U150 vs X201 ? Rewritten, suggestion pls. Thx

General Questions

1) What is your budget?
$500 ~ $1100

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Ultraportable; 11" - 12” screen


3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.

Mostly carrying it outside, but frequently using it in the office for light use, powerpoint presentations

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

a. Like: Lenovo
b. Dislike: HP (Have had bad experiences with their batteries)

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?

No

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

Light office work, powerpoint, programming (does not require that much), connecting to TV would be nice


7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?

Taking it to different places, I need it to be light. I already have Lenovo T500 with 9cell battery. Too heavy !!


8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?

Yes, I might, but dont have to be that heavy 3D


9) How many hours of battery life do you need?

Longer the better, at least 4 hours would be nice


10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?

If it's Lenovo, it's ok


11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Win 7 or Vista, I'll personally install Ubuntu


Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. If you are unsure of what to purchase, we would highly recommend you check some notebook screens before you buy to see what you like. You may also wish to take a look at the notebook screen guide for more information.

At least this this resolution

* Actual resolutions: 1280x800 and 1366x768


13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

Doesn't matter


Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

yes, a bit. not that important


15) When are you buying this laptop?

by this week or early next



16) How long do you want this laptop to last?

3 ~ 5 years


Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?

SSD not necessary


18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?

I don't need


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Supplementary Information

I'm looking for very portable, but great for causal and business use.

Initially I was interested in U150 model (The one with Intel Core 2 Duo, $749) as this model is very light and good performance.

However, when I saw X201i model at $999 (I can buy this at $850 from some deal from my company).

Should I choose X201i or U150 ? I saw that there is going to be more discount for u150 sometime soon....

If not much difference exists, then I would go for U150 ..
but if X201 is much better, well I can buy this one instead.

Both are pretty light in weight, right ?
I need some suggestions, pls.

Thanks

 

I'm very partial to a ThinkPad style keyboard and pointing stick along with the better build quality you get on that line, so I'd go with the X201. I also like the fact you'd get a Core i3 and not Pentium when you go with an X201. The X201i is $849 through Lenovo.com right now if you use coupon code USPTHINKX201, expires tonight at midnight though, may be worth adding to the cart and saving so you can price match it later.

Edit: moving this to the Lenovo forum, it seems you've decided on this brand and I think you'll get better help and suggestions between these two machines in the specific forum.

 

X201 all the way.... you can't beat the X201 in quality.

 

I third the X201i. Great notebook.

 

The X201i seems to float between $750-850 on Google. Right now it's on the higher side, but I think if you wait a bit, it'll come down a bit again. Plus there's not tax online.

 

If you mean Lenovo.com, there is most definitely tax. Atleast in the states.
@OP, if you can wait and are seriously considering the U150, I'd wait for the U160 instead. It's an update to the U150 with the latest core i processor.

 

Yes, Lenovo charges tax in all states where there's a sales tax, but Ebay, Buy, NewEgg, Amazon, all do not charge tax. In theory you're supposed to do it, but I think few do.

 

Only thing the U150 has over the x201i is it can do a mPCIe SSD+HDD setup, has HDMI and a 1366x768 LCD. X201i's better build quality, docking connector, expresscard slot, full speed CPU, internal WWAN capable make it the better choice from the two.

 

I'd agree unless you can get if for significantly less.

 

I have a near identical wish list as the original poster, though my choice is

The U160 with:
core i3-380 (1.33)
4mb RAM
$650, pretax

or the X201 with:
core i5-560 (2.66)
4mb ram
$1096, pretax


Is the i5 and the thinkpad platform worth the $400 premium in your minds? Thanks!

 

I've never used any other line besides the business line with Thinkpads. If you're going to be lugging your laptop around I'd get the X- for the peace of mind.

 

I havent touched or felt either of these models...so that's a very helpful endorsement, thanks. FWIW, I'll be buying this with the highest level Amex charge card that offers extraordinary protections against defects, accidental problems and even loss...but the headaches around getting it fixed is usually a higher cost than the actual $ saved. Time is money.

 

P.S. Does the availability of the Lenovo 90W Ultraslim AC/DC Combo Adapter move the needle in favor of the X201? I have it built in to the price above. It seems like an excellent gadget.

 

Amazon charges the tax in New York state (and few other states). Newegg beats them in price in 99% of the electronics, so not that I care. Sorry for offtopic.

