Questions about ordering X61s, components, accessories, etc.

[Vert.E.Gogh]

Hello,

I'm looking into buying a X61s and i have a couple of questions:

1) If i don't get the X6 UltraBase but instead get an external USB optical drive, such as the ThinkPlus USB 2.0 CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo drive, can i boot from this external drive (for OS installation and so forth)? Do you simply set the BIOS to boot from a Removable Device or is it called something else? Can someone please confirm that this works?

2) What's the difference between the 4 cell Slim Line Battery and the 4 cell Enhanced Capacity Battery? How many hours of battery life does each provide? Is one battery bigger than the other in terms of physical dimensions?

3) What's the difference between the $200 ThinkPad X6 UltraBase and the $179 ThinkPad X6 UltraBase? When you customize your X61s on lenovo.com, on the first page, "System components", the ThinkPad X6 UltraBase is listed for $200 but on the second page, "Accessories and services", it is listed for $179. What's the difference? I mean, if i simply order the X6 UltraBase not as part of a "system component" but instead as an "accessory" i save $21 instantly? Then why would anybody ever order it as a "system component"?

Other questions:

I got a batch of hard drives pulled from working units as a result of upgrades (18 to 20 HDs, mostly 60-80GB). They all have OS, applications, and data on them, and i need to wipe them clean or formatted. What's the best and easiest way to do this?

4) Can i use a USB external device attachment, such as something from Apricorn, connect each hard drive and format it? Or at least wipe the drives clean?

I don't want to remove and reinsert 18 to 20 HDs into my ThinkPad for formatting. In fact, Lenovo cautions against frequent removal of the HD with this statement: "Although you can upgrade the hard drive, it is not designed to be removed and reinserted on a regular basis. Repeated and frequent removal, for purposes other than to upgrade for greater capacity, can cause damage to the system. The Ultrabay slim hard drive adapter is designed to provide this flexibility with a second hard drive in the Ultrabay slim in the X6 UltraBase"

I would really appreciate your thoughts and opinions. Please weigh in.

[rek]

1) If i don't get the X6 UltraBase but instead get an external USB optical drive, such as the ThinkPlus USB 2.0 CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo drive, can i boot from this external drive (for OS installation and so forth)? Do you simply set the BIOS to boot from a Removable Device or is it called something else? Can someone please confirm that this works?

Yes, a USB CD/DVD drive is bootable. (It doesn't need to be a Genuine IBM/Lenovo one either, any will do)

2) What's the difference between the 4 cell Slim Line Battery and the 4 cell Enhanced Capacity Battery? How many hours of battery life does each provide? Is one battery bigger than the other in terms of physical dimensions?

The slim battery is flush with the base of the X60s/X61s (and ONLY works with the "s" models). It has 2.0 Ah of capacity.

The enhanced battery is a little thicker than the slim battery, due to the cylindrical battery cells. The bottom bits of the cylinders makes the battery work as a keyboard tilt. These batteries have 2.6 Ah of capacity and work with both "s" and normal X6x models.

Neither battery will stick out the back. That's the 8-cell battery.

3) What's the difference between the $200 ThinkPad X6 UltraBase and the $179 ThinkPad X6 UltraBase? When you customize your X61s on lenovo.com, on the first page, "System components", the ThinkPad X6 UltraBase is listed for $200 but on the second page, "Accessories and services", it is listed for $179. What's the difference? I mean, if i simply order the X6 UltraBase not as part of a "system component" but instead as an "accessory" i save $21 instantly? Then why would anybody ever order it as a "system component"?

No idea. Might be a special offer that's running under one SKU but not the other..

4) Can i use a USB external device attachment, such as something from Apricorn, connect each hard drive and format it? Or at least wipe the drives clean?

Yes, you can do that. They'll come up as a USB mass storage device, which you can then partition and format as you please.

This would not only be the safest way (in terms of connectors), but also the quickest, as you could hot-swap the USB attachment without needing to reboot.

Also the internal HDD in an X60 series notebook is SATA; if the hard drives you have about are PATA this would be the only realistic option (except for a PATA hard drive caddy for the Ultrabase)

[ryengineer]

1. It will show up as USB CD/DVD precisely in the BIOS.

2. The enhanced has more capacity (2600 mAh) than the slimline (2000 mAh) and will award your machine longer battery life, around 30-35% more. Please keep in mind the slimline will sit flush and enhanced will make the back of the machine little raised. Also, 4 cell enhanced battery is of the same height as 8 cell battery.

3. Another way of lenovo saying, you can save some money too.

[NaT]

3) What's the difference between the $200 ThinkPad X6 UltraBase and the $179 ThinkPad X6 UltraBase? When you customize your X61s on lenovo.com, on the first page, "System components", the ThinkPad X6 UltraBase is listed for $200 but on the second page, "Accessories and services", it is listed for $179. What's the difference? I mean, if i simply order the X6 UltraBase not as part of a "system component" but instead as an "accessory" i save $21 instantly? Then why would anybody ever order it as a "system component"?

Actually, they're the same piece, but Lenovo just put them in different place. I think, however, in the first place, the ultrabase will be a part of your system, so if you purchase 3-year warranty that ultrabase will be included. Yet if you purchase it as an accessory, it will be under 1 year accessory warranty.

[ryengineer]

snip.......Yet if you purchase it as an accessory, it will be under 1 year accessory warranty.

If one buys it as an accessory, it comes with three years of limited warranty.

[NaT]

If one buys it as an accessory, it comes with three years of limited warranty.

Oh, ryengineer, you're right!! My bad. I didn't check the warranty of the part no carefully.

My point to the OP was that if you buy any item as an accessory, the warranty is not the same as the configured system. Most accessories have 1-year limited warranty. However, for this X6 ultrabase, you will get 3-year limited warranty (versus 1-year or 3-year onsite/depot or whatever you go with your maintenance plan of your machine)