mSATA on a Lenovo Thinkpad X1

There's a type of SSDs (Solid State Drives) called mSATA that takes the form of a mini-PCI Express card (LINK for more info).

For $200 (September, 2011) you can purchase an 80gB Intel mSATA drive (LINK to NewEgg). It's a minuscule thing!

I have just installed it on a Lenovo ThinkPad X1. I'm running a standard 160gB Intel SSD on the computer and now have a secondary drive in the form of the mSATA installed under the keyboard where the mobile broadband card would go. Unfortunately, it's either the mSATA or the mobile card, not both.

The user guide for the X1 has a pretty good explanation of how to do the install. One step you can skip is disconnecting the keyboard. You'll have to remove the keyboard but no need to disconnect it.

Remember that you have to format the drive after you install it and also that if you don't have it as the boot drive, make sure it's set as the second drive in the list for startup.

10 reasons why not Macbook Air

The new Lenovo X220 has:

1. That red eraser-like pointing stick thingy
2. Better keyboard noise reduction during Skype calls
3. Can't beat the keyboard for typing feel
4. It's black
5. More battery life
6. Bigger hard drive
7. No slip exterior (someone I know stuck fuzzy fabric to his Air so he wouldn't drop it)
8. More usb ports
9. No dongle to external video
10. No dongle to Ethernet

Yes, I definitely want to upgrade to the X220 from my rare X201s (which was an upgrade from an X61s, an X60s, and an X40)

Primer on the lightest Lenovo ThinkPads

UPDATED. Several people have asked me for a quick primer on the lightest Lenovo Thinkpads.

I've used the X series for years. It's the original MacBook Air in that it doesn't have a built-in CD-ROM drive. The CD drive comes either as an external like the Air or in a docking station "slice" that affixes to the bottom of the computer. Lenovo figured out well before Apple that people didn't need a CD drive most of the time. A quick overview of the lightest ThinkPads.


X100e

This is the latest form factor in the X line. With a starting price of ~US$500 it's a pretty good deal. Key feature differences are 11.6 inch display, a differently styled keyboard, less robust construction and generally a less robust feature set.

X201

The X201 is the direct successor to the X200, X61, X60, X40 and others before that. Like the X100e, it has no CD drive built-in. The screen is slightly larger at 12.1 inches. The new X201 adds a faster processor than the X200 and an optional trackpad in addition to the classic ThinkPad pointing device. It also appears to make more efficient use of its battery, closing the gap with the X201s. The X201 can contain up to 8GB of RAM (vs 4GB for the 201s) and can come with built-in cellular modem (not an option in the X201s). The X201 and X201s were announced February 24; they weren't on the yet on the Lenovo site at launch but are now. (Why announce machines if you aren't going to make them available for sale at the same time is beyond me. Apple tries to set a good example in this regard but no one seems to understand or listen, including Lenovo.) You should be able to buy a well discounted X200 or X200s for a little while but it appears not directly from Lenovo--those units are off the site as of March 1.

X201s  (pictured at right.)

The "s" variants have always featured a slower but more energy efficient processor resulting in longer battery life (again, with the new X201, the "s" advantage here is narrower). The X201s is lighter than the X201 (about 0.4 lb or 0.24 kg) because of carbon fiber top and glass fiber sides (vs magnesium alloy all around in the X201). It also has Lenovo's antiflex "roll-cage" design in the casing of the screen to reduce flexing. And it features a 1440x900 WXGA+ 12 inch screen instead of a 1280x800 WXGA 12 inch. Visually the X201 and X201s are almost identical. The feature comparison chart and detailed spec sheet says no built-in camera even though the pictures show a camera. Annoying!

X201T

The tablet version of the X201 is the heaviest device in the X series. The latest version has an enhanced multi-touch, pivoting screen which can be ordered in a "SuperBright" version for outdoor use in strong sunlight.

X301

This machine goes directly up against competitors like the MacBook Air. A pricey unit no matter how you configure it, the X301 features a 13.3 inch screen which makes a very big difference over the X101e and X201. Unlike the smaller X series laptops, the X301 includes a built-in CD drive (also unlike the Air) but still maintains a competitive 3 lb +/- weight, depending upon battery configuration. Challenge with this machine (like the Air) is limited hard drive options. This machine needs to see a revision to include the multi-touch trackpad that the others now feature.

T410s

Not an X series, but Lenovo's next lightest ThinkPad, the T410s is essentially an X301 with a larger 14.1 inch screen and the option to choose a larger hard drive. It's surprisingly light. Quite a different beast than the other members of the T family.

Why buy any of these machines when they are generally the priciest PCs out there, often even more expensive than comparable Apple laptops? On the PC side, they're probably the best made laptops, the keyboards are second to none, and they have a classic look that in my opinion is comparable to Apple, though a completely different aesthetic.

Dual monitors with Lenovo X61s and USB-to-DVI Adapter

It is now possible to connect two monitors to an X61s laptop thanks to a nice little Lenovo gadget, the USB-to-DVI adapter. I just received mine. See Lenovo's Inside the Box blog (LINK) for a full explanation of new docking options. Strangely, I can no longer find the item on Lenovo's site for purchase. There is a page (LINK) but no way to purchase. Are they out of them? Already discontinued them?

