Lenovo ThinkPad X1

My daughter is going to need a laptop while she attends college. She'll be a nursing student at the University of Mary Washington here in Virginia. As far as I know, there isn't a whole lot that she'll need out of a laptop, so just about any newer one will suffice, but my wife and I want to reward her with something nice that will actually survive. It seems that Lenovo ThinkPads are highly recommended here on SigForum and we already have a lower grade ThinkPad as well as a Lenovo desktop for our daily use. For made in China, the quality seems to be there.

So again, back to the original question....Any reason not to get this? Any other suggestions for a nice laptop that isn't a HP?

Here's a list of the specs for those not wanting to click the link:

Processor & Memory:
Intel® Core™ i7-8550U Processor 1.8GHz
16GB LPDDR3 (2-DIMM) 2133MHz RAM

Operating System:
Microsoft® Windows 10 Home (64 bit)
Drives: 512GB M.2 NVMe Solid State Drive
No Optical Drive

Graphics & Video:
14" Anti-glare LED Backlit IPS FHD (1920 x 1080) Display
Intel Integrated 620 Graphics

Communications:
802.11 Wireless-AC + Bluetooth® 4.1
Integrated dual Microphone Array

Audio:
Dolby Premium Audio Processing

Keyboard:
Backlit English Keyboard

Ports & Slots:
2x USB 3.0
2x USB Type C Thunderbolt
1x HDMI
1x Media Card Reader
1x Combination Audio Jack
1x Ethernet (Via Dongle not included)

Battery:
3 Cell 57Wh (Up to 15-hour total) Battery

Additional Information:
Dimensions: 12.74" x 8.6" x .6"
Approximate Weight: 2.49lbs

That certainly will fill her needs. I'm just thinking that you could save $500 by getting a laptop with less power and features that is more than adequate. Look at Dell and HP for a very good laptop at the $800 range. Add a little more and get an SSD external backup drive.

Jim

I like everything about it except the graphics card. For that price I'd expect a dedicated graphics card. I only buy gaming setups so I might be biased.

I’d skip that laptop, and buy the Dell XPS 13.

Lenovo is living on the old reputation IBM built. That’s not to say the Thinkpad is a bad laptop, but you get more for your money, and a better quality system, with the Dell XPS 13.

quote:

Originally posted by Phelen_Kell:
I like everything about it except the graphics card. For that price I'd expect a dedicated graphics card. I only buy gaming setups so I might be biased.

Good machine, I'd prefer W10 Pro though.
FWIW, the built in graphics is damn good unless you are a CAD guy or a HD Gamer.

Does it come with MSOffice20xx?

Depending on the degree she is going for, she will probably need it.

She doesn't need an external graphics card.

My work PC is a Thinkpad T470S with an i5-7300U @2.6ghz CPU. It flys!

I'm not much into knowing all about CPUs any longer but I imagine it'll be fine for what she needs.

The only reason I'd say is that there are a lot of other, cheaper computers that might fit her needs better.

Think: software - does it come with the programs she needs and/or is it bloated with stuff she doesn't?

Think: hardware - does it come with the memory she needs and stuff like speed and video capabilities that she doesn't that jack the price up

Think weight: I guarantee you that if she is lugging this around for a long time, lighter should be probably the most highly ranked consideration (among needed capabilities (think memory, video processing capacity, screen size, and ability to connect to stuff), battery life, included software, etc.)

Think size: like weight if she is carrying it around, HOW is she going to do that and how will this computer fit into that.

Personally I love my MS Surface since (as a lawyer) its really easy to use as a laptop or a tablet, light, powerful, and mostly uses the stuff I want to use. My wife has the Hauwei (sp? GD brain of mine today) Pro and its great as well.

Anyway, my thoughts.

