X230(t) Owner's Thread

I need some advice. I spilled tea on the left side of my X230T.

I did the normal out with the battery and dry procedure. The laptop works now. Not much got in the keyboard, much spilled against the ports on the left side. The displayport is not working, but the USB and VGA is working. But I think some water got inside the fan vent and that might in the long run rust up the system board.

Should I get a service on it just to be sure? Check for damage and maybe replace the systemboard? Will a new board fix the displayport or did it shortcut something in the CPU, since the the gpu is integrated in it? I don't now, I could just use it as long as it works and get a new one when or if it dies, but I would like to try to be preventive if possible.

 

If you have accidental damage protection, you should definitely send it in.

If you don't, they aren't going to do anything anyway, so there is no point.

The CPU is soldered to the motherboard, so if you replace your motherboard, it should solve any issue that may be related to either.

 

display port is part of the motherboard, so replacing it replaces that too....

 

In Norway the service partner will. But you have to pay everything of course.
I'm gonna send them a mail and get a price.

 

Yea, they wanted $1300 for the system board alone. I'm just gonna get a new one I think.

 

I wish it was a HDMI port rather than display port anyways....

i know it is the same signal and just a simple cable will work, but still ..... its a hassle.

I hook my notebook up to more TVs than DP monitors

 

Unfortunately, Lenovo is the only supplier of board at the moment, so they may charge as they please.

I have a displayport to HDMI cable. It works quite well.

 

yeah, but i always make fun of apple people for their need of dongles to hook up anything and how big of a PITA that is.

I am sure for some the DP is better for them

 

Your comment reminded me of a video I saw once, so I went out and looked for it.

 

I have spent the last couple of weeks slowly reading this entire thread... Now that I've read over 1500 posts... I've decided that I really like this series from Lenovo.

I'm going to wait out until the Haswell's are available for the X-Series... Which as far as I can tell means I'll be waiting until sometime in the Fall (Unless there's some new info thats been released).

 

You might be missing the trackpoint buttons on the new X series. If you're a stick user, that might be worth considering, though if you're a touch pad user, it could be a plus. It never hurts to wait though. The X230 will still be available for a when the new X series is released.

I can't really see Haswell offering much, though I suppose you never know. The performance bump for Haswell isn't much. Where it shines is battery life with the ULV CPUs, but the X series is unlikely to get those and can already get 9-10 hour of battery life with the Ivy Bridge CPUs and nine-cell battery.

 

I like the stick a lot... As for the buttons, if i can still tap using the pad but move the mouse with the stick I'm okay with that..

As for my main reasons for wanting a Haswell... It seems as though its a decent boost in the GPU's capability's (which is nice for those of us who use the Intel GPU's in our software) and the added battery life would be very nice.

I would be very disappointing if they don't update the X-Series... Thus far I haven't found a lot I like and I've kind of fallen in love with the X-Series.

 

So I have it checked by an authorized service center here (I had someone to turn-over to them).. At the service center, I was told that it turned on, so I left it for a couple of days so they could check everything. They found no problems so I had it picked up. I got it on a Thursday and had just finished reinstalling the laptop today (Saturday). I turned off the laptop in the morning, but after a couple of hours it wouldn't turn on again!! Warranty's ending in two weeks, could I ask for a replacement? Unit was bought in the U.S., and I'm here in the Philippines.

 

I think the better question would be will you get it? I think the most likely answer would be no. You might want to consider extending the warranty.

 

Thanks for the reply. For the meantime I'll be sending it back again to the service center tomorrow and will ask for their assessment. Lenovo hasn't responded yet to my email, prolly it was a Friday night when I sent it (sent it on a Saturday afternoon here).

If I chose 2yr Depot for $59, will still it be an international warranty?

 

I would presume so, but can't say for certain. $59 seems a little low for a two year extension. Usually it's around $120 here in the US.