Salient facts about the Lenovo X series notebooks

I get asked about my Lenovo X61s all the time because it's an attractive little computer with a full-size keyboard.

Here's a quick summary for those of you interested in these machines.

1. If you can handle a laptop without a trackpad but only that red pointing device, you can go with the X200 or X200s for a new machine or an X61 or X61s for a used machine (check out the Lenovo refurb site). (I can't use a trackpad because it instantly gives me carpal tunnel.) Difference is that with the switch to the X200 series, they went from a more vertically oriented 12.1 inch screen to a more horizontally oriented aspect ratio--with Lenovo's regret but unfortunately that's the direction other laptop makers are moving and therefore screen manufacturers. You need to get a removable base unit for these units to house the CD-ROM drive. Without the base, these units are a little over 3 lbs. The "s" versions are almost indistinguishable. They run processors which are slightly slower but have more efficient power consumption. They are very slightly shorter in height, very slightly lighter. Also, they have a more rigid screen enclosure. Only the X200 unit has a built in camera (for Skype etc) if that is important to you.

2. If you can't handle a laptop without a trackpad you can get the X301 (or the predecessor X300) which goes up against the MacBook Air. Unfortunately you can only get this machine with a solid state hard drive which raises the price--and you really only want the 128gB, not the 64gB drive, which raises the price further. It weighs about the same as the X200/X61 but has a CD-ROM built-in and a larger 13.3 inch screen.

Further proof that Lenovo is the anti-Apple

Lenovo just announced a new service that will create integration between BlackBerry's and Lenovo laptops called Lenovo Constant Connect (LINK). The first feature of this service is interconnection of e-mail between the two devices. Via Bluetooth, a user's BlackBerry will automatically update a Lenovo laptop's e-mail, even when the device is off, allowing synchronization of e-mail without use of WiFi or cellular service on the laptop.

But what's most interesting to me is the step that Lenovo takes with this product launch towards strengthening its position as the "anti-Apple" by making use of what has got to be the most amateur-looking corporate launch video ever.



The extreme geekiness of that video, the complete lack of attention to any style cues, is remarkable and in a bizarre way admirable and attractive. So post bubble! So depression sensitive. Scratch: nice clothes, nice background, nice furniture, nice camera angle. And don't even show the product in operation!

New Year's Resolution: Backup

I just took delivery of the sweetest little hard drive. I'll use it to fulfill my New Year's resolution of having a complete backup of my hard drive so that if my laptop's hard drive crashes or is otherwise vaporized, I'll have a complete backup, ready to go on a new machine.

The drive is one of the nicest, highest quality drives I've seen, encased in that ThinkPad black rubber material, with a keypad to provide secure access. No power cord required; USB cable slots nicely into the side of the case when not in use. Slightly larger footprint than a deck of cards and less thick.

The drive is this one from Lenovo, profiled on the Lenovo design blog here: LINK.

Dangers in the smartphone market?

This isn't anything new--it's 3rd quarter news--but was recently posted on the WSJ in a short article about where the fourth quarter could be headed.

Tech companies sold 36.5 million smartphones—devices that can connect to the Internet and perform other tasks in addition to making calls—in July, August and September, according to researchers at Gartner. That’s 11.5% more than the same period in 2007, which is the slowest growth rate Gartner has ever recorded. Nokia sold 15.4 million of its devices, Research In Motion sold 5.8 million BlackBerrys, and Apple sold 4.7 million iPhones. Nokia’s sales for the quarter shrank 3%, RIM’s grew 81.7% and Apple, which introduced a new iPhone around the start of the quarter, saw its sales grow a staggering 327.5%. LINK

Main point: seemingly dramatic growth in 3Q (for RIM and Apple at least) but actually the slowest growth ever recorded in the sector. As the recession knocks these numbers back for the fourth quarter of 2008 and first quarter of next year, I wonder whether corporate buys are going to decrease more than consumer buys? If so, it will probably hurt RIM relatively more than Apple. I also wonder about the opportunity in the developing world, because it seems to me that's got to be one big growth opportunity for smartphones--low income consumers and small businesses for whom smartphones ARE the computer and on-ramp to the Internet. Nokia certainly has their developing world strategy dialed in--that's been their strong suit for a long time. Is this a mitigating factor in a recession and will this allow Nokia to keep pace or exceed Apple and RIM in future quarters? I wonder how good RIM's developing world strategy is? What's Apple's strategy? The iPhone is certainly the best portable device alternative to a laptop. I would think this would be the device of choice for anyone in the world who has no computer. Can Nokia match this with their latest high-end product offerings? Does RIM even care to be competitive with consumers in places like India, Russia, Brazil and Turkey?

Relevant to this discussion--for which I am not dialed in enough to have anything more than questions--is Lenovo's sales strategy which de-emphasizes growth opportunities in the U.S. and European markets and focusses on developing countries: see recent Fortune magazine article on this approach: LINK. What relevance does this have for the smartphone market?

See also this WSJ article on mobile phone usage in poorer nations: LINK.

Aside: at least in Munich, at the opening of the Apple store, what recession???? Take a look at this shot of panorama of the opening: LINK. Dramatic crowds as always! RIM, Nokia, Microsoft aren't worried when this happens over and over and over again?