X300 series being phased out in favour of T410s

I was surprised that somebody didn't start a thread about this already:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/lenovo-thinkpad-x300-series-to-be-phased-out-replaced-by-t400-t/

What do you guys think about this? Good? Bad?

It doesn't affect me too much, since I'm more of a fan of the X200 series rather than the X300 series. But I guess there are some people who prefer the optical drive and the higher resolution screen? Is the T410s a "close enough" replacement for you guys?

 

Yes I read about this. Very sad to see it go, but we all kind of saw it coming as there was no refresh for this line. It's hard to continue to sell this product in this economic climate. And it really doesn't make much sense when a more powerful, smaller footprint and less expensive option as the X20x line (The original X series screen size) exists with better battery options, expansion+memory card ports. For the price they were charging Lenovo should have included a quality screen.
For those requiring an optical drive, I think T410s with its lower price point should work nicely.

 

Nope.

Fillerfiller

 

I would have gotten a x300 series if it wasn't priced so ridiculously high and if it had better hardware components such as a i5 processor. I find that a 13" laptop is a lot different from a 14" in terms of weight. It's sad to see it go.

 

Yes it would be better if there is a better CPU option available.

 

No surprise at all, but still a great pity. Not sure what direction I'll go when I ultimately replace my current X300, but the T410s (or similar) isn't what I want, or a 12" laptop for that matter. I could see looking at a Sony Vaio Z, except it's not nearly as sturdy as the X301 and I find those thin Sony screens coming off the big round hinges a bit silly looking.

 

i liked the X301 much better than the X300, due to the intel 4500MHD GPU, which supports native decoding of the blu ray movie, and it has the displayport.

I find the X301 CPU is more than adequate for what i use it for.

 

your sentence contradicts itself.   for clarification, you don't find it adequate or you find it more than adequate?   just curious.

 

A professor in my department owns a X300 and just bought a T410s. Laid out side-by-side they aren't that much different in dimensions and the T410s is sufficiently lightweight that he is very happy with it. The ever-so-slight weight increase in the T410s is more than enough offset by the much increased horsepower over the X300.

I saw this coming. Unless people specifically wanted a 13.3 inch size there really is no reason to get the X300/X301.

 

For me one of the key points to go for an X301 was the outstanding build quality. Do you guys think the T410s is comparable in that area?

 

For some reason judging from this forum i thought that X301 isn't very popular here?

For me this is very bad indeed. I use Sony SZ currently, it's already old and has 13.3, i was planning to get x301, which was perfect alternative, it has screen of same size but is much lighter and thinner than my Sony..
14 is too big for me so T410 is no replacement at all.

 

X2

I'm not too happy to hear of the X301's demise, but, as others have said, we've seen it coming.

I'm SOOOO glad I bought my X301 new last year when I did. Now, especially knowing that Lenovo will be discontinuing the X301 altogether.

To me, the X301 is perfect for my needs. The 13" screen size is (to me at least) the perfect size. SUPER thin, WITH a DVD drive, with the BEST build quality I've ever seen in a laptop.
And, while it's definitely no speed demon, it's more then enough for my needs ( I only use it several times a month if that, I take it with my on all of my vacations, on the road, etc.).

Sad to see it go.

 

I agree with most of the posts here... My main reasons for *not* choosing the X300 series were because:

1) No docking station
2) Under-powered CPU
3) Expensive
4) 1.8" hard drive

The X200 series has the X300 beat on those 4 points imo.. With the disadvantage being a smaller, lower-resolution screen.

You know what I would be interested in though? A more affordable X300 series laptop which sacrifices the optical drive in favour of better cooling so that it can house a full-powered CPU like the X200 series. When I was trying to choose between an X201 and a T410s, I really hated why Lenovo didn't just drop the optical drive to save weight and allow space for a 2.5" HDD instead of 1.8".

 

@Faruk.

1. The X301 has a Displayport and you can get a usb port replicator with DVI out, so i think this is already superior to the X20x, which has no onboard displayport or optical drive.

2. X30x is not meant to be used as a data cruncher, it is used mainly by road warrior business professionals. These people may find the X20x LCD too small and want an integrated optical drive (if you take both the ultrabase + X20x machine, it would probably weigh as much as the T500 laptop).

3. Obviously, the X30x laptop is not positioned as a cheap netbook alternatives, given the spec, size and weight, it is understandable that it commands a certain price premium over the other Thinkpads. It is targeted towards executives and managers, whom are willing to pay more for a fully functional laptop at ultraportable weight class.

Also, the X30x costs about the same as other laptops in its class. I don't think Mercedes would have to explain to the C or E class users, why the S63 AMG or Maybach is so darn expensive. You buy what you can afford, there is no point restricting other people's choice, just because it is priced out your psychological threshold price. Each to their own.

4. 1.8 inch hdd is chosen to decrease the size and weight of the laptop, every grams count.
-------------------------------------

You can get T410s without optical drive from aftermarket resellers, and the problem of the 2.5 inch hdd can be solved, if you use the Ultrabay hdd adapter.

 

Some good points there lead_org, but here's my perspective...

1. I use my X201 as a desktop at home with 2 screens hooked up, and an ultra-portable on-the-go. So I like having my Core i5.

2. Why would I bring my ultrabase with me on the go? That's why I have an external slim DVD-RW drive which I bring with me if I need it (i.e. almost never). I think that being "inconvenienced" to bring my external drive 1% of the time is worth the trade-off to have a better laptop (i.e. more interior space to house a 2.5" HDD and better cooling for an i5 processor).

3. I think the only reason the X300/X301 were expensive is because they tried to squeeze the optical drive in there. And of course, the 1.8" drive is expensive.

4. I'd rather sacrifice the optical drive... But again, that's just me, and perhaps others may disagree.

I, personally, would love to see an X201 stretched into an X300 form factor... As long as there isn't a significant increase in weight, of course. But whatever... I'm pretty happy with my X201 already.

The one advantage of the T410s, though, is that you could have a 1.8" SSD with a 2.5" regular HDD. I think that's a pretty cool setup. I was very close to buying the T410s instead of my X201, but I was just way too spoiled by the portability of my old feather-weight X200... And of course, it would have cost me an extra $1000+ to get a T410s and go with the hybrid SSD/HDD idea! Oh and I would also need to buy a new $200 docking station...

 

@Faruk, what you said is all fair assessment.

The X30x were expensive due to several reasons.

1. There was lot more R&D going into it.
2. The machines only had limited market demand, volume of sales were lower, so the price of the machine had to be hacked up to at least break even on the investment.
3. More marketing and promotion for this machine. In Australia X30x laptop had a higher media coverage than a comparable machines.
4. Cost of the miniaturized parts as you have mentioned.
5. There is also certain amount of price skimming going on for most top end products.

 

All those DVD drive opponents should keep in mind the ability to swap the optical drive with the 3 cell bay battery to get a 9 cell machine. Which surely adds some weight but NO bulk to the machine.

I personaly don't use my drive often too. But since i haven't another laptop or desktop anymore, the option to have an internal drive if needed just fits me.