X1 Carbon Touch

Have you had any luck at "decreasing" the screen door effect? I have almost the exact same feelings as you about this laptop, except I don't think the screen's grown on me quite as much yet.

 

anyone know how to make the function key shortcuts to be active without needing to hold the function button? any help would be greatly appreciated

 

The closest I could get was this: iIn BIOS there's an option to enable "Fn key lock". When it's enabled, if you press the key two times, it, well, locks it. You can then use the other keys without having to hold Fn key down. But you can not use the rest of the keyboard, so it's really not that useful.

 

Not really. It's mostly regular use and just sort of getting used to it. At first, I could really see the lines and the "fuzz" but it's really blended together. The most bothersome thing now is the text is a bit fuzzy, but even that is sharpening.

Overall, this laptop is possibly the best machine I've ever owned. The screen on a laptop is of huge importance to me and this one disappointed at first, but it's not as bad now that I've used it. The rest of the laptop makes up for it.

 

That's great to hear. Hopefully I'll feel the same way in a couple more days. You do still notice the difference when you go from the laptop screen to a better screen (say, a monitor or something)? I suppose it would be better if I don't use any other screens besides the one on the X1C.

Also, out of curiosity, what color profile do you use?

 

Not sure it really reduces it, but this is my pick for color profile:

Fixing the Lenovo X1 Carbon’s washed out display | Racker Hacker

The screen door affect is really annoying. You can make yourself get used to it...but you really shouldn't have to on a $1500+ laptop!!!

 

Spot-on review @tsfroggy, agree on all points. I'm making myself deal with the screen simply because this machine does not compromise on anything else. Looking to get a 27" IPS for my desk and I'll primarily look at that for long periods of time.

I am surprised to see my 8GB of RAM usage running at around 70% (few browser windows, Visual Studio, etc). I thought I heard Win 8 was better for RAM usage? Really glad I didn't settle for one of the 4GB options out there since that seems to be about the only option in a lot of ultrabooks.

 

Don't worry about the OS memory management. Windows will shift memory to other programs and virtual machines if needed.

 

Does anyone else's X1CT's fan make a whining noise? I believe mine is defective (and Lenovo is shipping out a replacement... one day... maybe by June?) because it makes this constant whining sound even when just using the laptop normally.

re:Screen Door Effect. I'll be honest: I think my eyes are adjusting to it just a bit. At first, it would literally hurt to try to read the text on a white background. It doesn't hurt anymore... perhaps its my eyes adjusting. Or perhaps it's my mind forcing my eyes to adjust. I have noticed now that I know what a screen door effect is, I am seeing even the slightest gaps between pixels on all my LCD screens! Never even thought to notice before, but now I see different variations of it everywhere (except my 11" MBA).

 

I'm curious if adjusting to it is bad for the eyes, i.e. if it's causing myself eye-strain, without me being able to attribute it to the screen since I no longer notice the screen door effect.

 

The top loading case w/ slim sleeve is dead, my order was cancelled and the item is no longer available.

 

I ordered one set yesterday , got a confirmation email. Will wait to see if it gets cancelled or not.

 

I don't think it's seriously dangerous. My previous laptop before X1CT (Dell Inspiron 1520) had a MASSIVE screen door effect, much worse than X1CT, and a terrible panel overall. I've been using it for 5 years and my vision deteriorated only a little bit. : D I don't think it was the panel's fault as much as simply a heavy workload during college.

 

What are people's thoughts on the Helix? The tablet part intruiges me, and it looks to have a decent keyboard and an ips screen. Would think that a tablet/laptop would be very handy in hotel rooms, as you can check email on tablet, but have a keyboard for heavy lifting. AND not more traveling with ipad AND laptop-

Pros:
-ips
- appears to have decent keyboard
- possible 3G!!
- form factor

Cons:
3.8 lbs- not sure how big this will feel.
11.6" screen

 

Hello all,

My X1CT is showing some problems with WiFI connectivity recently. It becomes suddenly disconnected or after the sleeping mode doesn't detect any WiFi network. Have you face same problems too? sharing any experience with bad WiFI connection with X1CT and ways to resolve this issue will be appreciated thanks.

