Lenovo X1 Extreme

[c0ppo]

Even the ones with new Vega chip?

Don't really know, never used one, and have no intentions on purchasing one as well. Gimmicky TB + keyboard = no go for me

An online agent from Lenovo told me that if I don’t want noisy laptop, I have to stay away from any Thinkpad with a GPU. Is that really true?

He's probably right, but I would say that any laptop with 6 core 45W CPU + nVidia GPU = noise.

If I am willing to tolerate the butterfly keyboard and run Linux as a virtual machine (will need to build a workstation with nvidia GPU in this case), will a MBP 15" with new Vega GPU be better?

That would be a complete waste of money. IMHO of course.

 

[maflynn]

Since Apple does not support Nvidia nor Linux anymore, I want 15" high res displays (above FHD) with 8+ hours of battery life and below 1.8kg. Very quiet like those pre-2015 mbps. The lighter the better. Probably need to build a workstation for Cuda stuffs.

I want one of those unicorns as well, so if you find any, please let me know

@hajime, I've said this before, you have unrealistic expectations, you want a Mac laptop that provides workstation like performance, that uses the nvidia GPU and makes absolutely no fan noise what so ever and also doesn't have the butterfly keyboard. There is no high performing laptop that fits that bill, never mind a Mac. You can buy a workstation class machine, but high performance equals heat and so you'll get fan noise. You can buy a cool running machine, like a MacBook Air, but you get worse performance no nvidia GPU and it has the butterfly keyboard which by your own words you despise. As the saying goes, you cannot have your cake and eat it too. Life is about compromises, and your buying decision needs to reflects this imo.

I will say one other thing, how many years have you been dealing with this buying decision? The MBP is a nice choice (save for the nvidia gpu), and if you bought one this past summer, you could be content with a nice machine and not having dealing with purchase issues these past 6 months (never mind the prior years). If the nvidia GPU is high on your must have list, then the Lenovo X1E was the best machine as it checked off most of what you wanted and to be fair, the fan noise is a minor annoyance.

I will say this in all honesty, I don't believe there is a single machine out there PC or Mac that will completely satisify every thing you want it to have, so find one that best fits your list and enjoy life. 20 years from now, will you look back and with fond memories over this? Why not focus on what's more important in life and go and enjoy yourself

No Steve, Apple and macrumors and your account here would not have exited.

No, the point is that people refer back to steve, like he was some deity, that nothing bad ever came out of apple thanks to is awe inspiring will and power. He's let many a computer (and phone) be released that had minor to significant issues. Saying steve would have solved your issues, is futile, useless and doesn't help you one iota. He's gone and we all have to move on ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Editedt for clarity

 

[hajime]

Still no progress on the shipment status of my X1 Yoga (no 6 core 45W CPU nor nVidia GPU). Those who placed an order on BF have been complaining about delaying of shipments. Some have no update while others were notified shipments got postponed to January. Meanwhile, more and more people are complaining about BIOS bricking X1E and P1. After reading lots of threads related to the Thinkpads, it seems to be that Lenovo often releases BIOS and sometime that breaks machines. Doesn't sound good.

Rather than waiting and test one machine at a time, perhaps I just go ahead and buy SB2 and MBP2018+Vega and give them a try.

 

[SDColorado]

Rather than waiting and test one machine at a time, perhaps I just go ahead and buy SB2 and MBP2018+Vega and give them a try.

If you have the available funds, sometimes side by side direct comparisons can be the most useful. Costco has 60 days return policy on computers, you could probably do some additional side by sides if you decide not to keep the MBP.

 

[hajime]

If you have the available funds, sometimes side by side direct comparisons can be the most useful. Costco has 60 days return policy on computers, you could probably do some additional side by sides if you decide not to keep the MBP.

Yes. Problem is that Costco Canada does not have as wide selection as Costco USA. For example, for SB2, there is no 1TB model no 15" model. They and Best Buy also do not carry X1C, X1Y, etc. Lenovo has a hugh back order right now. With all these waiting, perhaps just try SB2 13" / MBO2018 Vega20 and wait to see if anything new in CES2019.

