ThinkPad X220 Info/Ordering/Shipping Thread

So with all the discounts, I got:

i5-2540m
2 GB RAM
250 GB HDD
6-cell Battery
Fingerprint Reader & Camera
Intel N-1000

$895 TOTAL.

 

That's true...with all the laptops I've previously owned (P7805u, Asus 1215N, NP8170), this Thinkpad seems to be the one that will withstand the most damage!

Double posted--Sorry ^^;

 

So the 6 cell definitely sticks out the back? All the reviewers got the 4 cell?

 

Guys, if you generated a quote over the weekend with the discount, you can still get it at that price. I just called Lenovo and they processed it for me w/o any questions or mentioning the coupon expiring. Estimated shipping date is May 13th.

I asked about removing Windows 7, but they couldn't do it from the quote and deduct the price from that :\ W/o the promotion though, the salespeople can't generate a price nearly as good as this.

My system:

i5 2520m
Windows 7 Home Premium
IPS display
2gb RAM (if you want it, PM me, I'm replacing it w/ 8gb)
No fingerprint reader
720p webcam
250gb 5400rpm HDD
9 cell battery
bluetooth 3.0
Intel 6205 2x2 AGN wireless

Lenovo 12" laptop sleeve

For $842.26 before tax
Total: $892.80 shipped.

No, the 6 cell does not stick out the back, but the bottom is raised by a little. Only the 9 cell sticks out the back.

 

No it does not. I have the 6-cell. The 6-cell raises the rear of the X220 maybe 1/4". The 4-cell does not raise the rear at all. The 9-cell raises the rear (afaik) and sticks out the back.

EDIT: I believe most of the reviewers got the 6-cell for showing off better battery life.

 

One thing to consider when comparing weight is the power adapter. I personally went with the 9 cell because I do not like lugging around a power adapter. It's not necessarily a heavy accessory, but coupled with the extra space in my backpack, I prefer a portable computing experience without extra cables.

 

Ah, phew. Thanks for clarifying.

It's Monday already, almost a week after release and still not one shipped from Lenovo?

 

Hey guys,

I am interested in the X220 as my new laptop, especially as I am moving to the UK to do my masters in September. However I have never had a laptop with a smaller screen than 15.4" but I have used 13" laptops for webbrowsing etc.

Now I was wondering how productive you can be on one of these smaller 12.5" laptops, especially in the new aspect ratio? I am doing my MSc in Finance so in addition to the normal writing essays (word), how comfortable is it to work in excel on this machine?

I was thinking about just getting an external monitor, but if I'm not at home I obviously can't use it (i.e. library for example).

If any of you guys have used these type of screen sizes and had a go at being productive with excel, I would really appriciate some input!

-Thanks

 

I've used an 10" eeePC before ( Asus Eee PC 1018PB-BK801 Specs - Laptops - CNET Reviews 1024x600 screen) very briefly. Reason for the brevity was because I couldn't stand the machine. The combination of the screen size (actually the size probably isn't bothered me, but the lack of pixels on the screen) and speed of the ATOM processor (this is coming from a guy who works on dual 1080p screens) really killed it for me.

The X220 on the other hand, will not have any speed problems (I ran benchmarks on my system and compared it to the X220 i5 benchmarks published and the x220 outperforms my system by a good 20%). Screen size is still a concern, but its 1366x768 screen is still larger than the 1024x600 screen by far (60% increase in size over the eeePC screen). I would assume the X220 screen will fine for jotting down notes and maybe even some brief essay writing, but if you plan on navigating large excel spreadsheets, I'd definitely sit down at a dock and connect it to a larger monitor.

 

Cheers mate, this is what I was dreading.

This laptop fits all my other needs on the spot, however I have to factor in productivity as this will be a major part of my usage in terms of my masters degree.

Guess Ill have to keep shopping around for a slightly larger laptop.

 

You definitely have to take into account what you plan on doing with it.

Me for example, I'm moving from a 17" Vaio with 1920x1200 screen to a 12.5" 1366x768 screen. Yes that will be painful, but it comes with its upshots. I no longer even have to bring a power adapter to campus (Vaio has 45 min of battery life at best). I also know that on campus, the main thing I'll be using my laptop for is note taking, light web browsing (flash games too.. lectures just get soo boring), email, maybe browsing through some code (I'm a CS major after all). All the serious work happens after I get home and dock my computer (my 17" Vaio has a nice cooling pad, along with HDMI, and a GIANT usb hub with way too many things connected). If that is your working style, you won't have a problem with the X220. If you're the kind of person who works on the go or has to spend alot of time in the library (I can't stand libraries :S) then it might not be for you.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, Yes the dinky screen is a dealbreaker for some people, but that is a problem that can be solved by attaching an external monitor. If an external monitor is viable for you most of time, and the rest of the laptop fits you well, then things will work out.

