ThinkPad X240

On the website of the Hongkong Polytechnic University, the first informations about the non-s X240 emerged:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Notebook Ownership Program 2013
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Notebook Ownership Program 2013

With Touch (X240 Touch):
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Notebook Ownership Program 2013
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Notebook Ownership Program 2013

So, basically, it seems to be a bit thicker X240s with one fixed and one swappable battery (much like T440s) and also likely with a DockingPort (although not confirmed yet). The CPUs are the same, as well as the Ports. You are also stuck with 8 GB of RAM, since there is only one RAM Slot.

 

Dissapointing... it seems I won't be able to get something new with a good screen and a decent CPU...

PS: Funny, on the left menu T440s is "high performance" although same CPU as x240...

 

All the X240 configs on the single page

 

That battery life is atrocious for a Haswell ULV. The 1TB of HDD space is nice, but would rather have ssd's as standard. I wonder if there be a twistable X240T?

 

If the leaked list of __40 models is anything to go by, there is none.

 

i dont understand this doesn't seem like an upgrade at all.

 

I believe I do agree with you. The lack of RAM upgrades along with the lack of full power CPUs makes me hesitant. The 6 hours of battery life seems like a step back though it seems to be replaceable so I assume one can replace it with a fresh battery. From the way it looks like, this doesn't seem like an improvement at all. The X230 was already thin and light so more thinness and lightness weren't that necessary. So based on this, the X230 comes out ahead in many ways.

 

The battery life is confusing. The X240s gets 12 hours on 2x3-cell batteries. I'm almost certain the stated 6 hours here is for EACH battery, there's no way the X240 gets HALF the battery life of the X240s when there's essentially nothing different between the two. I don't get why they would advertise 6 hours though, you'd think 12 hours of battery life would be a great selling point.

So far I don't see a huge difference between the X240 and X240s... sort of disappointing. None of the CPU's offer VT-d.

 

Looks like I'm keeping my X201 for another year...this doesn't seem like much of an improvement over the computer I bought 3 years ago.

 

Yeah, pretty disappointing. I was about to sell my hp2570p and get something like x240 with IPS FHD, upgradeable ram and decent CPU. Not going to happen... I have 16GB RAM, 2TB storage and a quad core in 12.5" package....upgrading would mean cut in half everything ((((((

 

I can't believe this is true, until I see it confirmed by Lenovo.

In a way, I could be glad, because I just ordered a 2570p.
I was sick of waiting (have been waiting for an X230 successor with full Voltage Haswell, 16GB Ram, Fingerprint, Docking and 3G since December 2012).
If true, this would be a massive step backwards for the Lenovo X Range.

 

Well, lets wait and see. Remember, the full-voltage dual-core Haswell CPUs are not released yet, so there might be the possibility that this option will be added later. We might have to wait until September before we know that for sure.
Nothing is set in stone until Lenovo officialy announces the new lineup.

 

On a non "s" X series?
Ha ha ha, what a joke! I'm getting a good laugh, viewing this thread from my X220.
You'd think Lenovo had already and definitely hit rock bottom after the "new" keyboards and then the "new" trackpoints, huh? But now look at that! They're still digging, they can't get enough of their mediocrity!
This is truly wonderful to witness

 

As it stands today, the only possible advantages of X240 over your 2570p would be FHD IPS and Iris Pro graphics. Neither look real at the moment. In any case, it won't be HD5200, and the cpu will be soldered, so no quad. IMHO it's safe to assume that your Hp will last you another couple of years easily.

 

If I was on the fence comparing the X230 and waiting for the X240, based on these specs, I would go for the X230. These new Thinkpads are slowly becoming mainstream-like laptops - that's not to say that previous ones were not mainstream, it's that at least there were more differences between them and the average laptop.

The Elitebook 2570p looks very nice. How is the display? I liked the IPS on the X230 that I had for a bit.

