Couple of Questions about the X220

[noahw]

I'm a student looking at a new laptop. I have narrowed down my search to either the X220 or the 11" MacBook Air. I currently own a PowerBook G4 15" which is starting to become too cumbersome to carry around between classes and such. Right now, I'm leaning towards the X220 due to its faster processor and keyboard. I have a couple of questions about the X220 that those who have one should be able to answer.

1) Does one need to use two hands to open the X220? I know on my PowerBook and the Air that I played on you can use one finger to open the lid and the rest of the laptop won't start to lift off the table with it. While this is not a huge deal-breaker to me, it is a nice feature.

2) How does battery life work out? I plan on getting the 9-cell battery and the middle range i5 processor as I don't mind the added weight or the battery bump to increase my time away from the plug. Is the 9-cell worth it over the 6-cell? Should I consider the expensive battery slice?

3) Is there any advantage of upgrading the Wi-Fi from the thinkpad to the intel? Centrino N-1000 and ThinkPad b/g/n are the same cost, is there any difference?

4) Final question: How well does the click pad work on this model? I really like the concept of the click pad and two finger scrolling will be nice as it's a feature of my powerbook.

I'm really excited about the prospect of getting a new laptop, Thanks in advance for helping me in my decision!

[ZaZ]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I use two hands to open my X220i. The stiffer hinges may be an advantage. They'll be less likely to break down the road.

I get about six hours with the six-cell. That's on a clean install with screen at 7/15 and wifi on. I'd expect at least 50% more with the nine-cell, but I don't have one to test my theory.

I have the Thinkpad card and have never had any trouble with it. Perhaps one or the other has slightly better range or throughput, but like I said mine works fine.

I don't really use the touchpad much. It seemed OK, but nothing great, but integrated buttons take some getting used to. I pretty much disabled it fairly soon.

Given the usage, I think the X220 is an excellent choice. Notebooks that travel a lot tend to take a beating, which is where the better durability will help. The X220 has a better screen. It can have two hard drives with the msata drive.

[FragrantHead]

2) I had an X220 for a short while for evaluation with the 6-cell battery. That battery sticks out the bottom and slightly raises the height of the machine. What surprised me was that I found it a bit awkward and uncomfortable on my lap, as the battery does not run the whole width of the machine. I believe the 9-cell does not raise the machine, but instead sticks out the back (perhaps someone else could confirm this). Only the 4-cell sits completely flush both vertically and horizontally, but won't give you nearly as much battery life.

Keep in mind the weight differences as well. I believe with the 4-cell, the laptop is something like 1.33kg, 6-cell = 1.5kg, 9-cell = 1.67kg.

SandyBridge and this laptop in particular seems to be really good at managing battery life, i.e. as soon as you don't use something it goes into a low power mode. Lenovos apps tell you the current wattage and estimated battery life which differs substantially, depending on what you're doing.

3) There have been discussions about this on this board. Personally I would go with the Intel 6205 (with camera) or 6300 (without camera), since the surcharge isn't very much.

4) I've had a Unibody Macbook. If you're coming from a Mac / OS X, the touchpad on the Thinkpads (and probably any Windows machine) will be a quite a big letdown. While it supports the 2 finger scroll, that won't work as reliably nor will the palm-check. Since I'm used to the pointing stick I turn the touchpad off altogether on my Thinkpad, mainly on account of the unreliable palm-check.

5) Buy the premium screen. At €41 (in Europe) this is an absolute no-brainer and will get you an IPS screen with a decent contrast ratio and viewing angles. If you're coming from a Macbook, you're probably used to good screens and this will get you something similar or better. Avoid the standard Thinkpad screens. They are usually fairly dismal.

[sanjuro]

If you are coming over from a powerbook, you may be better off with macbook air - OS interface wise. The sandy bridge ULV CPU in MBA's don't give up much compared to the regular voltage CPU due to the turbo feature. Check out the thorough review by Anandtech on their website.

For what purpose will you be using your computer? Both comes with standard Intel HD3000 graphics, which isn't bad but not suitable for video processing or games that require a high frame rate.

[dr_st]

2) I had an X220 for a short while for evaluation with the 6-cell battery. That battery sticks out the bottom and slightly raises the height of the machine. What surprised me was that I found it a bit awkward and uncomfortable on my lap, as the battery does not run the whole width of the machine. I believe the 9-cell does not raise the machine, but instead sticks out the back (perhaps someone else could confirm this). Only the 4-cell sits completely flush both vertically and horizontally, but won't give you nearly as much battery life.

Very interesting observation. I haven't realized it in all the reviews I've read so far.

The following picture shows the back of the X220 with the 6-cell battery:
http://www.notebookreview.com/shared/pi ... sp?f=57369

One can see two things:

One - the battery indeed makes the laptop sit higher and its feet are lower than the laptop's own feet, which dangle in the air.
Two - the battery feet are asymmetric relative to the base of the laptop. This indeed can cause noticeable awkwardness holding the laptop on the lap.