 

[SDColorado]

Yes. Problem is that Costco Canada does not have as wide selection as Costco USA. For example, for SB2, there is no 1TB model no 15" model. They and Best Buy also do not carry X1C, X1Y, etc. Lenovo has a hugh back order right now. With all these waiting, perhaps just try SB2 13" / MBO2018 Vega20 and wait to see if anything new in CES2019.

if you decide the SB2 ultimately ticks the most boxes for you and you feel it is the route you wish to go, order the 1TB SB2 from Microsoft and return the 512GB to Costco after it arrives. That is if you find that you can't live within the constraints of 512GB. Don't feel as though you are doing a disservice to Costco, they just return them to Microsoft anyway.

 

[hajime]

if you decide the SB2 ultimately ticks the most boxes for you and you feel it is the route you wish to go, order the 1TB SB2 from Microsoft and return the 512GB to Costco after it arrives. That is if you find that you can't live within the constraints of 512GB. Don't feel as though you are doing a disservice to Costco, they just return them to Microsoft anyway.

I was going to order SB2 a month ago but when I found out about MS Canada's replacement with refurbrished parts, I gave up. English version of SB2 13" is also out of stock in Costco.

Do you think MBP2018 (i7 2.6 + Vega 20) is a bad choice? Somebody here kindly tested for me that the machine is silent or almsot silent even playing full screen 4K videos on an external 4K TV. It has 15" screen with high res display, good battery life and about 1.8kg. However, it has an unreliable keyboard... Don't know if I put on a keyboard cover on day one would prevent the keyboard from failing. If I go for X1Y, I will need to build a workstation with Nvidia GPU. Same thing for MBP 2018.

 

[SDColorado]

I was going to order SB2 a month ago but when I found out about MS Canada's replacement with refurbrished parts, I gave up. English version of SB2 13" is also out of stock in Costco.

Do you think MBP2018 (i7 2.6 + Vega 20) is a bad choice? Somebody here kindly tested for me that the machine is silent or almsot silent even playing full screen 4K videos on an external 4K TV. It has 15" screen with high res display, good battery life and about 1.8kg. However, it has an unreliable keyboard... Don't know if I put on a keyboard cover on day one would prevent the keyboard from failing. If I go for X1Y, I will need to build a workstation with Nvidia GPU. Same thing for MBP 2018.

I still don’t believe that is correct about MS Canada replacing units with refurbished parts is correct. I think that is the policy of the 3rd party warranty provider through Costco, Assurian, not Microsoft’s policy.

That said Apple has been doing the same with iPods, iPhones, iPad Pros and Apple Watches for years.

 

[hajime]

Well the Chemical guys product is more than just a cleaner. It is also a spray sealant and UV protectant that is made specifically for painted and vinyl matte surfaces and the ROR is made specifically for glass lenses, so if I had to make a guess I would say it is.

Which Chemical Guys product are you talking about? There are quite a few products under this name? Is there a link?

 

[SDColorado]

Which Chemical Guys product are you talking about? There are quite a few products under this name? Is there a link?

Yeah, Chemical Guys make a *ton* of products for automotive care. Top notch stuff too if you are looking for auto care products. I highly recommend them.

But product that I was using on the X1 Extreme was the Meticulous Matte Detailer spray. Now mind you I didn't buy it for the Lenovo, I already had some on hand for a matte motorcycle and a couple matte helmets. But it does come in an inexpensive 4oz size to see how you like it.

Chemical Guys Meticulous Matte Detailer Spray

It is a sealant that will clean, protect, remove fingerprints and other oils, is streak free and has UV protection that will help prevent fading.

 

[hajime]

Yeah, Chemical Guys make a *ton* of products for automotive care. Top notch stuff too if you are looking for auto care products. I highly recommend them.

But product that I was using on the X1 Extreme was the Meticulous Matte Detailer spray. Now mind you I didn't buy it for the Lenovo, I already had some on hand for a matte motorcycle and a couple matte helmets. But it does come in an inexpensive 4oz size to see how you like it.

