Screen on the x200 tablet

I want to purchase the x200 tablet simply because I have heard it has a great screen. I am absolutely not concerned about the touch functionality. I had a couple of questions regarding this machine.

1. What is the difference between these displays:

• 12.1" SuperBright WXGA LED Panel with Wide viewing Angle
• 12.1" Enhanced Multitouch WXGA LED Panel with Wide viewing Angle

Is the difference only between the touch technology?

2. Is the "SuperBright WXGA LED Panel with Wide viewing Angle" screen a resistive touch screen while the multi-touch is a capacitive one?

3. Since I'm looking at spending atleast $1500 on such a machine, does this guarantee a good dead-pixel free screen? I *cannot* tolerate dead pixels. Can I get some sort of guarantee from Lenovo that if the screen develops dead pixels in the future I will have them replace it with a dead pixel free screen?

4. How does this screen compare with MacBook Pro's screen?

5. Have you tried running Linux on this machine? I dont care much about its tablet functionality but basically Linux should run well.

Could someone please post recent photos of this screen?

Thanks!

 

1. Yes, I think it is a difference in the touch technology, but I'm not super up on it.

2. You should probably wait Jon one of the other mods here in the Lenovo forum to reply. He's got a X200t and probably knows more about the screens than I do.

3. Lenovo's dead pixel policy is three or more for a screen replacement, which is better than other manufacturers, but not a guarantee. Manufacturing LCD is not a perfect process. Some get dead pixels. You're only option if you get some and Lenovo will not replace it is to return it. You'll be looking at a 15% restocking fee, which on a $1,500 notebook is about $225.

4. It's better than the MBP screen due to the better viewing angles.

5. ThinkPads tend to run Linux very well.

Another option if you don't care about the touch capabilities of the tablet is to buy a X200 and swap out the screen for a BOE-Hydis AFFS screen. AFFS is a better version of IPS. It's a straight swap if you've got the CFFL backlit LCD on the X200. The part number is HV121WX4 and they're available on eBay. I would caution you that doing so will void your warranty if you care. There's some pictures of the screen here. Jon has some pictures of his tablet linked in his signature as well. Good Luck.

 

Thanks for replying! I dont think I will be paying any restocking fee. Since last time I discovered a lot of dead pixels on my notebook, they tried repairing it and didn't want to replace it. I ended up getting a 100% refund. Its their fault if they supply a faulty screen. This was within the first few days of getting the machine so that was probably the reason for a 100% refund. I dont expect to fork over $1500+ and get a horribly faulty screen.

I dont think I will want to void my warranty by swapping out the screen. I just wanted to confirm the screen looks good. I wish if someone could just compare it with a MacBook Pro 13" screen.

 

Zaz, what happened to your screen name? Lol...

@atlguy - check out the site Thinkwiki for info on how Linux runs on Thinkpads.

 

I think you got lucky on the restocking fees.

 

TheFireSnake, thanks. I did check out think wiki but I am really looking for a comparison between the x200t and MBP 13" It seems the screen on x200t is a winner but I just want to be sure before I fork out the cash

 

1. What is the difference between these displays:

The SuperBright WXGA LED is NOT a touch panel (pen only). However, it is brighter and has a frameless border (looks better, and easier to write on near the edges). Additionally, the touch layer on the Enhanced Multi-touch disply will reduce brightness and has the potential to introduce a mild amount of grain.

2. Is the "SuperBright WXGA LED Panel with Wide viewing Angle" screen a resistive touch screen while the multi-touch is a capacitive one?

The Enhanced Multi-Touch is capacitive (2-Finger). The old "Multi-Touch/Multi-View" was resistive (1-finger). Lenovo only sells the 2-finger model now, but there are still quite a few 1-finger models in secondary channels (resellers, eBay, et. al.). Additionally, both of these have dual digitizers and the touch layer will be disabled when the digitizer pen is detected (about 1/2" from the screen) so that your hand doesn't interfere with writing.

3. Since I'm looking at spending atleast $1500 on such a machine, does this guarantee a good dead-pixel free screen? I *cannot* tolerate dead pixels. Can I get some sort of guarantee from Lenovo that if the screen develops dead pixels in the future I will have them replace it with a dead pixel free screen?

Unfortunately no. Dead pixels happen (albeit not that often) and Lenovo requires you to have three dead pixels for a refund.

4. How does this screen compare with MacBook Pro's screen?

Substantially better viewing angles. Superior brightness, far less reflective, fantastic contrast. However, the 13" MBP Unibody does have an above average display and is quite nice in its own right.

