X200s vs. Dell e4200 - a buyer's guide

I'm guessing that the new Dell e4200 has piqued more than one person's interest on the Lenovo sub-forum. It is a direct competitor to the X200s, but not the X200. The regular X200 is not a direct competitor since it uses regular, non-LV/ULV processors and has a higher weight. This thread is not meant to discuss/compare the regular X200.

There isn't complete information on the e4200/X200s yet since they are both yet to be released. The purpose of this thread is to help potential buyers compare these 2 very similar models to be able to make an informed decision.

Please post new information or corrections and I'll update the PDF.

NOTE: Where the 2 notebooks have the same feature (i.e., both have 1280x800 resolution, LED backlighting, etc) I have excluded the specification from the PDF. For succinctness and clarity, the PDF only lists specifications which differ between the 2 models.

 

For the processor: The X200s base model will have a 1.6Ghz SL9300 ( http://www.hknotebook.com/bu2008/notebooks/Slim/X200s.html), so I am assuming that it will also offer the option for a 1.86Ghz SL9400.

 

I've updated the PDF. Do you know what graphics/chipset the X200s will use?

 

According to the same page, it should have X4500.

Edit: x200s will have DDR3-1066, the e4200 will have DDR3-800.

 

I've updated the PDF with new info and made highlighting to indicate which notebook is better for a given component.

I can't find any information on which chipset the X200s will use. I don't think this info is available yet.

Dell is very tight lipped on the specs for their 45-watt AC adapter. They go to great lengths to say how small and light it is but then never say exactly how small and light it is with measurements. I have guessed on the weight since they say it is "45% lighter" than their 65-watt adapter. Strangely, that puts it at approximately the same weight as Lenovo's 65-watt AC adapter.

One serious shortcoming of the E4200 is the memory setup. There is a single 1GB SODIMM soldered to the motherboard and one expansion slot. Remember that this is DDR3 memory. A reasonable person won't fork out the cash for a 4GB DDR3 module now or in the near future to max the system out at 5GB. This makes the "real world" max memory capacity of the E4200 only 3GB. What's more is that one is only capable of running a dual-channel memory configuration with 2 x 1GB modules. Considering memory is such a cheap and effective performance upgrade, I think Dell was really out to lunch to cheap out and solder a 1GB module on board rather than a 2GB module. Granted, most people are limited to 3GB of memory anyway since they are running x86 versions of windows. But the number of people running x64 versions of windows is growing exponentially, if only to take advantage of sub $30 2GB memory modules. In sum, the e4200 is in essence limited to 3GB of system memory in a non-dual channel config whereas the x200s will accept 2 x 2GB of memory in dual channel configuration, and probably 2 x 4GB of memory max.

One final observation: the docking solutions offered for each notebook is remarkably different.

Has anyone heard of suggested pricing on the e4200?

 

Thanks for putting this guide together, this is exactly the decision I'm making.

One bit that would help is if the columns were narrower. If I can see the whole table, it's too small to read. If I can read, I can't see all three columns. Some word wrapping wouldn't be all bad.

Cheers

 

Will do

 

I've updated the PDF again.

I'm surprised, but on paper, I think that Dell has managed to beat Lenovo for the best 12.1" notebook on the market.

The Dell offering has a more battery efficient processor, better port options, is smaller and lighter when configured with the smallest battery option, and has the compelling Instant-on operating system which may allow "days" of notebook use. The Lenovo offering beats the Dell in terms of processor performance (at the expense of battery life), HDD storage options, and optical docking.

There are number of differences that are essentially preference items: backlit keyboard vs. thinklight, touchpad vs. trackpoint, no webcam vs. low-quality bezel cam, and Dell utilities vs. Thinkvantage.

What remains to be seen are 2 very important factors: build quality and price.

 

I imagine the Thinkpads will be a bit more expense. You also have to consider how the keyboards feel on the Dell. If the jury comes back happy on that then Lenovo will have some tough competition from die hard thinkpad fans.

 

I agree completely on the build quality/keyboard feel. I'm coming from a X60s XP -> X60s Vista -> X61s. The keyboard quality on the Lenovos is top notch. I'm typing this on my mum's Dell and well...

