Trip to China - X201 I7 1440x900

[slackie]

Hi,

We've had Thinkpads coming and go in our family and I've always loved them. However, I've been using Apple's 13 inches Macbook/Pro during the last two years but I was never pleased with the screen resolution. I was ebaying the other night and saw that the x201 has come out with a flavor including the i7 CPU and a 1440x900 screen. The ebay prices seem really cheap ~1500 USD (almost one third of the Swedish retail price). So I'm having serious thoughts on just adding one to my cart. English keyboard isn't an issue and I know that it's possible to order other keyboards as spare parts (correct me if I'm wrong).

With everything said above - should I be aware of something? Are they REALLY 1440x900 in screen res.?

I'm also visiting China for three weeks this November, should I buy one there instead? How do the prices stand towards the ebay prices?

Thanks in advance!

[ZaZ]

More likely you're thinking of the X201s model, not the X201, but yes, they do come with the 1440x900 resolution. You might have missed it as it wasn't on Lenovo site for very long before they dropped it, but top seller models are still available on ebay or the internet.

If you can find a X200s, some come with WXGA+ too, you can probably get it for less than a X201s. The X301 might be an option too for WXGA+. It's a 13" so it'll be a little easier on the eyes, but uses a 1.8" drive. Don't know much about China. You're on your own there.

[loyukfai]

I'm also visiting China for three weeks this November, should I buy one there instead? How do the prices stand towards the ebay prices?

It occurs to me that the prices of ThinkPads, especially for high-end models, seem to be consistently higher in Hong Kong than in the US, whereas hefty discounts are often offered. I don't remember hearing from anyone, who's not a business user, consider buying a ThinkPad, unless he/she can get it through a university/education program. The "dull" design could be part of the reason through.

It's probably the same in China.

You may check these out...

China: http://detail.zol.com.cn/notebook_index ... ist_1.html
Hong Kong: http://www.price.com.hk/search.php?g=&q=thinkpad

Exchange rates from http://www.xe.com/

1 CNY = 0.15 USD
1 HKD = 0.13 USD

Cheers.