 

If you're on Win 8, be sure to install the latest driver from Lenovo:
http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/g7w215ww.exe

If you're using a Cisco access point, there's a documented issue (and related Cisco patch) related to Win 8.

 

WiFi has been mostly trouble free for me. I have been using the latest drivers from Intel the whole time. I have had it drop out on WiFi at work, Cisco AP's. Once while waking from sleep and a few times while streaming Real Madrid vs. United on FoxSoccer, but those are the only two times I've lost connection.

 

I don' t know much about the Helix but if the Yoga was refined it would fit the bill. Add a dual mode wireless NIC and remove the keyboard flex and the Yoga would be special.

 

It's probably going to feel like that keyboard dock is a boat anchor.

 

I'm not so sure about that, as both parts seem to be equally balanced in weight and this configuration only weighs 3oz more than the x1CT. Obiously the tablet part at 1.8 lbs is a little heavy, but might be worth it for me to not have to travel with an ipad and laptop.

 

Oh so it detaches from the keyboard, looks like it will make a great tablet but the high resolution may make Windows 8 desktop work difficult on such a small screen, a common complaint of the Surface Pro.

 

Has anyone experienced loose hinges? When my laptop is at ~135 degrees and I pick it up the screen tends to fall backwards, sometimes laying flat. I guess that's to be expected but I'm worried that it may become a bigger problem later down the road.

 

I think its about 1.6" bigger than a Surface Pro, and I went to Best buy and checked out other 11.6". It's obviously noticeably smaller than 14", but for me a laptop is a secondary device, so some of the other features are more important to me (IPS, 4G, 10 hr battery life!)

Obviously not for everyone, but I think it's pretty intruiging. Many of us were considering the Yoga, which is very similar, albeit screen size. But the Helix appears to offer many of the things people were missing in the Yoga (keyboard, better form factor, battery. etc)

 

Is anyone still having shipping problems with Lenovo? I ordered an X1ct on 12/21/2012, and it shipped on 1/31/2013. However, I was originally at home for break when I ordered it, and was assured that if it did not get to me on time, I could just place a re-route request to my other address. Needless to say, I was off of winter break by the time the computer was shipped, so I placed a re-route on the day I got the shipment confirmation (like the post sales team told me to). However, the re-route request failed and the computer was sent to my old address. Customer service told me to tell my family at my old address to reject the shipment, so that the computer could be sent back to the Lenovo warehouse for a re-ship... which is what I told my family to do. Customer service told me they could not place a re-ship request until the computer reached their warehouses, so I waited a few days for it to reach North Carolina. Called customer service the day it was delivered to a warehouse in North Carolina, and everything seemed well; the representative left me a confirmation voice mail stating the reship request had been placed.

I called back a day later to ask about the progress on the re-ship, but the representative sounded really confused. He had never seen the address of the warehouse it was sent to and did not recognize the person that signed for the package. Turns out, the computer was sent to what they call a "third party warehouse." He said he couldn't retrieve the package and offered a refund, however when I spoke to the supervisor, the supervisor said he could try and retrieve the package for me. I spent the next week or so calling the customer service department and waiting for them to get my computer from this mysterious "third party warehouse."

Finally, I spoke with a representative that actually revealed what the "third party warehouse" was; apparently it is Lenovo's outlet warehouse and he told me they had probably sold my computer to someone else already. All they offered me was a refund and asked me to order another X1ct (which has an estimated shipping time of another 4 weeks).

I am really disappointed in Lenovo for making a lot of false promises and hiding the truth of the "third party warehouse" for so long when the representatives clearly knew what it was all along.

Any suggestions of what to do next? I really wanted to stay with lenovo, but since I needed a new computer 2 months ago, I'm not sure I can wait any longer for the X1ct (especially without any kind of compensation for this ordeal). I am considering the Asus zenbook touch, or even the taichi, whenever the 31 (13 inch) version comes out.

 

@merelyjoshing: Sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience with Lenovo. Seems like these customer service fiascos are becoming more and more common for them. I can't vouch for the Taichi (I think the lack of touchscreen on the inside is counterintuitive), but overall I've been pretty pleased with the Zenbook Touch, and it can be purchased locally with no wait time.

