Second-hand thinkpad x301 owner's thread.

EC = Embedded Controller, which is in charge of your fan.

It's actually a third-party utility, not a Lenovo one and I recommend it highly. I've been using it on all of my ThinkPads since the very early versions from about a decade ago. Not bloatware, not a large utility and helps optimize the system performance IMO.

http://www.staff.uni-marburg.de/~schmitzr/donate.html

With all of that said, it will not:

a) Perform miracles when it comes to the battery life and

b) Replace the cleaning/re-pasting process.

Good luck.

 

Alright well I went ahead and took the computer apart and cleaned the dust out. I do not have any paste lying around as it has been a very long time sense I have built a computer or for that matter even taken one apart.

There is no doubt the fan is running less than it was and I also installed TPFanControl at least for the moment until I figure out this battery problem.

With the fan not spinning it appears with WiFi on I am able to achieve 3:20 according the the power ETA and with WiFi off I go up to 3:50. No doubt an improvement but still not really that close to what I was expecting out of this computer.

Do you think windows 8 could be the problem? I don't really see how an OS will use that much more or less power as long as all the fancy animations and things are turned off but I can see how if the drivers and software for the computer do not work on that OS that could cause a dramatic decline in performance from all aspects.

I am just about out of ideas at this point... Has anyone ever run W8 on one of these with success?

 

You have a very good train of thoughts but I can't offer any wisdom on the issue at hand since I've never ran W8.x on any of my ThinkPads.

Good luck.

 

I have successfully run and gotten everything to work under Windows 8, but not 8.1.

Do you have WWAN? If yes, then that is what's causing the power drain. You will need to disable it in the BIOS.

 

I have not been able to find an WWAN settings in the bios so maybe that means I do not have it? But even if I did wouldn't flipping the wireless antenna switch on the back cut the WWAN? I was under the impression that stopped all wireless antennas.

On another note.

I went ahead and formatted the machine and put windows 7 on it. Downloaded the lenovo system update tool and let it get all the proper drivers to guarantee everything was exactly correct. Everything seems to be running great and now there are no confused devices in the device manager. But the battery life is not even slightly better than before. I am at a complete loss.

Maybe I just need a new battery but I guess maybe I jsut thought the battery was in better condition than it is...

 

I take back what I just said above. I do have WWAN and it IS disabled and has been this whole time.

Does anyone know much about batteries? Is there more to this than the remaining Wh?

My batter still has a decent reading of 35.72 Wh but the manufacture date is 2009. Is there something like as it gets old it can not use or distribute the power as efficiently so although there is a decent charging capacity it is not being utilized efficiently?

 

A couple of things here...

a) What's the cycle count?

b) Have you ever actually used the laptop on battery power to the point of actual shutdown while timing it? As good as Power Manager is, I've had numerous machines run anywhere from 30 mins to well over an hour while it was showing 1% remaining...

 

Cycle count is 169 which to me did not seam that high considering most li-ion batteries I believe are rated to around 500

No I am basing this all entirely on the ETA from Power Manager

 

Well, time to do so now and find out what the real situation is.

Watch for any sudden drops in expected time/percentage shown and report back once you've performed the "full drain" test.

Good luck.

 

8 hour battery life on my x301 was 2 6 Cells (1 brand new and 1 down 20% from max capacity) and the 3 Cell Bay Battery.

 

Hi everyone,

I was reading a few pages from the start of this thread and I got to the last few around here.

I wanted to ask, is it still worth buying an x301? I know I may be addressing fans here and that I would likely get positive marks already, but in view that you can get X1 (first gen) second hand and that the CPU is the main difference, would anyone still buy an x301 today?

I want an ultra portable. I have a W530 already fully geared and this is my main working machine (video/photo editing/grading/processing etc) I am a photographer and the main thing about the x301 that attracts me is the relative affordability of a full working windows machine that maybe I could place 8GB of ram into it, get a larger SSD and use it to write, edit (editing means choosing, not processing/altering images) images, write emails, etc. The screen, from what I hear, is a big down and the contrast ratio is pretty low which makes this not a good machine to show work with.