I would be somewhat surprised if full voltage Haswell CPUs were offered in the X240. Lenovo probably wants to market these laptops are thin, light and efficient. They would most likely put those CPUs in the T and W series, or whatever other series they have created now. The heavyduty stuff, at least based on the specs, would probably be left to the T and W series (except the T series with a "s" at the end). I would imagine it might require different configurations to have both ULV CPUs and full powered CPUs. It adds to costs, so Lenovo might not offer both options. (This is pure 100% speculation so it is worthless )

 

Well, it is rumored different: Google Übersetzer

So that would mean that there will be X240 with full-voltage CPUs. Still, we can only wait until Lenovo announces them but it would make much more sense if the X240 would get Full-Volt CPUs.

 

The display sux, it's the only con. It's about on par with the T4x0 series screens, which is bad....But I might be able to upgrade it to an IPS panel from x220.

 

I have yet to see a link to a reliable source with that info about 12 hours on x240s. Frankly, I doubt it to be true -- it just doesn't compute.

What's the capacity of these batteries supposed to be like, 2x24Wh? That would mean what, a 4W average power consumption to last for 12 hours?

Haswell may be frugal with power, but I seem to remember the IPS screen in my x220 using around 2.5W -- at a relatively conservative brightness of 9/15. And I don't believe we've had any great improvements in LCD power consumption in the last two years, have we? So add to that the CPU, memory, HDD/SSD, WiFi, what have you...

Sorry, I won't believe this to be possible until I see it, or at least until I read a reliable third party review.

For what it's worth, though, I can't believe the 6 hours number either. That would be 8W average power consumption. I can do better on my x220, without any of the usual cheating done by manufacturers.

Something here simply doesn't add up...

 

How **official** is this max 8GB memory limit? When are people expecting to hear the official annoucement of the x240- the same time Intel release mobile Haswell CPUs in Sept?

If x240 supports 16GB ram I'll get it- otherwise its going to be x230 for me.

 

By Sep 12, all the questions will have answers But I think it's pretty safe to assume the x240 will be limited to 8gb max unless there's another version coming out with a full voltage dual core cpu

 

Wouldnt be such a problem if DDR4 wasn't coming out soon (because it is, they aren't making 16GB SODIMMS for DDR3).

Definitely Sept 12th? Is this an Intel release date? Whats to stop Lenovo waiting a couple of weeks after Sept 12th to announce?

 

I wouldn't wait for ddr4, may take another year till we actually see it.

Nothing stops Lenovo from waiting other than the fact that the race is always on and other vendors will do their best to announce and start selling their refreshed products immediately. Dell, Apple, HP and many more are getting ready to unleash their best somewhere around that date, - no reason for Lenovo to wait, IMHO.

 

So Sept 12th is the Intel release date?

 

I've been checking around the web for answers and I am extremely certain that 8GB is the max. It's unfortunate because I need at least 16GB of RAM. I'll have to pass up on the X240 because of this limitation.

 

8GB MAX is a complete joke... my fully loaded x220 will run circles around this X240...

 

WOW.

So the X240 has officially been presented at IFA. With Specs and pictures.

Looks like a Brick (a thin brick, but a brick nevertheless), no design whatsoever.
8GB Ram Limit
ULV Processor

This is ridiculous, what a poor show. On the risk of repeating myself, I can't believe I've been waiting for this for months. I'll see if I can find a 1080p screen for my HP sooner or later, and upgrade that to Quad-Core. Or even repair my Vaio Z with 1080p, ODD and dedicated Graphics.
Why would anyone in their right mind prefer the X240 over the X230? It's really only the display...

I guess as far as Haswell 12.5ers go, the Dell E7240 is the new King. ULV as well, but essentially the same specs as the X240 with added style and 16GB Ram.

...until HP releases a 2570 successor...