 

Yesterday I was browsing for warranties for the system. I'm certain that + 1yr keep your drive is $10, and 2 yr depot is $59 (couldn't remember the other options). But today it says that

There are currently no Service Offerings for this system! Please contact us at . thanks!



Can I ask for warranty extensions at the service center itself?


---

Edit: Site is now available:

1YR Keep Your Drive $10.00
1YR Onsite Next Business Day $19.00
1YR Onsite Next Business Day + Keep Your Drive $29.00
1YR Onsite Next Business Day + Tech Install CRU $29.00
2YR Depot $59.00
2YR Onsite Next Business Day $99.00
3YR Depot $99.00
3YR Depot + Keep Your Drive $109.00
3YR Onsite Next Business Day $119.00

 

I recieved the laptop today. BUT unfortunately I was given an i3 board, while my original one is an i5-3210m, this is NOT what I paid for... not happy right now Will be waiting for Lenovo to reply before sending it back again, who knows when will they reply, after the warranty expires?!

 

Well, I just tried the Helix. Dedicated Track Point but the touchpad works as the buttons instead of having dedicated buttons. It was a major fail IMHO. The pad was too firm to click and the left/middle/right buttons are not easy to go by feel. Since the dedicated buttons are raised you can kind of rest your thumb on there and click pretty easily, but with the touchpad you're always trying to press straight down otherwise the pointer will move on you.

 

Thats disappointing... Any idea if you can disable the touchpad for movement? and just use it for clicking?

 

I thought of checking for that, there are quite a few options in the settings for the touchpad. However I do like to use it for the two finger scrolling and sometimes it was easier to use for the pointer then the trackpoint was.

It was kind of odd, I tried to use it as "tap to click" that is common with most touchpads, but you actually had to "press down to click". Although if you use the touchpad to mouse around and then "tap to click" it works fine. It's almost as if it's programmed to detect if you've used the trackpoint or the touchpad and then it enables/disables the tap to click according. It would've been a little easier using the tap to click. The whole pressing down takes too much force when you're used to the regular buttons. As I sit here and type on my X230T I can't believe how comfortable this keyboard is.

 

I might be interested in a X230 so I have a question please.

I think I'm going to choose the Windows 8 option because it lets you choose the non-backlit keyboard. When Windows 7 is selected, the backlit keyboard is standard. I am just a bit curious as to how you guys like Windows 8 on your X230. I understand that a start button can be installed but overall, how do you feel about the operating system in day to day use? In terms of ease of use, stability, performance, etc. Also, is there any difference in battery life compared with Windows 7?

Appreciate any responses. Thanks.

 

Odds are that battery life is the same (Win7 vs Win8). Flip a coin?

 

This has been my experience as well.

 

Any notebook purchased with Windows Professional 8 comes with downgrade rights to Windows 7 Professional. If you want the standard keyboard without backlight, you buy with W8P, get a disc and do the downgrade yourself. Buying a non-backlight keyboard and swapping it in is another option.

 

I have the X230T with Windows 8. With the touchscreen Windows 8 is a little more appropriate, without a touchscreen I don't think Windows 8 would be very worthwhile. I have a love/hate relationship with it, but tolerate it for the touchscreen aspect. I don't use the metro ui much, most of the apps on there I find are kludgy, buggy and just don't work right. That's the built-in apps anyway. The third party apps there aren't much of, but there are some that could be useful I suppose. I mainly just click out to the desktop and stay there most of the time. It may be my laptop, but I find wifi to be a bit flakey on Windows 8 as well.

I do like the backlit keyboard, I don't use it much but it sure comes in handy when you need it. Just a quick Fn-Spacebar to toggle it.

The other downside to Windows 8 is that some of the Lenovo Software (like Power Manager) aren't available under Win 8. I miss a couple of their tools that I wish were in there.

I run Win 7 on my desktop and split time between them. I have no problem moving between systems, they are very similar in most respects.

 

So I just got an x230 and it came with an aftermarket charger. Does anyone know:

1) What was the model of the OEM charger?
2) Would a 90W 20A one like (40Y7659) or (42t4434) work OK?

