X100e Dual Core Models

[jvarszegi]

I would expect a like-new X61 to have an edge over an X100e in processing and battery life, but the X100e to have the advantage in size and ergonomics.

But though I really like the keyboard and screen on the X100e, these things bug me ergonomically:

* I would have preferred it without a webcam but with a larger screen / thinner bezel
* Lack of full set of indicator lights bothers me
* Lack of a Thinklight REALLY bothers me (this would be much more desirable than a webcam, and cheaper)
* On-screen display can lag, especially when adjusting sound
* In a machine of this small depth, a truly staggering percentage of space was unnecessarily devoted to the TrackPoint buttons, at the expense of room for dedicated buttons above the keyboard and/or more space for the touchpad
* The card reader is unnecessarily tiny, and won't even let one fully insert an SDHC card

I've adapted to the latchless design, and like it fine now.

[GrandMasterKhan]

From the reviews I've seen the Neo powered X100e seems to be performing only marginally better than an Atom 450 powered netbook. It may look like a Thinkpad but doesnt seem like a real Thinkpad or a real notebook unless I'm missing something. Have seen it and the build quality is nice but that is not enough if its underpowered and overpriced. What possesed you do buy it other than the novelty of it or using it strictly as a secondary machine and are you feeling regret, especially when you can get an X201 i3 for a few hundreds bucks more? Even the dual core models seem like they are outfitted with lagging AMD technology versus Intel.

[jvarszegi]

Can you show the reviews you're talking about? The N450 is generally understood to introduce little to no processing performance gains, though it does have lower power consumption. And even conservative benchmarks put the single-core at roughly double the performance.

I can say that my single-core is pretty zippy under actual use. I wouldn't have any qualms about buying another of these for one of my workers. It's definitely not the fastest machine I've ever used, but it is plenty fast enough for productivity work. Even the Microsoft Office hogs like PowerPoint respond similarly on my X100e and T61 (2 gigs RAM, 7200 RPM drive), that is, with no noticeable slowdowns-- except the applications open quicker on my X100e.

I often listen to music while I surf or do office work on my single-core; no slowdowns. You may if you run at half speed or less, though.

The consensus from people who have actually used the X100e, which after all is a borderline netbook/laptop by design, is that it's fast enough for office work, and much better than any Atom netbook for that.

I bought it because it was only slightly more expensive than an Atom netbook, but far more appropriate for doing work. I have no regrets. Response from reviewers and especially from users has been positive almost without exception, and I can understand why.

And it's not overpriced; far from it. You can get a single-core for $429 or thereabouts, in the netbook range. If you buy from Lenovo for $449, you can add on proper Lenovo support. If you go the third-party TopSeller route, you can get a dual core X100e for $567, still $300 less than the cheapest i3 X201 (which I have doubts as to current availability anyway). These are not negligible price differences, especially when you tally up the other differences: better support for a Lenovo-bought X100e, better ergonomics on the X100e, smaller size, etc.

So nope, no regrets whatsoever. The machine does very well what I need it to, and was a bargain.

As for the "lagging AMD technology", it was obviously picked for a reason: so that X20x series sales would not be cannibalized. The Lenovo products tend to be distributed on a continuum, value-wise. So for $400+ you can have an ultraportable Thinkpad (X100e single-core). For $500+ you can have an ultraportable Thinkpad with somewhat better performance. For $800+ you can have an ultraportable Thinkpad with somewhat better performance and somewhat better battery life. For $1000+ you can have a Thinkpad with somewhat better performance and battery life, plus robust Lenovo support options.

It's all done intentionally to make you consider the upsell, and also to make sure you can get a better machine up to your price point. But the AMD processors and chipsets used in these machines aren't obsolete, they are just budget options that don't perform as well as the Intel stuff used in the X201-- and they were picked intentionally for those reasons.

[GrandMasterKhan]

OK, I'm listening. Instead of subjective comments, can you show us some performance charts on your T61 versus your X100e? Want to see actual statistics, bar charts, line charts, etc. Would be helpful to determine if the X100e is actually useable. At a competitor site, reviewers have basically trashed the X100e. So a contrarian view such as yours is appreciated, as long as its is backed up with data not subjective nor anecdotal comments. I buy on performance with statistics or trial use but the latter is not really possible without a restock fee. In my state there is high humidity and I cannot afford to have my staff in the field with hot machines that are not performing. The heat from AMD's Neo would be exacerbated in hot humid outdoor weather.

