[sf-lug] Considering purchasing a lightweight laptop: thoughts Thinkpad X1 carbon vs. Thinkpad T460S

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Michael Shiloh (michaelshiloh1010 at gmail.com):

> You might recall about a year ago I raised the question of a powerful
> laptop for Linux. I settled on a Thinkpad W541 and I am thrilled with
> it ... except for the weight.

Which is 5.95 lbs, for context.

> As I travel more and don't need the power of the W541 all the time,
> I'm thinking of a lightweight laptop for daily use.
> 
> It's hard for me to consider anything but Thinkpads: I love the
> TrackPoint, the keyboard, the solid feel of the devices, etc. Given
> that, the top two contenders are the X1 carbon and the T460S.
> 
> The X1 is about 2.6 pounds and more expensive than the T460S which
> weighs about 3 pounds. Additionally, it's a little unclear whether the
> RAM and SSD can be upgraded on the X1 (I've seen equally strong claims
> that they can and can not).

The ones that seem most credible suggest that RAM upgradeability depends
on which CPU your unit has, and that the problem with the provided SSD
is that it's a non-standard form factor, such that it's replaceable but
probably only with a replacement you buy from Lenovo.

You can finesse that problem by throwing money at the problem, i.e.,
buying their highest-end SKU of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (4th Generation)
model, the one shipped with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD PCIe device.
Sounds to me like that's what you want -- if you don't mind dropping
about twice as much dosh as you would for the excellent T460s.

> I think for the extra .4 pounds I'm willing to go with the better
> price of the T460S

Reminder, for readers' context:
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 4th Generation: 2.6 lb
Lenovo ThinkPad T460S: 3.0 lb 

The greater weignt of the T460S sidesteps numerous annoyances that come
with the X1 extremely slim form factor (limited ports, difficulty
getting to the bottom compartment with the RAM, storage, wireless).
Have a look through this perceptive comparative review of the T460S
compared to some similar Lenovo models for some thoughts on that,
battery life, etc.
http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/lenovo-thinkpad-t460s-hands-on

Seems like one of the differences between the T560S and the other T560
series is battery life and ability to hot-swap with an extra battery you
carry with you.  It can be annoying to run out of battery runtime on a
long flight or one following a long pre-flight wait in a gate area where
there was no AC outlet near your seat.  (OTOH, my e-book reader runtime 
always outlasts makes it.)


Lenovos are indeed a pretty reliable go-to choice.  Your aspiration
about weight means you're pretty much limited to 13"-14" screen laptops.
As you love ThinkPad ergonomics, you shouldn't look for anything outside
their model range.  But _if_ you change your mind on that, here are some
respected laptops for Linux from others:

ASUS ZenBook UX305FA is 2.6 lb.
Dell XPS 13 is 2.6 lb.
HP ENVY 13-d099nr is 3.0 lb.
Toshiba Chromebook 2 (2015 edition) is 2.9 lb.