Some X301 questions

I was researching laptops earlier tonight and the X301 caught my eye...it looks like an almost "perfect" laptop (minus the price). I have a few questions regarding it:

1. Is the memory and RAM self-upgradable? Will I be able to swap in my own 4GB of DDR3 and maybe a larger SSD later down the road if I want to or is the self-upgrade process difficult? I ask because I think Lenovo's upgrade options are a little expensive.

2. I know the bay battery and bezel are swappable but is it possible to swap the DVD burner also? I imagine the DVD burner to be of use at times but Lenovo said on their product page that it's fragile and cannot be swapped (or not recommended). Any comments?

3. Does the DVD burner burn dual-layer discs?

4. Would you personally recommend the DVD burner or 3-cell bay battery?

5. Is there any use to have a notebook like this if you're not a business user?

Thanks for your time to answer my questions...there doesn't seem to be that much information about the X301 out there but it looks like such an incredible machine...

 

HERE is a cnet review of the X301 that should answer at least some of your questions.

 

1 Yes, from lenovo statement, the maximum memory is 4GB. But x301 is using GS45 express chips which suppose to hold up to 8GB. Not sure

2Either the battery or DVD is not supposed to be swap because there is a screw you need to knock them up. However, you can take this risk and not put the screw in.

3 NO, for a super slim DVD drive, it's way too farrrrr

4 It's up to you.

5 NO! Serious not! unless you are rich or a crazy fan of lenovo thinkpad . Or you really want a ultra portable notebook.
But X301 is the best notebook I have ever had!

Compare to the E4300, that one likes a joke for the new price and similar configuration. ( Refurbished's price is ok) They should sell E4300 no more than 1100 with basic configuration!!

 

BTW, I'm the crazy fan of lenovo thinkpad now after I owned dell e4300 a few days ago!!! I just noticed how good build quality of x300/x301 is!!

I owned both x300 and x301

 

Thanks. Can you also comment on if the memory and storage is self-upgradeable?

 

Yes, you can upgrade both.

 

The memory and hard drive are both upgradeable. Here's a link to the Service & Troubleshooting Manual for the X301- LINK- upgrading the HD starts around page 38.

To answer your question #5- YES, the X301 (and its competitors) are useful to a variety of users, not just "business". It's a great system for anyone who needs an ultra-portable 13" system that weighs about 3lbs and has a high-resolution LED-backlit display!

If you are interested, there are quite a few NEW/Redistributed X301 models in the Lenovo Outlet! Here's the LINK. They start as low as this one (LINK) for $1469! They are brand NEW, full warranty!

Regarding the 3-cell bay battery- It's a cool option, to have a secondary battery that doesn't bulge out the back or bottom of the notebook, as most extra-capacity batteries do. However, when the bay battery is present, the system will drain it completely before switching to the main battery for power. The bay battery will have a hard (and relatively short life) being drained and recharged repeatedly. It's an irritating and illogical setup that Lenovo needs to correct! The main battery should be fully depleted before switching to the bay battery for backup....but that's not how it works at the moment!?!?

 

I thought the ebay one is better which sold by buy.com.

I saw the price is about 1630-1610 , plus live cashback =1465

It's not aCTO model which come with 3 year warranty and DVD-drive!!

But all of them are good deals !!

 

Ya that sounds like a great deal after CB with that 3 year warranty.

 

Hey yun, what's the ebay deal you're talking about? And thanks, jaredy...I took a look at some of the ones in the outlet store and they look nice. Would anyone personally take advantage of the refurb ones? I was looking out for one with a 6-cell, dvd-burner, and 5300 wifi.

Also, anyone have an opinion of the X301 vs the X200s? I currently have an X200s configured with SL9400 1.86 Ghz, 1GB DDR3, 160GB 5400RPM, Bluetooth, 5300 wifi, 9-cell for $1513.25. Trying to compare this one to some of the X301's...not sure what to do.

 

Both the X200s and the X301 have LED-backlit WXGA+ (1440x900) 12.1" and 13.3" displays, respectively. The X200s display is 250-nit and the X301 is 300-nit, but both are plenty bright enough.

The X200s weighs less, has the longest battery life and has a starting price $330 lower than the X301. However, the price difference is negated if you select an SSD option for the X200s, which is standard on the X301. The X200s will also be faster in processor-intensive tasks. It has the 1.86GHz Intel SL9400 (1066MHz FSB, 6mb L2 cache) compared to the 1.4GHz SU9400 in the X301 (with an 800MHz FSB, 3mb L2 cache).


The X301 has the advantage of an optical drive bay and it has a touchpad, compared to the TrackPoint only on the X200s. If you need an optical drive with the X200s, the UltraBase docking station or an external drive are available.

I like the smaller size, lighter weight, longer battery life and faster processor of the X200s best...and the lower price of entry doesn't hurt, either!