Compare for instance to the X61 (the top laptop as seen in the following picture):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/d ... G_2666.jpg

Here the battery also sticks out of the bottom, but the laptop body is design to accommodate it, so the feet are of even height and are symmetric relative to the base. Moreover, with the X61s, which had a slimmer body, Lenovo added a spacer which allowed the installation of the protruding cylindrical batteries without the laptop wobbling.

The X220 body shows no place where such a spacer might go. Indeed a strange omission of design!

Unfortunately, from some pics I saw online, it seems like the 9-cell battery of the X220 sticks out just as much out the bottom as the 6-cell:
http://www.gadgetroad.com/wp-content/up ... bottom.jpg

[noahw]

Thank you for all of your replies! They have been most helpful. To help clarify the machine I was looking at had the middle range i5, IPS, camera, ThinkPad b/g/n wireless, the 9-cell, fingerprint reader, & the 320GB. I plan to upgrade to an SSD right away though, I only want/need 64GB (as this machine isn't my primary and my music and photos won't be there to take up space)

The OS issue isn't so much of an issue. I prefer OS X for most things, but aside from my PowerBook, I have an iMac and a PC I built (with Windows 7) that I use pretty much equally, so I'm not really biased.

As far as the battery issue goes, I wasn't aware that the 6 & 9 cell stuck out the bottom at all. While this isn't a huge deal, now I wonder about weight vs convenience since weight is important to me. My PowerBook weighs about 6.5 pounds, so, even with the 9-cell, the X220 or Air is a huge improvement in that department.

Most of what I will be using it for are word processing and data crunching (I'm a business major), light and occasionally web/java programming, browsing, and occasional photo editing if I'm away from home.

[expatCanuck]

I just evaluated these two machines, and opted for the X220i for a few reasons.
But to answer your questions ...

1) Does one need to use two hands to open the X220?
Not really -- a 'twist' (thumb pushes up, index pushes down) will work.

2) How does battery life work out?
For note-taking, 6+ hours (with the wireless turned off and the screen at 8 ).
In any event, even the 6-cell is surely better than the MacAir.
The 6-cell does NOT stick out - it's flush & elegant.
And you have the option of the 9-cell (tho' yeah, THAT sticks out),
or an additional charged 6-cell. Or the slice. Options are nice.

3) Is there any advantage of upgrading the Wi-Fi from the thinkpad to the intel? Centrino N-1000 and ThinkPad b/g/n are the same cost, is there any difference?
Ummm -- I have absolutely no idea. The base system works fine for me.

4) Final question: How well does the click pad work on this model? I really like the concept of the click pad and two finger scrolling will be nice as it's a feature of my powerbook.

The click pad works fine, and I think it has a better feel than the MacAir (I think that
one has to push too hard). There's no question that two-finger scrolling
is smoother on the MacAir (or any Mac). Apple OWNS that behavior, in my experience.
BUT -- I LOVE the trackpoint -- it's plenty smooth, and (IMHO) easily
lets one scroll as smoothly as the Apple pad.

At the end of the day, I decided that for under $800, I could get an X220i,
with a 320GB drive. To get comparable battery life, I would've had to buy
the 13" MacAir -- and you can't swap the battery. Or add memory later.

X220 - less expensive & 'open architecture'.
MacAir - more expensive & 'closed' architecture.

I'm very happy with the X220. The MacAir is indeed a sweet machine but, for me,
the poorer battery life (and non-replaceable nature of same) was fatal.
I also think Apple gouges you for the memory upgrade.
If the 11" MacAir provided the battery life of the 13" with reasonable RAM prices,
that would likely have been the machine for me.

[illini71]

I would highly recommend the 9 cell battery, its hots the sweet spot of all the batteries. I would just plan carrying a mouse. I some times find the trackpad unusable. The Trackpad is on sore spot on this great machine. I own the X220 and if cared about anything about this machine it would be: The IPS Screen, 9 Cell, Fingerprint reader, and the ability to run two drives. Eveything else is just not that important.

[asiafish]

I just evaluated these two machines, and opted for the X220i for a few reasons.
But to answer your questions ...

1) Does one need to use two hands to open the X220?
Not really -- a 'twist' (thumb pushes up, index pushes down) will work.

2) How does battery life work out?
For note-taking, 6+ hours (with the wireless turned off and the screen at 8 ).
In any event, even the 6-cell is surely better than the MacAir.
The 6-cell does NOT stick out - it's flush & elegant.
And you have the option of the 9-cell (tho' yeah, THAT sticks out),
or an additional charged 6-cell. Or the slice. Options are nice.

3) Is there any advantage of upgrading the Wi-Fi from the thinkpad to the intel? Centrino N-1000 and ThinkPad b/g/n are the same cost, is there any difference?
Ummm -- I have absolutely no idea. The base system works fine for me.

