X220 first thoughts, not so much amazed

I just got my X220 yesterday and I must say, I am a bit disappointed. I think this is because I was spoiled by the excellent quality of the X60 and T60. Or maybe I was expecting too much out of it. I will start with the good things though, because I like to keep positive.

The Good:
- Keyboard. Absolute winner. I CANNOT use any other keyboard design on a laptop since I first used the Thinkpad keyboard.
- Red nipple on keyboard. <3
- Battery life. For half a day test, I like it. I did get the 9-cell though.
- Screen brightness (when on highest, I always do highest no matter what).
- Ports. VGA and displayport, 3 USBs (one yellow), something that looks like PCMCIA but I can't tell, and the express slot above yellow USB.

The Bad:
- The battery is loose toward lock #1, there is a 1mm-1.5mm gap when you push the battery or move it around. I think I can still carry it by the battery without worrying. Nevertheless, the freemovement is annoying for a brand new product.
- The screen. I was expecting more from an IPS. Viewing angles are good, but I think the 16:9 standard resolution for 12.5" is horrible.
- The build does look somewhat cheap compared to previous Thinkpads. Plastic is sensed on many places on the side.

I am going to keep it, as I said earlier, the keyboard won me. I cannot look at another notebook. I liked ASUS Zenbook, but keyboard is out of the question. And the air? Well... that's just way too overpriced for what it offers, also crappy keyboard.

 

Lenovo is applying for a global patent on this "loose battery" design to prevent unfair competition by imitation. Don't despair: this unique design will be incorporated into ALL battery types used in ALL ThinkPad models.

Hmm, Lenovo will switch to "crappy" keyboard soon enough.

 

that's i am reading about the quality and i'm disapointed!!!!!That's why i still thinking not to buy it!!!!

 

HAHA ! Cheered me up so much.

And that is the day I stop using new Thinkpads . I see they are already slowly trying to phase it in with X1 and Edge...

It's a nice machine, I was just stating I was expecting much more. I will still take a Thinkpad over any other notebook... for now.

 

On the (almost) same topic, I upgraded from a T61 to a X220t. The X220t seems better built then my old T61 with it's creaky plastic everywhere and the IPS screen is a huge step up from the T61. The battery fit is also much better.

What I'm disappointed with is the lack of a mechanical latch. Does the regular X220 still have the latch?

 

X220 no latch.

 

The "PCMIA" is an ExpressCard. The slot over the Yellow USB is a card reader.

 

What do u mean by switching to crappy keyboard? We all gonna use that mac type keyboard?? Nightmare

 

^^^ Something like this:

 

UGLY ten words !

 

Like I said, the day Thinkpad stops having it's signature keyboard, is the day I will never buy a new Thinkpad again. It's bad enough how much quality was lost in the IBM -> Lenovo transition. Then the 17" high end laptop line was cut. Now the keyboard??

 

Every ThinkPad I've owned, included in the IBM machines, has had some play in the battery.

If you knew you wouldn't like the 12.5" HD LCD, why'd you buy it?

I think that's a misinformed statement. IBM certainly made it's share of clunkers over the years. I personally consider my X220 to be as good as any ThinkPad I've used. The fact I paid half what I did in the good old days is quite remarkable.

 

There is no such thing as a ThinkPad signature keyboard.

 

I wouldn't say quality was lost from IBM -> Lenovo. Lenovo has been building Thinkpads long before they were putting their names on them and I think my X220 is one of the best Thinkpads I've used so far, not to mention cheapest by a factor of 2.

Also, unless my memory is failing me again, I'm pretty sure all the 17 inch Thinkpads were Lenovo.

On the topic of the keyboard. The new chiclets are really nice to type on. My main problem with them is that they are missing a whole row of keys. I think Lenovo has the last 7 row laptop keyboards out there, so there's no one else to go to if they decide that people who use their entire keyboard don't matter.

 

The 7-row keyboard is dead for notebooks. Even Lenovo will drop it in the next years:

ThinkPad X1: Stradivarius Keyboard - Design - Lenovo Blogs

But I am happy with my L520 7-row keyboard too.

 

I'd recommend you try one in person before making your decision. (That goes for any laptop, actually.)

If the presence of negative anecdotes on web forums are anything to go by, ThinkPads, Lattitudes, Elitebooks, MacBooks, and Porteges are all total plastic crap with innumerable show-stopping problems.

If reality is anything to go by, web forums might not provide a perfectly-balanced source of information.

 

ThinkPad X220 uses Magnesium for both the top and bottom casing, pretty much the same as the X200/X201.

 

So what will you buy instead when all laptops use chiclet keyboards? An external keyboard?