As far as the X200s being more expensive than the e4200 - I'm not sure what to think. The X200 base price is $1200. I imagine that the X200s will start at $1299 or thereabouts. It doesn't really have any technology that should make it more expensive than the X200 (only an LED backlight?), and it has a slower processor. The reason it is a lighter notebook is due to a less robust cooling solution, not more expensive tech. It would make perfect sense if it were *less* expensive than the X200, but this has not been the case in the past. I read a base price of $1400 for the e4200 was being thrown around, but this is pure speculation. If the Dell is more expensive than the thinkpad, it is a no-brainer for me; I'll go Lenovo again. For me to take a chance on the Dell it would have to be less expensive than the Lenovo.

 

The Dell will most likely be more expensive if it has SSD as the only option. It also uses the low-voltage chipset so that will probably be more expensive too.

 

Don't be so sure about the Dell being more expensive just because of the SSD! Maybe it is wishful thinking on my part, but Dell has just dropped the price of their SLC (fast) 128GB SSD to $450 for their M1330 and M1530. That is hella cheap considering how expensive SSDs have been in the very very recent past (i.e., $1000 for a slow PATA 64GB SSD on the Macbook Air). Now, it is reasonable to figure that the 64GB SSD that will reportedly be offered on the e4200 costs half of the 128GB one that Dell is offering since it (obviously) half the capacity but also probably MLC which is slower. In fact, it is reasonable to guess that Dell can do it for $200. Is it still certain that the e4200 will cost more than the thinkpad simply because it is SSD? I'm not certain. Dell seems to be very interested in pushing SSD to the masses. 128GB of ultra-fast storage is on the cusp of reasonable for many of us. 64GB for $200 would be a no-brainer for me - I configured my last X61s with only 60GB 5400rpm HDD.

Also, the ULV processor in the Dell is basically the same price as the LV processor in the Lenovo ($289 vs $284). By the way, the price difference isn't huge compared to the standard voltage processor that is currently offered in the X200 (P8400, $209).

Here's hoping for a $1200 +/- $100 X200s and an e4200 that comes in even lower.

 

The x200 does not have T9400 in the CTO and the base model is a P8400. Though the price difference isn't huge. By the way, SLC SSD is more expensive.

 

Whoops - I pulled the T9400 off of Lenovo's intro page for the x-series where it lists the X200 as having "Up to Intel® Core™2 Duo T9400 processor (2.40GHz)"

 

Except we are not talking about the X200 here, we are talking about the X200s. Based on weight alone, the Sony Z is almost a full pound heavier than the X200s (2.5lbs) and 1.2lbs heavier than the e4200 (2.2lbs).

 

Whoa.. sorry... accidentally deleted my post.

Here it is again:

If money is not an issue, get the Sony Z instead.
Hybrid graphics, optical drive, full wattage processor, carbon fiber, and a 1600x900 13.1" matte screen, 3.4 lbs.

The bezel on the X200 (12.1", 1280x800) is HUGE, making it about the same footprint as the Sony Z (13.1", 1600x900).

X200 dimensions: 29.5cm W x 21cm D x 2.07-3.2cm H (with the 4 cell battery), weight 2.95-3.7 lbs (with 4 to 9 cell battery)
Sony Z dimensions: 31.4cm W x 21cm D x 2.4-3.3cm H (with standard 6 cell battery), weight 3.4 lbs (with 6 cell battery)

The X200 obviously seems like less bang for your footprint compared to the Sony (smaller screen, lower resolution, no optical drive).

 

Oh I didn't realize the X200s was out yet. Are the weight stats already available? And 2.5lbs must be the weight for the 4-cell battery right? It just seems like a lot to sacrifice for 14 ounces.

 

If the Dell and Sony had trackpoint then the chioce would be a lot harder for me.

 

You are right - the X200s isn't out yet (nor is the e4200). The X200s is reported to be 2.47 lbs with the 4-cell battery.

It isn't a sacrifice for 14 ounces if the user doesn't use the extra features. Lots of "business class" people will use the X200s and e4200. I don't need or want a graphics card, optical drive, or larger, higher-res screen. No doubt the Sony has more features and may be more bang for the buck, but it doesn't fulfil many users' requirements of being as absolutely portable and battery efficient as possible. For some (myself included), portability and battery life trump all other features.