That being said, I have found a few on ebay that are basically the shells with missing drives or ram. So, I am king of considering getting one just because I used to have an X61 and that was alright, the processor seems to be on par with the x301 according to CPU Benchmark but you can add the 8gb of ram and a good sized SSD and somehow make it a working machine. The DP port and VGA are great to make presentations so maybe I can just buy an IPS portable monitor for processing images on Capture One...but then it wouldn't be such a thin package...

Well. Just my thoughts and wondering what advice or recommendation you would have for me.

Basically...carrying the W530 isn't as comfortable as Lenovo wants you to believe.

 

Welcome to the forum!

One aspect where X301 clearly wins over any other ThinkPad of the similar size is build quality. No ifs, ands or buts there.

If battery life is important to you, you'd likely be better served by X200s/201s. If processing power is of any importance whatsoever, X220 with an IPS LCD would be my recommendation.

You could've done the very same thing with the X61. That being said, I'd argue that X301 is a more solid offering.

LOL.

 

Hi ajkula66,

Thanks for the reply.

If I buy an x301 today, what I would be getting then is a solid machine (build quality wise) with 64gb ssd (but that it may not be as good as replacing it with another 128gb ssd? hence why some replace their SSDs?) and 4gb ram upgradeable to 8gb (I think I need to pay £60 for that package) and a mediocre screen that is only good for typing, browsing, but not really consuming content with its rather low contrast ratio.

By the looks of it, the x301 I'm eyeing out now is for sale in Brighton, UK, for £120. So, £120+£60+£100 (another 120 or so SSD and adapter) and maybe needs another battery (genuine one for £100?) so...for £280 I get what an x61 could give me performance wise, but with a larger screen and lesser battery life? But it would be a slimmer machine, by all accounts, and the build quality would be better.

It's a shame there is no direct replaceable screen to go with an x301 that one could "hot-swap" like I did my W530 with (same generation of screens, same plug, just different pannel versions)

On the other hand, some x1 laptops sell for £350-£400.

Also, I can't find a definite answer on this, but does the X301 have an SD card slot? Can you replace the CD-Drive with a second HDD or you can just put a battery there?

Decisions...decisions. I love the design of the x301 and the slimness of it and the opportunity of acquiring that for a low price...I am just uncertain about the longevity it will have per £ invested in it. It almost makes me think that those who buy one are doing so more because of the design and the milestone it represented, rather than the features and return it actually offers.

 

No and yes. No SD card slot. Yes, you can put a hard drive/caddy in the OD slot.

 

OK. I'll have a think. I guess the idea would be to find an x301 that is more or less ready to go.
Is there any guide (still reading the whole of the thread but now I need to leave) about how to change the screen for a better one? I came across someone mentioning their screen being changed.
If I could change the screen, I could forgive the lower CPU and lack of SD card slot (usb SD readers are easy to get)
Also, whats the consensus on getting batteries? aftermarket to get 3 for the price of one genuine one? Is there a "trusted" aftermarket battery maker?
Thanks again for all the help.

 

You'll have to wait for 600X to chime in since he's the one who's most familiar with the mod, but it's my understanding that the procedure is not for the faint at heart and very far removed from "plug & play"...

 

You will need to diy a convection cable, at least. Then dermal the case so it fits. If you are dead set on getting it done but can't diy, there are workshop in china that can do it. I ask them once and they may able to ship the whole display assembly.
But the affs screen that fit is glossy and 800p.

Sent from my 306SH

 

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the replies and help.

I think that at this stage it may not be worth pursuing an x301.

I guess that when the most involved people with their x301 (Bronsky and 600X) feel like they need to move on indicates that the x301 is more of an acquisition affinity than a tool that you could work with today.

Reading almost every page on this thread, with vast information on the machine, I feel that the stock x301 needs some refurbishment to make the best out of the overall package. The screen, for starters, has a 70-100:1 contrast ratio (70:1 according to someone with a colorimeter puck) and that would need upgrading along with the aging SSDs, which one must find an mSATA and convert it to microSATA with an adapter. It also appears that a BIOS update would also be needed but I can't remember the reason behind it. Last but not least, it appears to be that the appeal of the machine, besides its milestone design, is the typing experience and the rather rare solid build it exudes.

