The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
@FinancialWar X220T, X230T, T902, T734, T725, upcoming T726...
X220T is the cheapest of the bunch, and the easiest on accessories - you can buy whatever aftermarket stuff you want. T734 is the fastest CPU-wise, being upgradeable to i7-quad. Newer-than-T902 Fujitsu T9XXs have QHD screens but otherwise nothing to write home about, and very expensive.
The X230 is a really solid machine, and I don't really see any reason not to consider it just because it's a bit older. With the full-voltage processor and great ram capacity, it's potentially a more capable machine than some of the newer ones in regards.
I doubt you'll ever see another convertible with an easily-changed pack, as it probably doesn't makes sense for 99.9% of users--and you can't make products for every single person. The Yoga 12 gets a legit 6 hours of battery life. For most people, that's more than enough for a convertible. For those few for whom it's not, an external portable battery pack is always an option.
I saw this as someone who has an X230 (non-convertible) w/a 9 cell and slice battery. While it's neat having a machine w/24 hour capabilities, the reality is that I've rarely used that capacity. I'm not surprised by manufacturer's decisions here as machines have gotten more energy-efficient.
@FinancialWar if you're dead-set on modern convertible with replaceable battery, Fujitsu is your only bet. They sell external battery charging stations that are capable of charging two batteries at the same time. Fujis also have modular bay batteries, but they are much less capable than mains.
If you want Lenovo, you'll have to compromise for used X220T or X230T. X220T is older yet much easier to upgrade and accepts any aftermarket battery; X230T has noticeably better GPU. You can get very respectable battery life with any of these by complementing main battery (up to 9-cell for X220T / 6 cell for X230T) with 6-cell battery slice, resulting in epic total battery capacity.
I have both. Basically, if you can throw money at it, Fujitsu is the way to go. I had no such intention, so got an X220T for the price of Fujitsu WWAN module. New 9-cell + used 6-cell slice + WWAN further set me back for $110.
@FinancialWar X200T will take 2x4GB DDR3. While Fujis address some of the issues you described with X230T, removing battery is much harder than on Lenovo, and there is no trackpoint. I should also note that logic behind running X230T without battery and expecting it not to be wobbly escapes me completely; you would not need to switch batteries at all and have nice flat surface if you used slice battery with X230T.
From the factory, the x00 generation Thinkpads came with DDR3 @ 1066MHz (PC3-8500). It'll accept higher (I have a DDR3 1600 DIMM in my T500), but it'll just downclock.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
