2022 and I'm still loving my X201, these were my favorite series of laptops ever. Lenovo or not, nothing has ever been so fun to work on. Parts are still readily available and super cheap, and I've even got an FM + TV Tuner in mine running Linux.
Thank you for the video, very comprehensive and soothing somehow. I managed to get hold of a terribly filthy 30 usd x200 today. The owner thought the wifi stopped working and the battery was dead. Turned out he missed the little button on the side and his ac adaptor was faulty. After 3h of deep cleaning, swearing I would never buy any used laptop in my life, (and watch your TH-cam channel again) the little guy came back to life and stole my heart away. The wifi has no issue and the battery holds for 45 minutes. The typing is awesome. I’m happy 😊
I bought an x200t thanks to your advise on that model in one of your videos. I can really tell this last c2d machines were great! Btw thanks for helping out countless guys like me who were seeking advice/didint know what ThinkPad to buy to feed their addiction
Firstly, thanks for this lovely video. You can indeed Libreboot the X200, but the process isn't as easy as on the X60. The X60 can be done by anyone without physically opening the case. The X200 requires some knowledge, dismantling + jumper leads etc. Hence, I had someone else do that for me. Note: If you don't have access to Windows - as I didn't - have whoever Libreboots it upgrade the BIOS to latest version. The person who did mine said Libreboot can be quite particular about mismatched RAM. In my case he kindly replaced with a working pair. If you do send your X200 off to be Librebooted, might as well include a brand new CMOS battery. When the keyboard and cover are off, it's but a few seconds to replace. Once Librebooted, there's a known issue with rebooting while a DVD player is in the X200 UltraBay. You'll need to manually eject the entire drive unit (not just the DVD disc) before booting up. The X200 UltraBay has poor shielding around the headphone socket wiring. If you hear a constant very low volume hum, it ain't you. USB audio doesn't suffer this problem. A better screen can be found on eBay (from China). Details elude me, but be careful with minor differences between various 'X' laptops. Do your research carefully. I like this laptop more than any other. Even turned down the free offer of a modern MacBook. Sold my X240 to buy two of these as I'd simply had enough of TrackPads. If all you do is type, email and browse the web on Linux, it's fab! Runs Arch Linux perfectly with a fully encrypted HDD (including boot). I particularly like the tactile quality of these older ThinkPads. Just as all modern cars appear to look the same, it's getting the same with laptops. All now slithers of metal or plastic. The X200 has personality and style; the user not so much. Running Arch Linux in 2022, the only time I experience slowness is during the initial boot and getting Xmonad to a usable state. Also, initial opening of a 20 tabbed web browser (Brave) takes time. Once all that's done I never think I'm running a slow machine. TH-cam runs perfectly too. As I mentioned, I only do simple stuff on it. Still haven't swapped the HDD for an SSD. Think I'll do so this year. That'll apparently do wonders. Plus I'll upgrade the screen.
@@neildissanayake7942 You are absolutely right. I've been told it'll speed things up tremendously. I just can't get my head around BTRFS. It's confusing and scary, especially understanding how to backup to external HDD's. Having said that, I'll probably make the jump before end of year.
@@LaptopRetrospective Hard to tell both UltraBase apart from online listings. 😅 Now I need an UltraBase for my X61 Tablet. It is the only ThinkPad in my collection without a dock. Been searching high and low but no avail.
as X200t (Tablet) owner, here's my thought about X200: • stronger, much durable hinge • faster P8800 core 2 duo CPU option • smaller and lighter than X200t • there's also slightly 'slimmer' version called X200s with same CPU option as my X200t • if you really want to tinker, X201 motherboard can fit easily on X200 case (not so sure about X201s mobo on X200 body)
@@GerdLPluu for the battery there are chanmrging banks. Not great but good enough for me since I don't have to turn it off. I don't really have a need for hotswaping SSDs, and I never use more than the 16gb of ram anyways (more than the x200s max) since the 4gb was good enough (the life of a Linux user). The processing power and recent OpenGL support was a big selling point for me.
Totally understand how you feel. There is something about the substance of the old docks and says, "Yes, I've just plugged in my battlestation!" That you just don't get with a single teeny cable.