[jvarszegi]

It's not really a contrarian view. The consensus from reviews is that the X100e is usable. Go read the reviews; they're full of plenty hands-on experience as well as data. I don't really have time at the moment to generate bar charts for you on multiple machines.

I'm also really not trying to convince you to buy an X100e; if you don't want one, don't buy one. But I do my work on one every day, and performance is comparable to my T61 for doing productivity work.

In addition you should realize that doing bar charts of peak performance won't tell you anything about a machine's suitability for a particular task, unless you also chart the performance requirements of that task. Let's say that the MV-40 is roughly comparable performance-wise to a Pentium M 1.6. If you had a machine similar to that and were able to do office productivity work on it, that would be a good rule of thumb for you. (But since office productivity will not cause the process on even an X100e to go to 100%, it's useless to rely on a bar chart of 100% processor performance to determine whether you can use it for office work.)

So if your workforce needs to do processor-intensive tasks such as using Photoshop on large files, doing video editing, etc. I would look at bar charts (but I would consider higher-end machines anyway from the get-go; the X100e is not meant to be a workstation so much as a better-than-netbook machine good enough for office tasks).

No contrarian views here, just reality after using the machine in my day-to-day work. My view accords with the views of others that have used it, including reviewers. The machine is useable.

[jvarszegi]

Here are some reviews for you, showing that the machine is plenty useable (I don't know why this would even be in question). In addition you can buy the dual-core versions if you like; it would be an extreme office worker indeed that would exceed the capabilities of one of those. Heat as impacted by humidity may be a different matter. I can't help you there, but my machine only gets mildly warm (running Windows Classic, not Aero Glass, so my video card is not used much though).

Anyhoo, even among the reviews that wish for better processors in the X100e (and it obviously would be better with an Intel CULV or better, though that would impact the cost), I can't find anyone saying it's unusable because it's too slow for doing work. Can you?

"[T]he Lenovo ThinkPad X100e puts in a significantly stronger showing than regular Intel Atom netbooks, overshadowed only by middling battery longevity. Faster dual-core processors should increase performance even more, but we’ll have to wait and see what damage they might do to to runtimes. As for this particular SKU, for those users who prioritize text-entry above all else the X100e’s keyboard is significantly better than many other 11.6-inch models on the market, and it’s paired with speed sufficient for everyday tasks. Road warriors spending long periods away from an AC point should look elsewhere, but the ThinkPad X100e still puts in a decent showing."

http://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-thinkpa ... w-2972091/


"As far as design and ergonomics go, the Lenovo ThinkPad X100e has the best keyboard and trackpad I’ve used on an 11.6 incher, and on top of that it’s matte all over including the display. Not to mention being very quiet. Doesn’t get any better than that. Performance, on the other hand, while good running at full performance, dips to netbook level speeds when running on battery mode. Battery life ranges from 3 - 4 hours on most occasions. The X100e is clearly a large netbook (cheap) aimed at business users who aren’t particular fussy about long battery life or fast performance."

http://netbooked.net/netbook-reviews/re ... 0e-review/


"[W]hile it's impressive in many ways -- oh, that keyboard! -- its battery life and heat issues just cannot be overlooked. There's no doubt that for $549 the X100e packs more power and graphics than the average $399 netbook, but other 11.6-inch Intel ULV laptops, like the $400 Acer Aspire 1410, rock similar performance scores and run for about five hours on a single charge. We'd love to see Lenovo offer a version of the X100e with an Intel ULV processor, but we'd bet that for some, the X100e's extra horsepower and stellar ergonomics will be all it takes to hand over the plastic."

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/leno ... 0e-review/


"The ThinkPad X100e is a cheap, but very desirable laptop that bridges the gap between netbooks and CULV laptops."

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/netbooks ... kpad-x100e


"Lenovo is no stranger to the netbook genre, ... ut it had yet to launch a legitimate netbook for business users, one that it can proudly call a ThinkPad—until now.... t's one of the few that I would actually recommend for business, since it has a great typing experience, dual pointing devices, and decent battery life for a machine that doesn't use the Atom processor."

