Need help with choosing a Thinkpad for university.

I'm currently in the process of deciding on a laptop for university, and I am really split by the Thinkpad series.
I am leaning towards a X220T, however with the new X230T I'm quite tempted to buy the newest series.

What I need it for:
I am looking for a laptop that is functional for note-taking (both on keyboard and written) as well as being functional for basic work (Photoshop for my dad's company, etc.), and media/leisure during travel, which is totally doable with the touch screen and Windows 8.

I have a 5-hour bus ride in between me and my parents, so whenever I'm visiting them it would be nice if I had a good media platform. The size and form factor are awesome, and the slice battery looks good for even longer travel periods.

Also the durability/upgradeability is a big reason I'm choosing Thinkpad, as it's the one brand that is always recommended to me by friends/family who work in IT.

Problems with my over-analytical indecisiveness.
However the new X230t and the release of all these new Windows 8 tablet/laptops is troubling me. The chiclet keyboard is sort of turning me off, however the new backlit keyboard is awesome. Does anyone have experience with the new chiclet keyboard?

Furthermore, with the new Windows 8 tablet/netbooks I am faced with a further problem. Why spend $1,100-$1,200 on a new X220T/X230T when instead I can buy a T420 for about $600-$700 and simply wait for the new Windows 8 tablets to come out? Asus's new developments at Computex look especially promising, however I need to get something by September. Can anyone give me any advice on these new developments, and what they would do if they were in my position?

Student Bursaries/Discounts
Also does Lenovo Canada offer any student laptop bursaries/discounts? Just wondering. I know there's the 25% off CAXJUNESAVINGS2012 which I'm probably going to use if I get the X230t.

EDIT: Cost analysis

ThinkPad X230 - 1 Year Depot Warranty
Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, 2.50GHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
12.5" HD (1366x768) LED Backlit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, 2x2 Antenna
Intel HD 4000 Graphics in Intel Core i5-3210M Processor
4 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
UltraNav™ with TrackPoint® and buttonless multi-touchpad
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
No Optical Drive
6 Cell ThinkPad Battery X44+
None
Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2200 (2x2 BGN)
Mobile Broadband upgradable
1 Year Depot/Express Warranty
Line Total - $869.25

ThinkPad X230 Tablet - 1 Year Depot Warranty
Intel Core i5-3320M Processor (3M Cache, 2.60GHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
12.5" Multitouch HD (1366x768) LED Backlit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, 2x2 Antenna
4 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
UltraNav™ with TrackPoint® and buttonless multi-touchpad
320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
No Optical Drive
6 Cell ThinkPad Battery X67+
None
Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2200 (2x2 BGN)
Mobile Broadband upgradable
1 Year Depot/Express Warranty
Intel Core i5-3320M Processor (3MB L3, 2.60GHz)
Line Total - $1,045.50

That plus applicable taxes, which in my province is about 13%, which sucks.
However if I bought it under my dad's company I think I would qualify for 100% tax rebate ( http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tpcs/slprtnr/rprtng/cptl/dprcbl-eng.html#class52) which would save me quite a bit of money.

 

The actual typing on the X230 is quite good in my opinion. The keyboard is firm and the pitch is excellent. If you're a long time ThinkPadder, you're probably upset they moved the shortcuts, but if this is your first ThinkPad, that probably doesn't matter much.

If you can wait, then wait. The X220t will probably still be available long after it's been dropped from Lenovo's CTO offerings.

It's really hard to say anything about Windows 8 right now. It's far off and the devil's always in the details. Probably won't know much about how good or bad it is until it and the devices it runs on are released.

 

Is the tablet aspect absolutely necessary? If not, have you looked into any of the new T430/T430s notebooks?

 

It's my first Thinkpad however the family laptop is a Lenovo that has a beveled keyboard and it's pretty good, albeit it's from the really crappy (hardware-wise) G530 line from 2009.

I think I should be able to adapt to it and from the online reviews I've seen so far it seems most people are still happy with it.

