x201: Some facts (and impressions)

Hi...

My x201 is about a week away - or so I have been told. As I wait for it, I just wanted to go over some points. Please comment, correct, and advise. I am buying this in India.

1. On the Lenovo (India) site, there is something called a ThinkPad X UltraBase. If you have used it, or if you use it, could you please tell me: (1) How high does this raise the X201 from the desk (if at all)? (2) How's the typing experience when the laptop is on this Ultrabase?

2. In real life - which specifically means: (i) screen brightness at half (ii) wifi on all the time (iii) at least two or three MS Office apps, VLC, IE9 and/or Chrome open with at least 4 tabs and some random IM app open - how much life does the 9-cell have? I will need about 6 hrs of battery life.

3. I recently read someone's experience with the x201 where the viewing angles of the screen were reported to be problematic when working - particularly the vertical angles. Is this really a problem?

4. Screen res is 1280x800, which is the same as on my R400 at the moment - so, visually, I should not see too much of a difference aside from the obvious right?

5. Heat and sound: My R400 is silent and cool. From what I have read of the X201 here at NBR, I believe it is the same. Am I correct in this understanding.

I am sure I have a lot of other questions, but this time, I will save them for when I get the laptop. I may also - if I can summon up the courage - write out a mini users' review of the x201.

Thanks in advance.

3.

 

hi, i think you probably should have asked all these questions before buying!!

this is a pretty thorough review which answers some of your questions

Review Lenovo ThinkPad X201 Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

 

1) The x200 ultrabase is what it will use and it raises the notebook up about an inch or so with a slight angle. Typing on it isnt bad as it reminds me of laptops from the 90s so I feel at home.

2) cannot answer as I have a core 2 duo machine, but Id assume pretty good.

3) My LED screen is great straight on, the viewing angles arent great but then again its a 12in screen and I wouldnt worry if you have a person to your right and left. More then that Im assuming youll run into the same issues I would on my screen, but again 12in lcd so no worries there.

4) The transition should be very easy. I changed from my t400 14in 1440x900 resolution screen to my x200s 12in 1440x900 resolution screen very well. Took me about 5 minutes to adjust to the physically smaller screen size and after that its just like Im working on my t400.

5) Again I have a core 2 duo rig so I cannot comment on actual temps, but I will say running it hard on the dock will make it run ever so slightly warmer then not on the dock. Its it noticable on my x200s? Not really.

All in all I think youll be more then happy with the notebook.

 

Thanks. I have read that review. About asking those questions - well, I have here and there but not in a consolidate form.

The one thing that I am really worried about - but that would be the case if I bought any other laptop - would be dead pixels (especially if they are under 2 or 3 or whatever is the tolerance limit laid out by Lenovo). Thus far, I have had good luck with ref to the pixels and I sure hope the luck holds out!

Actually, I am so looking forward to the X201, it's a bit worrying!

@Sphinx: Thanks. Very reassuring!

Edit: Btw, is there no "dock" like what is available for the R/T series machines for the X series? Is the Ultrabase the only option?

 

Nope. Its the x200 ultrabase or this.

 

ultrabase is a dock, it is a specific dock for the X series. Since you bought you can test everything out when you get, you can do the worrying when you get. There is no point fretting about it, since you already made the purchase.

 

no probs, i just thought the review would be good re: viewing angles and temperatures as they are very thorough with measurements....

also i think either they or notebook review did a stress test with 9 cell, under max load (backlight 100% cpu 100%) it lasted 5ish hours. under normal load u should see 9 hours and under light load 11 hours

 

Thanks all.

Yeah...I could not order the 9 cell battery though. When I asked for it, I was told that they would get back to me. It looks like it is on their website though...I don't know what's happening with this but I'll give it some time. Maybe the 6-cell may suffice. Let's see.

I now have to buy an external monitor. But I think I should wait for a bit. Also because I have no idea what I am looking for - though I know exactly what I want to do with it!

About the screen: Really, I am not too picky. I rarely watch movies etc - except for documentaries for work purposes, for which I have found the R400 adequate. If it is anything like what I have on the R400 (though I have recently come to see a yellowish tint except at max brightness), it will work.

Screen size? Well, we'll find out soon enough won't we?