Sent from my Incredible 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

I don't think Taichi should be on your list unless you are an adventurer, it's a vitrine product with lots of drawbacks.
Asus Zenbook Touch, Dell XPS 12, Samsung Series 7 Ultra (when it becomes available, which should be soon) and Acer Aspire S7 will give - in my opinion - the X1ct a run for the money. The HP Spectre XT Touchsmart could be interesting if 15.6 isn't too big for you.

 

Thank you for the replies. I got another email last night from customer service saying they could find the package for me, but a followup this morning that they actually couldn't do anything. Seems like the representatives don't really know how to handle this situation.

I think I would like the taichi's digitizer pen, but it is disappointing that the inside screen is not touch too. I just looked up the samsung series 7 ultra and it looks pretty good, with dedicated graphics and a much better i/o selection.

My only worry with the other laptops is the keyboard and touchpad. I think I have read that the keyboards on the zenbooks and samsungs are pretty shallow and the touchpads can be finicky. I will be spending most of my time typing, which is why I originally wanted the lenovo keyboard and improved glass touchpad of the x1. Does anyone have experience with the competitors keyboards/trackpads?

 

Well on the Zenbook Touch, I can say that the keyboard is above average (better than the Yoga in my opinion), but definitely no ThinkPad keyboard. The X1 is going to win in this category and I haven't even used one. The Zenbook trackpad is disappointing out of the box, but with better drivers (I'm currently using an Elantech one distributed by Acer), it actually performs quite well and I have no complaints. Overall, I am satisfied with both the keyboard and touchpad.

Sent from my Incredible 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

The problem with the ASUS UX31A Touch is the glossy screen. It is super glossy.

 

Well, after a somewhat long ordeal, my computer is finally shipping today 2/20, after order date 1/18. supposed to arrive 2/25. I've got to say, despite the long wait, I'm pretty excited to get my new x1ct1!

Here's to hoping nothing ridiculous happens to it on the way here.

Cheers

P.S. i7, 8gb ram, 256gb ssd, i already have my office 2013 download key ready, and i guess i can embark on a journey to look for a sleeve. i'm hearing MBA13 sleeves fit pretty snug?

 

I ordered a custom sleeve/case from sfbags. Very snug, of course since it was custom made, but also very padded so more suited to a backpack than a messenger bag. Does feel very safe though when I'm using my X1CT and travelling between rooms.

If someone finds a nice snug but slim sleeve please share, would like to have the option. Was hoping to do this with the sleeve that was to be sold my Lenovo but it was cancelled.

 

I got the Thinkpad 14W sleeve and it's way too big. The amount of padding would be perfect, though. I have been looking for a while and haven't really seen anything good yet. Unless the MBA sleeves fit but I'm not willing to risk it until someone confirms. X1CT definitely feels bigger & thicker than MBA.

 

I've had my X1CT for about 3 weeks now, and I got the Caselogic PAS-213 13-Inch Macbook Neoprene Sleeve. It's designed for the 13" Macbook Pro, but the dimensions are pretty similar (with the exception of the thickness - about 1/2 cm too thick). Not super-snug, but pretty snug. I'm satisfied, and it's only 17 bucks with Amazon Prime.

Amazon.com: Caselogic PAS-213 13-Inch Macbook Neoprene Sleeve (Black): Electronics

Here are some pictures of the fit:

 

Here are some pictures of the sfbags sleeve/case:

 

Thanks for the pictures! Yeah, they're both pretty bulky, unfortunately. I would like a really thin one, just to prevent scratches, since I carry the laptop in a backpack anyways.. But I guess any MBP 13 sleeve should fit more or less. I also just tried a colleague's MBA sleeve and it was a bit too narrow.

EDIT: I think I'm going to try this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NY9UW8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

Just a update to my order. I placed the order for the top loading case with slim sleeve(brown only as black is out of stock) on 13/02 and it arrived today 22/02. @Dayton maybe try purchase it again.

 

I had ordered the black. Is the brown even available anymore?, does it offer a snug fit? I see that a sleeve is coming out in March but I bet it is the non-slim version since it is "standard" so will probably be on the big side for the X1CT.