With that said, I think what I am looking for now may be x2xx or T4xxs or just go back to x61.
I'll see whether it would be possible to change the screens of any of these and see whether, in the future, I may be well serviced for an ultra portable with either.

I read somewhere that machines after x200/s feel not as well built?
Howcome the T4xxs were not more popular? the screen is still an issue with those (low contrast ratio) but the internal hardware will put up a fight still.

 

Although most of the questions have been answered, I'll try to fill in the gaps.

I have owned both the X301 and X1 and they are both excellent machines. However, I'd argue that both are about as useful as a pair of sandals in winter. Sure, you can wear them, but I'm pretty certain you'd much rather have a pair of shoes.

The biggest problem with the X301 is certainly the screen. If you are *really* interested, I can write up a set of instructions on how to mod the AFFS screen, but I HIGHLY recommend not to, unless you're a Chinese/Korean display modding wizard that can retrofit any screen to any laptop in a jiffy. It's probably the hardest screen mod to perform on any ThinkPad ever. X61 SXGA+ is a piece of cake in comparison.

The problem is two-fold: The cable and the physical screen itself. The cable is so ridiculously tiny, you will need someone with a perfect eyesight, perfectly steady hand and outstanding soldering skills and equipment to perform it. But that isn't all, the wires on the new display cable all need to be the EXACT same length as the original, otherwise the signal will be distorted and the cable will be useless. But wait, that isn't all either, 8 of the 40 wires are specially isolated and need to be peeled off in layers, similar like onions. At least that's what I recall the issue to be, I'd need to check the details again.

Basically, until this day, no one has been able to solder the cable for me, and I assure you, the very best modders from the German ThinkPad forum, including the guy who first got a quad core working in a T61, tried, but all failed. This also includes someone from Switzerland who gave it a shot.

The next problem is the screen. It is physically to big because of the frame. The X301 uses a frameless display. Nowadays, most laptops do, but back in the day, it was ahead of its time. Now I think I don't need to explain how utterly difficult it is to completely disassemble a display, remove its frame which acts as its structure and tape it all back together. To make a long story short, the best have tried, and failed multiple times. All my modding displays have been damaged in the process. The worst thing is, you can't even tell that they are damaged until you plug them in. And no, you can't modify the X301 lid to accommodate the display.

That's just scratching the surface of course. I believe your, or more like anyones, best bet would be to contact some Chinese modder and ask them to do the entire mod for you. As of now, I own a "working " X301 AFFS modding set, but only if you define "working" as "shows a recognizable picture". I have literally given up on this mod after two years of time and hundreds of $$$ wasted. I'd rather save up for the retro ThinkPad.


Now, as for the X1: So far, it's the only Lenovo ThinkPad apart from X301 that really impressed me and that I can claim to actually "love". Its spirit and essence are basically the same as the X301's, but along with it come similar flaws. The idea of the X1 was to create a more affordable X301. Now don't get me wrong, it by no means feels "cheap" compared to the X301. Yes, if you own both machines and compared them side by side, you'd get the feeling that probably the X301 is higher quality, but the difference is miniscule at best and is only evident in small details, such as the cheaper soundcard or simpler construction methods. Basically, the X1 is the closest thing you'll find to the X301.

While the X1 has a ton more performance, its battery life, due to the 38Wh battery (mind you, 38Wh when it was NEW 4 years ago) is arguably even worse than the X301's under certain circumstances but does benefit from "rapid charge". I'd call it a draw.

The screen is one of the bad TN's as well, with low contrast and viewing angles, but is far more pleasant and in fact better looking than the X301 screen. I'd probably call it "the best bad TN ever", if that makes any sense. Although a hollow victory, the X1 clearly beats the X301 here.

As far as modding goes, the Yoga 13 2012 has a screen that could theoretically fit the X1 (HD+ IPS), but honestly, I am NOT going there again. Someone else be the guinea pig this time.

In the end, both, the X301 and X1 have outlived their purpose in my opinion. And while both are excellent collectors items, I'd argue that if you did want to use on of them productively, the X1 would be the better choice, as it addresses two of three major flaws of the X301: Performance and screen quality.