Dock/ultrabase: Well, I have not yet placed an order on this. I have made a formal RFQ (oh yes...!). In the RFQ, I mention a dock, the materials they sent me was about the ultrabase. I saw the pics, but I wonder how good or otherwise using the ultrabase would be - especially for sustained periods of time.

Oh yeah...I had no choice but to buy the x201 and I HAD to buy it before the end of this month!

Sidenote:

Do you know what I am really looking forward to (aside from the usual)?

It is something triggered by what Veer said in an unrelated post while discussing the X, T, R series. He said that unlike the T and the R, the X series had not much of a frame alongside the keyboard (or something to that effect). I went back and saw some pics of the X201 and he is right, it looks a lot leaner (it's the best way I can put it) and tighter (if you know what I mean).

 

yes, they wanted to maintain a full size keyboard so its pretty much edge-to-edge on the x201.

the 9 cell not only juts out the back, but also adds a bit of thickness, and quite a bit of weight to the x201. so really no point getting it if u dont absolutely need 9+ hours battery life. the 6 cell will give u about 6 hours under normal use

 

The ultrabase is a must for me. Turns my x200s into a complete package when at work. Thicker? Sure. Nuisance? No. I would recommend one to anyone who has a compatible laptop.

 

Good points all around. For my purposes, 6 hours will do, I think. Even on a flight to Europe, I'll probably doze off for a couple of hours...so, that'll save on the battery. Otherwise, in the last 12 months, I don't think I have been away from a power outlet for more than 6 hrs!

Really? Hmm...food for thought. The only problem is that if I order it, I probably won't be able to return it if I don't like it. Hell...they will only order it for me if an advance (like around 15%) is paid upfront (rules of engagment, I'm afraid). I wish I could try it someplace before ordering.

I do like the idea of the dock though. Very convenient!!

 

dock is convenient if u have an external monitor etc, but its not essential. my friend just manually connects the external monitor and has a wireless kb and mouse.

saved 200 bucks on the dock and got a nicer monitor than he would have otherwise.

 

if you want to run a large screen off the X201, then it is advisable that you get a ultrabase which has a displayport。

 

I know this is kind of an odd question, but is the Ultrabase (occasionally)portable?

 

Yes. I just snap it in and slide it in the pack. Adds about .5-1in width and 1in or so thickness. But still slides in any of my packs or messengers.

 

Oh good...Thanks! Maybe then I can buy this overseas where it would probably be cheaper.

 

it adds about 1 kg to the overall weight of the laptop.

 

Hi, Here are my X201 impressions:

• Battery life: I write/edit documents, review/show slides, check/write email, Chrome with a few tabs, but never run VLC or watch YouTube on the X201. As I mentioned to you in another thread, a fully-charged 9-cell supports me for a full work day, 8 hours easily. You may do fine with a 6-cell battery.
  
  
• Viewing angles: Horizonal okay. Vertical so so. (Colors meh. Contrast meh. Brightness good.) Overall, I'm not too excited about the X201 panel, but I was fully aware of this when I decided to purchase an X201 for my day trips. Because it is not my only computer, I don't use it for tasks that I can do much more comfortably (and enjoyably) on other computers at my desk. I only care about 3 factors of this "work machine": size, weight, battery life.
  
  
• Pixel density of 1280x800 for a 12.1" panel: Good enough for my mobile tasks. A higher resolution would be impractical, to my eyes. Again, I use other computers/panels for various design, graphics and media applications.
  
  
• Heat and sound: Cool, never had a concern with this. Sound? Maybe a "beep" or a "ding" every now and then. As noted, I don't run VLC to listen to music or radio stations.
  
  
• Keyboard: Excellent; can't praise it enough. Full-sized; that's why it runs from edge to edge, and the two edges are solid solid (I prefer slim/lean edges to the two huge speaker grilles on both sides of my T510 notebook).
  
  
• Dock: I don't use one. When I get home, I plug the X201 in to re-charge the battery.

You will enjoy the X201. The more I use it, the more I like it.

 

Ultrabase is a must-have for me. Incredibly convenient for office work and I have all ports connected except for the DisplayPort (I use VGA). At some point, I might buy a HD caddy and hook up another HD for storage.

The only thing that would be useful but isn't part of the ultrabase is a space for another battery - something like a battery slice. The Ultrabase does support charging another battery - you open a small gate and the connector pops out - but the way you charge it is the battery is outside just connected to the ultrabase.

