The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    X220, lapstars and warranty (Purchase question)

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by Skykeeper, Jun 3, 2012.

  1. Skykeeper

    Skykeeper Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Hello,

    I am considering buying an X220 to replace my current laptop -- Dell Latitude D620 which is over 5 years old and has seen (too) many hours of use. I have been a Latitude user for over 10 years, but the current UFO styling is not my cup of tea. Moreover, I am not willing to carry around a laptop as heavy as Dell produces (my current one is 2.66 Kg with a 6 cell battery).

    I always had to choose between Thinkpad and Latitude, but ended up with the latter mainly because of pricing (IBM was much more expensive back then), and continued with them since I was happy with the products and had compatible equipment (docking stations, ultra bay drives, ...).

    Anyway, Dell's design prowesses make me switch to Lenovo without looking back, and the X220 is sleek and sexy :) As far as I can see, there are only two flaws:
    • I cannot opt to remove the touchpad and only have a trackpoint (like with the X200 if I remember well),
    • The screen resolution may turn out to be too low.
    These points were discussed in length on the forums.

    I also read reviews for the X230. While I would love to go Ivy, I am not sure I want to have to deal with the new keyboard, or the faulty units available only to early adopters.

    TLDR -> I would like to ask X220 owners (and those in the know) a few questions before settling on it:
    • I would buy the laptop from lapstars.de. I saw that many people in the forums dealt with them and were happy with the experience. However, if I am getting on-location warranty + Thinkpad protection, will it be available internationally, or only in Germany? Since I only spend two/three non-continuous weeks per year in Germany, it would NOT be practical to have it tied to Germany. Moreover, I regularly travel within Europe, so I potentially need repair anywhere.
    • (also a lapstars question) Does the Lenovo warranty + Thinkpad Protection cover the laptop as delivered by lapstars, or only the base model before the selected upgrades in the Produktkonfigurator. If so, are these options covered? Should I buy the components on my end, and upgrade the laptop myself?
    • Is there a DIY mod that results in a higher definition screen?
    • Is Lenovo likely to end the production of X220s by fitting the last batch of laptops with Ivy bridges?

    Thank you for answering.

    Cheers,
    Ken
     
    Skykeeper, Jun 3, 2012
    #1
  2. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    4,982
    Messages:
    34,001
    Likes Received:
    1,415
    Trophy Points:
    581
    I don't know anything about lapstars, but whether the notebook in question has IWS will depend on the machine type. Most likely it will, but there's a chance it won't. IWS is intended to be for travelers, not relocation. Buy as much warranty as you can as you probably won't be able to upgrade it wherever you end up.

    Someone would have to make a 12.5" HD+ IPS LCD to be able to put it in the X220, but I don't believe anyone has.

    There's no chance of Lenovo putting an Ivy Brudge CPU into the X220.
     
    ZaZ, Jun 3, 2012
    #2