X40 over P5020D?

Oh Man! That new IBM X40 looks suh-wheet! Looks like it'll be about the same price-point as the Fujitsu P5020D also. Except the DVD/CDRW is on that weird media slab.

Lessee, same price. Bigger screen. Bigger keyboard. Better battery life. Same weight. But separate media slab. (Which could be a positive or a negative, depending on your view.)

I'm torn. Laptopsinc doesn't have my P5020D in stock yet. And I can cancel if I want to. Oh man. Oh man. Oh man![:0][V]

 

I wish I could help you out by saying pick one over the other, but that is a tough tough call. You're right, having to use a media slice since there's no built in optical drive bays kind of sucks, but it makes for one light laptop (2.7lbs)! However, the X40 design is amazing with the thinness and lightweight form factor yet still maintaining the forte ThinkPad keyboard is kind of hard to ignore.

 

Wait, did the article say how much the X40 weighed with the media slice? I tried to check again, but the link is dead right now. Anybody remember? IBM's site, of course, has no mention of it. Though there are some product support pages up for it.[ ]

 

I don't know for sure, but I don't think I could buy a notebook without a built-in optical drive. That might just be me though.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

It's not just you, Brian. That's the one thing that is keeping me from jumping all over this X40. I do like the specs of the Panasonic W2, however.

Anybody have any experience with it? Compared to other ultraportables? There are a couple on eBay...hmmmm....

 

Can't really make that decision for you but Im in the market for a ultra protable laptop and the X40 seems to fit the bill! I would pick IBM over Fujitsu, but thats just me. Anyone know any retail stores that will carry the X40 so I can see and feel it before I actually purchase it?

 

The X40 isn't available until next week, so no go on the retail stores. As for the W2, I thought about it, but there were a few concerns I had surrounding build quality, especially the CD cover.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

i wouldnt exactly say the IBM X40 looks sweet, i think it looks pretty ugly if you ask me.

the p2050d beats the x40 out of the water in the looks department. the x40 just looks really basic, industrial and boring. Let me demonstrate how the two laptops are percieved in the real world:

IBM X40: "Oh. He must be borrowing the company laptop again"

Fujitsu P5020D: "Holy flaming bucket of cream that is a sweet little laptop you got there"

The x40 may be nice and light but its still is really just a standard size laptop. Dont get me wrong, its fabulously made, well contructed laptop, and has great innards, but if youre like me and you're looking for a true "ultra portable sub notebook", the p5020d at this point is still the sucker to beat.

 

To each his own. That industrial look gives the the Thinkpads their flair. Sort of like a Hummer. The P5000 series when I was playing with it Fry's was getting comments like, "Oh look that portable DVD player has a keyboard on it! That's so cute!" [xx(] Also, I'll be doing a LOT of typing on this laptop and the full travel keys are very enticing.

Regardless, I'm still getting the P5020D. If anything for the reasons of it being a two-spindle machine and having CF and SD readers built in.