Ordered a Lenovo x260

[nerp]

I've been realizing my mid-2010 MacBook Pro is no longer able to handle my demands. Too slow, too hot, crap battery life. It did its job for years but its time has come.

Picked an X260 with the i5-6200U, 256gb SSD, 16GB, the FHD IPS display (woohoo!) and the 6-cell secondary battery for the 17 or so hour battery life. (double woohoo).

I'll post my impressions when the machine is built and shipped.

Shaved some coin off the purchase price - 10 percent off the unit sale plus $50 for signing up for their newsletter. My company is throwing me a few bones and the rest is basically a tax writeoff since this is a work machine.

I found that this model seemed to hit all the bases for me. Skylake, decent screen option and that battery life. . . The thing is supposedly rugged and durable and not too heavy even loaded up with the biggest hot swappable battery option. Almost went with the i3-6100U but the price difference for the i5 was too small to not upgrade. I've read bad reviews about the base HD screen, OK reviews for the IPS HD screen and good things about the FHD IPS screen. I want the extra pixels, too.

I was tempted to buy the unit with 4GB ram and the 500GB HD and swap in an SSD and bigger memory stick but then I decided to just order the machine configured the way I want it. I'm not in the mood to crack open my brand new laptop, despite blowing money. It's worth it to me.

The machine seems to be a good size and not too thick or clunky. I like the super sleek and thin machines out there like the X1 carbon, etc, but I really wanted the insane battery life of the x260.

Anticipated pros: battery life, screen, performance, did I say battery life? Keyboard is going to be better than the MacBook, for sure.

Cons: no USB type C. 12.5 inches is a good screen size but I will feel a bit cramped for some tasks. The key travel is not as deep as some other higher-end lenovo models, but I can live with it.

 

[nerp]

Update: Placed order 4/20, was told shipping date is expected to be April 29 and arriving by May 6. Woke up to an email this morning that it already shipped. Shipped six days early and now expected delivery in 3-5 days, so I should have it next week.

Looks like Lenovo fixed some of their painfully long wait times for building new systems. Can't quite tell if it's shipping from China or the US.

 

[VirtualLarry]

That sounds really nice, let us know how you like it when you get it.

 

[nerp]

I will. I'm really excited. Haven't used a Thinkpad as my main portable machine in some years, so it will feel really nice to be back. I loved my MacBook when I first got it but it gradually became less and less enjoyable over time, kind of like a relationship based on sex that feels like a trap four years after moving in together.

 

[MarkLuvsCS]

When you receive it, please update us with how the new touchpad works.

 

[nerp]

I will. Initial reviews, and there aren't many, indicate that it's one of the better ThinkPad trackpads and feels like glass. One risk from moving from a MacBook Pro is the chance of ending up with a junky trackpad.

 

[nerp]

I got the machine today. First impressions:

• Very solid build quality.
• Super glad I went with the FHD screen. The extra pixels make it more productive.
• Haven't had a chance to get a feel for battery life. Machine has been plugged in and Windows needs a couple of days to fully index my massive inbox, onedrive, etc.
• Super light. With the 6-cell extra capacity battery it's still very light and portable. With the 3-cell it's lighter than I expected.
• Super zippy. Performance is outstanding.
• Lenovo apparently has really scaled back the bloatware. Thinkpads generally aren't as bad as thier Lenovo machines but this has like, nothing bad on it. Don't feel need to format and install Windows fresh.
• Keyboard is excellent, which is what you'd expect for a Thinkpad. Key travel is not as deep as their larger Thinkpads, but it's still worlds better than any Macbook. Very pleasant typing experience.

Will post some pics and do a more detailed review soon enough. But the machine has met my expectations and I'm very excited.

 

[MarkLuvsCS]

How's the trackpad?

 

[evident]

Recently sold my X220, best laptop ever. Waiting until price drops on the X260 but you guys just reinforced the idea that this will be my next laptop. well either this or the surface book

 

[nerp]

How's the trackpad?

Not bad. Very responsive, does not skitter around at all during normal use. lenovo's drivers are pretty sophisticated and you can really adjust everything. But leaving everything as default and it works very well. It's not glass but it feels somewhat like glass. It's very good. Not as impressive as the MacBook Pro glass trackpad but vastly superior to what you get on a budget laptop. I have been mainly using the trackpoint, though, which is one of the joys of the ThinkPad. Now that I'm used to keeping my hands on the home row I have to consciously decide to use the touchpad. When I do, I don't encounter the typical frustrations of a cruddy touchpad like random text selecting, jumpy cursors, erratic behavior, errant inputs, etc.

 

[nerp]

Recently sold my X220, best laptop ever. Waiting until price drops on the X260 but you guys just reinforced the idea that this will be my next laptop. well either this or the surface book

Surface Book is really nice but the x260 wins in terms of price and portability. PowerBridge is so cool and the battery life is awesome.

The camera is even surprisingly decent.

I'm in love with this laptop. It's so easy to toss around and feels so durable and solid. Light and powerful. Do yourself a favor and get the FHD IPS screen. I wouldn't consider it otherwise. It's worth the extra $150.