I'm in the same boat as you...the trackpoint is enough to greatly sway my decision.

 

It also has me looking at the E4300 (has trackpoint style pointer) as an alternative, especially if the exterior dimensions of the X200s are little changed from the X200. If it also had Displayport like its 14.1 inch sibling then the choice would be already made.

 

Lenovo and Dell both use Samsung for their SSDs. The 64GB is SLC while the 128GB is MLC for both companies. The new keyboards for the Tx00 series is a lot crappier than the previous (the best is still the T4x) series while the Latitude D and E6x00 keyboards have been at par with the older generation - hopefully the X and new E4x00 series have good keyboards still.

 

Jackboot,

Nice table !

You have an error though, you've listed the 4 cell battery life for the X200S, as 3 hours, while Lenovo claims that the 4 cell battery of the X200S will have 4.5 hours.

3 hours is Lenovo's advertised battery life for the X200 with 4 cell, but the X200S uses a lower voltage CPU and LED backlight, and that's (mostly) the reason for the longer battery life.

 

Thanks for the guide

I will definitely go for x200s
I wont care about the ~1mm difference of the dimension
For X200s you can use almost all 2.5" harddrives on the market.
The Dell one, only SSD option? NO

and Thinkpad's keyboard is way more better than others.

Dont have to mention that thinkpad's softwares are better.

 

Thanks for the correction, noam23.

I've updated 2 fields on the table: battery life, and keyboard illumination. It seems that the e4200 does *not* have a backlit keyboard, but instead uses EL lighting. This is according to a poster in the Dell forum that has a demo e4200 in his posession.

 

Here here! Jackboot is on target about needs. Too easy to get into a spec competition forgetting about what you are really looking for.

I am curious however, what is the attraction of the trackpoint. i haven't used thinkpads too much but always found it difficult to control the trackpoint. What is the advantage that makes this so influential in your thinking.

 

Once you get used to the TrackPoint, you'll never want the touchpad again. At least that's what happened to me. It's more accurate and fluid. You never lift your fingers from the keyboard and you never have to lift your finger like you would when you hit the edge of a touchpad. It's really great.

 

I second that. ^

I remember my very first computer was a very beat up second hand IBM thinkpad. I could do some pretty sick things in paint back then. (Not that I have time like I did when I was 8, but there is no possible way I could produce artwork in any form using a mouse or trackpad.

I am really excited to get back to the good times when my X200 arrives.

 

For me, the trackpoint allows much greater accuracy for precision mouse movements like image editing. Simple operations like cropping a photo are like pulling teeth with a touchpad but conversely a breeze with a trackpoint.

In normal usage, as petty as it may sound, constant pressure on the trackpoint for cross-screen mouse movements is more efficient than several sweeps of the finger on a touchpad.

As has been mentioned already, the ability to keep your fingers on the home row and still use the mouse is a huge advantage for touch typists.

However, all of the above points pale in comparison to the real advantage of a trackpoint for me: I find my hands do not become fatigued (i.e., carpal tunnel pain - moderate to severe for me in the past) when using a trackpoint. If you've experienced carpal tunnel pain in the past, you should evaluate how a trackpoint may change this (YMMV).

 

Regarding the trackpoint, isn't it less convenient when you want to scroll down/up an internet page ?, with a touchpad you have a dedicated area for scrolling, yet with a trackpoint I heard you need to first press the middle key ?, isn't this more cumbersome ?

 

PgUp PgDn?

 

That's a possibility, but it's a bit crude, it forces you to move you hand far to the top right corner, and it still doesn't allow horizontal scroll...

 

I would say the trackpoint is *less* cumbersome for PgUp/PgDn scrolling. Whereas a touchpad requires multiple sweeps of the finger to go multiple pages up/down, the trackpoint requires only constant pressure up or down and more pressure means faster scrolling. Additionally, I have found that the dedicated area of touchpads for scrolling often gets in the way of regular mouse motions.

 

Thanks Jack.

