X201 on the way :)

After months of research (and lots of helpful advice here) - I finally have an x201 coming my way! Should be having it with me in a couple of weeks hopefully. The config is as follows:

model: 3323-95Q
Core i5 - 520M (the 540M was not available)
Windows 7 Professional 32
2 GB DDR3 RAM
320 GB HDD
Thinkpad wireless b/g/n, BT with EDR
Fingerprint reader + Ultranav
6-Cell Li-Ion battery.


Am planning to do a clean install as soon as it arrives (the factory install is win 7 professional 32 bit -> will be installing the 64-bit version)

Need your inputs and suggestions on the fillowing

1) Has anyone used the new seagate momentus XT hard disks (with the 4GB flash memory on board). I'm undecided between this and a WD scorpio black. both are 500 GB capacity.

2) Thinkvantage tools - Should I install them or shouldn't I? Need feedback on this.

3) Any other things I should be taking care of?

In return, I promise good pics of the unboxing and a good review

Thank you for your valuable advice and suggestions.

 

Wow ordering mine today, decided no sony z this time too expensive and breaks to easily.

 

Congratulations on your new purchase!

Thinkvantage tools seem to be more helpful than harm, so I would install those tools after your clean windows 7 install. Actually, just install thinkvantage update and let it do the work for you once you have windows 7 on your machine.

 

I went to order it just now, estimated shipping time greater than 4 weeks
2 days ago it was only 2 weeks!

 

Yeah, I see that too on the Canadian site.

 

I went with a SSD mainly for the quietness. My X200 doesn't seem to block much noise.

The ThinkVantage tools are already there. Were you planning to do a clean install?

 

I did a clean install of 64-bit Win7 Ultimate. I found that the ThinkVantage Tools are very helpful and some are necessary for proper hotkey (function key) usage. The Power Manager is a must-have in my opinion.

However, I un-installed Access Connections and disabled the Intel Management Engine (AMT) -- I found them to be annoying and unnecessary and taking up resources that I feel are better used elsewhere.

 

Thanks everyone! Will give those tools a spin!

@ZaZ - the factory install is 32bit - am going to clean install with a 64 bit DVD and the factory license key.

@eyeballod - the Z was a very close competitor - unfortunately, its too costly,so had to drop it. Congrats on your x201 as well

@kobe_24, @raydabruce - thanks a lot for the feedback!

@Neutralman - I was given a 3-4 week estimate. not too sure if I'm going to get it within that timeframe. There's nothing much I can do right now. I hope I don't get used to a life without a computer

now... I have to decide on the hard disk! a seagate or a WD?

the WD scorpio black is a standard 7200 rpm 2.5' laptop drive - however, the seagate momentus XT has 4GB onboard flash memory. The drive intelligently caches most read files on the flash memory and uses that to service the read requests. This feature is OS agnostic and gives you an almost SSD like performance for a fraction of the cost.

anandtech has a review here.

EDIT: There's a massive thread on the forums

http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...e-momentus-xt-hybrid-hdd-w-built-4gb-ssd.html

If anyone has tried this one out, would really appreciate your inputs.

 

I <3 thinkvantage update.

 

Strange as I think the exact opposite with Thinkvantage Update! I tend to install certain devices and utilities such as hotkeys manually to keep services running to a minimum. To each their own I guess!

Congrats on the X201 v_310! How much did it set you back? I just ordered a X201 Tablet for my Uncle, Lenovo did say 1-2 weeks but seem that they just upped the delivery time for you I guess I should expect the same on our shipment as well...

 

That’s really weird!

You have an update tool that will provide you the opportunity to install any and every update/driver, but you would rather search and guess? That’s funny, because when I use update tool, I have a choice to pick and choose which update or driver I wish for it to install. Someone who is not familiar with thinkvantage tools should install everything, that would be the only way to know what he or she doesn’t want, which will be easy to uninstall if it comes to that.

But as you said…to each their own!

 

For people who are new to Thinkpads then yes the Thinkvantage System Update is a good tool (especially under Windows XP ho ho). I guess I formatted my system so many times that I just know the tools and drivers required to make the System Update unnecessary which can be an advantage in a sense on cutting down software and services. It's all part of getting to know your system better if you do it the hard way!

I just keep the files on a USB stick and deploy whenever it's needed. I only use Lenovo Hot Key's and Power Manager, I don't use the Thinkvantage toolbox personally. The only driver that Windows 7 complains missing is the Thinkpad PM (Power Manager) Driver but even that I install manually (that's pointing Windows where the driver folder is and not using the Setup file!) and it works fine afterwards. Don't forget Windows Update on Windows 7 does a very good job finding the other drivers such as the Monitor Profile and the Synaptics Ultranav driver.

But then again that's just me, I guess i'm really picky when it comes to these things lol!

 

And you are so right Hearst555, sort of.