The best part is that typing feels a little better on the Ultrabase especially if you're on the bed with the laptop on your legs.

 

I wish there was a slice for the x200s/x200/x201. I would kill for that much battery life.

 

@ Kaso...thanks for your impressions!

@ unreal25 & lead_org & sphinx...Looks like I may opt for the Ultrabase after all...

At one point, I was concerned about the size of the palmrest, but I don't think it will be a problem either.

I get a good feeling about this...can't wait to get my hands on the x201. I will inaugurate my next writing project on it!

 

Not even my rig and Im excited!

 

...just like what I feel when I read accounts of folks here getting and handling their laptops...

 

Yep... it would be amazing. But it looks like there isn't that much space inside the dock. Even the X220 has a separate slice from the dock.

 

Not in the dock, but a slice like the new thinkpads that goes in place of the dock. An ultrabay battery would have been nice too, but alas it isnt possible.

 

Just throwing in my 2 cents.

1. On the Lenovo (India) site, there is something called a ThinkPad X UltraBase. If you have used it, or if you use it, could you please tell me: (1) How high does this raise the X201 from the desk (if at all)? (2) How's the typing experience when the laptop is on this Ultrabase?

I can't really speak to the X201 ultrabase, but having one for my X41 made it a great machine for continuing work stuff at home. I'm waiting for the X201 ultrabase to drop a bit more in price - Newegg's price is slowly falling with the X201/200 series production coming down in volume, and I look foward to hooking dual 19's to the ultrabase along with a keyboard and mouse for home use. Since my X201 is my school-work/work-work machine, the extra screen real estate will come in handy.

2. In real life - which specifically means: (i) screen brightness at half (ii) wifi on all the time (iii) at least two or three MS Office apps, VLC, IE9 and/or Chrome open with at least 4 tabs and some random IM app open - how much life does the 9-cell have? I will need about 6 hrs of battery life.

I managed a cross country flight (5 + hours), an entire day of on and off use, and an hour or so at a conference without running out of juice - I still had 20 or so percent when I got back to the airport 8 hours after arrival. I get a full 8 hours running at full power on my desk at work, playing my music collection and surfing the web/doing schoolwork, with enough juice to sleep for my ride home from work and check email from the kitchen once I get home, so I'm certain you'll be able to squeeze 6 hours out of it under your usage scenario.

3. I recently read someone's experience with the x201 where the viewing angles of the screen were reported to be problematic when working - particularly the vertical angles. Is this really a problem?

I find the viewing angles to be just fine - its no IPS/Flexview superscreen, but I don't see color distortion unless I'm at an extremely aggressive angle. I would not use this panel for Photo editing or anything of the like - color reproduction does leave something to be desired compared to even my low end panels at home, but for any work that's not color sensitive, it's more than good enough.

4. Screen res is 1280x800, which is the same as on my R400 at the moment - so, visually, I should not see too much of a difference aside from the obvious right?

My mother finds 1280x800 on my 12 inch screen difficult to see. Her primary machine is a 1280x800 15 inch system - her screen drives me crazy. My X201 looks crisper than hers, sharper, and easier to focus on. You won't want to use the screen much farther than arms length if your vision is like mine - you'll end up using analog zoom (AKA leaning in and squinting) to see text on webpages on occasion.

5. Heat and sound: My R400 is silent and cool. From what I have read of the X201 here at NBR, I believe it is the same. Am I correct in this understanding.

My X201 is quiet and cool, thus far. Even after a 2 hour Left 4 Dead 2 session, I don't experience insane temps, and the fan has never even been able to drown out the laptop's integrated speakers - which sound good, but are admittedly weak. I feel it moving air, but it's quiet about the whole process. My hard drive is louder than my fan - I've heard it on a few occasions in an absolutely quiet room, but it's still not enough to drown out the system's integrated speakers.

Just to address your palmrest concerns:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/f7k0RJPzPVINnzz2Nr9phlGdHLxd1hlmYIZQ3yUkb7k?feat=directlink

It's not bad at all for typing, it might be a little bit short for those with large hands, but it's not bad at all.

Overall, you should be in for an absolutely wonderful laptop experience with your X201.

 

Nice!! finally, you're getting it...! have fun.

some observations I can help you with..

1)Don't have the ultra base, but I have a laptop stand that gives me the same amount of tilt / height. overall, typing is a comfortable experience - but the best feel is when the laptop is flat!