Yeah I agree with your "devil is in the details" sentiment. Asus's tablet/notebook is x86 based and probably has mediocre battery life in tablet mode. Might as well go with the X230T for maximal functionality and decent media applications and then just pick up a small tablet in the future as a toy device that I can play with. I have an Android phone (Nexus S) and the only real advantage of tablets is bigger screen space, so my urge for a thin separable tablet is pretty unwarranted, more of an impulse buy than anything.

It's not absolutely necessary however I would love it for note taking/doodling during lectures/meetings. It also makes a decent e-textbook reader as you can annotate/highlight PDFs easily. The pen could also come in handy for the basic Photoshop work I do for my dad's company with advertisements. Tablet mode without pen would also be decent for travel entertainment as well, could play touch screen games such as Angry Birds.

I get where your coming from though, it's hard to justify spending so much more for a tablet interface. I've considered the T430 however I realize the form factor isn't too conducive for travel, especially the small trays on planes/trains/buses. Plus being lighter by two pounds is a big plus for carrying it our around university. I guess then the real question for me should X230 vs. X230T...

EDIT: Cost analysis

ThinkPad X230 - 1 Year Depot Warranty
Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, 2.50GHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
12.5" HD (1366x768) LED Backlit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, 2x2 Antenna
Intel HD 4000 Graphics in Intel Core i5-3210M Processor
4 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
UltraNav™ with TrackPoint® and buttonless multi-touchpad
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
No Optical Drive
6 Cell ThinkPad Battery X44+
None
Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2200 (2x2 BGN)
Mobile Broadband upgradable
1 Year Depot/Express Warranty
Line Total - $869.25

ThinkPad X230 Tablet - 1 Year Depot Warranty
Intel Core i5-3320M Processor (3M Cache, 2.60GHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
12.5" Multitouch HD (1366x768) LED Backlit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, 2x2 Antenna
4 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
UltraNav™ with TrackPoint® and buttonless multi-touchpad
320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
No Optical Drive
6 Cell ThinkPad Battery X67+
None
Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2200 (2x2 BGN)
Mobile Broadband upgradable
1 Year Depot/Express Warranty
Intel Core i5-3320M Processor (3MB L3, 2.60GHz)
Line Total - $1,045.50

That plus applicable taxes, which in my province is about 13%, which sucks.
However if I bought it under my dad's company I think I would qualify for 100% tax rebate ( ) which would save me quite a bit of money.

 

While doing Photoshop work on the tablet with 1366x768 screen is not easy, I'd suggest going for the T version if you don't mind the little extra weight. Especially if you see yourself doing notes / sketches etc, at least occasionally.

Price-wise X230T is not that far away from X230 with premium screen, and it's a lot more versatile device, especially with coming $15 Windows 8 update, further improving on the touch front (pen support in Windows 7 is excellent as it is, there is no comparison with Android devices).

One thing is that fingerprint reader is a must for the tablet (typing login passwords, and passwords in general, in w/o a real keyboard is really a pain).

 

The thing is I will have my 22" desktop in my dorm for more intensive Photoshop work, the pen work rock however for more precise input. I do tend to find myself often taking notes, I carry around a leatherette notepad with me often so I could see the X230T replacing that notepad.

I've seen Windows 8 preview running on X220Ts on youtube and I have to say it looks awesome so I'm sure it will deliver. And $15 is an awesome deal compared to Microsoft's old upgrade offers...

The active swipe computer bootup and login I've seen has got me in love with the fingerprint reader. The convenience is for sure worth the $20.

 

David,

If I were you, I would get the X230 with the premium IPS display now. That will last you years and years. At Christmas or later I would buy a Windows 8 slate. A lot of the devices that are coming haven't been disclosed. You only got a peek from Computex this week.

The reason I say wait is because the X230T is going to look like a tablet dinosaur in six months. Even Lenovo will have a Windows 8 slate by then (I think).

My 2 cents,

Thor

 

Considering that X230T is pretty much the same thing, and approximately the same price, as X230, why not to get it?