I have ThinkPad X200 with 4GB of RAM and 180GB Intel SSD running Windows 11 and Arch Linux. This old beast is so amazing considering the age -- works great for daily tasks. Love it.
X200 is a fantastic little laptop. Get in the AFFS panel or better yet mod in a modern 3:2 display and do the X210 upgrades, and you have one hell of a ThiccPad.
Crazy how overblown the "slowness" of c2d is. This is ancient in tech-years; still my daily driver. If rendering/compiling isn't required these machines still run well on arch-based distros. Doesn't even meet the sys req's yet runs IBKR TW without much issue! I prefer it so strongly I have a big stack of spares!
Watching this on my x200, bought it recently to use for multimedia. Surprisingly, it is capable of 1080p youtube playback, loving it. Rocking it with win10. I dont like poor little speaker, but bluetooth headphones works completely fine.
Love the battery charging capability in the Ultrabase! Fascinating to hear about the fakes. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip down memory lane :-) PS Still happily using my X240, while my much newer Asus ZenBook collects dust, ha ha.
@@LaptopRetrospective thank you for your feedback, just clocked both again, and to be accurate the X200 boots in 18sec, it has the Intel P8700 and the T400 boots in 21 sec, with Intel P8400, both have a Kingston ssd 120gb. I have to mention also the great keyboards. Greetings from Sintra, Portugal!
My mum still uses this laptop as her main (and only) computer. I bought it for her around 2013 for like £90. What's crazy is that they sell for the same amount or even more right now. I remember I didn't quite get it why they were so cheap back then (it wasn't just a one off deal, they all seemed to be in this price range). Interestingly, in the last couple of years their price seems to be going up now. I think one reason is Libreboot compatibility, and the other is the general trend that older Thinkpads are getting more sought after for their keyboards and design. Same with my T60, it was cheaper 4 years ago than they are now. Also my dad uses it's successor, the X201. Almost identical, but has a core i5 cpu, so somewhat more future proof (a big downside though is that for the first three generations of core i processors there is no way to undervolt them, so it runs quite a bit hotter than my mums X200, which undervolts really well). And I had no idea about that battery charging connector on the dock. I have to check that out when I visit my parents next time. I wish my docking station for the T60 had that feature, as I sometimes use multiple batteries.
Yeah there are some natural price inflation but some of them are overpriced in my opinion. You can coreboot ThinkPads now up to the X/T/W x30 thanks to ivyrain. The Ultrabase is a must have I think for these machines.
Great to see how many people from all walks of life enjoy your many videos on these old warhorse machines. Keep going! Maybe you can get your hands on an x2100 to try 😳
@@LaptopRetrospective they're about 1500 cad I believe. Given the specs it doesn't seem too bad. I suppose it depends on stability and if one needs to rely on the machine. I'm not sure how any warranty would be claimed short of eating expenses of shipping back.
As Lenovo technician, This X200 is solid made model .It is base model of later models such as x220,x230. It is easy to maintenance. Although it is made in long time ago. it is outperforms new fancy laptops.
@@LaptopRetrospective Yes more durable . What I meant was comparing to Chromebook and some new ones from Acer . Also I recommend buy the T or X series laptops. Those E series laptops frame is very filmsy and difficult to repair - it is nightmare of technician.
Lenovo tech - cool so many people enjoy this dude's videos. I've been watching a bunch lately haha. Maybe doesn't outperform but it never fails to make me laugh, how much people overestimate the computing power they *really* require.
great video! the only thing u missed is that it still has a 3g modem (which does work under linux & can be made to work with windows 10 too)! great if ur in a pinch, or enjoy the novelty of the sent sms messages via ur laptop!
Great video sir! I've been using an X200 (laptoblet-rotating screen and stylus) for the past six years and it's suited me well. But I have two questions maybe you could help me out with. Firstly, can you recommend a good video for doing the Linux swap? Second, would you kindly point me in the direction of information on how to do a harddrive swap? I really hope to get another five'ish years out of it. I appreciate any and all insight sir and have a wonderful day!
There are lots of great videos out there for swapping/cloning drives. Meridian Reflect Free is where I'd suggest you start. If you're considering this and Linux then I'd suggest getting Rufus USB creator and your distro of choice and put the new drive in and give it a whirl. Let me know if you have further questions.