 

My take it that it doesn't feel as expensive as X301, but well-built for a system of the given size it most certainly is.

There were a couple of issues with the "s" offerings that I could remember without thinking too hard about it:

a) T400s and T410s utilized 1.8" HDD/SSD format. T420s went back to 2.5" but in 7mm guise only. The latter is not a big deal IMO.

b) Limited port offering compared to standard models. Non-upgradeable CPUs.

I'm certain that there's more to be said, but that's what I can remember right now.

 

One issue I can think of is the display. Apart from it being similarly horrid as the X301 display, most of them also suffer from a fault: After a few years, RGB stripes would start appearing. It's not an issue with the cable, but with the actual display itself. Lenovo did replace machines that showed these symptoms with newer, bug-free displays, but good luck finding one of those. The T420s/T430s are not affected.

And of course, battery life on the T400s/T410s wasn't the best either. It didn't improve by much on the T420s and T430s. Neither did the screen quality although to be fair, modding kits for FHD IPS displays have become available in China. Again, try getting your hands one of those.

 

Yup. After some research on the T4xxs, I found out that their screens are not particularly any better than the x301’s.


I also saw that the x200/201/s/220/230 non IPS screens are also poor, which is quite disappointing, but not as poor as the x301.

I have to disagree here. The W520/530 and maybe W510 are the best TN panels ever. I know this, I have one. Seeing more than 90% AdobeRGB, 100%sRGB and a contrast ratio greater than 500:1 with a far more generous viewing angle than any other TN…these ones are the ones to have. I did the same thing as this guy did here:


https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/W-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/Panel-replacement-for-W530/m-p/2025280#M49365


My 530 also came with the HTN version, but my glossy screen was a cannibalized Dell screen.


Now, back to the topic.


So it seems that as far as Lenovo’s offerings on ultra portables, x2xx non IPS offerings are best for battery life and performance but the screens (even the WXGA+ ones) have still poor contrast ratio somewhat akin to the x301. Pricing for those varies from £120-£500 (not the x240 or newer) depending if you want SSD, 8/16GB RAM and so on. IPS is a premium still so there are fewer offerings around there. Screen info taken from notebookcheck tests.


So, it means that if screen is important, T4xxs is out, x301 and x2xx are out as well with the exception of the x220 IPS, for which you will pay more. OR, you get into modding and spend time and extra money to get better screens for the systems you buy to compensate for the sad screens. Time and cash...

Or...go for a tablet version of pre-x230 era.

So the guy in Brighton now wants £100 for his x301 but it has a missing speaker grill. 128ssd (the genuine one), OK battery he says and 4GB ram…. So tempting to get something functionally portable at that price. Also worth noting is that my initial thought was "man, I need to get an easy to carry machine to show this work so XYZ over the next few months. I can't carry the W530 every week. I wonder if I can get something good and fast for around £150".


When running with Win 8.1, anyone experienced fast boot times like I did with my x61? ~30sec and instant launch of applications with a Samsung 128 evo SSD.

 

Well, x220 and x200 diy for ips /affs aren't that hard and expensive. (Matte affs screen for x200 is kind of expensive but glossy ones are cheap, x220 upgrade is relatively cheap).

1.8" ain't a real problem since you can get a msata to 1.8 nowadays and most are compatible.

The Chinese had a fhd ips mod for 16:9 t4xx, xD. But I don't think it is mass produced yet.

Used x220/230 with ips probably is the best value non tinkering option.

 

Hey all,

I'm thinking of joining you guys. I am currently typing this on an x200s that I love, so I'm hoping to get recommendations in comparison to this machine.

1) I'm using the 1440x900 TFT panel. I'm assuming that the x301's panel would be basically the same thing (except ~1" larger?) I'm basically in the market for something slightly larger than this, since typing on it cramps my wrists (I'm planning on turning this one into a Chromebook for family use, but that's a different story)
2) CPU speeds. Is there a real advantage of the x301 over the x300? They seem pretty comparable in terms of specs, and since they're already a few years old it's not like the difference between them is going to make or break anything. Is there a reason to take the x301 over the x300?
3) Battery life. I plan on installing Linux and optimizing for battery life (since this machine's main purpose will be to be taken to cafes/on the road with me); what kind of battery life can I expect? My x200s (with the 9-cell battery) gets roughly 5-6 hours of light use, I'm hoping for something comparable to that with the 6-cell+3-cell setup.

