2012-06-15, 19:30 PM

﻿﻿I just got my X230t, having eagerly awaited the switch from my X201t. I was looking forward to the backlit keyboard, updated style, and cooler and faster processor. I wasn't excited about the slightly worse resolution screen, and I recently learned the battery is extremely ugly. (See this thread: http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Series-Tablet-ThinkPad-Laptops/Battery-is-extremely-ugly-not-shown-on-Lenovo-com/td-p/770051.)



So here are my initial impressions. Some may sound like nitpicking, but the overall experience in using a laptop is important to me, especially when it comes to build quality. I get Lenovos because I want to own solid, dependable laptops. (Hint: my X230t isn't.)



The good:

* The keyboard is excellent. I actually prefer the feeling over the X201T's non-Chiclet style keys, and the backlighting is extremely welcome. It even fades on and off when you activate it, which is a nice touch. I do have some keyboard gripes, though. (See below.)



* The screen is extremely bright, and this isn't even the outdoor model. It's super crisp, and the styling of the surrounding plastic is a big improvement.

* It was a lot cheaper. Even with all the features I wanted, it was about $1200. My X201t was about $2200.

The bad:



* When my computer arrived, the little plastic insert covering the WiFi and battery LEDs was half off, as if the glue didn't take. I pushed it back in place, but it's popped out again.

* The keyboard lacks the browser back and forward buttons as well as scroll lock and, more seriously, the pause/break key. Most users won't use these, but I run Linux and often depend on them. The menu key has also inexplicably been replaced by the PrintScreen key, which is extremely unwelcome. I use menu all the time, and I don't want to keep accidentally taking screenshots due to the bizarre placement.

* The screen no longer has a latch, and instead uses a magnet to keep it closed. This unfortunately means that you can no longer open the computer with one hand. You have to either wedge it against something and pry it up, or wiggle the screen until it inches its way open. ThinkPad owners haven't had this problem since IBM replaced double latches with single latches sometime around 2002. Single latches have now been replaced with a system that doesn't work.



* The screen only rotates one way, unlike the X201t.



* There is mild keyboard flex. Whereas I'd say the X201t has no keyboard flex, the X230t has slight keyboard flex on the left side of the keyboard. When pressing A or Q you can see the number row displacing downwards. Pressing the bottom right keys makes the entire laptop flex until it touches the desk, of course. Why? Because...

* The bottom right corner of the laptop doesn't touch the desk.That's right, on a flat surface one corner of the computer is elevated by a noticeable distance. When you place your hands on the keyboard the computer actually flexes until the rubber foot makes contact with the desk. This is a shocking mistake in a ThinkPad, and it's unforgivable. It feels like a cheap netbook or some bargain bin, generic PC laptop.

Fluke or overall decreased build quality? All I know is I've never had this happen on any other ThinkPad, but I've had it happen when I buy cheap HPs or Dells. It would certainly never happen on a Mac.

* There is no dedicated LED indicating the laptop is plugged in or charging.



* There is NO WAY TO TELL if caps lock is on. They removed the LED, but they didn't provide a visual indication on the key.



These build quality issues bring me to my biggest complaint:



* The 6 cell battery is ugly. Everyone's opinion will differ, but my God, is that rounded flashing on the bottom ugly. And it sounds hollow, too. Tapping it sounds like it's an empty tupperware container. There is no place on my X201t where if I grip it I feel like I'm holding a plastic-molded toy.

My conclusion? I'm returning it immediately. It'll be the first ThinkPad I've returned, and I've owned and used six of them over the years. I'll also object to paying a 15% restocking fee. This feels like a defective product to me.