It's good for all the same purposes, plus reading and taking notes and doing a quick sketch and even using as external screen/media device with a stand and without keyboard in the way. All that, white still being a good laptop most of the time.

If X230T is going to be a dinosaur in 6 months (unlikely, pure slates are very different things), just X230 will be a trilobite

 

I would not want to hold something to take notes with that is 3.6-4 pounds. I would much rather have something that is 1/3 that weight. I just don't think a 4 pound tablet is a smart investment and from the looks of the iPad users, millions of people agree.

 

Not sure if iPads and "pure" slates are a good comparison. There are tasks they are great at, but can't completely replace a powerful computer with keyboard, for people who do need a powerful computer with keyboard.

X230 is the same 3.5 pounds laptop. The main difference from X230T is that it lacks an important input mechanism, its screen cannot be conveniently rotated, so it will be outdated even faster. With the current negligible price difference (in the older days, convertible tablets were easily 1.5x the price of the non-tablet version), buying X230 makes sense only if one is certain that he's never, ever, going to use the tablet/touch/pen functions.

Not sure if it will be much outdated soon too. New Intel CPU may offer significant power efficiency improvements, but the 12.5" screen, SSDs etc. are going to be the same next year too. Maybe X240T will manage an hour or two longer on battery, while weighting the same 3.5 pounds, but it will do so in a year from now. And meanwhile X230 + iPad costs and weights a lot more than X230T

 

Capacitive screens are far from ideal for any sort of serious note taking. You are going to have low precision as well as no decent way to format anything compared to using Onenote.

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

 

Which is why Lenovo's Thinkpad Tablet (Android based) has a separate nTrig digitizer for pen input.

But quality, features, handwriting recognition and overall fluidity of Android pen apps at the moment is yet to reach what was in XP Tablet PC edition in 2005.

Plus 12.5" is 150% working surface compared to 10" screens in more portable devices, and it really matters.

 

Good point. Although the Thinkpad Tablet is nice, the increased work area and software/hardware maturity of the X230T sure would make note-taking a better experience. I've read on the Lenovo forums for the Thinkpad about the crappy job Lenovo did with the firmware initially, so it would be best if I had reliable device.

Hmmm good point. The functionality of the X230T will still largely surpass that of the new Windows 8 tablet hybrids, as they will probably be running off Atom/severely limited IB CPUs. I think I'll probably spring for the X230T and the Asus Padfone when it comes out, as the main reason I want a tablet is because sometimes my phone screen isn't big enough, and it's essentially one device and one data plan.

iPad doesn't have a specialized digitizer for pen input. Next best bet would be the Flyer or Thinkpad Tablet, however I will be taking notes on a desk surface like 99% of the time, as it's meant for lectures or meetings.

Yeah pure slates will be severely under-powered featuring Atom/Severely limited IB CPUs. It might look like a dinosaur, but it will still be much more functional. Thanks for the advice.

 

I came in here to say this. I picked up an X61t thinking I could use the tablet functionality, but to be honest other than being handy in a couple of my engineering classes and classes where the professors would post a crapton of online reading it wasn't too useful.

I picked up an X220 and decided to keep the X61t for whenever I would need to take notes. Sounds like an expensive proposition, but total for the two was $680 + $255. I wouldn't want to use the tablet functionality on a 1366x768 screen, however the 1400x1050 of the X61t is perfect. Those 300 extra pixels of vertical space really make a difference.

 

I wasn't advocating for an iPad. I was simply saying the form factor and weight is what people want. A 4 pound tablet doesn't do it for MILLIONS of people.

I was also trying to point out I think we'll see some fascinating touch devices over the next 18 months. I have no idea if they'll have the type of electronic ink and pen capabilities you want.

 

Having an iPad, I tried to take notes on it with a stylus for a while but eventually gave up - it's just too inefficient, you need way too much space, recognition doesn't work, etc. I wouldn want to miss the thing, but nothing beats a regular keyboard combined with a good touch typing course.

 

My three years BEng degree taught me this.
After trying all combination. Note taking on touchscreen doesn't work for me at all. Now I just record lectures in class. The recordings are linked with powerpoint slide/pdf; so I can move to any section I want. And I always keep a pen and pad; as those cannot be replaced any time soon.