Chemical Guys Meticulous Matte Detailer Spray

It is a sealant that will clean, protect, remove fingerprints and other oils, is streak free and has UV protection that will help prevent fading.

Thanks. Are you able to use it to make the Thinkpad as if it were brand new? In the long term, will there be a problem with the case and palmrest area if I use it, say once a day? Don't know what is wrong with my silver x1 yoga. Perhaps cancel it and get a black one.
[doublepost=1543796512][/doublepost]

Sorry, I am a little confused about it as well. It seems to be links to threads about an issue that was possibly isolated and 3 BIOS versions ago. Dunno

Doesn't sound good:

https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/a2g0k4/warning_do_not_change_from_hybrid_graphics_to/

 

[SDColorado]

Thanks. Are you able to use it to make the Thinkpad as if it were brand new? In the long term, will there be a problem with the case and palmrest area if I use it, say once a day? Don't know what is wrong with my silver x1 yoga. Perhaps cancel it and get a black one.

Because it is a sealant and protectant, it helps somewhat to prevent oils and fingerprints from appearing, but it can't work miracles. I see fingerprints on a Macbook Pro or Surface Book when I use those as well. Eventually they get there and in the right light you definitely see them.

I wonder how well the Razer Blade Mercury White color does?

But yes, just a little of that spray as needed removes the oil and fingerprints and makes it look like new. At least it did with the X1 Extreme. That $4.99 4oz bottle should last a while, it doesn't take much.

 

[hajime]

Because it is a sealant and protectant, it helps somewhat to prevent oils and fingerprints from appearing, but it can't work miracles. I see fingerprints on a Macbook Pro or Surface Book when I use those as well. Eventually they get there and in the right light you definitely see them.

I wonder how well the Razer Blade Mercury White color does?

But yes, just a little of that spray as needed removes the oil and fingerprints and makes it look like new. At least it did with the X1 Extreme. That $4.99 4oz bottle should last a while, it doesn't take much.

Thanks. For the X1E, at least during my 1-month use, the case is not a fingerprint magnet but the palm rest area is.

I wonder if the Meticulous Matte Detailer Spray works better for black matte cases like the X1E/X1C6/X1Y3 than those MBP aluminium cases or SB's white cases.

 

[SDColorado]

Thanks. For the X1E, at least during my 1-month use, the case is not a fingerprint magnet but the palm rest area is.

I wonder if the Meticulous Matte Detailer Spray works better for black matte cases like the X1E/X1C6/X1Y3 than those MBP aluminium cases or SB's white cases.

Well sure. The MBP is aluminum alloy and the SB bodies are magnesium alloy, but neither of them is a true matte surface, though the SB is a little more matte than the MBP, which is more a shiny/sparkly metallic.

But the Lenovo surface is truly a rubberized matte surface. Matte has to have uneven nooks and crannies in order to diffuse light in multiple directions. Even if all those nooks and crannies look even to the human eye, they definitely are not.

The enemy of matte is anything that fills in those nooks and crannies and makes the surface even. Whether that be dirt, dust, oils, wax, buildup from cleaning products, etc.

So meticulous matte cleaner is formulated to remove any of those contaminants from the surface, leaving all those tiny nooks and crannies for a clean matte finish. It really isn't going to have any benefit at all to cleaning a MBP or Surface Device. I wouldn't use anything more than water and maybe a little mild soap to clean the bodies of those.

 

[hajime]

I tried to find out why I still have not received a full refund for my X1E. I also want to find out why I ordered another computer on BF but there is no progress in the status (they seem to have charged my credit card on the weekend). I tried both chat and phone but no luck. For chat, Sales only take "new order". They transferred me to agents who take care of "Existing order". I am in queue of 52. For phone, have been waiting for about 20 minutes and it is just an answering machine answering my phone and asks me to stay on the line. Are there services always that poor?

 

[SDColorado]

I tried to find out why I still have not received a full refund for my X1E. I also want to find out why I ordered another computer on BF but there is no progress in the status (they seem to have charged my credit card on the weekend). I tried both chat and phone but no luck. For chat, Sales only take "new order". They transferred me to agents who take care of "Existing order". I am in queue of 52. For phone, have been waiting for about 20 minutes and it is just an answering machine answering my phone and asks me to stay on the line. Are there services always that poor?