 

No:
- The X240 is thinner and much lighter
- X240 probably has better battery life with the optional 6-cell battery
- Its is better for Touchpad-users
- The new GPU is more powerful
- Bigger HDDs are possible now: The X240 uses 9.5mm HDDs, unlike the X230, which used 7mm HDDS

But of course, the Display is the main advantage over the X230.

 

What will the 1080p be like in a screen this small? I'm also wondering about the way Win 8 scales things.

 

You're trading double the RAM for more than double the resolution...

 

If you can't use it at native resolution, just increase it.

 

Maybe that's why they reduced max ram capacity to 8GB. I don't think they could achieve a much better battery life just by going with an ultra low voltage CPU as idle power consumption of the IVY CPUs is already very low. Below is a screenshot taken from my machine a few moments ago with about 10 tabs in Chrome, a few office apps open. I don't think you could greatly improve battery life even if the CPU would run at 1w. So, it has to be : more power efficient screen technology (eDP vs LVDS), absence of certain ports and features, less RAM modules, less storage bays, etc...

 

Just wonder what applications that will require a quad core cpu and 16 GB RAM in a mobile setting and on battery. I am sure there are, but certainly they are not the target of X240.

--from a C++ programmer with 15 yrs experience under belt.

 

It's a Thinkpad.

The bummer for me is that I miss the "T" version. For my next computer it will either be an MBP or a Windows machine with a touchscreen. I'd prefer something that went into a tablet like position, which leaves me with the Yoga as my main option. The X240 is disappointing to me (miss the ability to upgrade ram and storage, would have preferred ulv's with at least HD5000) and my X220 may be first and only Thinkpad.

Also, is the X240s coming to the US?

 

Very simple:

1) Virtualization - Hyper-V with 20 VM's would eat those 16GB for breakfast. I don't need more than 10-15 at the same time, so 16GB is enough.
2) Networking - GNS3 with 20-30 routers can take the CPU to 100% and keep it there. Even after all my tweaks I couldn't go below 70% (and very high temps) on a dual core (3360M). With 3632QM it's sitting at 25-27% using the exact same setup and tweaks.
3) Makes the system more future proof. If your professional apps get updated in a year from now and introduce features and optimizations to take full advantage of 4 cores, you will have no choice but to buy a new system (which will most likely be in the 14-15" category).
4) Video encoding - takes half the time with a quad which can save hours when working on large blue ray rips.
5) Bragging rights and a hobby - I like to push my systems beyond all reason. That includes but not limited to upgrading and modding the components, overclocking, etc. Currently working on a cooling overhaul to be able to put a more powerful CPU - 3840QM and start OC'ing. If my calculations are correct, it's possible to both push the CPU to 4ghz stable on all cores with 1/2 cores @4.2GHz, and also OC' the HD4000 by a whopping 100% to achieve the HD5200 performance levels. If that's the case, this will also become my gaming rig. If not possible, will make a eGPU transform and still game

 

Running a batch on 500+ 12MP 14-bit RAW images on Adobe Photoshop CS5.5 via Bridge...?

 

I have a X220 and tend to think it as Toyota Prius, a lightweight and comfortable passage car but certainly not a truck nor a race car. Of course one can try to put a jet engine into it but it is not what Prius is designed for.

 

Have you not used a smartphone before?

 

That's a good point, but smartphones scale text properly. Windows 8 doesn't, is the concern.

 

This.

One can try that oneself, eh? But let's not blame Toyota for "forcing" us to suffer with a lowly Prius.

 

I don't get why any of those would be done on a ultraportable device like the x240? It's not meant to be a workstation model.

 

I got my X201 with 4GB of RAM, and I upgraded almost a year ago to 8GB. Strange that the X240 has the same maximum RAM as a 3 year-old model...

I agree with everyone here who is complaining. Even if most people don't need 16 GB of RAM, it's nice to have the option to upgrade a year or two down the road.

