What do I replace my X220 with?

After only two years, my X220 is starting to show its age. The Fingerprint reader and the lid switch have both failed, and today a third party DIMM failed. Time to get something new.

Despite the failures, I've been very happy with the x220, especially the small footprint, long battery life, and the amazing IPS display.

I had fully intended to buy an X240, but I'm underwhelmed by it; now that I have 1920x1080 resolution on my *phone*, 1366x786 on the laptop, despite the 12.5" display, seems small. Also underwhelming: the apparently reduced battery life and the pointless front battery that seems to prevent installing more than 8GB total RAM.

I do like the much larger trackpad on the X240, but I don't like it enough to compensate for its other shortcomings.

I'm considering getting the following: an X230, an X230T, or perhaps a Fuji Lifebook T902. The Lifebook others a 1600x900 display at the cost of a 13.3" screen (and it's about $2300 loaded.)

But I'm open to other suggestions from you. What do you suggest? Again, I'm very happy with the X220's form factor and capabilities (though I did hope it would hold up a bit longer), and I definitely want something with a display as impressive as the X200's IPS display.

 

Following up on my post: what about the T440s? It's about an inch wider than the X220?

And the difference between the T220s and T440p is that the T440s offers a touchscreen option, while the T440p offers no touchscreen but does offer discrete graphics?

 

If you're looking for a smaller notebook with lots of resolution, I'd say the 13" MBP Retina is worth a look if you're not Windows dependent. If you want to go budget and like your X220, the X230 with IPS can be found in the Lenovo Outlet in the $600 range if you can be patient.

 

The X240 was announced with a 12.5" FHD IPS display option (with optional touch), but I believe the rumor is that it will be available starting in January 2014. If you're willing to hold off for a while, that may be a more attractive option.

 

Just a note, the T440p will have a touchscreen option soon. December is what I heard.

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The 8GB maximum memory on the X240 is a deal-breaker for me. I routinely exceed 6GB in use now, without running virtual machines. I'd like to have 12GB or 16GB in my next machine.

(One thing I really liked about the X220 was that I had to make relatively few compromises; despite its small footprint it had "everything" except a high resolution display and discrete graphics, and the IPS made up for much of that. So it felt "high-end". The X240 seems to embody more trade-offs, especially given that you now expect higher resolution displays than you did two years ago. The X240 doesn't feel high-end, it feels like compromises were made. Had Lenovo not done this, I'd have almost automatically shelled out the money for an X240; instead, I'm considering non-Lenovo machines.)

 

I feel the same way. Right now I am considering the x230 as with B&N fully maxed other than RAM and HDD it is about $1000. CPU will be faster than the T440s, more ram (16 vs 12), and equal battery. Just the screen is much worse and gpu a bit slower. What do you think?

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What kind of upgrade you looking for though? I don't think you will see substantial cpu power increase, some more battery life probably.

May as well grab some parts and service the x220.

 

After spending a lot of time pondering this question, I've decided that none of the new thinkpad's are worthy of replacing my X220. They have improved in some ways, but have regressed in some significant ones. Overall as a package, I think the X220 remains better. Maybe I'll change my mind after more reviews come out, but it doesn't seem likely. There's an especially strong case to keep the X220 when one considers it'll cost several hundred dollars for what would be a questionable 'upgrade.' If you're ok with the X230 keyboard layout, I echo others to pick one up from the Outlet. There are some great deals.

The problems you're having are for the most part easy and inexpensive to fix yourself. New palmrest with fingerprint on ebay is $25. Memory is dirt cheap.

This post might help you with the lid switch problem:

 

Unless you don't mind scrolling or need to have an FHD display, than the IPS on the x220/x230 are very nice, batteries haven't been that much improved, other than the internal which makes it easier to swap, the UV processors are kind of a deal breaker for some, but i guess that has to do with overheating in previous models, dedicated GPU although nonexistent in the x series, if it were added, it would probably be the 720m, which isn't all that impressive, better off with an eGPU, just get what you need

 

Ah, another victim of the ultrabook-ization of the laptop space. We are in the age of Haswell, where all computer makers will bow down in worship of battery life and thinness, casting aside such trivialities as decent CPUs, more than 8GB of RAM and other components that make a computer worth buying

I'm not sure any 12-13" Haswell machines offer more than 8GB of RAM these days, do they? MBP doesn't. Dell XPS13 doesn't. Sony Pro13 doesn't. Toshiba's hopeless lineup doesn't.

I agree that the T440s might be worth checking out because the footprint and weight of the T440 series has shrunk compared to the T430 series so it's closer than ever to the old X-series. The X230 is 12.01" x 8.13" x 0.75"-1.05" and 2.96lb while the T440s is 13.03" x 8.89" x 0.80" and 3.5lb. So slightly larger footprint and slightly heavier, but thinner with a decent screen and overall probably more computer per cubic inch than the X230

 

Retina Macbook Pro offers up to 16gb. Apple will sell a lot of them given the lower price.

I've seen and handled the T431s which is identical in size to the T440s. It has improved compared to previous T-series, but is no substitute for the X-series for those who need real ultra-portability. That doesn't look like a big difference, but the larger it is even with the same weight, the larger the moment on your hand/arm when handling it. If you pull the notebook out of bag/ back in, or handle it a lot, it's a noticeable difference. For university students, the 'desks' built into each chair in lecture halls isn't big enough to comfortably use a machine the size of T-series either. Or using it one handed while standing, or when sitting and using it in your lap. I considered the T440s very seriously and was set to get one, but there's a good reason Lenovo still makes the X-series.

13" is the perfect form factor. It's no accident that Apple has stuck to it for so long. It's shame nothing was done with the X301 design.