That is crazy that you have not yet received a refund for your X1E. I received a refund in full within 2 days after it being received by Lenovo.

The longest part was the shipping it back because the included shipping label was apparently by mule, not a motorized vehicle. I didn't know it was possible to ship anything that slowly from Colorado to North Carolina, but apparently, it is.

But once received, it was only a couple of days and I had the refund.

 

[hajime]

That is crazy that you have not yet received a refund for your X1E. I received a refund in full within 2 days after it being received by Lenovo.

The longest part was the shipping it back because the included shipping label was apparently by mule, not a motorized vehicle. I didn't know it was possible to ship anything that slowly from Colorado to North Carolina, but apparently, it is.

But once received, it was only a couple of days and I had the refund.

Just tried to chat with them again but I am in a queue of 70 people!

My X1 Yoga has not been shipped but they already charged my credit card.

I guess in this aspect, Apple is still better. If something goes wrong, we can go to a physical store and complain.

 

[jrichards1408]

I tried to find out why I still have not received a full refund for my X1E. I also want to find out why I ordered another computer on BF but there is no progress in the status (they seem to have charged my credit card on the weekend). I tried both chat and phone but no luck. For chat, Sales only take "new order". They transferred me to agents who take care of "Existing order". I am in queue of 52. For phone, have been waiting for about 20 minutes and it is just an answering machine answering my phone and asks me to stay on the line. Are there services always that poor?

I thought lenovo have the best windows based customer service?

 

[SDColorado]

I thought lenovo have the best windows based customer service?

I thought Dell was generally the best these days? Laptop Magazine I believe it was, released a list of computer companies rating them on certain factors and Dell was right behind Apple in the customer service ratings.

 

[jrichards1408]

I thought Dell was generally the best these days? Laptop Magazine I believe it was, released a list of computer companies rating them on certain factors and Dell was right behind Apple in the customer service ratings.

Who was third? Got a link to that article?

 

[SDColorado]

Who was third? Got a link to that article?

Samsung, believe it or not for the support and warranty with a score. of 17. Though they finished 9th overall.

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/laptop-brand-ratings

Edit: Here is a link to the tech support showdown where the support and warranty scores where derived. https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/tech-support-showdown

 

[jrichards1408]

Samsung, believe it or not for the support and warranty with a score. of 17. Though they finished 9th overall.

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/laptop-brand-ratings

Edit: Here is a link to the tech support showdown where the support and warranty scores where derived. https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/tech-support-showdown

Lenovo 1st overall?

 

[SDColorado]

Lenovo 1st overall?

Yeah, looks like Lenovo took 1st overall based largely on their Review Scores, with the highest average reviews for all their models and 10 editors choice awards. They also had high scores for design and innovation, which made up for a lower Support and Warranty score than last year.

They also took the top spot in 2017
https://www.technobuffalo.com/2017/04/10/apple-suffers-dramatic-decline-in-2017-laptop-rankings/

and Microsoft, at least for now, surpasses Apple as the most valuable company....

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/microsoft-surpasses-apple-as-most-valuable-us-company-2018-11-30

 

[hajime]

Lenovo 1st overall?

Yes for this year.

Finally got an agent. She said that she needs to find out what is happening with my order. Definitely not shipped yet. She said that they did not charge my credit card but it was just a hold and would be released. What does that mean? My credit card company said that they already charged the money.

 

[SDColorado]

Yes for this year.

Finally got an agent. She said that she needs to find out what is happening with my order. Definitely not shipped yet. She said that they did not charge my credit card but it was just a hold and would be released. What does that mean? My credit card company said that they already charged the money.

Probably means that they did a pre-authorization. Which means that the merchant verifies that your account is valid and that sufficient funds are available to cover the transaction's cost.

The funds are deducted from your account and placed in a hold until the merchant ships the item(s) at which point they will be transferred to the merchant or the hold expires. That is generally a period of up to 3 days.

So while your computer may not be shipped yet, my guess is the hold means that it will ship tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest.