X220 vs. X230 vs. X240

My impression is that a lot of the Thinkpad fans are not too stoked about the X200 series since the introduction of a new keyboard layout beginning with the X230. Is that the only upperhand that the X220 has over the X230 and the X240? What do you think is the best out of the three in regards to design, comfort of use, and performance (although this last one is a bit unfair). I'm really at a crossroad between choosing one of the three to use as my sub-notebook to use just take care of basic tasks while on the go (with the Macbook Air 11" a candidate too)

 

x220: I'd say this was the best ultraportable of it's generation. It improved upon the x201 in just about every aspect from CPU power to the IPS screen. Still runs a little hot due to the standard voltage CPU. The styling is obviously the most "classic" of the three, though it still has a clickpad. I had one, and I thought it was great, though it's a little dated now.

x230: Marginal improvements in CPU/GPU power and battery life over the x220, but you pay with the chiclet keyboard (assuming you prefer the old style one). Only TP generation with a ThinkLight AND a backlit keyboard. It still has discrete trackpoint buttons, though. Never got one because it didn't really offer much over the x220.

x240: Thinner and lighter than the other two in comparable configurations. Top end CPU is not quite as powerful as the top end CPU in the x230... the GPU is marginally better though. Max memory is also less. Relatively battery life is much better with Haswell, but runtime doesn't increase quite as much due to smaller net battery capacity (it has an integrated AND removable battery). Chiclet keyboard and no discrete touchpad or trackpoint buttons. Also has a 1080p screen option, but you can't get it without the touchscreen in the US, which adds weight and thickness, which was the main reason I didn't get one.

MBA 11: Thinner and lighter than all three of 'em, with comparable CPU options to the x240. The best GPU of the lot (HD5k). Probably the best battery runtime too. No 1080p screen. Fewer ports. Chiclet keyboard. Clickpad. No TrackPoint. OSX. Personally if the MBA 11 had a 1080p screen, I'd get it over the other three.

 

I agree completely except about the air. The keyboard is too damn shallow actually use it. I know a lot of people aren't happy with the new keyboards but it's still miles better then the air keyboards.

 

I am with Sungman. the Air's keyboard is far too shallow, and it does not have the battery life of either my x220 or x230 ( 11 hrs with 9 cell and 23.5 with slice actual use time about 9 hours on the 6 cell ) also keep in mind the 220/230 can also have a 1T mSATA SSD AND a 1T hard drive loaded into them at the same time if you don't want wwan capabilities, I run a 512 mSATA and a 1T HDD in my 230. to be fully honest I replaced my 11 and 13" Airs with the x230 when it first came out.

x220 and x230 are a lot more durable than the 240 and miles ahead than the Air as well.

 

i was also deliberating for a long time whether to get the new X240. i could live with the keyboard but at the end decided that the Trackpoint without separate buttons were not for me.

However being spoiled by the IPS screens on both my mobile and tablet, i decided that IPS screen is a must for me. At the end i decided to try finding a 2nd hand X230 with IPS screen and maybe some warranty left.

That being said, in Hong Kong, where i live, there does not seem to be a lot of people letting go of their X230. i have yet to see a reasonable priced X230 with IPS screen being offered.

It is frustrating seeing the way Lenovo is going with the Thinkpad line. Recently i bought one of the first generation Thinkpad Ultra-Nav keyboards from Taobao (for those who don't know it, it's the Chinese Ebay) and after getting it to work in Windows 7 on my desktop, i cannot believe how i have missed the proper 7 row layouts with proper keys.

 

Have you tried the new trackpoint buttons? It's definitely worse, don't get me wrong but it's still usable. Honestly some of the newer models are looking more and more attractive compared to my x301. I even almost pulled the trigger on th T440s, it's almost there but still missing a few things unfortunately.

 

Actually, you are right about that. I was thinking 3 or 6-Cells across the board. You can definitely get double-digit runtimes on the 20 and 30 if you are willing to pack on the bulk and the pounds.

But that's precisely why I like the 11" Air as well; I think it's still in a class of it's own as far as size and weight go, and it still has an Intel platform (as opposed to ARM) with good battery life.

 

if I could retrofit a 1600x900 or 1080p screen on an x220 it'd be a keeper. Could have 16gb ram, a 1tb msata, 1tb or 1.5tb (do they make this in 7mm) rotational. I have no idea how people multitask, rdp, console, run vms etc at 1366x768, too frustrating at that resolution.

 

There's no 7mm 1.5TB yet. I wouldn't mind a bit more resolution. Something like the original X1C with an IPS LCD would be very tempting, but I'd personally be wary of FHD on anything below 15".