 

Nice price. Was that through the SPP site or one of those company links?

 

It was through Lenovo's corporate perks site, with the LENOVOVIP discount code which is now dead.

 

If you do work in Excel or even coding then 1366x768 will KILL your productivity. I'm disappointed they didn't put a better screen on this.

 

Wow, I just searched for "sales" and "rep" on the rules page and nothing relevant turned up. So are you sure the Forum Rules are very clear about NOT posting a sales Rep's name and ID? Because I couldn't find it and I'm a pretty literate person.

 

Seriously?!?! Yeah, because "Sales Reps" really deem our CONTACT INFORMATION private. What a hoot...

 

Wow,
The information on discounts and ship date has me flustered.
I feel I had received a pretty good deal for what I ordered and do not regret my choice.

The shipping date concerns me a little but I am aware it is only an estimate.
I called lenovo anyway asking about the ship date and the salesmen explained to me the possible reasons;he told me he would check with the warehouse and to see if they can get a better shipping date then the one supplied on my order.
He said I would hear back within the next 2 days via phone with a better answer.
Also I asked about the different discounts available and he took a $100 of my order.

Thank you Lenovo.

 

They have. Its called the W520. Stop complaining about small screens when you're looking at a 12.5" laptop. -_-

Or better yet, the next headline you'll see is X230 (the successor to the 220) ships with 2560x1600 screen. Magnifying glass not included. /sarcasm

 

Really? What did you ask? When I mentioned the LENOVOVIP to my sales rep, he said he could do it, but they would have to cancel my order and wait a few days (for the card authorizations to drop) before he could place the order again, and that would delay my order significantly. :/

 

Got some interesting news.

I called in to see if I could modify my x220 order to remove the operating system. I've read here that it's possible. The rep told me it's not possible to remove the OS =/

Also, he told me I wouldn't be able to change it anyway because it's already gone to the warehouse to be built and it would cost $$ to change it now (my estimated ship date is 5/17 and ordered on 4/21). So fingers crossed everyone's x220 will be shipped within the next few hours/days

 

Yeah, I've decided on the 9 cell as well. It is about .2lbs more and I guess I don't mind that it sticks out considering that I've been using an R61 14.1in with a 6 cell that also sticks out about an inch, never bothered me.

Not having to carry around the power adapter on a daily basis is quite good too.



Also for those of you planning to use the x220 for coding or any related activity, I'd strongly suggest you use an external display to code. I know from personal experience that coding on a screen with a low vertical resolution is not at all fun. I plan to use my x220 on the go, maybe for some minor programming, etc and when I get home, dock with my 24in display.

 

What does estimated ship date mean? Is that the date that it leaves the warehouse in China? Or is that the date that they receive the batch in the US and start shipping from their local warehouse here?

Also, if its already been submitted to the warehouse, why is the estimated ship so long?

 

You have no idea how many times I've had to run back to my office to grab the power adapter because I stupidly forgot it there. It sounds like a minor thing but in the long run having to carry around a power adapter is a PAIN.

Edit I really need to start using mutliquote replies.. otherwise it looks like im spamming this topic :S haha

 

damn im jelly of you americans... no canadian coupon code yet >_>

 

So what's your total?

 

From $1024 to $924. prior to tax.

 

Trust me, I know. My R61 and its 6 cell battery get crap for battery life, whenever I take it out with me, the power adapter always goes with me too.

 

wow, a mid-range configed X220 over here in EU will set me back about £1100, i.e. about twice as much...

 

Whats worse than crap battery life is the fact that your AC adapter is locked in an office that wont be open until the next business day.. >.> those were wonderfully productive nights (my laptop is my only workstation)....

 

Yup, same here.

I have 4-cell and 9-cell batteries for my X200. 9-cell batteries are supposed to last 5+ hours. But since Linux desktop doesn't have access to Lenovo battery optimization scheme, it only lasts about 2.5 hours, maybe 3 if I'm lucky. I just carry 4-cell battery + power adapter now these days. Since I'm usually close to the outlets, so that's not a big deal.

I doubt situation will change much for me for x220 so I opted for just a 6-cell battery.

 

Yeah, I've been there before!

I tried swapping my 6-cell for a 9-cell but they told me mine is too far into production to switch, oh well.

I suppose in time if I notice I need more battery life, I'll get a spare battery. I have a trip to Japan in August, and my hope is that there will be time in layover where I can charge my laptop ^^;

...other than that, I guess I can't complain with 7.5+ hours on a 6-cell.

 

i know a guy got his mid-range x220 for $840 after tax here at us

 

Ha, yes no complaining please. My current laptop gets 2.5 hours on a six.

The x220 will be a very welcome change for me.


