Anybody go from Ipad to X220?

I just sold my Ipad 1st gen in order to get some cash to buy a X220 which I need for school more than the Ipad.

Anybody else "trade-in" their Ipad for a X220? It is comfortable to use the X220 for entertainment such as watching a movie while eating dinner or lying in bed to watch a movie? I know there will be fan noise, heat, and the x220 takes up more space. Also the keyboard may get dirty from food or casual use. A laptop may feel very clumsy comparing to the Ipad when it comes to entertainment I think...

Btw other than entertainment, the only other things I would like to do is type word documents and multitask on word documents.

 

I would recommend the X220t then. It would be quite troublesome to watch movies when lying on a bed with the X220. Also note that the X220 (t) would be much heavier than the ipad. What you gain of course is a superb keyboard, full power processors and a matte screen.

 

Interesting question!

I just went ahead and bought a tablet (not iPad - see sig below) to complement my X201 (yes, I know it is not the X220...nevertheless).

From my perspective, the tab adds to (and has remarkably altered) how I work and I don't think it is superfluous in any way. And, while I do use the tablet to "consume" media etc., I also put it to "hard work", which is why I bought it in the first instance.

Cheers!

 

Same, I went to a non iPad tablet to complient my X220 and my graphics workstations ( Iconia W500 - I cant stand stripped down OS's at this time ) you could aslo look at somethign like the Iconia W500 which is a windows tablet but has a keyboard that clips on to make it an instant e-350 10" laptop

but like you I tend to use it to consume media or use it as a player for presentations etc.

to the OP, I would say I agree with your decision to go to the X220 for school, it a fantastic machine for almost anything but heavy gaming, and would serve you MUCH better than an iPad for school

 

For me, the noise and heat from the x220 are negligible when it comes to just watching movies or surfing the 'net. (My desktop is notably louder.. and it's a silent PC) Weight isn't bad, although the little feet on the bottom and the battery (which protrudes downward) can be annoying to rest on your stomach/lap.

EDIT: The 16GB HP Touchpad tablet can be found for $100 at the moment, if you can find one. Official support has been revoked, but if you just want something cheap to complement your x220, it's not horrid.

 

I have both. I dont get the correlation between the 2 though. Totally apples and oranges. Ipad is no where near being a full computer.

For entertainment...ipad is great for random web based apps and for quick email checking or looking at a thing or 2 on the net. It's also great for magazines and the like as well. Movies and stuff I cant stand on the ipad. Thats just too long to be holding it or shifting it around all the time propping it up, nevermind all the transfering since tablets have limited storage. Small laptop on the other hand works perfectly for that situation. Only real downside for that with the x220 is the speakers are very quiet and tinny, so you'll want to use headphones about every time....not that tablet speakers are much better. Compared to the ipad, I think my ipad has a better sounding and certainly louder speaker then the speakers in my X220.

 

The iPad is a toy. The X220 is a tool. Have you considered buying a TV, instead of watching movies on a teensy little screen?

 

they are two different beast, the only reason why ppl would try in an iPad is if they want a different tablet or they are strapped for cash.

 

Interestingly I did the exact opposite. I had a T400 and I decided to get an Iconia W500 on a whim. The W500 is a nice device, it's fun to use, it's great for watching videos, and it's pretty darn well built and equipped for what I paid ($500). But the W500 is also considerably slower than a "real" computer, the keyboard dock is a pain (you can't adjust the screen angle and it's not particularly stable), and once you include the dock it is heavier and only marginally smaller than the X220.

I had a bad experience with my first-generation X220. Since then a lot of the issues have been resolved. I recently purchased an X220i and I got a great deal (company discount + 10% off). For $705 I got the i3-2310M, IPS screen, 4GB DDR3 (upgraded to 8GB taken from my T400), 320GB 7200rpm disk (replaced with a 160GB x25-m G2 also from my T400), Intel wireless, and the 720p camera. The i3-2310M will not throttle or overheat (unlike the i5 I had before) and in day-to-day use you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in performance.

Unlike the W500 the X220 is a real laptop that I can use as a daily machine. I already have a bunch of other machines (6-core 3.46GHz 24GB of memory Dell workstation at the office, X201 business laptop, a built-by-myself i7-2600 16GB desktop, my old T400, and of course the W500). At this point I feel that I have too much. The T400 is probably going to go to a family member and I'll probably sell the W500.

The X220 is a fantastic machine for watching movies with the IPS screen. The screen is bright and vivid, and has great viewing angles. Compared with an iPad, the X220 will take up more room for movie viewing but it's not at all bad. Expect around 5-6 hours of battery life. Noise is pretty minimal on the X220 under light load, so that shouldn't be a factor. Obviously the X220 also has the advantage of better codec support than the iPad too.