I love that feature of charging another battery on the x200 ultrabase, i hope features like that would make a comeback....oh wait, we don't even have removeable battery anymore.
Hey man so I may found a fake x200 which is missing lenovos logo on lid of display. Says it has a p8700 processor but guy does want a 60eur for it and i do want original machine for myself so i am not sure should I buy it or not? Because it could be that the machine is original one just happens to have no lenovoa logo on lid?
Has same ports as any x200 and the lenovo logo on front of display next to led indicators. So I am pretty sure this is one of rare x200's without lenovo logo on the top lid?
@@LaptopRetrospective Just basic stuff, 4gb of DDR2, a battery that works and an SSD for now, the machine apart from the upper case is in spectacular condition, and was a bargain.
SL series processors, different lid design. The s uses carbon fibre to lighten it up. A 1440x900 panel was an option. Webcams and WWAN were not options from what I've read.
great video but i saw it too late..out of my ignorance on the camp i think i just bought a fake lenovo x200..is missing the stamp lenovo on the top :( what else i could check? thank!!
Hi ! I currently own one of thoses "fake" x200 but mine is in core 2 duo configuration. But I was always wondering why the lenovo brand was missing. You can contact me lf you want, I'm french so if there is any linguistic mistake please dont take care 😊
Please let me know how best to reach you! I'd love to hear more. You can find my email in the About section of my TH-cam page. Twitter DMs or website contact form work too.
First off, I'd like to say: Spectacular video and information found here. You definitely got my like, comment & subscription! I'm a desktop guy, been so since 2004. I had the opportunity last year to a free ThiinkPad X201 from a local buy nothing group. All it needed was an HDD/SSD and an operating system. Guy who gave it to me said his company upgraded laptops so they were no longer needed. Here we are now with Windows 10 Enterprise, and I have found use for this laptop as my personal computer while at the office (work, if you will). Been doing research on what I can do to upgrade this thing and boy was I surprised by the possibilities! Found an UltraBase X200 dock station for $14 in total off eBay. Found a FILCO Mechanical Keyboard at the thrift store for $20 Noticed the RAM on this laptop has already been upgraded to 8GB. The next thing on the list is a USB 3.0 ExpressCard & a new battery. Current battery lasts about 2hrs-1hr30 min under regular use. I don't plan to replace this laptop any time soon! Going strong in 2022. I wanted to ask you on more elaboration on your Bonus segment, about the "fake" ThinkPads. Are these laptops missing ALL Lenovo branding, or only the label on the front cover? (Behind the screen) Thanks again for this video! I don't usually comment this long but this video peaked my curiosity.
Thanks for sharing your story and I'm honoured to have your support and that you took the time to comment. The Fake ThinkPad is an interesting bit as there are lots of small differences and several people thought they had one, contacted me and it turns out they were legitimate examples.
@@LaptopRetrospective Thank you for the feedback & reply. Thought I too had an example but all my X201 is missing is the front cover Lenovo logo, and I saw you had the same in your review video of the same system. Got the flush fitting 3-port USB 3.0 ExpressCard installed and it's flawless. Transferred around 60GB of data thru a USB in less than 10 minutes. Happy to report I also got the X201's finger print scanner to work on Windows 10 after around 3 days of trying to enable ALL biometric settings on Windows. After getting the ThinkVantage Fingerprint Software & some services/registry edits, it works like a charm. This laptop just keeps on impressing me. Last thing I have coming in for this laptop is a brand new, OEM 9-cell (47++) battery I got off eBay for $60. Will come back and report battery life times after that!