 

The panels found in X200s of the WXGA+ variety are nicer than ones seen in X30* units. X301 has a better keyboard IMO.

X300 is three-legged-dog-slow by today's standards and uses DDR2 RAM as opposed to DDR3 on X301. While one could argue that even the fastest CPU found in X301 is barely adequate nowadays, the ones in X300 are worse. A lot worse.

I don't foresee that you'll be able to achieve that amount of time with the setup that you're envisioning. A good 9-cell in X200s will beat the "6+3 combo" in X301 any day of the week in my experience.

 

How much nicer? I'm actually impressed with how good this is for a basic display, the viewing angles are really crisp for a display like this.

We have a bunch of Thinkpads where I work, do you know of a comparable Thinkpad that has a similar panel to the X301 so that I could give it a test tomorrow?

Edit: According to Thinkwiki both laptops (x200s and x301) make use of WXGA+ panels, so I assume they should be pretty similar? I'll take your word that the x301's is worse, though. It just makes finding a 'similar' panel much harder.

Double edit: How similar is the X300's display? We have one at my office, I can check it out tomorrow.

So what kind of battery life am I looking at with the X301? If it's ~4-5 I can manage.

Also do you know if battery life is fundamentally *worse* in Linux than it is in Windows? Because I sort of have my heart set on Linux, and all of the reviews I can find that go into detail regarding the battery life are mostly talking about Windows.

 

I'm not trying to scare you, but one could argue that the LCDs on the X30* series were the worst ones ever seen on a post-99 ThinkPad, with Samsung WUXGA panels found in some *61 and 500 models being a close second. The stock panel in X30* is just sheer junk.

Nope, these LCDs were custom-ordered at the time. If you find a T410/s with what looks as an atrocious panel that would be close enough.

Stretch in Windows - realistically speaking - and likely impossible in *nix.

I've been a recreational Linux user for many years and have yet to see a distro in which battery life matches what one gets in Windows on the same system. Obviously, YMMV.

 

That's all very unfortunate. The x301 seems like a great machine, held back by awful design decisions. If the screen were better I could certainly cope with the battery, but those are two of the three things I need (comfortable size being the third)

Are there any retro Thinkpads at the 13"+ range that get decent battery life? I just want something inexpensive to lug around, do some light coding, web browsing and e-mails. The weight of my T440p is becoming too much. And the x200s, while awesome, is just a tad too small.

I could deal with a T4*0s, but they all seem to get pretty awful battery life.

 

Tough call. What you use right now would be my preferred system in the given set of circumstances.

T400s *should* be the least atrocious one in that respect. Whether it would fit your needs regarding the weight and battery life is a different matter. It's been a really long time since I've owned one of these and can offer no reliable info on how the battery life was.

 

Are the X300 and X301 the same display? I just realized we have an X300 at my office, so I could always take it for a test run tomorrow morning.

 

Yes.

 

Last question for the night; is there a good way to tell the difference between the Alps and Synaptics touchpad on Ebay, or am I going to have to PM the seller?

Edit: the MPN is listed as "4057-18U", can I check using that? Google isn't on my side for this one.

 

You'll have to wait for someone else to chime in regarding this issue. It makes zero difference for me since the touchpad is disabled on all of my ThinkPads that have one.

No. All that will get you are the basic factory specs of the system, which for the given machine are:

SU9400(1.4GHz), 4GB RAM, 64GB Solid State Drive, 13.3in 1440x900 LCD, Intel X4500HD, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11agn wireless, Bluetooth, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, Fingerprint reader, Camera, 6c Li-Ion, WinVista Business 32

 

Yeah, as far as I can tell (using Lenovo's documentation, available at http://www.lenovo.com/psref/pdf/psref366ts.pdf) all of the touchpads are listed as "multi touch". I actually don't care much but I'd prefer to get the superior Synaptics touchpad for situations where I do use the two finger scrolling.

