Laptop like the X220

[BearZDefect]

It's about time to replace my aging laptop, which is over 5 years old and long in the tooth.

I've had enough hands-on experience with the Lenovo X220 to really like it, aside from the poor noservice from Lenovo's warranty repair contractor.

The real trouble is, Lenovo has abandoned the classic Thinkpad keyboards, and now equips all the Thinkpads with the Edge style chiclet keyboard. This newer style keyboard is fine for typing words, but I've had enough hands-on experience trying it out to find it terrible for technical use due to their mashing indistinctly together the various function keys.

So, this makes the current X230 a no-go.

Are there any other laptops with a good 12.5 to 13.3 inch display, and full size keyboard with classic keytops and distinct function arrangement?

It also needs to be well constructed so the display panel doesn't crack the first time someone picks it up one-handed. This rules out Toshiba's Portege series.

Any modern Intel dual core i processor is good enough for me. I am not hung up on brand name, but it needs to be a Windows PC.

 

[Food Scientist]

Have you checked out the Lenovo X1? We use these for work and I actually like the different keyboard becuase it doesn't fatigue your hands as much, but still has a positive engagement. It has a 14" display and I have pushed down and traveled with the computer throught the airport several times and haven't had any problems yet with the screen. The mouse on it is a little cheesy but I got used to it.

 

[SZR48207]

Dell Latitude E6330? They can get pricey, but they are solidly built and you can EASILY fix most problems yourself since Dell has plenty of enterprise support parts in stock. Not to mention you can get extended batteries, add in modules for 3G/BT/etc.., and the list goes on.

I have a Latitude D430 from a few years back that is fully loaded since I bought the additional parts myself on eBay at a big discount and installed them myself. The chassis is magnesium and it is solidly built.

 

[dparm]

My work laptop is a Dell Latitude E6220 (new version is the 6230 -- same keyboard and case, just revised internals). It's the closest competitor I've come across, though the HP EliteBooks are very compelling too.

It is a 12.5" screen; no built-in optical drive. Full-size keyboard. Weighs just under 4lbs with the extended battery.

 

[cmorr]

I always recommend business class computers even for home use

We purchase primarily HP and Dell (prior to that we used IBM/Lenovo )

HP - Unfortunately the HP offering 2560P has an island style keyboard and wide key spacing. Many of my internal customers dislike the keyboard and their dsplays are dim and have poor contrast


Dell - Dell's keyboards have keycaps that are slightly less concave now but still have some depth to the keycap so your fingers dont slide off. I Highly recceommend the E6220 12.5 and the E6320 (13.3 with an optical drive). The E6220 is the nicer of the two, bright & contrasty display with surprisingly good audio

When the X220 came out we ordered (3) of them. The IPS screen is beautiful, but unfortunately all (3) suffered display and /or system board problems in three months. They were replaced with systems that had issues as well

Most consumer level small notebooks have wobbly and easy to flex displays. I doubt they would last 5 years

 

[BearZDefect]

Thank you for the replies. You've given me some options to explore.

I forgot to mention the optical drive, I have no need for one of those built in. I rarely use them anymore, and have an external DVD reader/writer for the few times I do.

I haven't had an opportunity to try the X1, but 14" is larger than I want anymore. I have a decent 22" display for working at my desk, and have found that a 12.5" 1,366 display is good enough on the move while keeping the whole unit pleasantly small.

 

[cmorr]

Pretty funny, didn't see the other replies when I typed mine. That's as close to a consensus I have seen on here

BTW - Big plus on the E6220, it has a full size HDMI connector (E6320 has a mini HDMI despite its larger size)

Also the E6220 has been replaced with the E6230 and the E6320 replaced with the E6330, both upgrade with Ivy Bridge

 

[Donald]

My HP home laptop has a different keyboard than my HP work one. But they all have a poor touch pad for the mouse. I normally plug in a USB mouse or preferably a track ball.

I think you need to try some keyboard of machines you are considering.

I like HP only in that they seem to provide a little support after the warranty and Dell tries to push you into the fee based help desk.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: cmorr
Pretty funny, didn't see the other replies when I typed mine. That's as close to a consensus I have seen on here

BTW - Big plus on the E6220, it has a full size HDMI connector (E6320 has a mini HDMI despite its larger size)

Also the E6220 has been replaced with the E6230 and the E6320 replaced with the E6330, both upgrade with Ivy Bridge



Agree, the VGA and full-size HDMI connections are awesome. The combo eSATA/USB port is also quite useful.