A fellow undergrad students in my lab has an Ideapad, not sure which model is it though but it's a BIG step down from Thinkpad. Take Thinkpad, X200/X201 models are really great. Ideapad feels really cheap in comparison. Thinkpad feels GREAT. The keyboard is top notch, it feels so good typing on it. I wouldn't worry about the CPU though, unless you really plan to do some intensive work, or you're thinking about DIY ViDock and play games on it. Rather, get an SSD and watch the baby fly.

 

You can get the X201i with the i3 here for $720. Unless you've got a specific need to run CPU intensive applications, the i5 won't offer much.

 

If you don't mind the older X series, there's an X200 Tablet with Multi-Touch going for $685.06 shipped right now (Link: Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet 7450 (7450BP8) - Tablet PCs). I'm not sure how it will handle your processing needs but I thought I'd just throw it out there.

Specs on the X200T:
Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet 7450 - Core 2 Duo SL9400 / 1.86 GHz LV - Centrino 2 with vPro - RAM 2 GB - HDD 250 GB - GMA 4500MHD - 3G Upgradable - Gigabit Ethernet - WLAN : 802.11 a/b/g/n - TPM - Windows 7 Pro - 12.1" Widescreen LED backlight Multi-Touch TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ) - camera - black - 8-cell lithium ion

Going back to topic, I would also suggest an X201.

 

Taking and combining all of your suggestions....
I think Ill go with the X201 and downgrade to the offered i3. Keep RAM up at 4GB. that will get my hardware cost down to $850 brandy new. Accessories, a bilken transfer wire and mulit-use AC adapter, takes it to $965 pre tax. Im feeling good about that.

 

Either X201 or X200 if you can live without touchpad
Never owned neither of them tho, but U150/160 dont look like they will hold well for years and their battey life doesnt look to be too good either.

 

You can get the x201 with a touchpad, but it'll cost you.
I had a U150 for a short time. I thought it was more solid than Jerry Jackson said in his review. The new U160 is the same, just with a core i3 instead. I personally felt as long as it stays on a desk it would be ok, but I don't think it would hold up to being lugged around in a bag. As others have said, you should probably get an x200/201 in that case.

 

Thanks all, I ordered this, delivery to start 1/4 $931 including tax/shipping, etc.:
75Y1663 SBB INTELCI3-370M2.40GHZ3MBL3
45M3093 VBB GENWIN7HOMEPREM32
60Y7988 SBB GWIN7HOMEPRE32 US ENGLISH
60Y7816 SBB 12.1WXGALED2X2UCIIAW/C+WBU
43Y4797 VBB 4GBPC3-8500DDR3SDRAM1DIMM
44C5216 SBB KEYBOARD US ENGLISH
43Y5779 SBB TRACKPOINT
60Y7830 SBB 250GBHDISKDRIVE5400RPM
60Y7826 SBB 5-1MEDIACARDREADER+MODEM
75Y1342 SBB THPADX200SER6CELLLI-IONBAT
41W1787 SBB CPK NORTH AMERICA
60Y7825 SBB BLUETOOTHSPACER
45M4804 SBB IN.CENT.ULTIMATE-N 6300
44C7950 SBB INT WRLSSWDAREANTWRK UPGR
60Y7853 SBB WIN7LANPACK US ENGLISH

 

Sweet. Best ultraportable on the market.

 

Arrived last Friday, but due to Christmas trip got it today. Having never seen the machine before, my first impressions are:

-taller than I expected, but that's ok by me. It might be a little trouble in coach on a plane, but it's questionable. Of course I fly enough such that I shouldnt be in the back too often
-The taller screen means I do not miss my 13"+ screens of the past at all
-I have downgraded resolution slightly vs previous laptop, but I have no issue so far. Love the matte finish. More than makes up for any difference in res (if I ever notice it)
-Nice keyboard
-So far it's fast as lightning...but I will see what happens when I have my full routine open and going in a few days
-Upgraded wireless card seems to make a big difference vs my previous bottom of the barrel card using the same router
-It's cool and quiet
-Looks like 7+ hours life on this 6 cell
-Other downsides? Not many yet, but it's early. Perhaps I wish I had gotten a mouse pad? Though I very much like the unused real estate there for resting the hand; so Im not sure.