 

I agree. The X-series works out well for those lecture halls w/built in desks. I have tried taking a T400 (which has since been sold) to one of my classes and it was just too clunky. My X201t (with 4-cell battery; I am never far from an outlet in my daily routine) works out well and since it flips into tablet mode as well it works out even better for me.

Really wish I could give an X301 a try! All the waxing poetic about it makes me ever so curious

 

I think for a lot of buyers an Ultrabook is a good trade-off because they don't need a quad core, 16GB of memory or all day battery life.

 

I agree, but we're seeing an over saturation of ultrabooks IMO

 

Lenovo's pretty smart. They'll do what's in their best interesting, which based on what people are buying is more ultrabooks.

 

I think in ~2 -3 years, all Notebooks will be (more-or-less, depending on the model) Ultrabooks, even the workstations (it has already begun, just look at the Dell M3800 or the HP ZBook 14). That is because the Notebook OEMs see Ultrabooks as "the next evolutionary step" in terms of Notebook development (and I think they are mostly right).

This is a natural trend, which started with the first Portable PC. With every generation, portable PCs became lighter, smaller and thinner. The same thing is still happening today. Which is good, because it speed innovations and new developments a bit up, new thinner, smaller and lighter components being developed, new ways to cool Notebooks, new case materials etc.. The dynamic in the Notebook market is today much bigger than it was 3 years ago.

 

Well portability does seem to define the category of laptops, I can see why there doing it. Most average consumers won't know the difference and the ones that do just need to buy a different machine. It seems there are plenty of options with the T5x, W5x lines to suit everyone's needs. I'm not sure why an ultrabook / ultraportable line is expected to meet a power users demand.

For the OP, I would just look at repairing your X220 as mentioned earlier. If not that then the X230 is a great option. I have the X230T i7 and really like it. The button layout takes a little getting used to but overall it's a solid build.

 

What's the brand of your third party DIMM? If I'm not mistaken, most brands offer lifetime warranty on RAM. One (or both) of my sticks failed, so I shipped them back to Kingston for 5 bucks and they sent me two brand new sticks. Newer gen, too. My X220 feels as good as ever, and like more than enough laptop to keep up with the competition (for my use, anyway )

 

I'm not convinced OEMs have a clue, which is why Dell, Compaq, HP and many others have struggled so badly in the recent past. A few years ago the next evolutionary step was supposed to be tablets and indeed it proved to be, but PC makers were late to the party and with their clumsy attempts to create weird and wonderful hybrids have failed to gain traction while Apple, Amazon, Samsung and others cornered the market. A few years earlier, the next evolutionary step was supposed to be what I'd describe as proto-ultrabooks, aka netbooks, and look what happened to that short-lived fad.

IMO the traditional clamshell laptop will find a new niche as something for real computing. Yes, the niche will be smaller than it was because a lot of consumers don't need much more computing power than a tablet or ultraportable like a Macbook Air, but all I see is PC makers cannibalizing their existing business to try and discover or create the Next Big Thing, ignoring the fact that the Next Big Thing could smack them in the face and they'd miss it

I see many parallels with what Lenovo's doing now and what HP/Compaq did with their PC businesses 10 years ago -- go for short-term growth by focusing on volumes, prices and current (short term) trends while ignoring what the OP and others have always needed in a laptop and will continue to need.

 

I don't get how you people say the T series doesn't fit well on a lecture desk, i take mine every day to lecture, fits on every desk i put it on, weight is negligible, i don't skip leg day, so carrying it around campus with 3+ text books doesn't really bother me. X series is nice and all, an updated x3** would be even nicer, what stopped me getting it up to this point was the resolution, which has changed in the x240, but now it has UV processors, and some heating issues.

some one needs to make a modular 13" durable laptop with FHD IPS, dedicated card, dock support, 16gb+ ram, cooled well, old lenovo keyboard, socketed processor, full powered processor and under 4lbs with a 9 cell.

 

That's a very small market my friend.

 

the 9 cells battery will weigh around 1 lb. So that leaves 3 pounds for the laptop, and its increased cooling needs. I am sure Lenovo can do it, but it won't be cheap.

 

In fact it's Kingston HyperX. I put in an RMA, waiting to hear back.

 

After I bought the X220 for me, I bought six T420s for my team at work. And everyday I took the T420 home with me. My guys all complained that it was too bulky, and I could kind of see their point (but they didn't want X220s, that was too small for in the office, they said )

The T420 is just a bit too big for in the lap, and the left palm rest is a bit less sturdy than it should be (also true for the X220, because that's where the express card slot that I've never had the occasion to use is). In the office, I would carry the T420 to meetings too, but again, just not as portable as the X220.

 

I'm on the same kind of debate, and i was also going to open a new thread about it. I'm thinking about replacing my x220 for a yoga 11s. What do you think about it guys? In terms of portability and battery life? (i'm using my x220 with a 6-cell but under linux..

thanks a lot!

ps: would be great if someone has both machines and could put them side by side!

 

The major reason I didn't install kde was because power management and battery life seemed to be better under Windows. When the battery was new, i was getting nearly 8 hours. What do you get with linux?

 

I have X220 too and am considering replacing it with thinkpad Yoga. I tried Yoga Pro 2 at BestBuy and liked it very much except for the keyboard. I believe TP Yoga is coming to BB soon.

 

yeah, there is a local company near me, can't find the website, hear their ad often on the radio, they make custom laptops some how, don't know their exact process, but they are very durable and built to order, prices start at 1,500 though

 

Hey, sorry for the delay, i've never drained completely the battery but i think it may last 4-4.5 hs

I think the main reason for gettin windows on these machines is the power management. Your 8 hours where with a 6 or a 9 cell battery?

btw is there someone with a x220 and a yoga 11s ?

 

9 cell, the kind that sticks out the back.