X200 vs X301 vs (maybe) U110... what should I buy?

Hi everyone,

I'm a grad student looking to buy a small, ultraportable laptop that can handle some statistical software, Windows Office, Firefox and Adobe Acrobat at the same time without crashing or slowing down too much. I'll be traveling overseas so portability is a must, and I have to buy soon (within this week or so). Models under consideration are:

X200
X301
U110 (maybe)

I'm looking to get the X200 and X301 with Windows Vista Business and 128G SSD hard drive, at least 3gb of memory. With deals I can get these cheap, so the X301 is only about 2-300 dollars more. Given this, what would ppl recommend?

X200 has the 12" screen, which works best for my travel. 13" is ok but makes the machine bigger, although I know the X301 isn't too heavy so it balances out. My worry is that I hear the X200 screen is not that great, and I have to stare at it all day. Is the X301 screen quality significantly better than the X200?

Also, given my needs is the X200 CPU better or worse than the X301? I hear the x200 can be a better machine, but it's older. I'm not sure getting an older machine at this point is a good idea.

The lack of a touchpad on X200 is a minus, but I can get used to it. I have a wireless mouse too. The bigger worry is the lack of an optical drive. Are usb dvd players a good alternative? I will need the cd/dvd occasionally for program/statistics cds, but not sure the X301's ultrathin dvd player option is significantly better than a usb dvd on the X200.

The U110 is an option if the CPU is acceptable for my needs. I hear it is comparatively weak and the battery life is short, which is worrisome; however it is extremely light and handy and the design is nice. If anyone has tried statistical software on this machine let me know.

Finally, I was advised to choose the 128G SSD hard drive and 3gb of memory to speed up my machine. Let me know if this is a bad idea.

Thanks in advance for advice/comments!

 

As far as I know the X301 is just a project to irritate Apple in the sense of "Look, we got three times more ports, a user-replaceable battery and a machine that doesn't overheat so much for $1000 less"
That being said the X301 is ofcourse still to expensive.


If screenquality is a concern I would choose the X200. Both X200 (except Tablet) and X300/X301 have junk screens. Pick the X200 and buy a AFFS screen from eBay. Plenty of info here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=366472

The X200 also has a 2.5" HDD bay. Not that that really matters with a SSD, but it's nice to have if you want to use a HDD.

Older is not a bad thing. The old Flexview screens still beat any laptopscreen today (besides the AFFS screens). Also: they use the same Intel Centrino 2 Platform, so there isn't much of a difference there.

 

Thanks! Just a quick note, on the lenovo website it looks like X200 and X301 are both Intel Core Duo right now. X200s is Centrino. Hope this doesn't make a huge difference.

Is the SSD worth it? I'm hoping as the computer gets older it will help reduce boot time.

 

The x301 may have come out slightly later than the x200(s), but it is based on the same technology. Both use 45nm Intel Penryn C2D CPUs, the x4500MHD GPU, and equivalent interfaces. Centrino is simply an Intel marketing brand and means you have an Intel branded CPU, Chipset, and WLAN card.

I think the SSD is definitely worth it. Check the link in my sig for more details.


The biggest question comes down to needs. If your stats software is fairly high end (i.e. you work with large datasets) the faster CPU of the x200(s) may help you vs. the x301; the x200 also offers larger batteries, a 2.5" HDD bay, 54mm Expresscard, docking support, and an SDHC reader. Conversely, if you really need a DVD/RW or DisplayPort out on a regular basis then the x301 has some advantages. Additionally, the x301 (and x200s) offers a high res display that may be useful for multi-tasking.

As was stated, most Lenovo screens leave a bit to be desired. The exception being the x200 Tablet, or a regular x200 modded to use a tablet screen (both of which are exceptional). Also note that replacing the screen yourself will void all warranties, so don't buy a good warranty if you plan on modding it.

 

The X200 also has a docking option. That would give it the optical drive, or 2nd HDD, or additional battery and a LOT more ports than the X301.

 

Personally I would go with the x200 because I have not heard anything bad about it and I hear the x301 has fan issues

Both blow away the U110

 

I own an X300 and it's just a great machine in my opinion --- I run MATLAB on it with no trouble at all. So while the X200 can come with a more powerful cpu, I wouldn't assume that the X301 cpu is by any means slow. The X301 is also highly portable (I'd say about the same as the X200, with the thinner chassis balancing out the larger footprint) and personally I really like the 13" size over the 12". I'd look more at the features you want in choosing between them.

As said, pros of the X300 are:

touchpad, built in DvD drive (much better than an external IMO, especially if you want a DvD drive when traveling, so there's nothing extra to lug around), higher-resolution larger screen, decent port selection (I find 3 usb, ethernet, VGA to be just what I need)

Pros of the X200 are:

More powerful cpu, smaller footprint, longer battery life, less expensive, docking option

Personally I'd recommend the X301 unless you (a) really need the faster cpu; (b) prefer 12" over 13" form factor.

 

X200 if you don't mind using an external USB drive. I don't. NBR just did a review on the drive a number of us use: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5203

 

you're probably not considering a 14-inch screen, but let me put in a plug for the T400s. It has a quick chip for your computations (unlike x301 or x200s) and a very bright screen (unlike x200). my biggest gripe with previous lenovos was that i was always trying to turn up the screen brightness, but with the T400s I find myself turning it down occasionally.

the T400s also has a *great* touchpad with multi-touch gestures, an improved keyboard, and the DVD drive you want. also, unlike the x301, you can get a dock.

Yes the footprint is not as small as those, but I have used it on the plane and almost every day on the train. the extra screen real estate helps me feel like I am "really" working as opposed to getting-by-until-I-can-get-back-to-my-desktop. of course ymmv and some folks swear by small screens, but they mess with my eyes.

whatever you decide, I would certainly recommend the SSD. I have one and it seems to speed things up considerably.

good luck with your decision. and if you're running Stata, be sure to get MP/2 for the Core Duo - will speed things up considerable.

 

Here's my take on it.
-The X200's screen is lousy
-The trackpoint is great and you will get used to it easily
-Not having an optical drive isn't much of a concern
-The X200 is EXTREMELY quiet and cool running
-The battery life on the X200 isn't stellar, 4.5-5 hours in real world application

So if you can afford the X301, I would go for it, else just go for the X200. The X200 is still a fine machine.

 

The X200's battery is quite good...

 

What battery do you have with your X200? The 4 cell?

 

I have the 6 cell and P8400. I typically will do some word processing, surf the net a bit, watch a couple YouTube videos, play around with some files, etc. Birghtness around 80%, wifi on, highest power saving mode. I won't get any more than 5 hours doing this, which is still very good.

 

I'm going to suggest the X200s again, since it seems to be getting ignored a lot here. Get the Enhanced model (or better) as it has the better casing. Upgrade to the SL processor, and it's better than the one in the X301, though you could get more power in the X200 (not-s). Thinner, lighter, more battery. The only complaint in my mind is that the X200s isn't currently offering the WXGA+ screen, which the X301 has. On the other hand, if you're willing to go a little larger/heavier, the T400s is another great choice.

 

Hi, thanks for the tip on the x200s. My problem with this model is that, as you say, they are not offering the WXGA+ screen -- if they were I'd pay extra for it. Not sure if the weight/thickness difference is worth $100+ plus less power on the CPU. Does the X200s get hot? I have superhot computer at the moment and the coolness factor is one of X200's big attractions.

 

Watching youtube and having your brightness at 80% will do that...