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2361934,00.asp


"Lenovo's ThinkPad X100e is an ultraportable notebook aimed primarily at business users who want something mobile but affordable... It features one of the best keyboards in its class and it's also very sturdy. The Lenovo ThinkPad X100e is bigger and more powerful than a netbook; it's a viable solution for anyone who has been thinking about purchasing a netbook but been put off by the size and slow CPU... The Lenovo ThinkPad X100e is a very well built, sub-£500 ultraportable for business users. It's comfortable to use and reasonably fast, and, coupled with a global warranty, we think it's a great little laptop for travelling professionals."

http://review.techworld.com/sme/3210572 ... 0e-review/


"The Lenovo ThinkPad X100e has now set the benchmark for NetBook and entry level UltraPortables for 2010. The design is outstanding, it looks quite frankly, stunning, and it feels solid, just like a ThinkPad should. And at an entry price of $449, it’s excellent value."

http://www.thinkpadtoday.com/its-here-l ... ations.htm


"Overall, the X100e is a good lightweight laptop for the price. It's a low-cost ultraportable with more pep than a netbook , more room for typing, and a bigger keyboard than a netbook—the best keyboard in its class. It also feels more solid than competing systems and offers better graphics performance. However, we’d like this $569 AMD-powered notebook a lot more if it offered greater battery life and ran cooler."

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/lenovo- ... spx?page=5


"[T]he ThinkPad X100e is a surprisingly solid little netbook... that would have been perfect if it delivered just a little more in terms of performance and battery life. This configuration falls just a little short of earning our Editor's Choice Award, but we still think it will be a popular choice for a number of business buyers."

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.a ... D=5592&p=2


"[F]or conservative buyers, or those valuing robustness over whizz-bang features, and for those who find netbooks have too many compromises, the X100e is a strong contender."

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/04/15 ... page4.html


[CNET Editor's Rating, "Very Good"] "elieve us when we say that this compact, very Netbook-like ThinkPad-to-go is like a fantasy to business travelers and ThinkPad fans who have been dreaming of an ultraportable to call their own... At a jacked-up starting price of $449 (our config jumped up to $579), it's certainly more expensive than most Netbooks. For its sturdy look and feel, it just might be worth it--but in terms of performance and battery life, it's not a significant step above the pack. In fact, battery-wise, it's a step behind. Nevertheless, the x100e earns a special spot in our heart for being one of the best Netbook-grade devices to write on that we've ever tried."

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/lenovo- ... 60160.html


"Experts rate this product 74/100 and users 90/100. We analyzed these ratings, the product age and more factors. Compared to other Laptops the Lenovo ThinkPad X100e is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 95/100 = Excellent quality."

http://alatest.com/reviews/laptop-revie ... tner:50472


"The Lenovo ThinkPad X100e is a solidly built, small format notebook computer. The absence of an optical drive will annoy some, but if netbooks don't have quite enough oomph for you, and the money is available, this could be a good alternative."

http://www.itreviews.co.uk/hardware/h2248.htm

[GrandMasterKhan]

That's quite a bit of reading and research. Will take a look. Thanks.

[jvarszegi]

You're welcome. I just pasted snippets from the first several reviews that came up in a quick Google search, and in this case just copied the whole bunch of content from a previous post of mine on forums.lenovo.com . For all I know there may be a review out there that says you can't work on one, but I just haven't seen it.

[morkli]

Okay, I looked at downloading PCMark Vantage, but its 668MB and I don't have time to bother with such a big and slow download right now. I've run PassMark's PerformanceTest 7.0 on my X100e, X60, X61 and T61p. Here are the results:

X100e:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/453 ... 02_o_d.jpg

X60:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2764/453 ... dc_o_d.jpg

X61:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2684/453 ... f4_o_d.jpg

T61p:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/453 ... 8b_o_d.jpg

All were with maximum performance set in the power manager.

Not quite sure what to make of it all yet, expect that I would have expected the graphics performance of the X100e to be much better than the X60 and X61.

Cheers,

[morkli]

It would be an interesting comparison if someone with a single core X100e would run PassMark's PerformanceTest 7.0 on Windows 7, especially to see if there is any difference in graphics performance.

Cheers,

[control]

img]http://www.auxide.com/pass.png[/img]

[GrandMasterKhan]

Seems the X100e is not compeitive versus prior gen X models. But then again not surprised. The comparison should be against a netbook. You can't tell me that an X100e is a better machine than say an X60, the oldest but not that old.