My recent Lenovo purchases(the last 10 years) have been through their factory outlet store.
They are returns, refurbished, and extras from large contracts that were not needed.
The inventory constantly changes but you can often get something with much better specs than you would otherwise find for a given price.
By buying a higher grade, you can get extended life and higher quality.

https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/o...S?IPromoID=LEN251549

I've been using ThinkPads for years with my current system being a T470s. Haven't tried the X1 but have a colleague that likes his.

Regardless if you go that model or another, check with the institution that your daughter attends. The university I work for provides MS Office 365 to faculty, staff, and students at no cost through a site license.

Michael

Unless she's going to be doing video/photo editing or CAD she would be fine with an i5 processor. And 8GBs of ram is probably going to be more than enough for what she's going to be doing on there. That will save you a little bit of money.

I would personally like at least a 15" display.

I have a 13" HP with a touch screen that flips all the way back into tablet mode or like a "V" for watching movies. I love as it is slim and light with a decent size screen. That form factor would be perfect for a college student.

Any decent laptop will give her more performance than she needs, I'd focus on form-factor and software like MS Office as previously mentioned (that she can get at student discount).

Edit to add: the reason a smaller 12-13" screen is perfect IMHO is because she can just have a large flat screen monitor at her desk for serious work and a small/light machine for class and travel.

Wouldn't hurt to check with the IT department at U of MW.

Most Universities have special deals on computers for the students. Could save a bunch.

quote:

Originally posted by reloader-1:
I’d skip that laptop, and buy the Dell XPS 13.

Lenovo is living on the old reputation IBM built. That’s not to say the Thinkpad is a bad laptop, but you get more for your money, and a better quality system, with the Dell XPS 13.

This. The 2018 Dell XPS 13.3 is currently selling at Costco for 450 off (just a couple hundred higher than what you're looking at) and it's been rated the top laptop 2 years running now. 4k touchscreen, 1TB HD, 16GB ram and speedy i7-8550U processor. Mine just arrived this afternoon. Couldn't pass up the deal and intend to use it for work and pleasure. You can even buy as a non-member but you'll pay a bit extra (might as well join). The sale ends 1/27 BTW. LINK

Just my opinion, but laptops go obsolete pretty fast and get easily damaged when hauled around constantly by a student.
Much better to get a "minimally adequate" laptop and then a nicer, more enduring gift, if you want to.

But that does look like a great laptop!

Re: Software, most computers don’t come bundled with MS Office or other productivity software.

However, as a college student she will have access to either discounted or free MS Office/CAD/Mathlab etc software through her college.

For that kind of money I would seriously consider a MS Surface Pro with a dock station. I use a MS SP 4 (I5 16gb ram 250 gb ssd). I haven't used my laptop in over a year. It works as a good laptop and a good tablet. When plugged into the dock with dual monitors it is a very good desk top. I do use a 1Tb external hd for supplemental storage. Very portable! I use it at least 8 hours/day 5 days/week for software development. My $0.02

It's not a Mac.

I'd buy the Asus Zenbook Costco has on sale for $899:

https://www.costco.com/.produc...6_5Day_HotBuy_No5Day

That is a hell of a deal! I have had 2 Lenovo Thinkpad x1 carbons. I had one of the first gen ones that is still going strong. Current one is a 4th gen i5 with 256k solid state and I paid way more 2 yrs ago than this.

I like the full 14" screen on the X1 compared to the 13.3" in the xps. It makes a difference for me. Also, Lenovo's fast charge is great. 80% charge in 45 minutes or something like that, although maybe xps has that now as well. Not sure of details on this X1, but mine has a less glossy screen than what the xps had at the time. This is also important for me as it is much easier to see when there is a lot of glare present.

quote:

Originally posted by Shaql:
Does it come with MSOffice20xx?

Depending on the degree she is going for, she will probably need it.

.

It will be much cheaper is she buys it as a student. Most new laptops and computers I’ve bought in the last five years (two desktops, two laptops and a Mac) only have trial versions (except the Mac which doesn’t need MS).