Windows 7 will do a good job of updating, but it will not install or update a certain drivers. Having all the drivers you need and know will work on a USB flash drive is very useful and good, using thinkvantage update is priceless!

Here is the pro for using thinkvantage updates, and please correct me if I’m wrong. Once windows 7 is installed on your computer, you just need to install thinkvantage update from a USB flash drive, or just download and install it from Lenovo, since you will have a working wireless connection after the windows install. Thinkvantage update will search your computer and give you the option to install anything that your computer needs, period. Please don’t miss the fact that I said it gives you the OPTION to install, meaning you don’t have to install anything else thinkvantage related if you don’t want it. Heck, you don’t have to install anything at all. Having the drivers on a USB flash drive is very good, but you will not know if you have the latest BIOS or not. I can go on and on about it, I just wished they had this for CLEVO notebooks.

You said the only driver windows complain about is the Power Manager, mine will scream if I don’t install TMP, which I later disable anyway. When you finally get your new x201t, you will see it might be quite different than the T61 you’re currently using.

KEY point is this, you don’t have to install anything you don’t want, or you don’t need when using thinkvantage update.

 

V 310

Follow this guide if you want to install windows 7 with USB flash drive.

Use a USB Key to Install Windows 7?Even on a Netbook

I've tried several methods, but not all of them work with my tablet. I followed this guide, and my windows 7 install works with all my computers. I've done this procedure on a 16GB flash drive, 8GB flash drive, 4GB flash drive and each one of them works.

 

@hearst555 - costed me approx $1600 inclusive of taxes. Should arrive round about Aug 10th - 15th.

@kobe_24 - thanks for that link. I have the iso downloaded and ready!

Some goodies have arrived for the x201, have to decide on the hard disk now!

 

...the wait continues. It's the 4th week since my order was placed!

what is the average time taken for a thinkpad to arrive?

 

It seems rather unfortunate that you have to wait for a while for your X201. Looking at your specs there doesn't seem to suggest a particular part to be in shortage, usually it's the special screens on particular models (like FHD) that delays orders. Normally it takes around 2 weeks for orders to be fufilled assuming no delays on popular models.

I ordered my X201 Tablet later than you yet I already had it for a week now (it arrived in 6 days). Maybe contact Lenovo to see what's going on with the order? Maybe they can prioritise the order and ship it out quicker.

 

Lucky you .

I e-mailed the re-seller yesterday, I haven't got a reply so far.

It looks like there is a shortage of processors - The lenovo configuration page says "Selecting this option may delay your shipment more than 4 weeks" for any processor (i5 520M/i5 540M/i7 620M).

I'm going to head out tomorrow and have a quick chat with him!

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I ordered my x201 from lenovo website last Monday and it came in 8 days literally. I didn't spec anything unusual other than the ssd. the last time I ordered a thinkpad last year it took 16 days. something is wrong with your order.

 

How is your x201?
Like it?
How about screens size is it adequate?

 

Whether a screen size is adequate or not depends on personal preference, most people i know find the 12.1 inch widescreen format to be fairly comfortable. There are however people whom find 12.1 inch widescreen and netbook to be too small, and prefer at least a 15.4 inch LCD, but this is purely a personal preference.

Just go to a computer store and have a look at 12.1 inch laptops this will give you some idea what you are dealing with.

 

yup... it looks like something is wrong. Was forced to go thru a re-seller as Lenovo does not allow purchasing on international credit cards.

Hmm - it's time to turn up the heat!

 

Does anyone know what a "back to order" status means?

I spoke to the reseller, and now the delivery date has been pushed to to first week of Sep

 

I think you should cancel with the re-seller and order it again through him since the delays are by lenovo, usually the second time around the order goes through uneventfully. here's hoping!

 

Doing this would just simply put him at the back of the queue, there does seem to be a shortage of parts as the UK site now states of this supply delay.

Judging from the specifications, if time is critical you could try and see if a reseller stock this particular X201 in the shops. Topseller models are preconfigured to almost exact specifications on what you're looking for v_310. Check out the tabook and check the type model number (i.e. 3249-C3U). Afterwards search if any shops have this particular model in stock and check the prices. If it's price competitive then I would simply cancel the order and get it from the reseller.

 

I was told yesterday by a Lenovo rep that they were swapping out a part, most likely on the mainboard, and it was delaying shipments. The Lenovo website shows a delay of 4 weeks for a new x201.

 

@dolto - nothing is in my hands now! I've even paid them in full. Apparantly, their policy is to take a 50% advance if you place an order for more than 10 systems. If the number of systems is <10, you have to pay up in full.

@hearst555 - it was a topseller model (3323-95Q). They didn't have it in stock and hence they had to order. While I'm not in too much of a hurry, It's slowly getting difficult. For now, am managing with my office laptop (a dell latitude D630).

