Think Pad X201 vs Sony Z

I can't decide this is for general use Internet and light word processing and light Excel.


Really want something thin and light that will hold up in transport

Any thoughts?

 

X201.... The Z is a great machine, but you won't use the power of it and it's very expensive.

 

Doesn't a Z cost at least 50% more than the x201? I don't see why you would need a Z for your needs anyways......

 

all good points..just saw a Z but can't find an x201 anywhere, I went to Comp USA.. no dice

BY the way a X201 is probably a lot more reliable

 

You will have a difficult time seeing any T, X or W ThinkPad in a store.

 

The X201 wins this argument hands down. I've read a few horror stories about the Z (hinges breaking, etc.). It may not be as thin or pretty as the Vaio but the Thinkpad will take a lot more punishment.

 

As I've said once before in a recent post, If they'd improve the darn screen in the X201 and add HDMI out I'd be game instantly. I really don't get these two glaring omissions in what otherwise is one of Lenovo's flagship products.

Fingers are crossed for a technical refresh in the near future.

 

I didn't think the screen on my X200 was all that bad. Where's all the other notebooks with better screens?

 

That ain't gonna happen anytime soon. It's a business-grade notebook. It's not designed for multimedia. Its target market is business users who need small and light for mobility plus tough enough for lots of traveling. Its got a modem and a VGA port. Those are things business users still need. The VGA is for projector hookups but I have no clue why they keep putting modems in them... maybe for faxing. As for the screen, I'm fine with it after a few adjustments to the color settings.

 

Hey rayda,

While the colors bug me, I think it's the brightness more than anything that really gets to me. You see, I spend a decent amount of time outdoors, so a higher-brightness screen is key for my purposes.

However, at the same time, I frequently engage in HD video rendering and photo editing for a website that I run, so I need a standard-voltage CPU. Since the higher-res and outdoor screens are not offered as options on the X201 (sans "s"), I simply don't have any options at hand.

Currently I use a Dell M1330 of 2 years age. Unfortunately, from what I have read, the screen on this baby is superior to that of the X201...

It's seriously the only thing keeping me from a purchase.

 

Vaio Z and Thinkpad X20x is catered to two different markets. One is a high performance consumer orientated ultraportable, while the other one is a ultraportable business grade laptop.

It really depends on what you want to do with the laptop, and how long you intend to keep it.

Vaio Z is not the toughest laptop around, you just need to use it for a while to understand that. During the process of miniaturization, Sony had to comprise on many aspects of its structural integrity. While X20x is not as well featured and slightly thicker, it is also lot stronger than the Vaio Z.

Furthermore, you can't really service the Vaio Z like the way you can with your Thinkpad X20x series.

 

Would a X201 still be able lets say to download a net flix movie and be able to play it ?

I understand its a business book and I am not really looking for multimedia functions.s.


As far as a Z I used to have one, not reliable at all it broke all the time...

 

It will be able to handle Netflix, Hulu, full 1080p videos on youtube without breaking a sweat. I even connected an external blu-ray drive and watched Dark Knight and everything was smooth (All this with Intel integrated graphics) Just because it falls in the category of business laptops does not mean it can't handle multimedia. Business laptops are built tougher with more convenience features.

 

What we really need are better specs in the X201. The Sony Z is better on paper but most of us settle for reliability, chassis and build quality.

I'm tired of settling.

 

you can do these on the x200 with the intel 4500 MHD GPU, which were designed with blu-ray decoding in mind. Even when you don't use the hardware decoding from the GPU, a blu-ray movie would only occupy 50% resource on one of the C2D P8xxx core, while the other one should be around 20 to 30 per cent.

 

With hardware calibration the screen colors can look great. You can also tweak the brightness in the Intel HD Control Panel. But even with that it will probably disappoint you for video work in outdoor light. I'm pretty sure you can put a better screen on it but I'm not familiar with the details. Someone on the Lenovo forum here or on another forum could probably help you with that. I know many people replace the 14" or 15" screens but I don't know what's available for 12".

 

I am getting the x201, thanks for the info.

Lenovo has a sale on them right now on their web site with the 3 year warantee, something like 700 off.

 

I would only buy the Tablet in the X201 series - because it's a tablet. I would pick the Z over the regular X201's every time beyond that. And in fact, that's exactly what I've done.

The 201 build quality, in terms of engineering is not a huge leap over the Z. Generally speaking I would say Lenovo build quality (going by the X300, T400s and the X201T as of late) is overrated for what it actually is. True, the Sony pushes the material suitability envelope more - but the fact is that as long as you treat it with a reasonable amount of respect (and not, e.g. resting several books on it when not in use, etc) it will be everyday-durable. The machine offers so much more, especially if it's going to be your only machine -and I for one would feel cheated if I had to use an X201 after a new-gen Z11 onwards.

But on the other hand, I only need a machine to last for 2-3 years on the outside in practical terms, as I rarely keep a machine as my primary beyond a year. However, the machines do encounter constant portage during that time and a pretty hard duty cycle - an X9E has already taken a tumble (works fine, looks beat up - so has been replaced, as the other aspect of my use of a machine as my main is that it has to be cosmetically perfect). I have no core issues with the durability of the current Z series, although to be fair I wouldn't have any issues with the 201 either - and if you're worried, you can plump for accidental damage insurance.

 

I have a Z and the hinges broke 3 times and the screen fell of from the computer twice. I do not treat my computers harshly, but I do transport them every day. The keyboard needed to be replace twice. I had ext service so that was not a problem.

I don't think Sony's are built that solid, its a "designer notebook", it is very expensive and you pay for the name and looks. I have had 10 other notebooks and none have fallen apart like my Sony.

I am buying a Think Book, I feel its will hold up better, I have never owned one.

I have nothing against Sony but I think it is made for the looks and sizzle.

 

Sony Z is a fairly different beast to the Thinkpad X201....

http://forum.notebookreview.com/3840126-post51.html

 

@lead_org: That link is broken.... I get a "404" error.

 

the link is updated, it should work now.