5. Have you tried running Linux on this machine? I dont care much about its tablet functionality but basically Linux should run well.

I have run Ubuntu on my machine in the past. It works well enough, but the Tablet functionality requires substantial extra work if you want it to work.

Could someone please post recent photos of this screen?

Check my sig for pictures of the 285-nit Superbright LED frameless

 

Hi Jon, thanks for the feedback. I've configured a X200 and got a quote for $1553. Is it a good deal or should I wait some more? Also, will the next tablet have a DVI port instead of a VGA port?

The configuration of the machine is:

Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 (1.86GHz, 6MB L2, 1066MHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 6412
12.1" SuperBright WXGA LED Panel with Wide viewing Angle
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
TrackPoint
250GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Integrated Bluetooth PAN
Intel WiFi Link 5100 (AGN) with My WiFi Technology
Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable
ThinkPad X200 Tablet 8 Cell Li-Ion Battery
7448: 1 Year Depot Warranty - TopSeller

 

Not 100% sure about the price (I haven't specced one out recently), but that seems about right (the tablet is rarely on sale). You may also be able to save a bit of money by upgrading the RAM to 4GB on your own (start with 2GB single DIMM); it's a very simple upgrade.

I highly doubt Lenovo's next Tablet (x210) would have a DVI port. To my knowledge no ThinkPad has ever had a DVI port on the unit (except maybe the w700). However, the x210 may have DisplayPort in addition to VGA (it's not going away any time soon).

 

The W700 does have DVI, apart from that I think no other model does.

 

The X300 and X301 have a Display Port on the back of the machine.

 

i think upgrading to the 4GB RAM was just a $15 upgrade hence I think it was a good deal. I dont know if we have the option specify a single chip 2GB RAM module.

 

How does that outdoor viewable 400 nit screen compare to the 285 nit screen? Is it worth it if you're watching movies? What's a typical sony lcd tv's nits in general? How many nits does one need to watch a movie in say, office lighting?

 

Your signature's link points to: http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/6454/x200nbrsigpva.gif

 

Indoors the 285 nit screen is more than bright enough for anything. I usually run at 10/15 bars under normal lighting for most activities. Max brightness is best used when in slate mode under harsh fluorescents or direct sunlight.

The 400 nit screen would presumably be better for watching movies outdoors (my contrast gets burnt out quite a bit in direct sunlight), but I doubt it would offer any advantage in a normal situation. To be fair though, I've not actually seen the 400 nit display in person. One other thing to note is that the 400 nit display is NOT frameless.

Fixed. Check it now. Thanks for pointing that out by the way.

 

besides what jonlumpkin said, see my reply to your similar question here.

 

Thanks for fixing the link.

What is the difference between a "frameless" and a non-frameless display?

 

click through these and you'll see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lenovophotolibrary/sets/72157607793809336/

 

erik, thanks.

A couple of questions still remain, my quote from lenovo doesn't mention that the screen is a WXGA *LED*. The link here: http://www.lenovo.com/psref/pdf/tabook.pdf states that the 7448 ( the model in my quote ) model of X200 tablet comes with a CCFL display and NOT a LED.

What gives??

Also, why isn't the SL9600 model available?

 

That SL9600 has been on their site for quite some time now and ever since it was up it never showed up under configurations. One would have thought that by now they would have seen this and fixed it

 

7448 machine types don't all have CCFL panels.   what you found in the PSREF only applies to preconfigured models, not CTO (customized to order) models.   if your CTO quote was configured with an LED panel then that's what you'll get.

regarding the processor, planars with the SL9600 are in short supply.   anytime a component is hard to get, it gets pulled out of the CTO system.   you can still buy preconfigured and topseller models with this processor if you find a model in the PSREF that fits your needs.

resellers are just starting to get supply of the latest 7450 models (like mine) with the SL9600 and EMT display.   check out tabook.pdf for exact specs since not all 7450s are built the same.

 

Thanks everybody for answering my queries! I finally pulled the trigger! I hope lenovo meets my expectation. I have bought this machine only for its display A month long wait ensues

 

You pretty much did what I want to do. My misgivings are down to three:
1. Is the thing too chunky? I think that the T400/T500 are OK, but the x200 tablet just looks really thick.
2. Is this thing really an ultraportable? It seems like it's 4 pounds with an 8 cell battery.
3. How is video out over VGA? Will it be virtually indistinguishable from HDMI/displayport/DVI? I have seen VGA outs where the text looked terrible. Then on a Sony laptop, it was like as good as digital out as far as I was concerned.