Control, your test is in W7 32bit?

[jvarszegi]

Seems the X100e is not compeitive versus prior gen X models. But then again not surprised. The comparison should be against a netbook. You can't tell me that an X100e is a better machine than say an X60, the oldest but not that old.

I never even considered buying an X60, since it's not a current model (hence limited support at best), hard-to-impossible to find new, bigger, and less good to actually do my work on ergonomically. The X100e is a better machine for doing office work, and at a bargain price to boot. Similar logic applies to an X61; I'd rather have the X100e, price aside.

But (and it's a big but) I am not a video gamer or much of a multimedia person, so I don't do a lot of processor-intensive work. I will say that I don't plan to install Photoshop on the X100e, since it's not a good fit the way office work is. In addition I don't need super-long battery life; 4-5 hours is adequate for me.

I think the ideal machine would be X201 internals with X100e size and ergonomics (but including a Thinklight). Obviously a machine like that would be more expensive, though.

[control]

Control, your test is in W7 32bit?

Yes it is. Oh and sorry about the pic, didn't know it would be a problem.

[morkli]

Seems the X100e is not compeitive versus prior gen X models. But then again not surprised. The comparison should be against a netbook. You can't tell me that an X100e is a better machine than say an X60, the oldest but not that old.

Correct, the X100e should be seen as a high spec netbook. My X60 and X61 (which I'm still rebuilding) will be my mobile "workhorses" around town. I bought the X100e to go travelling with, where I want something light, yet reasonably powerful and where I don't want to "risk" my X60/X61. I did have a Lenovo S10 before, but found the keyboard a little too cramped and the screen resolution too low. The Atom N270 is also not very powerful.

Thanks for posting your PassMark scores for the single-core X100e control. Looks like graphics scores are similar, which is what I expected. Looks like Lenovo run the HD3200 on lower specs than some other implementations. See http://www.yugatech.com/blog/personal-c ... pad-x100e/. CPU scores a little less than double, again expected.

I've been through a few battery cycles now and I'm getting about 3.5 to 4 hours mobile use. Overall, despite some short-commings, I'm happy with my new X100e

Cheers,

[control]

Yeah this has been confusing me a little bit, lenovo actually lists my model 3508-28U, as having a ATI Radeon HD2200 instead, but everywhere else I look its listed as HD3200. It is no slouch, but I get the feeling lenovo can squeeze out a lot more performance with future updates.

[GrandMasterKhan]

Morkli you write " Looks like Lenovo run the HD3200 on lower specs than some other implementations. See http://www.yugatech.com/blog/personal-c ... pad-x100e/. CPU scores a little less than double, again expected." This was an interesting article. Am using a T7500 and interesting to see how the Neo stacks up on a relative basis. It's further away (better) than an Atom 450 than I thought.

Since you also use a T61 like me, does your X100e basically get the job done? I mean 90% of the work you do now on your T61 you can do on the X100e without frustration? I mean frustratingly slower than your T61 in using Office applications etc. My biggest reservation about the X100e is I think I need a dual core (its 2010 after all not 2000) but the price gap between that an X201 is too close to risk a foolish purchase when the X201 is clearly a better buy. The single core is cheaper and more palatable as well. If its slow its only $400 or so and and can just use it for what it is if it can't handle things. I mean if you priced out a fully decked out X201 even with high warranty options it comes down to $400 per year on an annual basis and you know the machine has the power to do business and is not a toy. So I'm looking at the X100e from that standpoint. Anyway, does it serve your needs relative to the T61 you have?

[morkli]

Morkli you write " Looks like Lenovo run the HD3200 on lower specs than some other implementations. See http://www.yugatech.com/blog/personal-c ... pad-x100e/. CPU scores a little less than double, again expected." This was an interesting article. Am using a T7500 and interesting to see how the Neo stacks up on a relative basis. It's further away (better) than an Atom 450 than I thought.

Since you also use a T61 like me, does your X100e basically get the job done? I mean 90% of the work you do now on your T61 you can do on the X100e without frustration? I mean frustratingly slower than your T61 in using Office applications etc. My biggest reservation about the X100e is I think I need a dual core (its 2010 after all not 2000) but the price gap between that an X201 is too close to risk a foolish purchase when the X201 is clearly a better buy. The single core is cheaper and more palatable as well. If its slow its only $400 or so and and can just use it for what it is if it can't handle things. I mean if you priced out a fully decked out X201 even with high warranty options it comes down to $400 per year on an annual basis and you know the machine has the power to do business and is not a toy. So I'm looking at the X100e from that standpoint. Anyway, does it serve your needs relative to the T61 you have?