@supermighty - fingers crossed. It's ok to wait for a week rather than running around later on dealing with any issues. What part are they swapping out? Have they installed defective parts on the laptops that have already been shipped out?

 

So, after another strongly worded e-mail, I get an apologetic call from the re-seller that they would give me an update by the end of the day!

...the wait continues...

 

Had another call with the re-seller and asked them to cancel the order if they didn't place it already!

by today evening, I should either have a definitive date of delivery or a check with my money back.

I'm now trying to figure out an alternative way of placing the order!

btw - checked on both the US and UK lenovo sites, there's no delay now.

...Totally put off with the buying experience! why do they make it so difficult to own one?

 

You seemed so happy with your purchase; it would even be a letdown for me if you don’t get it. I was excited about seeing further post from you regarding your laptop and all the new creative things you might explore with it.

I hope everything works out for you!

 

@kobe_24 - Thank you for the encouragement ...gives me some hope!

I usually switch laptops every two years (I had owned an acer 15' a 17' HP and a 10' eee PC). I loved the eee PC's form factor, but was totally let down by the atom processor's performance. This time around, I had to get something that would last me around 5-7 years. Hence after almost 4 months of research, I had zeroed in on the x201.

Anyways - This week is the deciding week! I'm either getting my money back or getting the laptop!

@all - What's the word on the Sandy Bridge update? It's almost september now and I've somehow managed to live without a laptop for almost two months now. Any likely dates for the x201 refresh? Is it worth waiting for?

Edit: Have been going thru the tabook - just need confirmation on the following (for models 3249-2EU and 3249-2FU)

1) The EU has a 250G, 5400 RPM HDDD while the FU has a 320G 7200 RPM HDD
2) The EU does not have a cam, while the FU has one
3) All other features are common? Will the EU have ultranav, bluetooth, card reader, fingerprint scanner etc?
4) Is the EU WWAN upgradable?
5) If you are able to spot any other differences, please let me know.

there is a price difference of approx $200 between them!

Edit 2: Sorry for the multiple edits, is the X201s WWAN upgradable? I don't see any x201s details in the tabook.

 

Okay - I've asked the reseller to cancel my order. Should be getting my money back soon!

Now - i'm tempted towards the WXGA+ screen of the x201s - IF someone can confirm that it is WWAN upgradable, I'm getting it. Apart from the processor and the build materials, what are the other differences between the x201 and the x201s?

 

Think twice before getting the Momentus XT for your new lappy.

There is considerable groaning specifically from Lenovo users reporting various system stability issues (WinXP & Win7) using this drive in conjunction with a number of Lenovo's "tools". Additionally, it seems that many encounter firmware issues with the drive itself - some drives develop a strange spinup/spindown problem that affects the computer system (random BSOD's, etc).

Here's one thread on Seagate's site that specifically deals with these issues.

 

@pundit - Thank you very much for the advice! I'm a big fan of WD drives - I think I'll just go for a 500 GB scorpio black till a) this hybrid technology matures or b) till we have at least affordable SSD's in the 320 GB range.

All - Another question!

I have this belkin cooling pad, an external mouse, a USB slimline DVD+/-RW and a blu-ray writer in a USB enclosure. The cooling pad also has a powered 4-port USB hub.

My question is - if I'm not going to be using an external display, Do I really need an ultrabase? What else am I missing by not having a ultrabase?

I'm looking at two topseller models the 3249-2FU and the 3249-2EU. The specs are almost identical - except for the fact that I get the webcam, a 320 GB HDD and the ultrabase with a DVD-RW with the 2FU. I've never used a webcam, the hard disk will anyways get swapped out for a new one (with a clean windows install). I'm saving almost $250-$300 by getting the 2EU model.

Opinions and suggestions welcome! thanks in advance!

 

This really depends on your needs in terms of expansion (USB, optical drives or additional hdds), connectivity and usage.

If you will be using the laptop as the sole source of computing, then you may definitely wish to consider an ultrabase for home or office use (or otherwise). In this case, an ultrabase gives you more flexibility to use a larger screen, provides an integrated optical drive (or additional HDD in a caddy) which are great in a fixed location (office or home).

If you already have a computer system at home and contemplating purchasing an X201, then consider foregoing the ultrabase altogether as you'll probably be using the laptop in such manner without a need for the added connectivity and expansion. Keep in mind the principle reason you've opted for the X201 in the first place - mainly portability! An ultrabase will not only weigh you down but add the burden of trying to figure out whether or not to carry the ultrabase where ever you go. Since you already have peripherals then you'll be fine without the ultrabase.

I'd suggest you save the money for future upgrade purchases (RAM, HDD, etc).

BTW, the WD Scorpio 500GB is a fantastic drive - very quick for its size. It tends to click once in a while as the drive heads park (as do so many drives), but it's nothing to worry about and you get used to the sound fairly quickly.

