Lenovo ThinkPad X220 video review

We've received our ThinkPad X220 review unit, and it's absolutely lovely. Our unit has the 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 2520M with 4 gigs of RAM, a 320 gig 7200RPM hard drive and the IPS display option. The matte IPS display reminds me of the old 400 nitt panel option, but with even better viewing angles. Definitely a worthwhile option. Ours came with the 6 cell standard battery plus 19 cell slice, and the laptop weighs 3 lbs. while the slice weighs 1 lb. 9 ounces.

Here's our MobileTechReview.com Discussion Forums: Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Video Review and First Look

 

no latch any more? that's unacceptable on a thinkpad...

i am glad that they got rid of the stupid modem...

 

Nice!

Thanks you for the early review

 

Quoting from the review:

If the price of that review unit configuration is true, that's much lower than I have expected.

 

jor, there's indeed no latch.

khtse: the pricing info comes direct from Lenovo.

 

So, do we really have to wait until next week for pre-ordering/ordering? This video makes me want it NOW.

 

Is the site loading for anyone else at the moment?

Site is loading for me now. Seems like the site blocks my IP for some reason =/. Was able to load it through a proxy.

Thanks for the review though! Looks good!

 

Yup, loading fine for me !


Excellent review ! I also like the fact that the screen is now wider as well, at 12.5". Almost makes me want to sell my X301 for an X220 . . .. . . ALMOST

I think what will really seal the deal with a LOT of people, is that fantastic IPS Display.

 

... and the longer-lasting batteries, especially the 6-cell.

 

I know, Lenovo should have built the x30x with an IPS, price was outrageous anyway. Hell of a machine though (Wish I had one). I think the IPS and battery life will seal the deal.

I can only advice: Grab them while they're hot! Most decent screens have supply issues. (Hp envy, Hp dreamcolor, T400 high nit, Dell 16:10 RGB)

 

Man that is super nice! IPS is very nice, and the price is right! Disappointed with no latch, that is typical ThinkPad.

 

Thanks! Do you have any word from Lenovo regarding availability date?

 

Whens the x220S coming out with the high res screen? And will it have standard voltage processor?

 

It's looking less and less likely that there will even be an x220s. It's most likely being merged into the x220.

 

Logicbuy already has a spot for a X220 deal on the front page (since 5 days ago). I remember the roadmap showing April 19 release so who knows. That link is buried in the long thread somewhere.

 

It's just a "coming soon" empty link with no deals:
Upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad X220 12" Ultra-portable Laptop deals, coupon & review - LogicBUY

 

That's what I said. There's a spot for it, nothing there yet.

 

Provantage already has a i3, 4gb, 320gb listed for $895, and many more configs. CDW has a i7 listed for $1950 per their usual ridiculous prices. I called CDW and they have no availability date yet.

lenovo x220 - Google Search

 

That's a nice little beast! If only the IPS screen could do a slightly better res....

 

When did Dell have shortage with RGB LED screens? AFAIK, they were always available, at least on M17x (and precision uses the same screen if I am not mistaken).


Very nice review. Just one thing - it would be useful not to have the windows taskbar hidden all the time, so we can see how the predicted battery life changes when you do stuff. Battery slice is a nice and convenient option, rather than lugging another battery with you. Interesting there is no latch. Would be nice to see whether the screen lid stays put if you flip the laptop upside down.

 

ZDNet seems to have got a review unit too:
ThinkPad X220 review | ZDNet

but the link to their written review is dead. Perhaps the NDA hasn't expired for them yet?

 

I'll ask about availability date.

The lid does stay shut when the X220 is held upside down.

Funny about the hidden taskbar. I usually never hide it- drives me crazy to do so. But I have to because Photoshop's import RAW window doesn't fit on screen otherwise (OK and Cancel are under the taskbar). Should have re-enabled it But the battery indicator didn't fluctuate in the 15 minutes we spent shooting.

 

Thanks for confirming.

I unlatched the lid of my X201 and held the notebook at the sides, upside down: the lid stayed shut.

The X220 hinges appear to be wider than the X201 ones, almost as wide as those on the T410.

 

Thanks!

LOL I had the exact problem with import RAW yesterday!

Yep, the hinge design does look more robust - definitely wider metal hinge. That's always a good thing.

 

'What a nice X301.'

 

Is the fingerprint reader still not standard? I think they are useless and Mae it look ugly.