Also, the lack of dual channel memory will result in a performance hit for the integrated graphics (I understand that this isn't a gaming machine but it's nice to be able to play the occasional game on the go).

I was thinking of upgrading to the X240, but maybe I'll pass until the next model.

 

Anyone know the difference between the X240 vs the X240s? I understand the s is thinner but any other noticeable difference?

Also for the CPU, will the X240 come with the non-ULV versions? I was told the ULV's are anemic even for the Haswell's though they extend battery life considerably.

Thanks in advance.

 

The X240 will have a FHD (touch and nontouch) option. Not sure that the X240s will. The X240 will use a ULV processor. (likely 4200U and 4500U, those are popular and have the Intel HD 4400 graphics - though, it would have been nice to get the HD 5100 GPU and accompanying 28W CPU die)

 

X230/X220/X20x all had full voltage CPU and 2 ram slots, they were still considered mobile workhorses. This time around all vendors suddenly decided to change their mind. I understand why but can't readily accept the new trend, sorry.

 

Exactly, as usual I agree with Aikimox.

However

I don't - I just DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY.

When Sony sadly discontinued the TT, I could understand.
Because it was extremely expensive (Top of the range was around €3000 / $4500 back in the day when Netbooks became a big success at similar sizes and 10% of the cost, so it just didn't sell very well.

But why oh why do companies keep downgrading their computers while asking for more money - and then wonder why computer sales hit record lows?

Like the Ram. Why? Did they save a milimeter in height and 10 cents in production costs?

Clearly that's something that has been decided by some number crunchers, rather than engineers.

If someone was just looking at sales figures, I could almost understand, because hardly anyone probably purchased it with 16GB from Lenovo (as upgrading it yourself is a 5 minute task and significantly cheaper) - but they didn't take aftermarket upgrades into consideration.

Expresscard? Well mom-n-pop probably hardly use it, but it was always there, and it was useful.

ULV? More battery life is nice, but I'd rather get the battery slice and more performance, thank you very much.

I understand and respect introducing lower-spec products for a different audience, but effectively

- Reducing CPU Performance
- Cutting the System Memory in half
- Killing off Slots (Expresscard)

and then asking for 25% more money (X230: "From $879" X240: "From $1099" - both before discounts and taxes) for the next generation of a product is not just silly anymore, it's a downright stupid and an attempt of ripping off the customer base, which I would hope to fail badly (Lenovo doesn't have the following Apple has), but am afraid won't be noticed very much to many corporate customer who'll just place an order for "Corporate Standard Ultraportable"

Did anyone find a reason to upgrade from X220 or X230 to X240, apart from Battery and Display?

 

@digitaldriver: +1 exactly what I would have to said here also.

 

Is it just me- or is the x240 more like an X1 Carbon successor (with a smaller screen)??

 

Then why did the x230 have 16GB?

In fact since when has an x-series been released with less memory capacity than the model it was supposed to replace?

 

I made this point in the x240s thread- there is hardly any difference.

 

Well, reviewers find reasons just fine ( Lenovo Thinkpad X240 Sports HD Screen, Epic Battery Life ):

"We ... were most impressed with its thin profile and new, longer palmrest that can support two adult hands. We loved the previous-generation ThinkPad X230′s long battery life and solid performance, but found our wrists hanging off of the narrow palmrest, which made long typing sessions uncomfortable. This lack of wrist support had also been a problem on the X220, X201 and X200"

While it goes w/o saying that most of these reviewers have never seen any ergonomic guides, or have never learned to use Trackpoint, I sometimes wonder if they have ever typed on any keyboard but that of Apple laptops? Was even https://www.apple.com/keyboard/, with no palmrest at all, designed deliberately to make "long typing sessions" particularly uncomfortable?

And it's the obvious stuff, that everyone can see and touch. Expecting any reasoning about something internal, that few % of users of the ultraportable use to the fullest, like CPU, or system memory, or ExpressCard slots is pointless.