I've only had my X100e a little while and I'm currently in the process of updating it to an Intel X25-M SSD and Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. Once this is complete, I'm going to install the MS Office 2007 on it and let you know. Also, my X100e is a dual-core (L625), so I can't comment on the usability of the single-core (MV-40) X100e. However, forum member control might have some comments on this.

My T61p is more my "entertainment" computer. It mostly sits docked on the desk, hooked up to a dual digital TV tuner and 24" LCD monitor. I don't do a lot of "office" tasks on it. My main "work" computer is my X60. It's a Core 2 Duo @ 2.0GHz. I can say so far the X100e feels up to the task, but the old X60 is a little more snappy. I'll post again when I've used it a bit more.

Cheers,

[jvarszegi]

FWIW, I also use both a T60 and T61 on a near-daily basis, and before my X100e my T60 was my daily driver. The X100e gets the job done for me-- and I would bet that I type far more text on a daily basis than you would be doing, unless you do a lot of office-type or coding work. Even in 2010, office work hasn't changed much in decades. If you could have used an X41 to do your work, you can use a single-core X100e.

[GrandMasterKhan]

thanks, I don't do a lot of writing. Probably not as much as you. What I do use my computer for is Excel, and that means lots of modeling work with live data feeds. Now the data is probably not going to be used with the X100e but he spreadsheet work can me massive. Just want to make sure its up to the task and is not going to feel like a hot waffle iron even sitting on my desk. BTW I've never owned an AMD machine and what scares me is all the HP AMD consumer laptop stories about thermal shutdowns etc. and the fact its just not Intel. I wish I could rent an X100e for a week to test drive it.

[jvarszegi]

I came up with an idea that may be helpful. I don't know about hooking up to data feeds that may be proprietary or confidential, but with or without that you could send me a big spreadsheet and I could take a video of me manipulating it. I use Excel on a daily basis but my spreadsheets are tiny, so I have no idea what performance would be like on your files. While I'm recording I can open and use other office-type applications. The only drawback to this idea is that mine is upgraded with a $100 SSD, so applications open a little more quickly than they might otherwise.

BTW a friend of minue just bought an ASUS UL20A-A1 for $530 shipped on Amazon. It is a sweet little machine, and offers great performance and battery life combined for the price. It's about four pounds, the keyboard's not quite as nice, it's got a glossy screen, and I don't think it has a trackpoint, but when I used it I was pretty impressed. The build quality was pretty good, and a three-year mail-in warranty was only something like $60 extra IIRC.

I tend to agree with you about the X201 being a good buy if you look at how much it would actually cost you monthly if you used it for three years or more. I mostly bought the X100e for price reasons, but just wound up liking it more than expected mostly for its smallness (it takes up an almost negligible amount of space in my bag, and I find despite worries that I don't wind up carrying the power supply often) as well as the typing experience. My business is picking up already to the point I can afford to relegate this one to backup duty, but I just don't feel like it.

[saturnrings]

I mostly bought the X100e for price reasons.

That's the reason I was looking at the X100e in the first place. At the beginning, I was in the market for a netbook, but became disenchanted after using one that my niece owned since it felt a bit too small and awkward for my tastes. The X100e appeared to meet what I was looking for given that it was faster than the average netbook, but the price point of the single core was rather questionable, especially it was nearly $150 more than average. Given that I expect to lug this on a trip to Europe in a few months, there's a part of me that's hesistant to spend nearly $600 on a laptop that could easily be stolen or damaged, so I've opted to look for a used X60/61(s) in decent shape that offers nearly similar or slightly better performance at a lower cost. I'd prefer to spend maybe $300 or so, and at least I'd walk away with a good keyboard and trackpoint. Plus, 12.1 inches is a bit of a sweet spot, since it's not too big while fitting in a messenger bag, and the units should be good enough to run play some HD streaming content.

I suspect that's the dilemma for a few potential X100e buyers. There are so many used and refurbished models floating around that offer better performance with little size penalty. On the other hand, for your X100e purchase, you get Windows 7 and a warranty, and if one is willing to compromise, there's always a T-series unit...