Trying to find one on Ebay...

 

Well, sorry for the late response (I haven't been paying much attention to this thread recently). The charger I got with my X230T is a 65W 20V charger. Mine is the tablet version, but I'm pretty sure there's no difference between the two in terms of chargers. The model number printed on my charger is 45N0121. On the other hand, while you're buying a charger in the first place, you should probably go ahead and get the 90W charger as long as there isn't a huge price difference, because your laptop will charge up a lot quicker with that extra power, especially if you're using it at the same time. So, pretty much any 90W 20V (I'm pretty sure you don't mean a 20A charger...) will do, as long as the plug for the laptop is the right one (and it's good quality).

 

There are several part numbers for both the 90W and 65W adapters. Both of the part numbers you listed should work fine.

 

Good to hear, yeah I'll just go for the most legit looking 90W. Thanks!

 

How do you guys find 1366 x 768 on a 12.5 screen? Usable or should I look elsewhere? Ill just be writing basic papers, doing touch ups on code, and watching videos(twitch.tv)

 

Could someone please do me a HUGE favour? Could somebody with an x230(t) please post a print screen up of how Visual Studio looks with 1366 x 768 resolution?

Failing not having Visual Studio- just a screenshot of something comparable?

 

I would also like to see a screenshot of what Visual Studio looks like...

 

Here's a screenshot, give me a heads up if you want a different view open.
I find most IDE's to be quite usable as long as all the windows (console output, errors, file hierarchy) aren't open at the same time - most of my programming is done on a bigger external monitor though.

 

I don't use Visual Studio, but I do use Eclipse (I'm doing development for Android), and I have to say that it is a bit cramped (I can upload a screenshot later if anyone is interested). On the other hand, that touchscreen-and-wacom-pen portable external monitor (which was more like a tablet) sounded interesting when I last heard of it... I guess I hate being constricted when it comes to where I can do my stuff.

 

I also think the resolution is insufficient to do any serious work for a long time. Would have loved to see a traditional styled x240t with 1080p

 

Same here.

Well maybe there is still some hope until new laptops T440, W540 are announced.

 

Hello!!
So I am on a quest to look for a more portable laptop for music writing/sequencing/recording. Currently sporting an Asus G73jx for obvious reasons, but it does all my music programs without problems. As expected, it is just WAYYY to clunky and heavy to bring ANYWHERE.
I need a portable powerful solution.
THUS, I looked into the newer Haswell notebooks that recently released and got my eyes on Vaio Pro. But.... WOOOH its so pricey for the specs, even though it is one sexy muthaf- it has a much much weaker ULV cpu. I need a full mobile CPU that also has enough battery power to last 6-ish hours plus minus.
That brought my quest to the Vaio Z latest edition. It has enough power that I want as well as the sleek sexy design and portability. But obviously it is now discontinued and extinct.

Next best thing on the list that came up was X230 (hurray)
full mobile cpu, check;
enough batt life, check;
weight, pretty light;
enough power? upgradable ram and SSD, double check;
Sexiness......? OH NOOOO

I'm sorry but Thinkpads just isn't really aesthetically appealing to me. They look like bulky bricks!! (even though I really shouldn't complain because if that is a brick, then my Asus G73 is a brick house)
That said, I want to know how bulky it actually is in real life. I've read the specs and 25mm is a liiiitle too thick to be an ultraportable notebook. But if anyone has a Macbook Pro, would you mind take a side by side photo comparison with X230 so i can get a better idea how thick is actually is?

How do you guys cope with the thickness? or if anyone here who is like my skeptical about the design, how do you cope with a design that seems like its from the 80s?
Cause really, the only thing that is holding me back from clicking BUY is the design. If some of you have some sexy pics of your X230, now is the time to show them!

Inb4 "don't buy a laptop for the aesthetics" and "go back to your applef@g"
I DO like my gadgets to look pretty. I love to look at them while using them and know that I have spent good money on a lovely sexy device that is also powerful at the same time.