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/betaweb/BetaPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=460&Code=0B95778

 

It is still offered on the NZ Lenovo site, ThinkPad 14W Ultrabook Topload & Standard Sleeve Set - Brown | 0B95751

As about the snug fit, there is some room by the two sides but the laptop does not move inside the sleeve. attached some photos

 

I bought the black version and honestly I'd say, besides the Thinkpad logo, the sleeve itself isn't very pretty. The plus side is that if you have a messenger bag you can leave the sleeve inside, i.e. you can just unclasp the top and take your laptop out, which can be a bit more convenient than taking the sleeve out and unzipping.

 

You might want to look around and see if Microfiber Script for MacBook 13 / MacBook Pro 13 fits the X1 Carbon.

I have the 13" and 15". I bought both at Fry's. I use them with the various machines I have. I just don't have the Carbon to check the fit.

 

Thanks for the info and pic's for the 14W Ultrabook Standard Sleeve, so it looks like only the "slim" is dead. I'm curious if I could get the WaterField Suede Jacket Sleeve to work, possibly the 13" MBP version:

Suede Jacket Sleeve - WaterField Designs

 

Found a sleeve that is very close to perfect, Targus 13.3” Ultralife™ Thin Canvas Sleeve:



Fits a bit snug, so saying it fits like a glove would mean a tight glove but it may just need a bit of breaking in. I picked one up at BB.

Targus Ultralife Sleeve at Best Buy

 

does anyone know if the X1CT running windows8 support the USB-ethernet adapter?

 

Just sent my X1CT back since it has screen freezing issues, I don't think I want to deal with returns so asked for a refund... was really looking forward to using win8 on this beast.. but looks like I need another laptop.. not sure what I am going to get

 

Comes with a usb-ethernet adapter with drivers pre-loaded, I used the adapter when first setting up my X1CT.

 

Thanks! Issue solved, I think mine didn't come with drivers preloaded thats why nothing happened when i first plugged it in. Just had to find the drivers on the lenovo site.

 

I'm trying out the Muzetto Outback sleeve and bag from sfbags. I chose the waxed canvas material but it comes in leather too. You can choose from many accent color options for the bag and mine has the copper accent. Note, the gold'ish lining inside the bag is standard and it's nice and bright. This is not one of their custom bags but I provided the X1CT dimensions to sfbags and they suggested the MacBook Pro 13.3" sleeve size and the 13" laptop bag size. The sleeve falls just a tiny bit short on the length but given that it slips easily into the bag it's not really a concern for me because once inside the bag you have complete coverage. To clarify though, there is complete edge-to-edge sleeve coverage but I would have preferred to have maybe another 1/4" in length so the X1CT would feel a little more nested in the sleeve. But again, the laptop does not stick out of the sleeve by any means and once it's slipped into the bag you have complete coverage.

I fly regional jets four times every week and was tired of my bulky, overloaded, heavy backpack. Competing for overhead space just isn't any fun. But, the Muzetto bag is forcing me lighten my load and I'm enjoying the benefits of doing so. It fits very easily under the seat and it's very easy to retrieve my X1CT while in flight. I'm loving the convenience of not having clasps or zippers on the bag...just lift the flap and slide the sleeve right out. And, I really like the style...understated and humble. I hope the pics help. And, I'm sorry if I sound like a commerical but I'm just really happy that I found this combo.

 

I have a Brenthaven bag and they are great. This one looks like it would be a perfect fit for the Carbon; it's somewhere between a sleeve and a case:
Amazon.com: Brenthaven 2152 ProStyle Plus 13-inch Sleeve for Tablets / Apple iPad / Ultrabook - Black: Electronics

You can get Brenthaven bags at Best Buy and Micro Center too.

 

Is there any way for me to see what this "screen-door effect" is (and decide if it's going to be a dealbreak)? I'd rather not put down 2 grand, wait a month or so and then have to find out that I hate the screen.
Are there any retail stores that have the X1 Carbon Touch out on display?

Or does anyone have any photos of the problem? Hopefully with another laptop side-by-side?

Thanks!

 

I had similar probs with the WiFi dropping out after a few hours. Downloaded the driver directly from Intel and the problem seems to have gone away. The only problem is that the Lenovo update program keeps telling me that there's a new driver and then when it tries to install it can't because the driver I have is newer. In any case the driver update seems to have helped the dropouts. I just went on a trip and it seems that I had higher-than-normal WiFi issues but when traveling you never know.