I recommend getting SSD directly from Dell, as these need the ultra-thin (< 9mm) ones that are hard to find and expensive.

 

[BearZDefect]

Thanks again.

If it has mSATA then the physical size of the HD doesn't matter.

The E6220 does indeed look like a strong contender. I just visited Dell's site but don't find it advertised! When I find it via site search the product page says "This product is unavailable."

Looking around at other vendors, nobody reputable seems to have it in stock either.

The E6330 seems to be the next generation of the E6230, but no E6320?

 

[Rand]

I'd get a lenovo t430 or t430s. yes its a 14" screen but its everything you could want otherwise.

 

[cmorr]

Originally Posted By: BearZDefect
Thanks again.

If it has mSATA then the physical size of the HD doesn't matter.

The E6220 does indeed look like a strong contender. I just visited Dell's site but don't find it advertised! When I find it via site search the product page says "This product is unavailable."

Looking around at other vendors, nobody reputable seems to have it in stock either.

The E6330 seems to be the next generation of the E6230, but no E6320?




It's confusing, the first two numbers are the display size (rounded down to an even digit)

E65 - 15"
E64 - 14"
E63 - 13"
E62 - 12"

The next two numbers are the generation

E6220 (Sandy Bridge) ===== > E6230 (Ivy Bridge)
E6320 E6330

Order direct from Dell

 

[BearZDefect]

T430 and T430s now have a keyboard I do not like, and the 14" is larger than what I prefer.

Yes, I have sat down with a T430 for extended test drive. It feels like a decent machine, but keyboard and size strike against it.

 

[cmorr]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Originally Posted By: cmorr
Pretty funny, didn't see the other replies when I typed mine. That's as close to a consensus I have seen on here

BTW - Big plus on the E6220, it has a full size HDMI connector (E6320 has a mini HDMI despite its larger size)

Also the E6220 has been replaced with the E6230 and the E6320 replaced with the E6330, both upgrade with Ivy Bridge



Agree, the VGA and full-size HDMI connections are awesome. The combo eSATA/USB port is also quite useful.

I recommend getting SSD directly from Dell, as these need the ultra-thin (< 9mm) ones that are hard to find and expensive.


The E62 class uses 7MM drives but thanks to the Samsung 830 series (and now the 840) 7MM drives are fairly cheap . Under $180 for a 256 GB drive, These drives are &M drives that can be used in 9 MM applications as well

The E63 class uses a 9mm Drive

 

[BearZDefect]

I found the Dell E6230 direct from Dell, so it's now on my short list. I will look at HP's offering too. But at the moment I have to set this matter aside. I will post back when I return to the subject. Thanks everyone.

 

[LeakySeals]

cmorr - Repairing tons of laptops..The HP's are the easiest to take apart if something breaks. I'll trade some features for that.

 

[BearZDefect]

I've studied HP's line-up a bit now, so I have their model to add to the short list:

HP EliteBook 2570p
Dell Latitude E6230

Unfortunately, neither has my favorite keyboard style. Does any manufacturer offer those anymore?

Whichever wins, I'd get the least expensive version of it. I am not in a hurry, so I'll collect the contenders and then keep an eye on prices. I'd also like to try these out in person, but retailers tend not to carry them and I don't know anyone who has one.

 

[cmorr]

Originally Posted By: BearZDefect
I've studied HP's line-up a bit now, so I have their model to add to the short list:

HP EliteBook 2570p
Dell Latitude E6230

Unfortunately, neither has my favorite keyboard style. Does any manufacturer offer those anymore?

Whichever wins, I'd get the least expensive version of it. I am not in a hurry, so I'll collect the contenders and then keep an eye on prices.


As I mentioned in my earlier reply the 2560P (and now 2570P) is a true island style keyboard with flat key tops. The dell's although hard to see in the pics are slightly concave. Unfortunately the market crave for thin laptops with displays flush with the bezel means everything is being trimmed

 

[BearZDefect]

cmorr, thank you for your input on the keyboards.
Slightly concave key tops should work better than flat islands for me.

 

[JOD]

I think your best bet is just to get an X220. They're still available new (from Ebay resellers or from the outlet), and it's not like there's a huge difference w/the new Ivy Bridge processor. The IPS screen is great, they're well-built and you'd be getting the final ones produced. I had one of the last run of them, and any production issues seemed to be worked out.

I now have an X230 (long story), and I prefer the new keyboard, but if you prefer the old keyboard I'd just pick up an X220 while they're still around.

Something like this: LINK