I have never seen a 12.1" SXGA+ screen but you may indeed be correct about that. Perhaps the 4:3 version of SXGA (without the "plus", i.e. 1280×960) would be the sweet spot for 4:3 aspect ratio 12.1" screens.

[RUSH2112]

Funny you should bring this up. Heres my story:

Last summer, I figured I'd bite the bullet and buy a MacBook. They were cheap, had decent specs, and (aside from the heat issue) got good reviews. I go into the Apple Store to buy it, no problem (If theres one good thing apple has going imho is their stores - generally respectful and knowledgable people).

The MacBook is a nice computer, if youre used to HP's and Dells. I was coming off a T43 (which I still had).

I kept it for about two months. It went to Germany with me and actually held up pretty well, but it wasnt for me, so I sold it and bought an X60s via the back to school sale.

My observations on the MacBook vs Thinkpad
- The glossy screen is not the worst I've seen. Compaq's is pretty much useless because its so glossy. The Mac's is actually quite usable. You do still get reflections more often than I'd like though - give me mattee any day
- The keyboard is better than most, but no where near as good as you'll get on a thinkpad.
- The white glossy gets scratched up easily.
- No keyboard light (the pro at least has backlit keyboard)
- They advertise 6hrs, I got no more than 4
- Ran warmer than my warm X60s
- Screen bounces like mad
- Not exactly the professional look that I prefer
- No possibility for a docking station
- I wanted wwan, not even pcmcia in the mac so thats no go
- I prefer the trackpoint
- The Mac is a nice size for what you get. Its smaller than most computers on the market, but the X60s is really what you need if you carry your computer everywhere with you.

[SkiBunny]

I have never seen a 12.1" SXGA+ screen but you may indeed be correct about that.

I have seen it with glossy.

Personal choice, but for me it's okay only for short periods of a time.

Change the DPI and fonts, but some apps and sites don't scale well.

I prefer XGA on the 12". Even with that, I dont like the screen much. I prefer SXGA+ on a 15" thinkpad with IPS Flexview. The X-series screens really suck in comparison.