Laptop for Student: T420s versus X220 Tablet

Hello there,

I will begin to study this september and I am looking for a new notebook. I checked a lot of Lenovo Notebooks and I can say that there are 2 of my top favourites write know:

T420s

VS

X220 Tablet


Dont come with the X220 (normal), cause I will take the T420s, if its not a tablet.

So I am not sure if I should go with the smaller but better screen from the X220 Tablet or with the barely bigger screen from the T420s with higher resolution (1600 x 900).


I am going to use my new laptop for Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Power Point. So most of the time I will write down things with this thing or use it for Internet and E-Mails and working for Presentations or so.


What do you recommend? Going with the T420s or the X220t?

 

I was very happy to have my X201 Tablet for signal processing (Math like subject) as its much easier to make notes in onenote (Onenote is awesome for tablets) than write them in word. But except for that course I didnt really use it much, but if you good at taking notes by hand it should be awesome to use onenote for that.

And remember a lot have complained about the screen quality of the T420 so the IPS on the X220 is better, but the res is crap sadly :/

 

The tablet won't be that useful for Excel or Powerpoint, but as mentioned Onenote would be great for taking notes. Mech0z makes a good point - if you take classes in physics, biology, or math where the information is difficult to type out, then it would benefit you to have the tablet.

But if you're studying English, or computer science, or the like where you can type out everything, then the T420s would probably better suit you.


Either way, I'd say the higher resolution screen on the T420s will help you get more done. Valuable vertical pixels, and all. But there are plenty of people here who will tell you they get work done on the x220.

Battery life will be better with the X220, but there's the bay battery for the 420s.

I've got a T420s in the mail right now, so that's how I feel. For me, the availability of the disk drive, USB 3.0 on all models (rather than just the i7), and the screen size are what made me go that way.

 

If you're writing notes by hand, the tablet hands down (with OneNote!). Otherwise the T420s.

 

Are there any other opinions concerning my battle T420s versus X220t?

I am really really not sure what to buy.

 

I would recommend the X220t coupled with an external monitor. When you are out and about, you can use the X220t in both tablet and laptop mode - the former mode for reading your materials and taking notes etc (as other have pointed out) and the latter for when you need the keyboard. And, when you are back in your den, you could plug in the external which gives you the much needed scren space. In this connection, a dock may be helpful.