 

Folling the last few posts here.

I am now very inclined to think that x2xxx is the only way forwards if going for Thinkpad and budget.

X1 first gen if you want something like a contemporary x301

X1 carbon and forwards for more power and better screens.

x240 onwards if you want slimmer x series without going x1/x1 carbon.

Or...what I am currently contemplating, Vaio vpcZ11/13 or vpcz21/23 that have 1600x900 screens, cover most of adobe RGB colour spectrum, come with decent CPU and vpcz1 series can even have discrete gpu.
The bad side... build quality and keyboard compared to Thinkpad is a downgrade.

Question for those in the know:

X2xxx with 1440x900 or 1366x768? Besides the bigger PPI, any other difference between these screens? It looks like x200s/201s are the only one sporting the 1440x900 screens. Notebook check notes that the contrast ratio is in the low 100s:1, but it would appear that it would still be better than the x301 display (as also mentioned above) and the x200 strandard 1366x768 screens have a slightly better contrast ratio, but all screens are a bit poor in colour reproduction overall.

 

Well, the other option on X200s and X201s (good luck finding one of these) is 1280x800, not 1366x768. I'd go with 1440x900 if I were getting such a machine.

 

I have just missed an x201s sale....for £144 with the 1440x900 screen.
I have found an x200s with the same panel and a C2D 1.86, though. CPU Benchmark rates the C2D at roughly half the performance of the i7 found in the x201s (that being said, the man selling the x201s said he had an i5 in it...could it be?)
Now looking to see, from what I hear, a x201+IPS mod.

 

Not a bad deal given how rare these are. Do bear in mind that not all of "s" models are 1440x900, though.

The trade-off is the battery life which is where X200s wins. And yes, X201s could be had with an i5.

Nice screens, but still 1280x800. You know what's important to you better than anyone else.

 

I am looking into the mod. They are hardly plug+play affairs. I think I've been very lucky with my W530 that I was able to change my panel so easily without hassle and I was somewhat expecting the same to happen with the X series.

So, x200s with the high res panel, but I am somewhat scared that the contrast is as bad as the x301. You make a good point, though, 1280x800 is not so high res and x220 has a higher res screen and IPS, but I don't know if I would be willing to dump money on that.

Basically, I would be willing to put ~£200 on the way of a x200/x201 with the 1440x900 inclusive of an 256GB SSD nad 4GB ram. I know this is do-able. Interestingly enough, x61 with similar config is also do-able but at the same price, almost.
I don't know how much more would I want to put on an x220 with IPS and similar HW, but it seems to be thats the only option now, more or less, because the other screens all seem to score very low in contrast ratios.
If an x220 IPS and SSD go for around £250, I know I can find a vaio with a higher quality, higher res (non IPS, obviously) panel for around the same price and same size as the x220 with a larger screen (13")
Options are narrowing. I am looking to show some photo/video work with these laptops to some people (showing past things they've done that I have filmed/photographed) so the audience isn't colour critical, but low contrast can ruin great work and this is where my fear lies and where the vaios can really help.
.....

This is the lost x201s

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Th...898?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a53c7d65a

WXGA+ (I am hoping he was right because I was looking for the processor on CPU Benchmark and it doesn't list it as existent.

 

If I buy the x200s, could I implant that panel (1440x900) on a x201/s?

 

You would need to swap an entire lid, but the answer is "yes". These machines are referred to as "faux X201s" amongst folks on TPF.

 

Given the full-voltage CPU I'd tend to believe that there was either a mistake in the listing - be it regarding the screen or the processor itself - or that this was a home build.

EDIT: the machine in question - after taking a closer look at the pictures - is X201 with no "s". It has a webcam - not an option with a 1440x900 LCD - and it also states "X201" on the clear plate. Less than 150 quid for a real X201s with WXGA+ did seem like a steal...

 

"faux X201s"!!

hahahaha!

Man...I almost hit the coffee cup when I read that.
That's just too couture for me.

