thinkpad x201 non-tablet

[Essence_of_War]

I'm looking for a used thinkpad, specifically, an x201 non-tablet, but I'm having a really irritating time sorting out the non-tablets from the tablet versions.

Is there a specific model number corresponding to the non-tablet version that I could use in searches that might make this easier?

I've also tried looking for the x201s and found that they're basically a sasquatch...vague reports on forums or reddit that they are available on ebay from a seller, which always fade into broken links and "no-match" searches. Is that typical? Were they a very small run, or are they just so dearly loved that any used models are snapped up immediately?

 

[sm625]

All I see is non-tablet versions. Where are you seeing tablet versions? You could try "-tablet"

One of the listings for an x201 says "Up for sale is my previous laptop that was working, however I removed my hard drive, ram memory, and charging cord. " Yeah. Right. Sure ya did buddy. Its funny how these things are always missing the charging cord.

 

[Essence_of_War]

I think I found my problem, it looks like all of the i7's (at least the ones on newegg and ebay that I can find) are the tablet version. The i5s look to have some of each, but I think I've found several i5s to choose from at least. Thanks!

 

[fire400]

x201 has an awesome touchpad.

x220 and x230 touchpads are trash.

i5 w/upper-end SSD > i7 w/hdd

 

[Essence_of_War]

x201 has an awesome touchpad.

I heard this! My understanding is also that the keys switch to chiclet style and the layout changes post x201, is that about right?

 

[holden j caufield]

x220 still has decent keyboard. FYI a dual core i5 and dual core i7 and very similar so there is not much advantage to getting a dual core i7.

 

[jana519]

Just look at the picture. The tablet has one central hinge, and the non-tablets have two side hinges. Plus most sellers on Ebay take pictures of the tablet screen swiveling as a selling point.

Ivy Bridge gen Thinkpads and onward have the island style keyboards, I prefer the older chiclet keyboards.

 

[fire400]

yeah when gaming, the older style keyboards can't be beat on Windows XP

starcraft broodwar on thinkpad t400s is no doubt the best of any laptop

 

[Valantar]

Just to chime in, that is an excellent laptop. Mine (model 3626, i5-520m) has just turned five, and it still both looks and feels brand new. I put an X25-m 80GB and 4GB RAM in there when I bought it (the RAM has since been doubled again), and it doesn't feel much slower than my GFs 6-month-old Yoga 2 Pro in day-to-day usage. Both my batteries are still at ~80% capacity as well, which is astounding. Too bad the screen is such utter crap, though. I've seen worse TN displays, but not by much. That would be my main reason to upgrade, but I'll probably keep it around for a few years still - I've got a desktop, after all.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

I'm looking for a used thinkpad, specifically, an x201 non-tablet, but I'm having a really irritating time sorting out the non-tablets from the tablet versions.

Is there a specific model number corresponding to the non-tablet version that I could use in searches that might make this easier?

I've also tried looking for the x201s and found that they're basically a sasquatch...vague reports on forums or reddit that they are available on ebay from a seller, which always fade into broken links and "no-match" searches. Is that typical? Were they a very small run, or are they just so dearly loved that any used models are snapped up immediately?

Is there a reason you want the non-tablet version specifically? The tablet version is guaranteed to have an IPS/AFFS+ panel (and there exist versions with much brighter backlights), while AFFS+ is an upgrade for the vanilla X201s. That's why I have an X200t and X201t; I don't use the tablet functionality at all.

-s variants are usually slimmed-down (physically and/or by power) versions of their non-s counterparts. In the X201s' case you still have the same chips on offer but gain the option for a higher-res, higher-quality screen (default TN 1280x800 -> AFFS+ 1440x900).

If you *really* wanna search by specific model numbers, download the HMM (free hardware maintenance manual from Lenovo; search via google) and look at the "type numbers" somewhere within the first few pages. They'll be 4 digits. Submodels are denoted by the 3 alphanumeric chars after the type number

Yeah. Right. Sure ya did buddy. Its funny how these things are always missing the charging cord.

Power cords were interchangeable across all Thinkpad models from ~mid-2007 to ~late-2012 (including the one in question), so it's not so far-fetched. I have around 20 Thinkpads but less than half that number of power cords for them.