6240 build quality

I've been leaning heaving towards gettting a 6240 but after seeing one on person I must admit I'm rather disappointed.
Is it me or does any one else here think that something like an IBM X/T series is built about 2X as sturdy.
I recently called portable one and they too told me that they get alot of 6240's back due to the plastic breaking!
I'm still on the fence on this one. IBM quality or Fujitsu's great screen? JL

 

I will admit, I do love the Fujitsu laptops I have used, however the more laptops I've used, the more I"m beginning to think the s6231 that I own could have used a bit sturdier plastic.

I agree, IBM/Lenovo laptops are quite sturdy.

 

I can't imagine the plastic breaking, but yes, Lenovo makes a more sturdy machine, though you lose a lot of the consumer oriented features, like the fantastic display. The S is being refreshed come March, so we'll see if they make any design changes. I have to say the P series is extremely well built. On the other hand the C series we tested was terrible. I guess it's a little hit or miss.

 

hmm ... i held and tried most light weight notebook and the built is quite the same.

IBMs those models are heavy under the light notebook weighting... if I am not wrong ....

 

Does the S refresh include S2110? Where can I find some more info on that?

 

I'm kind of curious about that also. A speed bump up from that MT-30 would be sweet as that was the single thing holding me back from considering buying it.

 

The build quality on my S7020 left a lot to be desired. Admittedly it had major repair work done on it but, after 3 months, it developed stress cracks in the plastic and everything either creaked or was loose. Even the hinges were loose. I don't know if it was because it was taken apart too many times, but I do know that the machine looked like it had been abused (and it hadn't been). In contrast, 4 months later the UX I subsequently bought from Portableone is as sturdy as the day I opened the box.

Portableone's machines (which are modified Asus units) are built much more sturdily than the Fujitsus. You can feel it immediately when looking at the hinges and the screen flex, and can feel it in the keyboard. The standard screen on the UX and MX machines are reportedly excellent, although I have not seen them, but I can say their transreflective screen option beats the Fujitsu CV screen because you get the sharpness and richness of the glossy screen without the annoying reflectivity.

As for comparing the IBM's with the Fujitsu- just as you said, the screen on the Fujitsu beats the IBM screen, while the IBM is a more solidly built- albeit heavier- unit. Fujitsu uses more plastic to make it lighter. A big consideration should be the type of use you will be giving it. Will it be mostly on your desk? When it does get transported, will it be in a laptop case alone or in a messenger bag or backpack stuffed with books? If it is a unit which will be treated gingerly then durability isn't as big an issue, but if it is going to be tossed in a bag with books all day long then screen flex, for example, becomes a bigger issue.

 

How is the UX screen outdoors? Coming from a traditional matte screen, I find the glossy screen on my 6240 to be a godsend for outside computer usage.

 

Haven't used it outdoors per se, but indoors in front of a window with the sun shining in or beneath a skylight the transreflective screen upgrade on the UX is much better than the Fujitsu CV screen. I had the opportunity to compare both of them side by side on a table under a skylight and the reflectivity on the UX was minimal and the S7020 screen had to be repositioned to try to minimize the glare. Both screens remained sharp and the colors bright.

When my daughter got the UX one of the first comments she made was how much better it was using it sitting in front of a window with the sun streaming in behind her. She was unable to sit on that couch using the Fujitsu.

HTH

oh- BTW Brian- my S7020 did in fact have not one, but two, stress cracks in the plastic over the PCMCI slot area, after three months of use (admitedly, it was probably due to repair work done on the machine which may have weakened the unit, but I do question the quality of the materials used).