Btw, you can further complete your table with the information here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=293206

 

I definitely agree. The TrackPoint even has an option where you can middle-click anywhere and scroll horizontally without worrying about middle-clicking a link or image.

 

This is true, but in order to switch between using the trackpoint to scroll the page or to control the mouse cursor, you need to click that middle button.

When you surf the net, you constantly scroll the page AND use the mouse cursor to click links, so it seems that if a middle button click has to get in between these two processes, the experience won't feel very smooth...

 

Isn't it the same for a touchpad? You need to locate the edge of it in order to scroll.

Besides, the distance of the middle-button to the right and left is literally a centimeter away. I don't see how that can make the experience unsmooth. I've been using it for years no problem.

You only need one hand to use the TrackPoint, btw.

If one can't handle the burden of shifting one's thumb over to the left or right a centimeter, well..

 

It's one centimeter each time. If in one hour you make 100 shifts beween scroll and cursor, we're talking about 1 meter !!!

 

Thanks. I updated the chipset and graphics info. Since it is the same for both notebooks, I have now omitted it from the table.

 

I have not used trackpads for a long while but are you saying that todays trackpads are multi-touch? I.e. you can use the scroll area at the same time as you use the non-scroll area for mouse navigation? If not, I do not understand the advantage over a trackpoint. If the trackpad is not multi-touch you still have to move your navigation finger from the scroll area to the mouse area, when you are switching between the two.

If you are using two different fingers on one hand for scrolling and mouse navigation, then you are simply a more advanced user. As soon as I bend my middle or ring finger, my index finger starts to fold as well ;-).

 

I'm saying that moving the finger on the touchpad in order to scroll, seems a smoother experience than having to click a button in order to scroll.

Anyway I hope I'm wrong, since the E4200 probably going to cost a fortune (with that stupid SSD drive), so I'm left with only the X200S as an option...

 

Sorry, but scrolling with a trackpoint is far and away the easier choice. It just works perfectly like you'd want it to work, whereas the touch pad is very inaccurate and crude in comparison.

I don't know if you realize, but with your fingers normally resting on the keyboard, the thumb just naturally goes to the middle button. Just use the edge of the thumb to press the middle button and your index or middle finger to move the trackpoint up or down or sideways. Far easier than locating the scroll zone in the touchpad and dealing with errant movements.

I miss my Thinkpad

 

I love the trackpoint. Makes perfect sense to get rid of the cumbersome touch pad where your palm bumps when you are typing sometimes and is very innacurate..

 

Plus with how notebooks are:

a) Getting smaller and smaller
b) Going widescreen

It just makes more sense to have a trackpoint as a trackpad is a pointless waste of space in a small notebook when you can use the space to make the keyboard bigger. Kind of like this:

 

mark,
what is that laptop you posted a picture of? i love how there is no palm rest. it's actually preferable to me, ergonomically.

 

That's an Raon Everun Note. Its amazing - 7" touchscreen, 1.2 Ghz dual core AMD processor and as you can see, its really really small.

 

To all,

i've just made an account here so this is my first reply.
I have seen some detailed specs with lenovo x200s on the official website.
regarding thickness, is said it's the same like the x200, so about 35 mm with 6 and 9 cell battery, so only the x200s model with 4 cell has the height between 20-27 mm. for me that stinks, I thought at least 6 cell model has the same height but not.
for me lenovo x200s it's the perfect ultraportable, very soon I will proceed to buy one but in europe it's not for sale yet and also the prices are much higher. In US there are lower prices for notebooks comparing to europe, so I am strongly thinking to proceed with provantage.com cause I saw they can ship to Europe also, even I pay additional 20 pct taxes and 50 dollars for DHL.

so, I am looking again for the pdf file from lenovo website with complete specs, I can put here if it's allowed or give you the link.

have one question...how come are two ideas regarding thickness is up to 32 or 36 mm, cause lenovo says only 36 mm?

 

The front of the notebook is thinner than the back of the notebook. The thickness varies from front to back.

 

I have no idea what you looked at, but it definitely wasn't the pdf spec of the X200s, since Lenove hasn't released this pdf file yet (I check everyday). I think you are looking at the X200 specs, and mistaken it for the X200s.