 

I've owned both an X220 and X230-the X220 for about a year and the X230 for about 2 years now. I definitely prefer the X230 over the X220, mostly for the keyboard. If you already are wedded to the 7-row layout, then the differences are small enough that the X220 is a good choice; otherwise, the build quality seems a bit better on the X230. The screen bezel isn't warped and the machine is quieter--but mostly I just prefer the X230 keyboard.

As far as comparing it to the X240... I have to admit, the X240 doesn't make much sense to me. Obviously your usage pattern will determine the suitability, but my X230 is a desktop replacement and portable workstation. I'm running 2 additional monitors at home, and it's equipped w/16B RAM, most of which I actually use frequently. When traveling, I use the 9 cell and slice battery combined, which is great. The reduced performance capabilities on the X240 don't make sense to me, since the new X1 really fits that niche.

I also have a Helix, which has made me wish for a higher res screen on my X230, but it's not a big enough of a deal breaker for me to go away from it. I imagine the X230 will remain my main machine for the next couple of years. If you're looking for a mobile workstation/desktop replacement, I'd highly recommend it.

 

Plus the 230 can take 9mm hard drives if you dremmel off those bumps, and they are neigh impossible to break the darn things. as for the 240, I find it somewhat a strange beast more of a lost consumer toy than a replacement for the X230 series.

 

I was thinking about an x240 but the limited ram, keyboard and trackpad were a no go. Got a dell e7240 instead. To get 1080p on the 12.5" screen you have to order the touchscreen which is IPS glossy. Keyboard is good, non chiclet, 16gb ram capable, 2 msata slots, dedicated touchpad buttons. I really like mine so far. No pointing stick or middle button but I configure two button click to act as middle button. Very good build quality on mine.

 

I don't know if this is just in Canada, but the Dell is double the price compared to the X240. I'd say the most comparable business laptop to the Thinkpad X240 would be the HP Elitebook 820. It's around the same price, same size/weight, and it has a trackpoint and dedicated buttons. Also 2 memory slots and easily upgradable components, the bottom panel comes off to reveal the battery/RAM/HD/M.2/wifi slots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oMYtwraUS8#t=105

The display is only 1366x768, but it is upgradeable to IPS. No 1080p available. Also I'm sure the Thinkpad keyboard is much nicer to type on. Edit: probably the most major flaw is the 3-cell battery, so you'd get half the battery life compared to the X240.

I'm interested to see what the Elitebook 725 will look like. It seems to share the same chassis, but will have a 1080p option, and the new 19W AMD Kaveri chips inside.

 

I am in love with my X220 and don't plan on upgrading to either the X230 or X240, perhaps the next one down the line, mainly because I am in love with the traditional keyboard which I find highly effective for spreadsheet usage (I use menu key, page up/dn, home, end very often). I don't think I could function without those and hope they eventually bring the keyboard back to a more traditional layout. I am able to multitask very well despite the low resolution. I do wish however that the system were less hot, and loud, had a backlit keyboard, and had a faster mouse (it is much slower than my fiance's t430s - both on max settings). When on high performance/turbo mode, the speed still rivals many high end ultraportables manufactured today. With an SSD, it is a very potent machine. I just bought a 9 cell for it and the battery life is great at about 8hrs for browsing/low impact usage.

 

So I guess the X240 is just in an awkward position right now? I'm curious to know how a new Thinkpad user might think of the X230 then? I guess I am a little undecided between the MBA and the X230 then, assuming that both are running on Windows 8.1.

 

The X230 and MBA are pretty uncomparable - the X230 is much bigger and heavier, and the X240 is much more similar to MBA.

I have an X220 with Core i5 and it's still a good laptop (I've just updated my storage to have mSATA and SSD, which is great for noise and speed). But I would have upgraded to the X240 if the the CPUs were a little more powerful. Don't forget that Lenovo changed the focus of the X2x quite drastically: The X220 and X230 were powerful Laptops with full voltage CPUs. The X240 is as powerful as X220, but MUCH thinner and lighter.

As you said, the X240 is currently in an awkward position because it is not an upgrade in terms of CPU power, but in portability. I would not buy an X230 now, given that something much lighter and thinner with similar CPU power is available. I guess the potential X250 will be a step forward in terms of CPU power, and I will most likely upgrade to that one.

 

Thanks for your input Pintu. I guess I may just wait for the X250 then.... Any idea when it might come?

 

When Intel refreshes its offerings. I'd agree the X230/X240 is not much of an upgrade unless you want the 1080p LCD on the X240.