[morkli]

Well, I received my Intel X25-M SSD and have completed my installation of Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. Wow, what a difference this has made to the X100e. Even though the X100e is not a very powerful laptop, it is not hard to see that traditional hard hard disk drives have become the bottleneck of the modern PC, at least the 5400rpm models still common place on "cheaper" laptops/netbooks. Everything is so much more "snappy" now. I installed Office 2010 (from MS TechNet) and all the apps launch in about one second flat. Boot time has improved significantly too. For me the addition of an SSD has transformed the X100e into something that for the moment feels just as powerful as my X60 or X61.

On a side note, a fresh install of Windows 7 Professional 64-bit has cured my gamma issue. Gamma is now at 1.0 and the screen looks as normal as my other laptops. With the previous factory installation, I had to reduce gamma to 0.65 to make it usable. Still not sure exactly what the issue was with the factory installation, but I'm glad it was a software issue and not a hardware one. I believe fellow forum member common has also experienced this gamma issue. Anyone else?

I'll post more when I've used my new configuration for a few days.

Cheers,

[GrandMasterKhan]

I came up with an idea that may be helpful. I don't know about hooking up to data feeds that may be proprietary or confidential, but with or without that you could send me a big spreadsheet and I could take a video of me manipulating it. I use Excel on a daily basis but my spreadsheets are tiny, so I have no idea what performance would be like on your files. While I'm recording I can open and use other office-type applications. The only drawback to this idea is that mine is upgraded with a $100 SSD, so applications open a little more quickly than they might otherwise.

BTW a friend of minue just bought an ASUS UL20A-A1 for $530 shipped on Amazon. It is a sweet little machine, and offers great performance and battery life combined for the price. It's about four pounds, the keyboard's not quite as nice, it's got a glossy screen, and I don't think it has a trackpoint, but when I used it I was pretty impressed. The build quality was pretty good, and a three-year mail-in warranty was only something like $60 extra IIRC.

I tend to agree with you about the X201 being a good buy if you look at how much it would actually cost you monthly if you used it for three years or more. I mostly bought the X100e for price reasons, but just wound up liking it more than expected mostly for its smallness (it takes up an almost negligible amount of space in my bag, and I find despite worries that I don't wind up carrying the power supply often) as well as the typing experience. My business is picking up already to the point I can afford to relegate this one to backup duty, but I just don't feel like it.

You are very kind to offer to trial the spreadsheets under your system. The problem is they are proprietary and the data comes from a proprietary program so it becomes unfeasible. I may just take the plunge and try a single core if I can catch it on sale. The further away I can keep the price from the X201, and the closer to that of a netbook, the more justified the purhcase. Without adding the SSD, where you satisfied with performance? Obviously the X100e can't take an additional driver, so when you swapped out for an SSD at $100 you said, doesn't that limit the notebooks usefullness? I'm more likely to drop in a 7200RPM regular HDD.

[morkli]

I think I've figured what is going on with the screen gamma. Use Windows 7 to perform a screen calibration, rather than the ATI Catalyst Control Centre. It does seem to me that the screen is by default way too high in gamma and that it's something Lenovo should look into.

Cheers,

[nacy333]

@morkli

I just got my x100e dual core L625. After making the rescue and recovery DVDS with my USB CD/DVD Burner, I swapped out the hard drive and attempted to do a clean install of Win 7 x64 using a Win 7 install disc but it's telling me it gives me a media failure and does not recognize an OS.

The disc and USB CD/DVD drive I am using works fine on 2 other laptops that I have. I've checked multiple times that I have the bootup sequence in order, both with the temporary boot and the permanent boot options. I'm thinking it might be the version of the bios that was installed. It currently has version 1.21 (6XET37WW) with a BIOS date of 2010-03-26. Looking over on the Lenovo drivers site, it lists 1.20a-1.16 with a date of 2010-03-18. Could you check to see what version you are currently running?

I'm guessing that if it's not the BIOS, there would be an issue with the USB chipset on my machine.

In addition, the Rescue and Recovery DVDs I made will also not boot up with the my USB CD/DVD Drive.