On another note, I ordered mine on the 19th. A rep told me it will ship "Well before" the estimated ship date. Who knows, I just wish things were more definitive. I'm leaving town early May for a month, would definitely like to take the new 220 with me.

 

If it's any consolation, when I ordered my T420 on April 13th the quoted shipping date was April 26th, and the laptop shipped on the 19th and arrived today (25th).

 

Hopefully that holds true for the x220's also. Thanks for the input.

 

The main delays on the X220s right now are the screens. They're having screen shortages presumably because of the disaster in Japan..

 

I'm waiting for my X220 to ship, so I'd really like to hear when others get their x220's and/or the shipping notification especially compared to the date ordered and original estimated ship date.

A little entertainment: My current laptop (HP tc4200) came out March 1st 2005, I purchased in the spring of 2007, and i'm still using it until I get my x220. If the x220 is built as well as the Thinkpad 600E was (I know, its apples and oranges) then I hopefully won't be buying another computer until 2015-2016. I'm betting the Thinkpads will still look the same in 2015.

tl;dr: can't wait to stop using a 6 year old laptop model.

 

I hear you on that one.

I'm currently using a seven year old laptop that is getting pretty tired. I'm assuming I'll have the 220 for about 10+ years given my current laptops state.

 

My current notebook is the tc4200 also! This thing takes about 15 minutes to boot up and has generally slowed down like molasses :| I really can't decide between the x220 and x1, but the IPS screen might be the deciding factor. I would like 13" but not glossy/non-IPS.

 

Hmm, Honestly my tc4200 runs pretty good considering. I've got windows 7 Pro with Microsoft Security Essentials and Dropbox as the only things that really startup with the machine.. takes about 3 minutes to get logged in.

If you can upgrade to 7 it's worth it for the tablet features alone.. I did a clean install of W7 back around January 2010, so it's been through a quite a few updates (including SP1)

My HDD is failing so thats part of my motivation for getting a new machine, but I plan on slapping in another hdd when it takes a turn for the worst.

 

Side note: I've always had 2GB of ram in my TC4200 which is part of the reason I've been able to get so much life out of it.

 

That's a good idea, I'll have to install W7 on it, hopefully that'll speed it up.

What tablet features does 7 come with?

I bet that with 7 and a SSD, this thing might stick around for another 6 years...

 

Thats one option I'm considering once my new laptop comes and giving it to my brother since his laptop is on the fritz..

The problem that I've found is that its expensive/hard to find PSATA ssds that are large enough (W7 needs atleast 30gb to be comfortable, and that doesn't leave much room for documents, 64gb would be much better)

I'm thinking a compact flash to PATA/IDE adaptor (around $10) + a 32gb CF card ($60+) as the best value.. but I really would prefer an SSD thats meant to be a system drive.. but those are $100+

 

So you're telling me there is no ~12.5" laptop with a higher resolution? Ever heard of the X201? Or perhaps the Vaio Z? Here's a little something for you: http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...z-screen-resolution-1366x768-vs-1600x900.html

 

I think you forgot the fact that the X201s and the Vaio Z are ridiculously expensive. High resolution screen commands a premium, and unless you're willing to shell out big bucks for your laptop, don't even bother asking for a high resolution screen.

 

Well it would obviously be an option. $50 or whatever it was for the IPS upgrade was nothing. I would have paid more for a high resolution panel. Oh well, that's why I have a 30" 2560x1600 monitor. It's not very portable though.

 

You guys should also take note that as of right now, Lenovo is the only company making 12.5" laptops. It's entirely plausible that 12.5" panels with a HD+ resolution simply don't exist at the moment, and that it's really not up to Lenovo as to whether their laptops can get HD+ resolutions.

 

HP has already announced specs for the upcoming Elitebook 2560p with exactly same screen, so your conjecture is not correct:
http://hpfansite.com/hp-elitebook/breaking-hp-elitebook-2560p-2760p-tablet-exposed-full-glory/

 

First off, that's not an official product announcement, no release date has been set, and it certainly isn't available to the public yet. Congratulations on nitpicking a detail in my argument with an article released two days ago, though.

Lenovo has had readily available 12.5" laptops for over 3 months now, and had announced their intentions since well before then. They have been the sole contender in the 12.5" field for quite a while now. My point still stands: it's highly unlikely that a display manufacturer would find it worthwhile to create an HD+ 12.5" display, especially considering the current demand (2 models of Lenovo laptops).

 

What difference does it make where I get the data if the data clearly shows that you are wrong?

By the way, HP has also uploaded the entire spec sheet on their own website if you don't believe the first article:
HP EliteBook 2560p Notebook PC (Data sheet/4AA3-4397EEE.pdf)

Obviously, they ARE manufacturing machines with a 12.5" screen contrary to your claim that Lenovo is the only vendor.