So it's time for a new laptop ...

My old laptop is a T61 15.4

Love love the screen.


I'm thinking of getting a 13'' screen this time.

My priorities are:

Screen, battery life, performance. (i don't game)

I was considering the following Acer but i think i will really miss the trackpoint.

Does the thinkpad line have anything similar ?

 

The X301:
Lenovo ThinkPad X301 Review

 

If you love the trackpoint and a 13', then x301 is for you...An older generation x300 should be much cheaper on Ebay though.

 

If you could do a 12", the X201 is an option.

 

I will also HIGHLY recommend the X301.

I have both the X301 for portability, and the T61 for my everyday driver.
Both are fantastic laptops, and neither have given me a hint of trouble (knock on wood lol).

But if you are looking for something in the 13" range, hands down the X301 is the way to go !

Also, on a side note, what is wrong with your current T61 ? Mine is about 2 and a half years old and still runs like the day I got her ! (I don't game neither). Mine is still more than enough for my needs (E-mail, watch videos, write papers, etc.).
Just curious, that or you just wanted to go smaller ?
I'd buy the X301 and keep both !!

 

How many hours a day do you use the notebook? The reason I ask is I used to use a 15”, then I went to a 13” and then I finally found my sweet spot of 14” for usability and portability. I found the 15” a bit too large—and the 13” a bit too small for more than four hours a day of use.

 

The T500/R500 with the 15.4 inch WSXGA+/WXGA+ for desktop replacement, the T400/R400 is perfect for people whom want a portable machine don't want to comprise on screen real estate. It is equally true for the T510 and T410.

While, the X20x laptops are perfect for people whom are constantly on the move, like road warriors.

While, the X30x is the perfect machine for road warriors whom wants bit more screen real estate and connectivity, without the heft of the 14.1 inch machines.

Lot of people uses the x301 all day without problem, it has large enough palmrest to support the whole hand for all day typing.

Some people like 17 inch laptops, for a period of time i lugged the 17 inch Macbook Pro everywhere, but after a while the weight of the laptop and all the books that i had carry for uni was bit too much. The X60 became the best laptop for doing reports and web surfing, and light weight and 8 cells battery meant i could use the laptop for a day without the need to charge it.

Last 2 years of uni required laptops with bit more grunt to churn through the matlabs and other design softwares, so a T61p was the perfect choice for all this with the WUXGA LCD resolution.

 

I don't know what the OP is looking for, but it seems a little late to be recommending a x301 at this point since it sounds as if this system is intended to replace the last. It could be a pretty significant cpu downgrade, especially if he were going from a top end 2.6ghz c2d to a ulv 1.6 processor... and paying for it. If the OP is looking for a new system in a smaller package, with the expectations that it will actually perform better than the last, the only lenovo options are a x201 or t410s are neither is obviously the right size.

This may be blasphemy here but the 13 inch mbp is thin and in the same class as the x201/t410s performance wise (no track point though). Traditionally, Dell trackpoints aren't as good as those on thinkpads, but there is a new 13 inch Latitude E4310 coming out that might otherwise be perfect size/performance/input wise.

 

I'm the envy of all my friends who are lugging around 5, 6 & 7 lbs. of laptop. With the 4-cell installed, my X201 is light as a feather. The 65W adapter is small & light, too. I used to think anything smaller than 14" would be too hard on my eyes. That turned out to be false. I use the 12.1" screen for 6+ hours a day and it doesn't bother me at all.

 

they think of it as a free workout.... well at least that was what i told myself when i was lugging around a 17 inch Macbook Pro around uni.

 

If screen is important to you, an X200 with AFFS panel swap would probably be a perfect machine for you. I'd recommend that over x301 any day.