 

I like this one from ZDNet review:



The battery icon is not wide enough to accomodate two-digit hours: the right parenthesis wraps down!

 

I think it's optional.

Personally I found them rather useful. I have power-on password and windows log-in password. With the fingerprint reader I can unlock both with just a single swipe. Starting with the X201, you can even power on the laptop with the fingerprint reader.

 

that makes no sense considering ive gotten 11 or 12 on my T400 and it looked nothing like that.

 

does this come with the thinklight feature? (the light on the lcd bezel that shines on the keyboard for night use)

 

I really enjoy your reviews. Thanks!

W520 please.

 

What's that button on the slice battery? Can you control how the slice battery is use? Is it possible have a combination with a 9cell instead of 6cell? and what happen to the thinklight?

 

Thinklight is still there

Lenovo bundles the 6 cell + 19 cell. Looking at the cut-out in the slide for the hump of the 6 cell, I'm guessing the 9 cell wouldn't fit. The buttons are: small lock latch, larger one that ejects the slice from the connector on the X220's bottom.

 

I'm talking about the button between the DC port and battery gauge.

 

What do you think is a better upgrade?
IPS screen (from regular option) or keep regular screen and use money to upgrade to SSD (from 7200 rpm option)

 

Personally, I'd say IPS screen--that'll be a tough upgrade if you choose to do so later on, whereas a HDD to SSD swap is a pretty simple affair. Obviously, though, if you use your X220 almost exclusively on a dock with a larger monitor, you may not find value in the IPS screen, so YMMV.

 

pdagal, can you plz run pcwiz or hwinfo32 and post some info on the screen? Much thx!

 

The screen, you can always get an ssd later.

 

Yup, and the IPS upgrade probably cost less.

SSD will give you significant speed increase. But a lot of people are satisfied with the speed of a 7200rpm harddisk. TN versus IPS? Depending on how good the default TN panel is. If it is Macbook Pro TN quality then that's good. If it is traditional Thinkpad TN quality, then you have to be legally blind to not mind the difference.

And SSD will only get faster and cheaper as time goes by. IPS screen? Hmm...

 

Ok thanks guys. Going to get the x220 for college use (no external monitor) and was wondering how much performance increase an SSD will give over a 7200rpm drive

 

Thanks for the review.
Wow... I am pretty impressed with the machine.

 

You press that button to see how much charge is remaining in the slice battery. It doesn't control how the battery is used.

To answer the other popular question, I agree with everyone else: get the IPS display, you can always add the SSD later. The IPS is really superb looking.

 

Looks like the NDA has just expired.

Reviews and press release are popping up everywhere:
ThinkPad X220 review: awesome keyboard and 20 hour battery | ZDNet
Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Review

From notebookreview.com's review:

Press release says that it will be available in April (as expected). However, it also says that the starting price of X220 is $899. Slice battery is a $179 option.

 

lisa - great vid!   one point of clarification, it's an expresscard/54 slot, not 34.

(oh, and it's officially called a TrackPoint, not an "eraser head" )

 

Please post info on the screen!! I'm dying to see.

 

Lenovo's spec sheet that came with the X220 said 34, but you're right, it looks too thick for that!

 

PC Wizard 2010 reports the manufacturer is LP125WH2-SLB1 and the product ID is (LEN40E2). It's described as a "wide viewing angle & high density FlexView Display 1366 x 768".

Nighty night all

 

looks like it's an LG panel.

 

Is the slice a "19-cell" as stated in the review, or a 9-cell? The latter makes much more sense, and would be in line with the 10 extra hours the slice adds.

 

AUO - TFT-LCD

AUO doesn't make any IPS panel according to their website. The only 12.5" LCD is a TN, B125XW01, and I checked the model number that's the one on Ideapad U260.

A quick Google search of "LP125WH2" pointed me to taobao.com (China's eBay), which already has this panel for sale... for around 650-750 RMB.

lp125wh2_?

One of the title of the taobao sale is:
三星 LTN125AT01 AUO B125XW01 LGD LP125WH2 笔记本液晶屏

三星 means Samsung in Chinese
AUO is obvious
LGD is LG Display
笔记本液晶屏 means notebook LCD

If the seller's claim is correct, that means this is a LG panel.

Btw, 750 RMB is about 115 USD... so you know what it cost to pick the TN panel, and then do the "self-upgrade" at another time (provided that you find someone to get it for you from China)

As a side note... X220's palmrest and trackpad for sale:
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9304405845