 

This is a 15-inch macbook pro and a x230t (the convertable with the rotating screen) with a 9-cell battery, which adds some considerable thickness to it

You can see in the closeup how it folds around the back end. The 6-cell is about 5/8 to 7/16 of an inch thinner.

Even with the extra thickness and weight of the 9-cell battery, this laptop is infintely lighter than the 17-inch beast I used to carry around (and OCZ whitebook), and the tiny little power adapter is an added plsu when compared to the LITERAL brick the old OCZ had.

Aesthetically, when the laptop is open and you are working with it, the Lenovo keyboard actually adds a little style to it, but no, it is not going to win any design awards.

(click to zoom)

 

Just a couple issues with that....

The X230t's extended battery is a 6 cell, with the standard smaller one a 3 cell.

If it were an X230 (non-tablet), it would be a 9 cell for the extended, with a 6 cell for the standard battery.



I've got a MacBook Air which is thinner and could be considered more portable, but my X230t is a better laptop, in my opinion. I can put up to an i7, dual hard drives (2.5" + MSATA), having a docking station, etc.

Personally, I like the aesthetics of the Thinkpad. It's just a classic look.

 

You're right....I forgot this was the 6-cell

 

Thank you so much for the comparison Gerry!!
This helps me a lot . It does look considerably thicker than the mbp but the upside is that it runs a lot cooler i guess (i've had a mbp before and I know how it can burn on your lap!!)

And yes, My G73 is the same deal. a 17" beast of a laptop that weighs 4kgs and more with the brick adaptor!!!
It doesn't help that the battery life is 15minutes, thus I have to carry the brick power everywhere plus the laptop. OH MY BACK!
Weight wise, I guess the X230 is actually lighter than the mbp am I right? ( at least thats what I got comparing specs )
Actually, my biggest issue aesthetically is the keyboard and the sides. Waaayyy to many buttons. When the laptop is closed, it looks quite pretty with the minimalist look.
But I guess when I get a feel for the trackpoint I will learn to appreciate the look more?

That was what triggered me to put x230 on the list. All the ultrabooks on the market may be sooper sexy looking but none of them is as upgradeable as this. And the fact that we live in an era where the market is dominated by Ultrabooks or Desktop replacements, its harder to find something in between portability and upgradeability/power.
Guess I will just have to live with the aesthetics if i want that much power. Its like they say "its the heart that counts"

Now what would a good price be? I heard many people pushing me to buy second hand at a super low price, but I couldn't find a second hand x230 with the processor I want (i5 3M 3.6GHz turbo)
Whereas on Lenovo website, for that CPU and 8GB of ram (1 DIMM), It comes up to about $1000. I will also upgrade with SSD and maybe another 8GB ram in the future.
Which I don't mind spending since I have the budget and its WAY WAY cheaper than the Vaio Pro for WAY better specs.
But I still want to know, could I get better deal on the Lenovo site if I wait? (currently its 10% off total price and since I am in CA, that just means I get to void sales tax)

 

