Loyalist Thinkpad but disappointed with Spec and delays...please help

Code:

	       ThinkPad X1	              Sony Vaio Z
Processor	       i7-3667U 	              i7-3612QM
Memory	       4GB, 1333MHz DDR3	8 GB DDR3/1600MHz 
Hard drive      256SSD	              256SSD
Graphics	       Intel HD4000	              Intel HD4000
OS 	       Win 7 Prof (64 bit)	Win 7 Prof (64 bit)
Resolution      1600x900	              1920 x 1200
Screen(diag)  14.0 inches	              13.1 inches
Weight 	       4 Lbs	              2.6 Lbs
With all bells and wishtles	
                    around $2000	around $2100 not including dock

i am loyalist to Thinkpad and was hoping to see good specs on X1C but i am not that impressed and on top of it shipping delays and about 5% have issues.

Please help me sway my mind away from Sony so far from Sony i have seen subpar support and fragile screen.

What you guys recommend?
I am doing software developement, Video/photo Editing, Browsing, wireless streaming to TV.

Thanks in advance

 

Take the Z man hands down. Isn't that a quad core processor? It'll blow the X1C out the water imo. The Z build is very delicate however, especially compared to the X1C

 

Join the club. I had really high hopes for the X1C, but the production issues, delays and pricing are holding me back. I compared the MBA to the X1C on like for like hardware (in Canada):

i5/8GB/256GB
MBA: $1629
X1C: $1959

i7/4GB/256GB
MBA: $1649
X1C: $1859

i7/8GB/256GB
MBA: $1749
X1C: doesn't even exist

It's very hard to remain a ThinkPad loyalist in the face of the pricing, availability and build quality advantage that Apple clearly have. What is Lenovo doing?!?!

 

Good question. The pricing at the moment is too high. It is almost as if they have the prices set that way to prevent orders right now. Really odd.

 

Depends on what you want from a laptop - and it's not all about the specs listed above. I went with Lenovo because of extended warranty (3 years + accidental damage cover), longevity, keyboard quality and all the little bits (e.g. spill proof keyboard, software update...). I once had a Sony and it was extraordinarily expensive, double so when it had to be repaired. I vowed never to go back again. For the last four years I have been using an X61, and it is still as good as on day one. Now excitingly awaiting the X1C.

 

I guess it just depends on what you intend to use it for. I considered the Vaio Z series but I was not impressed by the keyboard and overall it just didn't feel very solid. If I could have run Win7 on a MBA without the quirkiness that comes with it (adapting to the keyboard, poor battery life, etc.) I would have probably gone that route. But I never use osx so that would just have been silly, imo.

 

I want to buy a laptop and have it come to my house! That's what I want from a laptop! Apple will do this!:thumbsup:

 

Read this and make your decision.
Computer Reliability Report 2012 Q2

BTW, Thinkpad has the best repair service which really surprised me. I would go with X1C. As a loyalist, think about your own experience with the thinkpads you have used in the last, and how good the repair service. I have used several other brands, Sony, Dell and Acer, the overall quality and user experience were much worse. Then I started to use Thinkpad and only Thinkpad, T400, X301... Like this X301, I had problem at the beginning with the Cd/DVD ROM, but since after they fixed it, I love it every day. I still like it a lot but I ordered one X1C (i5+8GB+256GB). Although it is delayed, and with reported issues, I still believe it will be the best elegant, durable laptop.

 

With all due respect, that is a fairly meaningless report. Without knowing what percentage of the ODM's units are enterprise class vs consumer units and the percentages of units sold in various price ranges, the data they give you is a useless generality. The methodology is also not clearly enough stated for my taste. Asus is ranked third for reliability but AFAIK, in the US, there is currently a warning about Asus products issued by the better business bureau regarding their inappropriate warranty procedures. The complaint is that they have been returning units to owners claiming that there was no problem in the first place. How is that reported by Asus? Is it reported as a "no problem"? Is it reported at all? Why isn't that noted somehow in the report. Sorry, that is a flawed report and just not a reliable notebook selection tool.