2) You wouldn't need the screen at half the brightness a 3 to 6 is comfortable for regular work depending on the ambient lighting. Don't use VLC too often, but with the other usage, 4-5 hours seems to be realistic with the 6-cell.

3) Vertical viewing angles is not that great - but the lid swivels a full 180 degrees

4) yeah - not too much of an issue. But mind you, there is a difference between 1280x800 on a 15(or 14' - not too sure of the R400) to a 1280x800 on a 12.1'

5) Absolutely... it's dead silent. I can occasionally hear the HDD clicking. If it were an SSD, it would be dead silent. If you're using the max battery profile, I think that the cooling is entirely passive.

Have a good time with the x201. ?Btw, don't recall your config - would you kindly point me to it?

 

@knightzero...thanks. Very instructive. EDIT: The pic was very helpful. Laid a lot of doubts to rest.

@ v_310...thanks.

Also, the config is as below:

Model name 3323AA3 OR 3323AC5 ( EDIT: I checked on the Warranty of the second model. It has IWS, but it's a carry-in rather than an onsite option, which is what I want. I have to look into this.)
Processor Intel® Core™ i5-560M Processor ( 2.66GHz 1066MHz )
Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Professional 32 (I want the 64-bit option)**
Total memory 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz
Display type 12.1 " WXGA TFT 1280x800
Hard drive device 500GB
Network card ThinkPad 11b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless
Bluetooth Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR
Form Factor Notebook
Fingerprint Reader Fingerprint Reader
Warranty Three years parts and labour (system battery: one year)
WWAN Integrated Wireless Wide Area Network upgradable
Pointing device TrackPoint with "Press-to-Select"
Battery 6 Cell Lithium-Ion

 

Nice. You can convert from 32 to 64 bit with a clean re-install. I'll pass along the relevant details once your laptop is in.

 

Thanks. Exactly what I want to do. I asked about the onsite warranty and I was told that they will put it on for 3 yrs, which is damn good for me!

EDIT: I read through the methods for the clean install of Win 7 Pro (64-bit). I don't think I will need to download the ISOs because I already have a Win 7 Pro disc (retail copy). I wonder if I could use that and plug in the authorization/ registration codes using the registration back-up tool that is mentioned in that thread.

Btw, the drive speed is 7200 rpm. I will finally get to check out what is the difference between this and the 5400 rpm. I did think about the SSD, but it does not make (financial) sense at the moment.

Another point on which I would need your help would be on the WWAN, which I will have to get.

 

You're correct... the windows 7 pro disc should work! just ensure you use the 64-bit disc. Before the clean install, use the tool to back up your windows activation key - save it on a thumb drive.

You have to take note that once you do a 64-bit clean install, you'll lose the recovery partition and system restore with the thinkvantage button will not work.

What I've done with all of my laptops is that I get the hard disk with the least capacity (and the slowest) by default and then do an install on a brand new disk. I got mine with the 250 GB 5400 rpm disc - due to a shortage of funds, I re-used a 320 GB 5400 rpm disc I had for the clean install. I'm soon going to switch to an SSD or a 7200 rpm disc. The advantage with this approach is that 1) you have a tight control of what software is getting loaded and 2) If you have to send your notebook for warranty repairs, you just slap in the original hard disk that came with the notebook. This ensures your personal data is safe with you.

for the WWAN, ask someone coming from UK to specifically order this

The WWAN cards you get from US are carrier locked and are of no use outside the US. The only carrier unlocked card is the link above. Also be prepared to install the card yourself - I'm not sure if the service guys will be ready to install it. BTW - it's a pretty straight forward thing to install - just take out the keyboard and the palm rest, slide it into the PCI slot, connect the antennae and you're done. The instruction manual that comes with the WWAN card is pretty detailed and shows a step by step procedure of how to install it.

Once you have the WWAN card installed, it is trivial to go and get a SIM - you just need an ID proof (driver's license) and an address proof (Any phone / mobile bill). Better go for pre-paid if you're not using it regularly.

 

this is something i was wondering about. thinkpads dont come with recovery disks right? the images are already on the HDD and when you do a format it is from the recovery partition. what happnes when you buy a new hard drive? how do you restore all that?

 

^^^ You create recovery discs (typically one boot CD plus 2 data DVDs) using ThinkVantage tool, then image the new drive from the recovery discs. The recovery discs may also be ordered from Lenovo for ~$40.