4) Final question: How well does the click pad work on this model? I really like the concept of the click pad and two finger scrolling will be nice as it's a feature of my powerbook.

The click pad works fine, and I think it has a better feel than the MacAir (I think that
one has to push too hard). There's no question that two-finger scrolling
is smoother on the MacAir (or any Mac). Apple OWNS that behavior, in my experience.
BUT -- I LOVE the trackpoint -- it's plenty smooth, and (IMHO) easily
lets one scroll as smoothly as the Apple pad.

At the end of the day, I decided that for under $800, I could get an X220i,
with a 320GB drive. To get comparable battery life, I would've had to buy
the 13" MacAir -- and you can't swap the battery. Or add memory later.

X220 - less expensive & 'open architecture'.
MacAir - more expensive & 'closed' architecture.

I'm very happy with the X220. The MacAir is indeed a sweet machine but, for me,
the poorer battery life (and non-replaceable nature of same) was fatal.
I also think Apple gouges you for the memory upgrade.
If the 11" MacAir provided the battery life of the 13" with reasonable RAM prices,
that would likely have been the machine for me.

All MacBook Air models have 4 GB RAM except for the base model 11", which has 2 GB. That said, 2GB in OS X is plenty for most things.

[noahw]

Well, I just made my decision, I ordered the X220, worst case I send it back, swallow the 15% restocking fee and get the air instead. I ordered the 2.5GHz i5 320 HDD (will probably end up installting a crucial m4 60GB) IPS w/win 7 HP. I work at my school's help desk and we had an R60 in the office. If the hinges on the x220 are similar, I think I'll be a happy camper

[ZaZ]

I might suggest a msata drive instead of the M4. Then you can keep the drive for more storage.

[noahw]

I did look into that, but the M4 is $89 for 60GB and the mSATA is $100 for 40GB and the M4 is a much faster SSD than the intel mSATAs from what I've found. Although I may change my mind. This laptop isnt my primary machine by any means, so I won't really have more than 2-4GB worth of personal data on it.

[asiafish]

I did look into that, but the M4 is $89 for 60GB and the mSATA is $100 for 40GB and the M4 is a much faster SSD than the intel mSATAs from what I've found. Although I may change my mind. This laptop isnt my primary machine by any means, so I won't really have more than 2-4GB worth of personal data on it.

It may not be your primary machine, but you may well find that once you own an ultraportable that it quickly becomes your primary machine.

I've used ultraportables since my old Toshiba Portege in 1996 and while I have and do own larger machines (currently have 15.4" MacBook Pro), my ultraportable is always the machine I go to first.

[noahw]

My X220 came in the mail yesterday. So far I've got a bunch of thoughts about it, and will be posting them soon. I'm pretty sure I'm going the keep the machine since there would be a 15% restocking fee to send it back, but I haven't decided 100% yet. I will say, I have never used a laptop keyboard that felt this nice to type on. As a matter of fact, I haven't typed on ANY keyboard this nice since my Apple Extended Keyboard II that I used with an old mac back in the day.

[achat_2]

Compare for instance to the X61 (the top laptop as seen in the following picture):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/d ... G_2666.jpg

Here the battery also sticks out of the bottom, but the laptop body is design to accommodate it, so the feet are of even height and are symmetric relative to the base.

uhm, but it looks like the laptop will be unstable if one decides to disconnect the battery when plugged to the AC, isn't it?

I don't know how much is diffuse this behaviour, but I always keep my batteries unplugged when I know my laptop will not move from the desk for some days.
I read somewhere, many years ago, that this extends batteries life.

A.

[dr_st]

uhm, but it looks like the laptop will be unstable if one decides to disconnect the battery when plugged to the AC, isn't it?

Yep, you are 100% right (just tested it).

Indeed the best solution (outside of a plush battery of course) would be a separate set of feet for battery and for the base, but the battery feet must be symmetric (unlike on the X220).

With that said, the majority of laptops are probably used far more with battery than without one, so I prefer the X61 approach to the X220 approach.

[OFFTOPIC]

I don't know how much is diffuse this behaviour, but I always keep my batteries unplugged when I know my laptop will not move from the desk for some days.
I read somewhere, many years ago, that this extends batteries life.

It's one of those myths that no one can really tell you how true it is. It does seem plausible that if a battery is used less, it will last longer, but when it's just plugged in it's also not used. Then of course there's a matter of charge levels. It is generally said that storing a battery at ~50% charge is healthier for it than at 100% or 0% (again, no idea how much truth is in that). And it is also said that storing the battery away from the laptop reduces its temperature, which may also prolong life a bit.

In my mind, none of these tricks that might somehow extend battery life are worth the inconvenience of messing with it. Setting the charge thresholds to a bit less than 100% is as far as I will go. In my experience, the identity of the manufacturer (Panasonic vs all others) has a far more pronounced effect on battery longevity than anything else.

[/OFFTOPIC]