Questions regarding X220 tablet before I buy one

[Zta]

1. The truth is I don't know whether I should get a X220 tablet or standard X220.  I just think the tablet thing could be fun when reading, sorting and editing photos, etc., and I'd still have a X220 if it turns out to be useless.  Is this a correct assumtion? =)
2. I've seen X220 tables come with an UltraBase and a DVD-RW drive.  I'd like a setup where I have some sort of docking station at my desktop were I can attach to a larger (DisplayPort) monitor, a keyboard, scanner, etc, and quickly snap my pc out for mobile work, preferably with the option of having a DVD-drive attached.  Would a X220 tablet with the UltraBase fit in the Dock or should the UltraBase be removed first?  Can the UltraBase be seen as a portable clip-on DVD-drive or should it be regarded as an alternative to a Dock?  Or put in a use-case:  I have my X200 tablet with the UltraBase and drive.  Can I quickly click this in the Dock and continue (say) watching DVD on my monitor?  Or do I have to move all cables from the Dock to the UltraBase?  Same for standard X220?
3. What's the max output when connected to a UltraBase and/or Dock?  Or put in a different way: Can the X220 tablet fully use a 1920x1200 monitor?  What's the max resolution?  Same for standard X220?
4. Where can I find jucy specs like these?  The standard white paper only shows very brief defails and only for the laptop's own screen.
5. I seems like there are two versions of the X220 tablet displays; a premium and gorilla.  What's the difference?  Do the both come with a stylus?  Do they both respond to two-finger input?  Do they both respond to multi "1 finger + stylus" input?
6. What makes the X220 tablet so much heavier compared to the X220?  It cannot just be the funny screen hinge.  And why is the X220 so darn heavy compared to the X200s?
7. Which is nicest: X220 or X220 tablet?   Do they feel the same, when working with them in a traditional laptop non-tablet position? _/

I hope some will take the time to answer these questions.  They might seem silly, but I've never had a UltraBase or Dock before, and I'd like to know what I can expect.  And I miss the lightlyness of my old X30 and the X220 seems like such a good replacement =)

Yours,

Zta

X30+T40+T61

[HypertextEye]

1. That is "correct" but it would also be "expensive." The tablet is several hundred dollars more expensive for a feature you may never use.

2. The UltraBase IS a dock. And for the tablet, it is the ONLY dock. It is technically portable but I wouldn't recommend carrying it around. As far as I know, the X220 without tablet has other options, but you wouldn't be able to use an UltraBase and a dock at the same time.

3. The tablet can handle 1920x1200 and higher, but I haven't personally tested beyond 1920x1080 (my monitor is an HDTV which only goes up to 1080p).

5. The Gorilla glass is only on the outdoor model. It does not support two finger touch. Both displays have stylus input.

7. Ignoring the weight difference, the experience should be identical, although I haven't tested this myself.

I would recommend against getting a tablet. I and many others are having great issue with the accuracy of the stylus input. 

[Zta]

I've discovered that the X220 has an issue with noisy fan. Has this been solved in recent i7-2620M and i7-2640M models?

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/X220-fan-constantly-on-revving-up-and-down/td-...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/579172-high-pitch-x220-fan-should-i-send-back.html

[AQ_OC]

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Zta wrote:
I've discovered that the X220 has an issue with noisy fan. Has this been solved in recent i7-2620M and i7-2640M models?

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/X220-fan-constantly-on-revving-up-and-down/td-...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/579172-high-pitch-x220-fan-should-i-send-back.html

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It seems to me that the problem is not present in the i7-2640M model which I have had now for a week.  I have heard the fan a few times when I had the machine in heavy use, but most of the time it is totally silent.  Also, the digitizer seems to work fine for me. I'm not an artist, but I use the screen for teaching, which means I'm drawing figures and writing equations all of the screen.  I can use the sliderbars and make all menu selections with ease.

[ColonelONeill]

The fan revving issues have been fixed in the BIOS already.

[joncordova]

Here is a great review comparing the X220t to the X220 laptop.

1. I agree with you; I opted for the X220 laptop and kind of wish I had held out for the tablet. I have an Acer W500 Windows tablet, and it is actually a lot of fun to use it as a traditional netbook for a while, and then all of a sudden swipe the screen to scroll or click a link. But the touch experience is still far less usable than an iPad or Android device. (Aside from scrolling, Windows 7 forces your finger to impersonate the mouse cursor, so it's very difficult to click accurately. Use Windows dpi settings to enlarge things, and use Windows Appearance settings to enlarge the individual buttons and system fonts.)

2. The Ultrabase is considered an alternative to the dock. An X220 with the Ultrabase will not fit in one of the other docks. Also, the bare X220 has all the ports you need to connect that scanner, 1200p monitor, and so forth, because there's displayport onboard. The docks are really just there for the snap-in-snap-out convenience, and a few extra USB ports.

Make sure to get an X220 with an ExpressCard54 slot, because you can use it to add two USB 3.0 ports. The adpter will sit flush completely inside the laptop.

The Ultrabase itself is not really portable--being heavy and thick--but it's feesible to treat it as a snap-on DVD drive, if you're willing to lug it around. (I believe the Ultrabase will run off the laptop's power when unplugged.) Keep in mind, you can't use the 6-cell slice battery at the same time as the Ultrabase--they use the same docking port, but if you opt for the X220 laptop, you'll at least have the option of the 9-cell battery, which is quite long-lasting.

3. Yes, I believe the X220 supports 1920x1200, because of its DisplayPort and VGA. HDMI is capped at 1080p. I think there is no difference in resolution or multi-monitor support between the Ultrabase and the output ports on the laptop or tablet itself, but don't quote me on that. I do remember reading that the Intel graphics allow for only two monitors at a time--either internal LCD plus one external; or two external monitors with the internal LCD disabled. Only "display link" splitters can overcome that limitation.

4. Many juicy specs can be found in the Lenovo Tabook.

5. "Outdoor" with Gorilla Glass is much brighter, but does not support touch. You can only use the digitizer pen on it. You need to get the basic "Multitouch" X220t to use finger touch.

6. Dunno.

7. See my first link. But I'll comment here that I find the X220t to be ugly, inelegant-looking. The laptop version is of course lighter, but it's also thinner and smaller in footprint. And I find the two silvery hinges on the X220 laptop very attractive and subdued, compared to the chunky swivel hinge.

The tablet suffers from battery bulge. With the standard 6-cell plus the 6-cell slice, the tablet looks like this.

With the standard 6-cell and 6-cell slice, the X220 laptop looks like this. The laptop version can have battery bulge too, but in the laptop that gets you a 9-cell onboard plus the 6-cell slice.

Here's a comparison shot. Same battery capacities on each machine. (Source.)

The tablet, in exchange for its taller footprint and bigger bezel, causes the LCD to sit up a little taller than the laptop, a functional effect that I think I would find very nice at the desk, although not enough to make up for the extra pound of bulk and 30% less battery life. The tablet also has a solid layer of glass over the entire front of the screen, which means--and nobody ever talks about this part--it will be easy to install an anti-glare [or glossy] screen protector, whereas with the laptop, you would have to squeeze the protector through the inset in the bezel.