 

Excellent. Thanks.

I do have both the 32 and 64 bit discs because I bought them retail for the R400. So, that takes care of that.

Thanks for the heads up on the WWAN. I will be in the UK later this year and I will buy it from there.

Will keep you folks posted.

Not much longer now!

Edit: One of the things that I may change immediately is the palmrest because I believe the model which is coming to me has both the Trackpoint and the Trackpad. Since I don't use the latter, I see no reason why I should have that.

 

so there is a way to re-image the hard drive so i dont have to carry the recovery disks around after a hard drive change?

i'm thinking of getting an SSD to replace the hard drive

 

if you're going in for an SSD, you're better off with a clean install. My advice:

1) put the original disc back into your laptop
2) Save the serial number and activation key on to a USB drive
3) download the windows 7 iso
4) install the SSD into the laptop and do a clean install
5) apply the serial number and activation on to your new install.

there are plenty of threads in the forum which give you details of how to do steps 2, 3 and 4.

Re-imaging does not align the SSD properly and might lead to degraded performance.

 

I was just informed that I will be getting the machine on Monday...damn! days pass so slowly!!!!!

 

yes, i've done clean installs many times. i have a dedicated USB key where i have a clean bootable ISO of Win7 for any reformats. i've just never dealt with a computer that had a recovery partition that had as many functions as thinkpads...other than losing the OS image etc on the recovery partition, what other functionality will i lose? as i'm looking at a 128gb ssd, space is a bit cramped so i dont mind getting rid of the recovery partition completely if i dont lose any useful features.

 

I got it!!!! It was delivered just about 15 mins ago! Now for some lunch and then to work customizing the heck out the x201.

It is incredibly light!!!!

More details around Monday!

 

Woooohoooo!!!! Congrats. It's a great machine.

 

@ Zaz...Thanks!

This is the first post with the x201!

The x201 is incredibly light. I don't find myself inconvenienced at all by the smaller palmrest and the smaller screen.

The keyboard is superb - though it is different from my R400.

Some of my fears: pixel problem, weight, size, heat (despite all the assurances that you guys have shared with me)....none of them are real. It is truly a fantastic machine.

Right now, the battery is being charged up. I just installed Chrome and MSE. I am also going to download IE9 on the machine in a little bit.

On Monday I am going to clean install the 64-bit version of Win7 and them all my programs and other data.

Perhaps that would also be the time to set the fingerprint access thing. This leads me ask - do all of you who have this fingerprint option use this or do you just let it lie.

 

Congratulations! Swipe away!

 

I find that the Page UP/Down area does flex quite a bit. In fact, that area sounds quite hollow. But the rest of the KB area is fantastically firm. Is this common?

 

Woohoo!! congratulations. I'm sure you'll be finding it difficult to put down .

I've setup the fingerprint on mine... you can just swipe and the system will boot up and log you in - It's way too cool, and saves you a step of typing your password at logon.

The page up/down keyboard area has flex in mine too.. I don't use that area of the keyboard so much, so it's not a bother!

 

Sounds good! I love the machine. The only problem is that I can't install any programs yet...have to leave that for Monday when I get back from my weekend trip.

I would think there is something wrong with the Lenovo people - why would you offer 4GB RAM and pack that with only the 32-bit version of Win7?????

Anyways, there appears to be a lot of extra apps on this machine. So, a clean install is indeed in order.

 

hmm yeah.. I was intending to use a 64 bit version anyways... with the amount of work I do with VM's, i need to move to 8 GB soon! My calculated guess is that the 1GB sticks are in short supply, so they give 2x2GB and charge a hefty premium for that! I got mine with 2 GB installed and added 4 GB with aftermarket parts.

 

It doesn't happen on my machine, so it's not common. Seriously, though, either a keyboard re-seat or a bit of masking tape will eliminate the tiny gap underneath that area.

 

I think the 1280x800 res is perfect for the 12" screen - there is a marked difference between it and the R400 screen (with the same res)

Edit: The stickers on the palmrest are now history!

Edit: What is this Lenovo Enhanced Experience?

 

With most people opting for "clean install," it doesn't matter what EE really means. Anyhow, there is EE2 (version 2!) for the latest ThinkPads.



Be afraid!

 

Enhanced experience, in my book, is when you do a clean Win install.