 

I've had a T400 which I returned. It had / has a HORRIBLE display. My current dell has a very good display. I had a T400 with a WXGA+ LED ( 1440x900 ) display. The whites were bluish and the maximum brightness was too dull to work at even normal ambient lighting. I hope the newer T400 has a better screen ( though I seriously doubt ) so I wouldn't go that way.

I'm not too concerned with the portability of the X200 tablet. Though it seems to be portable ( not ultra portable ). It has a good balance of muscle and a great screen ( my primary reason to purchase this machine ).

I too am concerned about the video out. I think it should be good enough. I've not seen noticeable difference between a digital video out and an average analog VGA port.

 

Wow!! Got an email from Lenovo today that my machine has shipped!! I called them and got the tracking number but it doesn't show any info yet It was one thing that brightened up my day!

 

Yeah, Lenovo is very fast in most cases... at least in the US. I got my recovery discs recently in like a day. I was very impressed.

 

I'm curious to how the outdoor screen looks on the X200T. I have an outdoor viewable screen on the Dell XT2 and it comes in handy walking around. While in slate mode, you have to deal with overhead lighting far more often than while in laptop mode. I recommend people get an outdoor viewable screen to deal with pesky lighting environments.

 

firesnake, i've been pleasantly surprised. I have dealt with Lenovo US previously and had a bad experience. I am hoping for a good experience this time! ( Keeping my fingers crossed )

surfasb, there are a lot of videos comparing X200T screens on youtube and independent websites. Why not try google?

Ok, so finally after a long wait the parts look up on my machine tells me I have a screen with the Manufacturer Part number as 42T0565.

Is this a Samsung PVA panel?

 

I think that it is a Samsung PVA panel, but I don't quote me on that.

 

I was seriously looking at the tablet. The main thing i would have liked about it would be reading online books, docs on it. I decided that I don't need to spend that much as I don't have that much use for it. Money was the only thing keeping me away. Other than that, it should be a real sweet machine. I hear that Microsoft OneNote and Win 7 works great with it and enhances what the tablet can do.

 

I dont really care for Microsoft products on the tablet. I'd like it to run Linux well and I dont really care for the "tablety" features. Its screen is great and easier on the eyes unlike my current screen with 5 degree viewing angle. Contrast, better colors and mobility with power is what I was looking for.

I really hope the screen doesnt have any dead / stuck pixels

 

OneNote works particularly well. Foxit and Adobe Reader both work well for reading and editing PDFs. Spreadsheets are a little tiny to read though.

 

so you pay a premium for a tablet just to get a better screen?

 

Well the screen is A LOT better and there are very few non-tablets with decent screens right now. The only other real option is to buy a regular x200 and perform surgery by swapping in a 12.1" WXGA CCFL AFFS+ display and voiding all your warranties in the process.

 

I also feel that the extra brightness of the LED screen in the tablet makes videos pop a little more, approximating a tiny hdtv

 

I'm a big fan of tablet PCs. I'm kind of biased and torn here. If a dude wants to buy one and use it mainly in laptop mode, I'm all for it

 

Read what jon said! I was planning to buy a MBP 13" which has a better screen than most notebooks out there but it is still a TN screen and besides I dont particularly like Apple. Also, its difficult to get Linux working on it. So might as well spend the same amount of money on an ultraportable with a solid build and a great screen AND a great config. Dont you agree?

Thanks!

 

I'll gladly admit. My TabletPCs spend most of their time in laptop mode. Most people, like me, type faster than <strike>we</strike> they write.

It's those situations where you can't type that slate mode becomes a necessity.

Signing PDFs. Sure, I could print it out, sign it, and then send it off to get faxed. OR I could bust out the pen, sign, and fax it all without getting up.

Meetings. I'm surprised how few people take notes at meetings. Since I can't type and it is rude to have the screen in between the speaker and I, I write on it like a notepad. Looks more professional. I have an reputation to uphold, otherwise I can't boss people around.

Standing and walking. I have a hard time typing and holding the laptop at the same time considering I only have two hands.

Versatility means productivity. It's the 21st century. People spend more on video games and gaming PCs than I do on tablet PCs yet somehow people brand me as having expensive taste. Does it make sense?

 

Yes they're expensive but this my quirk. My obsession. My love ( for technology ) You can't put a price on that, right?

 

Apparently you can. (2K)

:smile:

 

I'm getting mine for 1.5K

 

Nice.

Throw it in your sig when you get it.

 

I just got the superbright LED version, 285 nit (prob a Samsung) and my first reaction is that the screen has alot of grain. I am quite disappointed with that. It's kind of like a small, fine, screen door. Is this the digitizer? It also looks like a matte screen which is fine, but I'd expected it to be glossy underneath.