I just had a look at the hinges...which I suspected they may have changed from x200->x201 but they are the same.
So, the essence would be to unhinge a complete lid assembly, taking the cables from the x200s and then reassembling this assembly completely on an x201/s.

Just to be clear...I can also do this on a regular x201, right?

Man, the amount of effort needed just to get some improvement on a screen.
I found these images here on NR on the three different screens from the early x2 series:

Order is: Tablet 1280x800 and standard x201 1280x800 and x201s 1440x900

http://www.technologyguide.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/49931.jpg

http://www.technologyguide.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/49933.jpg

http://www.technologyguide.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/49935.jpg

As per notebookcheck's measurements, blacks are just a bit blacker on the 1440x900 screen albeit the contrast ratio is similar at 140:1 or thereabouts.
Obviously, tablet is best...but I don't think I can stomach the whole procedure of adapting one of these tablet screens into a standard x2 series.
I believe that besides taking away the digitizer, you also need some other cabling.

 

Ah!
I just noticed the photo shows an x201, not s.
So, yes, I agree, either he did a home build as you say akin to something I may be interested in doing or it was just a mistake.

 

If you're really interested in the subject matter, head over to TPF and read posts by 91011 who's the forum resident expert/modder when it comes to these machines.

Happy FrankenPadding!

 

Thanks ajkula66. I apologise for having driven the topic off the x301.
I'll head over the TPF and see what's up with the mods.
I just noticed someone already mentioned getting some AFFS screens to place on x200/201 from a second hand source in Europe.
Gonna have to dig on that too!

Thanks for all the help and words of wisdom. I think I have successfully steered away from the vaio temptation.

 

I have the X301 in front of me right now. You weren't kidding when you said that the screen on these machines is noticeably poor compared to the x200s 1440x900. I'm not actually sure if I could deal with a screen this bad as my daily driver, it's pretty awful.

I'm also not sure of the quality of the battery in this machine, but it's getting roughly an hour of battery life. I imagine I can expect an improvement with a 'new' battery? (Note: it's running my company's flavor of Linux, so that could be related).

Is it possible to apply the screen "color fix" profile from within Linux? I'm not exactly sure how these things work, but the contrast is noticeably bad and I can imagine that fix alone would make the screen much better. I imagine it's just a .icc color profile, which I can use in Linux.

Edit: The build quality itself is very nice though! I wouldn't mind having this machine as my "carry around" machine. It's also not any heavier than my x200s (I actually think the x200s "feels" heavier because the weight isn't distributed as well -- the x301 feels like a Macbook Air!), which is really nice. I'm pretty torn about it in a lot of ways.

 

I'll send you the color profile via PM. It's easier to install under Linux but Windows works just as well. However, the X301 is quite incompatible with Linux, at least in my book, compared to my T series models. With some tweaks, it's possible to get the same battery life under Linux as Windows with the X301, but some things might not work as well. (for example, the ALPS trackpoint is just horrid)

Also, a new battery will cost you 100-300$. Not worth it. Aftermarket batteries are simply crap and don't hold their charge for more than a week, probably due to the special shape of the battery and cells.

With a new battery, my Ubuntu driven X301 can manage about 3-5h, and that's being generous. 3-4h is more realistic. Within a year, that will probably drop down to 2-3h. Keeping a X301 for productive use is really something for rich people. It was back in the day, and it still is today.

 

Battery life and the display (mostly very tight viewing angles) were the two factors that made me decide to switch to the S3 as my daily driver.

 

Sweet, thank you. So if I do decide to go down this route, I should definitely make sure that it's the Synaptics touchpad and not the ALPS.

There's one on Ebay right now that is a little bit on the expensive side, but it seems fully stocked and ready to go. Intel 6300 wifi, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, synaptics touchpad, 6-cell battery, for $260. Alternatively, I could go for one in the ~$150 and take a gamble on what exactly the hardware is. Do you think $260 is a good price for a machine with the maximum possible upgrades? I figure for $260 I would have peace of mind, and be able to focus on the battery life rather than worrying about each component (which can get expensive, fast.).

3-4h is pretty awful sounding, but this laptop is so sexy and retro that I might just take the hit. Is that with te 6-cell+3-cell combo?