Old Vs New
by
The X61 vs Everything Else - Part 2 (better late than never)
It’s a fact that students are not the most wealthy people. It’s a combination of being busy studying and being lazy. It’s these facts that make it difficult for most students to afford desirable pieces of tech like tablet PCs.
You may have realized that the purpose of this 3 part series isn’t just to critically analyze the Lenovo X61t but also to have a look at what else is out there.
Buying a second hand tablet is something that hasn’t been discussed much lately on STPC but it’s an excellent way to get your first tablet. Second hand tablets are relitavely cheap which makes them ideal for students who are not sure if tablets are for them or those who can’t justify the expense of a new one.
This isn’t just a comparison for people buying a tablet but also a useful comparison for people looking at upgrading. I know this post is long overdue but I was looking for a chance to actually get a bit more side by side time with the (an associates) x61t and the (my) m200.
The X61 vs second hand tablets
The Toshiba M200 was the leading edge only a few years ago. It’s probably what could be considered the second generation of tablets. Toshiba did very well with this model, fixing many of the things wrong with the HPs and providing a solid base on which it developed its next generation M400. The X61 could probably be considered 4th generation with its DUO specifications and performance.
M200’s can be had on (US) ebay for roughly $600. While your experiences with places like ebay may vary, generally its not too bad of a place to pick up a pre loved tablet.
Using the same (rough) table as the last x61t comparison, the M200 stacks up with interesting results.
Without taking price into account the Toshiba doesn’t have much support. Receiving about a 1.0 in the vista experience benchmark the performance, as expected, doesn’t match up. Its a known fact that Core2Duo processors will beat Pentium M’s in terms of raw processing power, however, but when it comes down to single threaded tasks the Pentium M wont be left too far behind. For single threaded tasks that are purely computational and not reliant on cpu memory the 1.8ghz Pentium M will actually BEAT a slower clocked 1.6ghz Core2Duo, however, for everything else, the M will only give you more time to twiddle your thumbs.
But, why do you even need lots of processing power? Writing in one note will rarely use more than 20% of your processor and with slower CPUs, things like opening programs may take 5-10 seconds longer but how often do you open programs in a day?
Running in low power mode underclocks your cpu anyway. I commonly run at 40% cpu power during the day to extend battery life. Modern (santa rosa) chipsets switch one of the core2 cores off to save power. Most people will find that a large portion of their power is unused 95% of the time. Its how it performs the other 5% which is up to you and your wallet.
Those who do a lot of graphic design, 3d modeling or that love to game will get better value buying a second desktop computer. Lets keep in mind that price gap could give you a desktop system that has twice the power of the X61.
Many of the other specs stack up the same way. Batterylife is a lot less when both units are in power saving mode. How much do you need? How much is the convenience of not having to swap batteries worth to you? Something to look out for with second hand computers are tired batteries which have lost their propensity to hold a charge. Second hand batteries and battery reconditioning is expensive.
One unavoidable aspect of older computers is the size and weight. The m200 weighs in 400grams heavier than the X61. This extra weight is more considerable than you would think and equates to slightly more than a whole can of coke sitting in the bottom of your laptop bag. The m200 is thicker, wider, longer- the X61 is much more comfortable to use. Miniaturization and ergonomics have progressed but at the end of the day you can still achieve the same function on the less comfortable m200.
Both the X61 and the m200 have very high-res displays, the X61’s is clearly better. The m200 can only achieve similar results with the removal of the anti scratch layer and even then nothing is going to give the m200 touch sensitivity which for many people is a feature they couldn’t live without. Widescreen is another nice feature however it does change the whole profile of the display and side by side, the m200’s screen almost looks bigger.
We could go on all day comparing the details but when it comes down to the fact that you’re going to be tossing it into a backpack after every lecture or whipping it out to jot down a note, the significant price difference could be considered to be considerable insurance. Depreciation (for those that do like to sell on) is also less of a factor for a second hand computer.
For anyone who is entering the tablet realm, a second hand tablet is a great place to start, you can do most things on a second hand tablet that you can on more expensive new tablets. No doubt, there are people around who need the power, battery life or mobility. The fact is that a second hand or older tablet is a great way to get the tablet functionality without the cost.
Other posts that may interest you:
[...] William at The Student Tablet PC has put up an informative post for those who might be taking a look at purchasing a Tablet PC second hand. From a student’s perspective, (or anyone who is lacking the cash to purchase something new) he offers some good insights into why a used (but much loved by its previous owner) Tablet PC might just serve your needs. Worth a read if you are in the market.Tags: Tablet+PC Tablet PC [...]
September 27th, 2007 at 5:51 am[...] William at The Student Tablet PC has put up an informative post for those who might be taking a look at purchasing a Tablet PC second hand. From a student’s perspective, (or anyone who is lacking the cash to purchase something new) he offers some good insights into why a used (but much loved by its previous owner) Tablet PC might just serve your needs. Worth a read if you are in the market. Tags: Tablet+PC This article originally posted on GottaBeMobile.com, THE source for Tablet PC and Ultra-Mobile PC News, Video Reviews, and Discussion Forums! Full Windows Vista® in the palm of your hand - The OQO Model 02! [...]