If I'm honest, Majority of students don't require laptop in class, for referring to notes and slides there are few who uses iPad. For specialized software; there are plenty of computers available at the university.

Personally I was eagerly waiting for the x230t, but the resolution was a fail to me at that price point, considering the market is moving to full HD at 11". I would recommend you to buy the x230 if you so desire portability, take a look at at t430 as well.

The speed at which the tablet industry is going to evolve(acer w700 etc) in few months will make x230t look like a donkey. You would be better of with a dedicated laptop and a dedicated tablet later down the road; not combo. Some people might argue its expansive but hey, 100-200 USD more for 3 years investment and satisfaction is worth it in my book!

Just my two cents

 

I've heard complaints about the missing 300 pixels of resolution. Problem is having two devices like that would a PITA for me, prefer just to carry one device.

Blargh you've got me undecided again. I wish I could see a more detailed lineup of the Windows 8 devices to come.

Well that's why the X230T would rock. I would have a fully functional keyboard and pen input. Although I would probably stick to the keyboard most of the time, the pen would really come in handy for when you're creating a mindmap or doing graphic work.

I think the university I'm going to is well equipped when it comes to content being online, so I'm not worried about that.

I'd probably spring for a X230, but considering the X230T is less than $200 more, I might as well have the convenience of both a tablet and good laptop. I think I'll simply buy the Asus Padfone when it comes out in North America. The main reason I want a tablet is because my phone's screen simply isn't big enough, and the Padfone expands screen space while being one device and one data plan, an effective price point.

 

IMO it's pretty simple, actually. Ivy bridge, that is in X230/X230T is the very latest and greatest Intel CPU, already at 22nm, and with performance adequate for pretty much anything. And X230/X230T is already quite small laptop/tablet, which you can stuff with 16GB RAM, HDD or SSD of any size etc, get decent connectivity, dock etc. All that, with a decent IPS screen, good keyboard, decent battery life, which can be further boosted with a slate battery etc.

There simply isn't going to be a significantly more capable device in the next 18 months, that will not have to make major sacrifices somewhere. There will be improvements, but any significant increase in battery life, or portability, will require sacrifices in CPU power or extensibility or keyboard or price (or all of the above).

Anyway, X230 is a great laptop. But X230T is just better, and it will be less outdated the day Windows 8 comes out. Metro without touch/pen is a rather cumbersome experience, it's just made for it.

1366x768, while could be better, is more than adequate for taking notes etc. And actually it's more of an issue in X230, as X230T you can at least rotate the screen should you need to read a book or a long document etc. Tablet is also convenient in confined spaces, like buses, planes etc.

P.S. X230T needs to be compared with X230 with "premium screen". Making the price difference even smaller.

 

Hmm sounds good. Got a question though, as I've never dealt with a 12.5" screen. I currently use a 22" on my desktop and a 15.4" on the family laptop, and I'm wondering how the screen size affects productivity. Never really used a screen that small regularly, however I will have my 22" in my dorm room for tasks that require more screen-space/resolution. 12.5" is still relatively usable right? Considering that MBA's sell in a 11" config I think I should be fine.

 

12.5", while much larger than iPad or the usual 10" tablet, screen is small no matter how you put it. About letter paper size, with 1/4 of the width cut (i.e. about 6" something x almost 11" ). It's a small laptop after all.

Whether it's enough, is really subjective. For light office work on the go, email, browsing, some documents, making notes etc - it's probably fine.

For using complex software products, with many toolbars and menus and windows, which still need to leave space for the documents being edited, like Photoshop or video editing or programming in IDEs etc - it's a bit too small. You'd probably want an external display, or at least 15" laptop with hi-res screen, if you need to do smth like this as productively as possible.

 

Arguably my tasks on the X230T will be the light work you described, so it seems I'll be fine. I do some Photoshop and video editing occasionally but I have my 22" for that type of stuff.