Honestly, you asked not to have this said, but still, don't buy your computer for the looks, unless it's really ugly.
Besides that, I don't exactly think the X230 (I have the tablet version) looks bad. I have gotten compliments on my X230T - except I never quite know if they're talking about the looks or about the fact that I'm using it in a position that for me is old (after using it for almost a year and a half), but for everyone else is like "Holy **** **** **** **** what is that?" Surprisingly enough, this form factor is still pretty unknown. I personally find it looks very, well, should I say manly (which is perfect for me). I've also noticed that having a backlit keyboard makes the computer look a lot sexier, the only problem being that every time the computer goes into sleep, the backlit keyboard is turned off, and doesn't come back on. It is easy to turn it on, though, Fn+Space, which is a really easy combination. It could be that it's just on the tablet model, so that when you put it to sleep and you're in tablet mode, it doesn't turn the keyboard backlight on again - although an automatic solution to switch it off when in tablet mode would have been nicer.
Back to the look of the whole thing, I personally really like the look of the white-on-black with the "red accent" - the trackpoint and the trackpoint buttons. The blue-ish color of the backlight does detract from that a bit, if you have it on, if there's enough light to clearly see the non-backlit portions of the computer. The whole thing also has a bit of a rough look, it looks like it could withstand anything (although from my experience, that's not the case). It also has a certain amount of a "clean" look - not as in actually clean, mine has crumbs, hairs, dust, strings from clothes, and stuff I don't even know what it is on it - but it's mostly square, has a fairly simple design, has clearly marked borders, and doesn't really have anything sticking out. As for bulkyness, I wouldn't consider mine bulky, not to mention the non-tablet version is thinner and lighter than mine. The only aspect that isn't too great is the shape of most of the keyboard keys - it might look a little like a kid's toy to some, but that could well just be me.
You asked for sexy pictures, here are some (though they're not all sexy):

 

A couple more:

Never mind the fingerprints on the screen, you won't have that problem since you're getting the non-tablet version. Also, I have a glossy screen protector, so that also changes things. The non-tablet version does have a bit of a different look, but I hope this gives you an idea what it looks like.

 

All I can say is I have a macbook, the x230t, and three other notebooks....the x230t is my daily driver that goes with me wherever I go.

I think that says a lot.

I probably would not have gotten the tablet version---I almost never use it that way. The one thing about the macbook that I wish the x230 had was the touchpad...gosh, I love the macbook touchpad. Everything else about the x230 is better for daily use.

 

I wish mine had the backlit keyboard. Then again, I wish I had an Ivy Bridge instead of a Sandy Bridge i3, a webcam, a fingerprint reader, etc.. But, when the Lenovo Outlet has about a hundred new listed for $484, you take what you can get

And that's worth looking at, Ryuuga: you can occasionally get really good deals...although the outlet normally will limit you to 1 year depot warranty rather than being upgradeable to a better warranty. (Or, you can get really lucky and slip through the cracks like I did: I still have the full 3 year warranty on mine, minus the 8 months I've been using it).


The X230T was my daily driver during pretty much that entire time, so much so that I sold the workstation laptop I had (HP EliteBook 8560w, i7 quad w/ 16GB RAM, IPS 1080p, and dual SSDs), because the Thinkpad was doing everything I needed, from general browsing to running virtual machines. It's a tiny work horse.

I've spent most of my time on the MBA since I bought it (used) last month, but that's mostly in an effort to learn OSX for work. If I need to actually accomplish something more than web browsing, I just get back on the Thinkpad.

 

Sorry about that, mod please delete.

 

Thanks for all the smexy pictures!
Yes I fully agree that Thinkpads look more manly than sexy. Probably thats one of the reasons why I am having a hard time accepting it, cause y'know how all my gadgets are ladies and I give them lady names.... *ahem*
Anyways, yes because of its bulkiness and man-someness, I could not imagine a woman using this at starbucks or something.

All that hair and crumbs is proof you use it to its core!

I considered the tablet version, but it doesn't seem like productivity software(music software in my case) on Windows OS is moving towards incorporating special touch gestures yet. Until I can write music with my finger or something, I will wait it out a couple of years.

Thanks for the suggestion, Just took a peek at the outlet and they only had one X220 for sale and even that costs $1k with i7. I think my i5 ivy bridge is more worth it plus I get a newer HD4000 graphics just in case i get bored.

Thats exactly what I am looking for, a tiny workhorse. Well, Thanks you guys for all your input I think I'll be ordering my X230 and then I'll hv to wait a couple weeks until it arrives for me to play with it.


One last tiny issue, I realized the CTRL and FN buttons are flipped, is it possible to physically and software-ly(is this even a word) flip it back?

 

You can flip them in the BIOS, but the keys are not the same size, which would make swapping them difficult.

 

Thats a little awkward...