The X220 will not get you any looks and no one will think you are cool for using one. It looks pretty much like every other ThinkPad. I personally like that - it's unobtrusive, understated, and classic. The X220 is even better than some of the older ThinkPad designs in that regard because it has fewer protrusions and better symmetry. In terms of ergonomics this is about as good as it gets in a small laptop. Add the fact that this is a real business laptop - meaning you get features like a docking connector, VGA output, a fantastic keyboard, strong build quality, WWAN options, optional Intel wireless, TPM, DisplayPort, and more - and the X220 is a pretty compelling option considering how cheap it is. The X220 is only about $200 more than a bargain i3 laptop (if you get a good deal), and the IPS option alone makes it worth that price.

The iPad is a very, very cool device. If I want something that's futuristic and fun, the iPad fits the bill nicely. But when I want to sit down and actually do something for more than a few minutes, I want something that is functional, powerful, and ergonomic. The iPad isn't really any of those things, at least not compared to a laptop.

 

as soon as they see you have running on battery for 9 or 10 hours they will

 

If you watch a movie on it in bed, don't leave the laptop on your blankets as they'll insulate heat.

 

The thing about tablets that I have learnt from my experience (and this may be just peculiar to me only) is that regardless of the kind of laptop I have (I currently have the two ThinkPads listed in my sig), it is a complementary device. I have never really thought about the tab replacing my machines.

My work involves a fair amount of travel. Before I had the tab, I noticed that often I used to carry my X201 (I bought it to stand in place of but not replace my R400 simply because of the weight) but I rarely would get a chance to use it. This was particularly true in my day trips. Overnight trips are a different matter since I tend to do a lot of my writing during the evening and night hours. The tab changed all that. I now regularly use the tab during flights. In fact, on my day trips, I nowadays don't even take my X201 - unless I KNOW that I have to do some extensive writing. The tablet takes care of most of the things that I need to do - email checking/ responding; being in chat sessions on the go; doing cursory research on the web; revising documents (saved on the internal SD card, the external microSD card and a USB stick and off the net). I should mention though that this is one place where the tab is not very optimized - but that is because I don't particularly like the apps (on the Android market) that deal with Office suites. Oh...and I regularly remote into my desktops (essentially my X201 and the R400), which is real blessing.

This is also why I am eagerly looking forward to a ThinkPad tablet (perhaps running Win 8 OR maybe even Android but with a very well executed Office Suite App). This and this is what I am talking about. Note though that for the moment, the ThinkPad tabs are on Android and have Docs2Go as the default Office App - I wonder if that would change with these tabs running Win 8????

So, in the specific context of the OP's question - "anybody go from iPad (or any tablet) to X220 (or a similar class of machines)" - going my experience thus far, perhaps the question could be rephrased as follows - "has anyone complemented their X220 (or similar machine) with an iPad (or any tablet), and if yes, how?

Apologies for a long and, in some ways, pedantic post! But as you can see (and perhaps appreciate), I am enjoying using a variety of form factors (and capabilities) to experiment as to how I can be a little more efficient in my work (of course, the jury is still out on this last point!).

Cheers!

 

yes. I compliment my X220 and MBA with an Iconia W500 ( E-350 with windows 7 ). for me in graphics design and photography it will act as a presentation device or a rather crude editor to give concept ideas. it is also very handy for me for quick media consuming, I will use it to read e-mails and relpy to SHORT ones. if I happen to need extra screen realestate for my X220 I also configure it to act as a second IPS monitor using Synergy software.

and if I happen to be on a construction site ( I was an architect and a cabinet maker before I took up photography and video editing ) I will use the Iconia as a portable screen / keyboard with remote desktop leaving my X220 or my Elitebook in the car acting as the server since the tablet does not have enough horsepower to run the rather serious apps I need.

they are unles you are doing the most basic of tasks and not typing too much. for almost any user I know they are an accessory to a proper laptop, desktop or even a netbook.

 

I still don't understand why people would want a tablet if you have a good phone and laptop, to me it seems like an unnecessary device.

 

I can't run Outlook or MS Office on my phone when im in a hurry, nor can I use it as a second external monitor. I actually find smartphones completly impractical for me, they do 1000 things but none of them well.

I do use a good phone that has excellent reception that I can tether my devices to wirelessly but for GPS mapping, and running an app quick I much prefer my windows based tablet than my phone.

just the ability to use it to extend my desktop on my 13 -15" laptops makes it a good addition to my bag. now if we are talking about the nutered iOS or Android/honeycomb based tablets I agree since the stripped OS's are pretty much useless for me and give me no advantage at all.

 

Two pages and no mention of the ThinkPad Tablet that comes out today?

 

Read post#12 carefully!

 

Ah! That's what I get for skimming!

 

I have both and I don't see how one could replace the other.

If you need maximum portability then not much beats an iPad.

If you need something with a bit more grunt (photo editing), or if I will do a bit of writing, then I have my X220.
Both are going with me to London in another week.

 

Happens to the best of us...

Edit: Needed to add that additionally the post was long and pedantic!