 

Hi davidenko,
Have been browsing the interwebs for a laptop update recently, and happened upon your post. Your use cases appear to closely mirror my own (compared to most posts that I have read), except that I am not sure how much note-taking I will do.. am looking for the portability, battery, and power. Currently feel like the touchscreen/digitizer will be v.useful when Win8 ships, so feel as though the T version is better than the non-T version. From another perspective, maybe if I have a *good* note-taking device I might take more notes!

My concerns are the resolution (1366 x 768 should be sharp on 12.5" screen, but maybe too small for extended document work etc?) but like you I will have access to bigger screens during the day. The other thing is that after lugging around a 5 lbs+ laptop for a while now, prefer that the laptop alone be around ~3-3.5lbs at most Based on my searching looks like the X230T should be around ~3.69lbs with a 3-cell battery + ~1 lb for the slice battery (if I go for it).. sounds good for my own long bus journeys!

Based on your posts, sounds like you might have ended up getting the X230T. Was hoping you might let me (us) know how you find (1) screen size in terms of inches/resolution trade-off for work, (2) weight and how many cell battery you ended up going for, (3) any other caveats you've faced since buying.

Thanks!

 

You know, the Thinkpad Edge 430 is so cheap now. Its starting price is only $500. Add in a few more features like Core i5, mSATA, camera, and so on, and it's only about $600. The 6-cell battery still gives plenty of lifetime, and a 14 inch laptop is portable enough.

It's a durable laptop that still comes with the same trackpoint and new and "improved" thinkpad keyboard all the other thinkpads are made with. Now that the 7-row keyboard isn't a distinguishing feature, I myself in your situation might just consider buying one thinkpad edge now, and another similarly priced computer two years later, or just keep $500 and the one computer. How interesting how cheap computers are these days.

 

Yep, I went through all the Thinkpad laptops available currently thanks to exactly that cost factor, but most of them are pretty heavy -- the Edge 430 is close to the 5 lb laptop I have right now! Lugging around my current heavy duty with the frequent travel is breaking my back, just a little

That aside, I think the "standardization" of the 1366x768 resolution regardless of screen size is terrible -- here I am debating whether that is good for 12.5" screen, and the E430 has that terrible res for a 14" screen

Thanks for suggestion, but I'm afraid I'm pretty convinced it has to be X230-style (light, powerful) or the ultrabook style (light, but feels like a compromise in other regards). Maybe my philosophy of using my computing for as long as possible (current Thinkpad at 4+ years and counting) is getting in the way.

 

In terms of note-taking I love it. The pen really comes in hand for my economics classes, where I can draw graphs/equations straight onto my screen in OneNote, which is super convenient. Most people in my class either use a mix of laptop/notebook (or solely pen and paper) for class, while with the X230T I have no problems tackling both types of notes.

In terms of touch-screen usage, I am also looking forward to Windows 8. I dual-booted Windows 8 Release Preview on this and I have to say I love it. The main reason I still haven't switched completely over is because of wonky drivers, but once those are out I will probably convert to Windows 8.

Portability wise I love it, I can carry it with me anywhere no problem. I personally grabbed the 3-cell as it's flush and light, although I will probably buy the 6-cell soon for those days where I need my laptop for longer. You can get 2-3 hours no problem with the 3 cell, however if you don't have the chance to charge in between (or during) classes, I would advise getting the 6-cell.

As per screen size, I personally don't mind the lack of vertical resolution. 720p is good enough for me, most of the movies/series I watch are in 720p so I'm personally indifferent. It's pretty nice for watching movies/general browsing/document editing, no complaints there. If however I was to do Photoshop work on it that would be a real pain.

Anyway it's a bit of a trade-off. With smaller screen size you get a much more portable machine, however you also have a machine that is less functional with graphics intensive tasks. The X230T is like 10 times better than my old Lenovo G540 (15.4") at portability, as it's much lighter and can easily be held at my side when I'm walking.

In conclusion: I love it. It does everything I want it to do and more. If you have any other questions (or perhaps something you would like me to elaborate further on) please let me know.