September 27th, 2007 at 6:32 amFor those who want a good used tablet… consider tracking down a Toshiba Tecra M4 or Portege M200 (as William suggested). They were both excellent models.
September 27th, 2007 at 7:56 amIf powerful computing isn’t a whole lot of concern for you, but price and size are, you might even consider going as far back as the Acer C100, or the Fujitsu T3010.
At the time of the Toshiba M200, a major competitor was the Fujitsu T4010 and the later T4020. They lack the nVidia graphics that the M200 sports, but add a flexible media bay. So you can have either a weight-saver, optical drive, or a second battery for extended battery life. Size and weight-wise, the T4000 series is similar to the M200. The dual-battery configuration may weigh-in slightly heavier though. There is also the HP TC4200 and its derivatives, that you may consider.
If you’re using this computer as a pure tablet, you could also considering trying to find a second hand slate, such as the Motion LE1600.
September 27th, 2007 at 8:08 amI like the slate tablets - especially if I am going second-hand and don’t need a lot of power since the tablet will not be my primary computer…
I picked up a Fujitsu Stylistic ST4110 on Ebay for $275. 800mhz processor, 256mb RAM, 20gig hard drive, build in 802.11b. It has worked fine for me as far as note taking and quick internet checks are concerned. I picked up an extra battery for $50 so with the 2 batteries I get about 8 hours total runtime which is really nice.
Second-Hand works… But… I am still drooling over the Toshiba M400… I just don’t have $3,000 to drop on a computer
September 27th, 2007 at 10:27 amMotion 1300’s and even 1400’s can found under $500. My 1300 with 2GB RAM (yes 2GB) and 7200rpm drive runs Vista very nicely. PSCS3, Office 2003 (2007 is a hog), anything works well. Who cares if a 30MB tiff takes 7 seconds longer to run PS filter?
September 27th, 2007 at 11:42 am[...] William at The Student Tablet PC has put up an informative post for those who might be taking a look at purchasing a Tablet PC second hand. From a student’s perspective, (or anyone who is lacking the cash to purchase something new) he offers some good insights into why a used (but much loved by its previous owner) Tablet PC might just serve your needs. Worth a read if you are in the market. Tags: Tablet+PC [...]
September 27th, 2007 at 6:37 pmMy R15 is still running strong. Granted I upgraded RAM to 1.5 and a new hard drive.
September 28th, 2007 at 5:29 amI recently purchased Toshiba’s M400 from ebay for considerably less than a brand new one would have cost. The weight is pretty insignificant when I pick up my old Dell and try to lug it around just from one table to another in the same room.
I intended for this computer to be for everything, including my main pc to use. It is probably the best thing I’ve ever spent money on.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:24 pmAnother good source for lower costs are the manufacturer’s Outlet sites. For example, I picked up a refurbished HP TC4200 for $1099 from HP’s business outlet site. This is a 2.0ghz Core2 Duo System with 1gb of memory (since upgraded to 2gb), Outdoor viewable screen, 80gb HD, WiFi, Bluetooth, the newer Intel 950 video chip, and fingerprint scanner, among other features. It can be expanded to 4gb of memory and weighs in at 4.6lbs. It does not have an internal optical drive and didn’t come with an external one at this price. However, HP generally offers good discounts on accessory purchases made at the same time as your system purchase.
Their outlet site is located at, http://www.hp.com/sbso/buspurchase_refurbished.html.
September 30th, 2007 at 9:49 amOops, that should have been an HP TC4400 and not a TC4200 in the comment above.
September 30th, 2007 at 9:50 amM200’s are, I have read in a couple of places, touch sensitive.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:34 amBriteny- the pen is pressure sensitive but they’re not touch sensitive
October 28th, 2007 at 4:07 pmI’m looking for a tablet, but it’s also my first laptop to boot, so I don’t really know how they compare to desktops.
Cheaper is better because I’m a student, but I’m concerned that the used/refurbished tablets won’t have enough processing power. I need to run programs like Visual Studios (programming development environments) and circuit modeling/schematic tools–ORCAD, AutoCAD-type stuff (usually their free equivalent).
Will the Toshiba m200 or the like have enough processing power to keep up, or will it be super slow? I’m also concerned about battery power.
Any advice would be appreciated.
November 10th, 2007 at 4:15 pmThe m200 has a 1.6ghz Pentium M so it has an average amount of power and should handle most dev programs like visual studio fine. I have used eclipse (for java dev) daily for uni this year and apart from longer build times it works well.
Programs like autocad and anything 3d-based will have more problems, the 3d acceleration in the m200 is pretty slow, definately not designed for anything fancy. Vista does not have any propper 3d acceleration drivers for the m200 so if your planning on using vista you might be out of luck with the m200. Also 12″ of screen is pretty tiny for cad.
November 10th, 2007 at 5:40 pm