 

Thought so! your comments echo what I've been thinking.

I've already got a 4GB RAM stick waiting at home. I just need to get my money back from the reseller! I'm going over there today, so wish me luck

 

update: I went over to the re-seller's office and demanded an explanation. In their defence, they said that the topseller model was not available at all and wanted to give me a model with the core i5-450M. Obviously, I refused.

Hopefully, I should be getting the check in a couple of days!

now, the question is between the X201 and the X201s. How much of an impact in processing power would I take for how much of a gain in the battery life? I realize that the X201s is not WWAN upgradable, tho I'm attracted by the higher resolution display.

Will search thru the forums for more info, any feedback is welcome!

 

...almost a week later, its still status quo. I met the reseller today and apparantly, the regional manager is out of the country (returning on Sunday). Apparantly, he is the only person who can authorize the refund!. I'm way beyond pissed off now!

it has been 3 months since I sold off my old HP - I can't install anything on my office laptop. I miss all my stuff!

Meanwhile, on the brighter side, I have a friend leaving NY next weekend - if the check comes back soon, I might be able to ask him to get it from J&R.

btw - with the price saving, I'm thinking of getting an SSD to go with it. Some relief from all of this trouble at least

 

Wow, if i were you, i would take actions and involve 3rd parties to get money back. I would be really pissed

 

I am . If you know any 'third parties' let me know...! Ultimately it's my money that's stuck, need to ensure it gets back to me safely!

 

Well, im not talking about mafia lol.
Im talking about paypal/bank/official state bureau that investigates customer complaints etc.

 

Another week gone by, and yet no sign!

I guess I'm going straight for the sandy bridge refresh of the x2xx series .

I've already managed for almost 3 months without a laptop - Maybe I should sit for another three

 

Who is the reseller that is screwing you around?

 

That's what I'd like to know, too. Extremely poor business practices on their end, especially since the OP's dealing with them in person.

 

I'll let you guys know once my money's back!

Just got a text message today morning, apparantly, my check would be ready for collection by Friday. Fingers crossed....!

My friend is returning from US this weekend - I've asked him to pick up the 3249-2EU at J&R. If he's able to pick it up, it would be great. If not, I think I will be mostly waiting for the sandy bridge referesh!

Did some investigation yesterday and found out that I could boot from VHD's in vista and windows 7. My wife's office laptop will be getting win 7 very soon - I'll get a small USB HDD (maybe 160/250 GB), configure a VM with all my stuff on it, and just use it for another 4-5 months till the next x2xx refresh happens.

 

J&R is the company? They are usually pretty good at servicing orders.

Regarding the comment on "boot from VHD's" keep in mind that is only available in Windows 7 Ultimate, Enterprise and WS 2008 R2. And don't confuse boot from VHD with a virtual machine (VM). Boot from VHD is not a VM.

 

@halobox - I wasn't clear - J&R is not screwing up my order. They are pretty good, one of the best. Just happens that one of my friends is in NY now (and returning this weekend) - there's a slim chance that he picks up an x201 on my behalf there.

I'm based out of India, and I'm referring to an indian reseller. I placed an order with this reseller on Jul 26th, I'm yet to see my money back with me.

there were few links on MSDN where the vista bcdedit.exe and bootmgr.exe were replaced with the ones from Win 7 - that gave vista a capability to boot from vhd's. Wife's laptop should get windows 7 enterprise very soon

and sorry about the VM/VHD confusion, it was the pre-coffee condition

 

Pre-coffee condition. LOL. Been there, had that.

Oh, and the Enterprise bits may not help you unless you have a valid key. Most likely her machine is KMS activated.

 

Yay - My friend was able to order (and pick up) an x201 at J&R yesterday. I should have it with me by Monday!

I won't be waiting for SB, Arrandale it is.

the config is as follows:

model: 3249-2EU
core i5 540M
2GB DDR3 (+another 4 GB that I already have)
250 GB HDD (which will get replaced with a 500GB WD Scorpio black)
Intel 6200 N wireless
WWAN upgradable
Win 7 32 bit professional (will move to 64 bit, clean install. I'm thinking if I should do an anytime upgrade to ultimate)
Fingerprint reader + ultra nav
6 cell battery (will upgrade to 9 cell in 2-3 years).

Best part was that I saved almost $500- I was paying almost $1700 for a slightly worser config (core i5 520M, 320GB HDD, Thinkpad wireless - the config is on the first post).

Hopefully my money should be back tomorrow (or Monday), so all's well that ends well

I"m having a holiday on Tuesday - It will be a day well spent

 

Congratulations. I will buy a X201 or T410s someday. Stuck with a 16GB W510 and a 8GB T410 at the moment.

As for the upgrade, how much does the upgrade cost? It's about $130 USD?