Any advice for a newbie ?

[andrewb]

I am a long time TP user but have never owned, nor used, an X6X model.

One of my current TPs is an X41. It is generally OK for my needs, but is getting a bit worn through regular and not especially careful use. Plus, it is a bit on the slow side (even with maxed RAM) and I could do with a HDD larger than 60GB.

I am, therefore, looking at getting an X60 or X61, probably used, and I will, if need be, put in a 100 GB 7200rpm HDD and 2GB of RAM. These should be enough for my purposes. I only need a standard form factor, not a tablet.

I suppose, in essence, if what I am after is really nothing more than a beefed up X4X, what X6X should I be looking for ? Similarly, is there anything I should be avoiding, particularly in the way of screens ?

Does anyone have any pointers they could offer me ?

Thanks.

[timendres]

I have owned ThinkPad X-series machines since 2000, and I loved them all (except for a problem with my latest X61 tablet purchase).

Frankly, I have to say that now is not the time to purchase the machine. I have had an X30, X31, X32, and now the X61T.

The problem I have with the current series is this. You cannot get a decent screen on the X61s or the X61. Personally, I desperately wanted to purchase the X61s, but I am no longer willing to accept the 1024x768 resolution of the screens available. Worse, those screens are not very bright and have terrible viewing angles. Just read the X6x forum for postings on the disappointing screens in these machines.

So, I decided to go with an X61 tablet because of the extraordinary SXGA+ screen available on that model. When I ordered the machine, I was very worried, since I had not seen the screen, and I was a little concerned that I would not be able to read it (I have to use 1.25 reading glasses, so my eyes are getting old). However, now that I have used the machine for over a month, I can honestly say that this XSGA+ LCD is the best screen I have ever seen on a ThinkPad X-series machine, and I absolutely love this screen. It is bright, has excellent viewing angles, and I have no problems reading the screen.

That said, read this thread to understand why to do not want to buy the X61Tablet at this time: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=47509

There is a serious problem with the bezel, and no word from Lenovo yet on how they will deal with this problem.

Were it not for this one serious problem, I would whole-heartedly recommend that you purchase the X61T with an SXGA+ monitor. As it is, however, I would recommend that you wait. If the X61s is reconfigured with the SXGA+ LCD, I would recommend that you purchase it immediately, as this is my favorite machine. If Lenovo addresses this bezel issue and assures buyers that new tablet machines have fixed the problem, then I would recommend the tablet.

HTH

[DavidNY]

I have had the X61 Tablet SXGA+ for about 5 weeks. I have had no bezel or other hardware issues. I did need to get XP Tablet recovery disks since Vista couldn't recognize my USB hard drives.

The only unusual thing about the screen is there is a fine mesh on top of it which is needed to interact with the stylus.

Vista aside, I would recommend the X61 tablet.