[GrandMasterKhan]

@morkli

I just got my x100e dual core L625. After making the rescue and recovery DVDS with my USB CD/DVD Burner, I swapped out the hard drive and attempted to do a clean install of Win 7 x64 using a Win 7 install disc but it's telling me it gives me a media failure and does not recognize an OS.

The disc and USB CD/DVD drive I am using works fine on 2 other laptops that I have. I've checked multiple times that I have the bootup sequence in order, both with the temporary boot and the permanent boot options. I'm thinking it might be the version of the bios that was installed. It currently has version 1.21 (6XET37WW) with a BIOS date of 2010-03-26. Looking over on the Lenovo drivers site, it lists 1.20a-1.16 with a date of 2010-03-18. Could you check to see what version you are currently running?

I'm guessing that if it's not the BIOS, there would be an issue with the USB chipset on my machine.

In addition, the Rescue and Recovery DVDs I made will also not boot up with the my USB CD/DVD Drive.

Have you tried installing W7 from USB flash? I guess that is a workaround for the time being to get a new OS on there. Can you post a review when you get it going since you are the only one to report having a dual core?

[nacy333]

Have you tried installing W7 from USB flash? I guess that is a workaround for the time being to get a new OS on there. Can you post a review when you get it going since you are the only one to report having a dual core?

Update: I got home, plugged in the power supply for my USB CD/DVD Drive and it finally recognized. It's odd that it will recognize it in the Windows environment from USB only power but not in BIOS (even when connected using a dual USB cable that takes power from 2 USB Ports). In the windows environment I was able to power the drive without issue from a single usb cable and thats how I burned my the Rescue And Recovery DVDs.

@GranMasterKhan
I was going to try to put W7 on the USB flash but most sources online state that you cannot create a bootable 64 bit install from a 32 bit operating system. are issues when trying to create a USB Flash disc for W7 64-bit on a 32 Bit operating system.

A couple of notes on this thing (so far in 32 bit windows, I'll do a 64 bit clean install tomorrow)
Flash Movies in 1080p will definitely stutter.
I downloaded the latest 10.1 flash beta that is supposed to have hardware acceleration but it seems really unstable, it killed my system at times and I had to do a hard power off (holding the power button).
This thing handles H.264 1080p videos without breaking much of a sweat, cpu usage was < 20% most of the time, but I think thats mainly due to hardware acceleration. VC-1 and WMV encoded videos used significantly more. A strange thing is that Windows Media Player 12 had the CPU at half the usage of Window Media Player Classic, I'm guessing it might partly have been the codecs each player was using.

I'll make more notes tomorrow after I'm doing migrating over to W7 64.

[GrandMasterKhan]

Questions: 1) Does the X100e support battery charging thresholds. Seems to use the same Power Manger software as the "real" Thinkpads but does it utilize PM to say set the charge below 40% and stop at 50%? This prevents constant recycling of the battery and allows one to be on AC all the time. 2) Are my old Thinkpad power bricks or AC adaptors useable on the X100e?

I checked the Passmark scores and the L625 has 1/2 the score of a T75002.2GHz which is what I'm using now. A little bit concerned if the X100e has the raw power to get the job done.

Addendum question, are the hinges plastic over metal or just plastic. Has anyone tried holding the unit from the lid? In other words if you hold the X100e from the top of the lid, can the hinges handle the weight (which would be a sign of some strength to the hinges)?

[jvarszegi]

nacy, the port on the right-hand side (yellow one) is the only one that's "powered". Grandmaster, one way of estimating would be to do what you do (manipulate your massive spreadsheet or whatever) and see if the Task Manager processor gauge goes over 50% for prolonged periods (not momentary spikes). If so, you may notice some slowness on a machine with roughly half the processing speed.

That would be some spreadsheet if so-- but it's something to check. (This is a mite simplistic because the RAM on the X100e will also be slower, but it's close enough.) It might still leave concerns over possible heat if you were using the machine to full / nearly full capacity for extended periods.

As for build, it seems to be as solid as my friend's X200 despite the lack of a roll cage-- it's probably not needed on such a light machine, although I won't know for years I guess. The hinges are metal and solid, and case is quite stiff. The keyboard is a little better than on the X200. I think you may be able to find a local retailer to let you check one out in person.

Many old power adaptors work, including the ones from the T6x series. I now have 6+ adaptors, since I didn't realize that and ordered an extra one. I now wish I could trade a couple in on one of the slimline $119 ones.