On 30/04/17 21:58, Daniel Pocock wrote:
On 30/04/17 20:59, Steven R. Baker wrote:
On 30/04/17 20:05, Daniel Pocock wrote:
On 30/04/17 17:00, Steven R. Baker wrote:
I've spent a lot of time thinking about this lately. My next machine will be a Purism Librem, I think. But I've been a life-long fan of ThinkPads. I currently have a W550s, an X250, and an X1 Carbon. Cannot recommend enough.
I've also been on ThinkPad for more than 10 years. I'm comfortable with servicing them and I'm happy with their TrackPoint.
As long as other options such as the Purism are not 100% free, I would not favor them completely over another ThinkPad.
Even if some of the vPro stuff is hard to avoid, can ThinkPad be ordered without vPro or can it be sufficiently disabled?
I don't know about this.
The main reasons for replacing the X220 tablet:
- weight - I'd like to get something under 1.5kg, the lower the better
and there are plenty of models between 1.0 and 1.2kg these days.
- screen resolution - the 768 pixel screen height is troublesome for
some applications
X270 will solve this nicely. So will the X1 Carbon. I have two machines with "HiDPI" (the W and the X1 Carbon) and it's very well supported by both GNOME and KDE.
What were the factors for you in choosing between X1 Carbon 2017 and the X270? I noticed you preferred X270.
The older X1 Carbons were a bit bigger but now they have made it smaller by reducing the edge around the screen it is very tempting for me.
First, the subjective: the X1 Carbon doesn't feel like a real ThinkPad. If you were comparing it to an Apple laptop or something, it compares favourably. It's beautiful, strong, comfortable, etc. It really is a lovely machine. But I prefer the more traditional ThinkPads. I'm sure I'm just old and cranky.
In all fairness, I think that is why they have kept the X2x0 series going in parallel with the X1, they know it is a bit different and they are giving people the choice.
The fact it has a TrackPoint still makes it partially a ThinkPad though.
Objectively: the removable second battery is a big winner for me, and the smaller footprint of the X270 means it fits better in my favourite bag. It's also more comfortable on the tiny tables on our local trains (I'm in Skåne, in southern Sweden) and on airplanes. Finally, I like the ultradock better than the "USB hub that's called a dock". I'm not sure if that's subjective, or objective: but iit does mean that the additional screen size doesn't matter to me. I have a 40" 4K display at home, and at work a 32" WQHD display and I use it "like a desktop" in both places.
The 2017 model X1 Carbon is apparently 8% smaller than the previous X1 model, so a lot closer in size to the X270. Have you had a chance to see one and compare it?
Ah, interesting. That certainly makes the X1 more compelling. I have only played with a Yoga, but didn't compare it, I was busy drawing with the stylus.
The marketing says they have kept the same 14" screen but reduced the border around the screen.
Looking at the spec sheet, it appears to be 1cm wider than my X220 Tablet but about the same height.
This is promising.
I will reiterate about trains + planes: the 12.5" screen really shines here, because it's shorter than the 14" on the X1 Carbon. I can open the X250 comfortably, without touching the reclined seat in front of me on a plane. And it fits at all on the tiny tray on the local trains. The X1 Carbon often can't open to 90°, let alone past it, on planes, and it doesn't really fit on the tiny tray on the local trains.
Being able to fit into these spaces is an issue for me too.
One particular concern I have is that there is nothing with quad core in the ultraportable market but I guess I just have to live with that if I want long battery life. Compiling projects like reSIProcate benefits from extra cores.
At my day job I work on a graph database, which is about a million lines of code in Java and Scala. That's why I opted for the W550s with 32G (I have the loadedest model with every option; it wasn't my bank account). But when I was using the X250 with only 8G of RAM before I got the W, it was a mild annoyance. Incremental compilation and the ability to spin up an AWS instance (on my employers' dime, of course) to do the build for me really helped.
When I use the X250 for work related things, and I have to wait for a compile I grab a coffee and don't even think about how much faster the W is. When I use the W550s and pick it up to put it in my bag, my back aches and I wish I had just got an X260 or whatever was current when I ordered the W. (Or just upped the RAM in the 250, but my employer bought it, and the budget was unlimited.)
If you're going to battery and portability, you have to sacrifice the speed, which you know. But my experience is that computers are "fast enough" now adays that going nuts really doesn't matter. Also, since you're moving from an X220, you won't know what you're missing anyhow. It'll be a welcome improvement. (Or not. I really don't notice speed differences anymore.)
I can also compile on remote servers so I can manage without the extra cores, as much as I would like to have them. On my desk I typically have 24 cores.
Having something ultraportable for use on trains, planes and at conferences is essential for me. Even with the X220 Tablet, I don't always take it out with me because of the weight. The lighter my next laptop, the more frequently I will take it with me.
I brought the W550s with me to FOSDEM. I think I brought it one day and regretted it.
-Steven
Regards,
Daniel _______________________________________________ Discussion mailing list Discussion@lists.fsfe.org https://lists.fsfe.org/mailman/listinfo/discussion