Comparing hulu to a macbook pro, it's about the same quality. The viewing angles are better but overall I guess that the screen did not knock my socks off like I'd expected. I now know that the things that wow me are what non-serious amateurs are drawn to: brightness, color saturation. In this regard a sony vaio z I felt had a better screen, but it may be b/c the grain is something that I am not used to. I just wanted to throw this second opinion out there. Crazy thought: is it possible to remove the digitizer if that is indeed what is causing this grain? How hard is this process?

Also, It is taking a really long time to charge the 8 cell battery, which I'm disappointed by. In the past my Thinkpads charged to at least 80% in about an hour, which was really nice. This one has charged 35% in about an hour. I am aware that the adapter is 65 w, but the cpu is also lower.

I also want to add that there is no thinklight on the tablets, which I did not realize until 30 seconds ago and googling it. Mine does not have that, and I took it for granted. I find this to be very useful. Darn.

 

no, the digitizer is on the back of the panel.   the grain you see is caused by the polycarbonate writing surface.   without it you'd scratch and damage the LCD underneath.   almost all tablets have a noticeable grain to them because of the writing surface.   this is unfortunately unavoidable.

 

Were your past batteries the same watt-hours? And did you have the same adapters?

 

Wow, never heard that before. pufftissue's review really helps to bring a different perspective.

 

I would like to just state what I see:
dell latitude E6500 with AUO screen (i.e., pre-unibody macbook pro matte screen)
macbook pro screen, samsung (pre-unibody, late 2008 model)
x200tablet 285 nit wideview samsung screen
Dell 2405fpw 24" monitor from 2005 or 2006. LG screen, not sure what tech it uses, but it was like $700 back then.

The short answer again: it's only that polycarbonate writing surface that bugs me and introduces the grain that I would classify as the sole thing that is bothering me.

Brightness: the 3 screens all appear to be the same brightness to me. Brightness is a nonissue.
Contrast: To me they again actually look even. In dark scenes, they are all similar when viewed in their sweet spot. The x200 tablet certainly does not lose, but it doesn't win to me. It's a draw.
Evenness of the backlight: all 3 are very good, with the x200t being the best in my opinion.
Whiteness: samsung is what my mind perceives to be true white. Dell's AUO is bluer, which agrees with what others have said about this panel. x200 tablet is more yellowed than the samsung, but not actually yellow. I guess I should say "warmer".
Viewing angles: here the vertical viewing angles are definitely superior to these macbook pro and e6500. This is absolutely no contest.
Horizontal angles: to me, maybe a bit wider on the x200 tablet, but nothing major at all. We're talking 10 degrees from what was already perfectly fine.
Saturation: the macbook pro samsung has more vibrant colors, not sure if this is b/c of the mac default color temp, but the gamma looks higher on the x200 tablet with windows 7.

The major difference to me is that there is no grain on the macbook pro and dell. I totally took it for granted before, but things just look smoother. The good news is that you can get more used to the grain esp if the x200 tablet is what you work on all the time, b/c your mind just kind of blocks it out. But honestly as soon as I look at the macbook pro and dell, things just look clearer. And unfortunately that feeds the mind game that I'm playing now.

Otherwise, this is a great laptop. And many people simply may not notice this "grain". But I can only state my first reaction, which was like somehow some face grease got onto the screen, but unfortunately, it's the grain. But let's keep things in perspective here. This is still on the short list of great laptop screens, but it has just woken me up to a new thing that I guess bothers me naturally: grain. Also do not underestimate that maybe my eyes are just used to a "TN screen" look. The x200 tablet's screen, when watching some quicktime hd trailers for movies, does resemble much more my dell 2405fpw monitor, which is a good thing. Skin tones look more like a "real" full size monitor and seem to have more depth to them? Or maybe I'm talking out of my asterisk.

Is it possible to remove the polycarbonate writing surface, and what is the degree of difficulty? I never use the tablet functions, actually. If I removed it, would the screen then look like a "regular" laptop screen?

 

All my tablets have that "grainy" look. It depends on what is on your screen. I usually don't notice it until I stare at the screen for a long time. And I don't notice it watching Videos. It is just when I'm typing away on Word or Firefox.

 

if you're going to go to that trouble, buy a different system or build an X200 with a CCFL AFFS+ display.   b*stardizing a tablet just because some grain bothers you is unwise.   you'll never be able to properly replace the writing surface later without introducing dust in the panel and making it worthless for resale.

 

If Apple can build an Iphone with grain then one would figure that they could a high end laptop built with no grain..