Debating between X31 and X40

[Stevesoura]

I'm not sure what to get. I have thought about this for over a week now. Both with pros and cons, its hard to pick one. Right now I am using a T40 which is great for a one station kind of computing. Now with more work and school, I need something that I can carry without any weight. There are a couple of things I don't really like about the X series like no touchpad or optical drive but i've gotten over that. I know that the x31 has more options in terms of replaceing memory and harddrive. The only thing I dont like are how it looks, it seems bulkier than the x40. If anyone can confirm that for me. The x31 is a llot cheaper than the x40 which will save me a couple of hundred. The x31 also has a good reputation on this forum. I hear allot of more nice things about the x31 compared to the x40. The thing I really like about the x40 is the way it looks. The x40 has a bad reputation about how expensive it is with replace to a faster HD. Also, I think one of the memory ram are soldered to the board. The only thing I like about the X40 is the style and look. It has a more modern look to it which is slim and sleekly. If you guys can really give me some feedback on what I should pick.

[t20user]

I am (was) in the same predicament. I ended up winning a cheap x40 on ebay, we'll see. However I was pretty set on the X31 for the reasons you mention: memory and hard drive replacement. I have a terrible track record with laptop hard drives so I expect them to fail within a couple of years, especially the machines I use on the road. So the other atractive thing with the x31 is that you can use a standard SSD. The x40 has a long thread here about implementing an SSD.

There is some good info in this thread on this topic...

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=54150

[ajkula66]

Make it sweet, short and simple:

If your main issue is weight and battery life, X40 is the way to go.

X31 is nowhere near as light, and can get very hot, a lot hotter than X40.

On the other hand, a well-loaded X31 will blow any X40 in performance.

X40s are notorious for light spots on LCDs, X31s for motherboard failures.

Prices are not that far apart if one is patient when shopping around...some great deals could be had on fleabay...

Personally, I'd add money and buy a X61s...

Just my $0.02

[iamdmc]

Or go for a cheap Core Duo X60 - much better for the price point. You can get one for sub-$600 on eBay.

If you're set on X31/X40, I agree with the comment above mine. I really like my X31, but it does get extremely hot. I have two batteries for it - each last about 3 hours. It's pretty light, and it doesn't feel bulky when you're using it.

GL - hope you make the best decision for you

[Stevesoura]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I got a though decesion to make. I now have the x31, x4x, or x6x. I think I might try to save up some money to get a x6x instead. Does the x6x uses the 2.5 harddrive or did they stick with the small 1.8?

[iamdmc]

2.5" SATA connector (interface is slightly faster). Not only that, but it uses cheaper (price, not quality) RAM - DDR2. You can buy 4GB (2x2GB) for $80 or less. Compare that to DDR prices, and you'd be a fool to buy an older system if you can steer clear of them.

GL