Can u help me out........ i have a thinkpad x201 and it has an express card slot so i bought a egpu dock now i beed to know which 10 series card is compatible with it????? Pls help
I bought this laptop few weeks ago for 45€ and a new recharable cos the older one was broken. Well I didn't opened it up and didn't modified this laptop but for the using the few days I love it a lot and it's perfect for playing damn old games, editing your music, watching videos or DVDs on it :) But I'll upgrade the RAM to 8GB, 1 TB or 500 GB SSD instead of my 128 SSD I got here, the Docking Station and a new Network Card for this :) I'm hopping between WIn 10, Tiny 10/Tiny 11 and Linux Mint XFCE to see the differences in Performance etc. This small thing is perfect for traveling :)
@@LaptopRetrospective I usually use for microsoft office, excel, watching youtube, listening spotify, some time edit video, i forget I already replace the battery, repasta and cleaning fan, some time play roblox, so far still smooth and keyboard very comfortable :D
I have one of these exclusively for writing. However, I hadn't used it for the past year - other things going on - and tried to charge it a couple of nights ago. The amber light has been flashing for almost two days. Probably time for a new battery.
Can u make a video on the forgotten thinkpad x100e cause this launched only in usa and failed to launch naywhere else as it had heating issues the already manufatured units were given to employees. ............... (i was one of them)
1. I did not know about the UltraBase battery charging feature. That's cool. 2. The CPU choices are only P series, not T series. 3. Apparently, the UltraBase has 2 speakers. I cannot verify this. 4. You don't have the fingerprint reader. If you did then there would be a ribbon connector attached to the palmrest.
ThinkPad 570 was the first to have an ultrabase. That series (560/570) continued as the X series. There were three full-size docks, named Selectabase I, II, III. The first one supported a few models. Maybe 750 or 755? With Selectabase II and III, you had to buy a port replicator (Selectadock) that matched your ThinkPad (eg 770 or 600), and that slid onto the Selectabase. I still have them for my 600X. The dock has space for ISA/PCI cards, as well as a 5.25" bay. Built-in SCSI.
@@LaptopRetrospective yes thanks! i like this x200 very much and would like to upgrade with a built in webcam, but have check on the internet and found different type and not sure which to buy, would you kindly advise?
Upgrading to one with a webcam would involve some significant disassembly which is outlined in the maintenance manual. Depending on your level of comfort and availability of the parts you might be better off buying another unit that has one. It should be very easy to tell from photographs if one is included or not.
I have the X200, among many other Thinkpads, I use only for writing and playing, nothing else to do with it, I use my Thinkpad T520 for everything else... apart from that the only thing I like from the X200 is the portability...
I really cant think of any older laptops than age as well as the thinkpads. I wonder if well see the same with the newer gen thinkpads, like the x1 nano
@@LaptopRetrospective Hi! I dont know how but palmrest on my t420 got broken so i wanted to super glue it. I did that and when i wanted to return it keyboard didnt fit as it should, could it be that I missed a millimeter when gluing palmrest?
It's compatible. I've had several ultrabases used between the X200, X200s, X201, and X201T without issues. It was handy having one base with optical drive and another with HDD :-D .
X201 is basically the same, but better. I really see no reason to buy an X200 over an X201 now, unless you want to play around with mods. Sure, X201 will cost a bit more, but not that much more.
laptop z 2008 roku, starszy od x201 ale też dobry. X201 miał taczpad a x200 nie miał wogule, wszystkie nie miały kamer. Te notebooki były znakomite do pracy, były ultra cieńkie, lekkie. X200 miał system operacyjny windows vista business a x201 miał 7 professional. Wszystkie miały 4gb i były 64-bitowe
@@LaptopRetrospective @Laptop Retrospective i know 8gb is max, dude i have my x200 since a very long tims, i just say 2x8GB 1Rx8 is slower than 2x4GB 2Rx8 Am i right? Am i?
The difference between 1Rx8 and 2Rx8 is one has the chips on one side of the RAM and the other has it on both. I do not know if there is any appreciable difference in performance.
@@LaptopRetrospective this is actually my main computer with the dock. Am simply waiting for it to die so that I can buy a new one. Seems like that day is longer than what I ever expected. 😂😂
2022 and I'm still loving my X201, these were my favorite series of laptops ever. Lenovo or not, nothing has ever been so fun to work on. Parts are still readily available and super cheap, and I've even got an FM + TV Tuner in mine running Linux.
Haha, that's pretty cool!
Thank you for the video, very comprehensive and soothing somehow. I managed to get hold of a terribly filthy 30 usd x200 today. The owner thought the wifi stopped working and the battery was dead. Turned out he missed the little button on the side and his ac adaptor was faulty. After 3h of deep cleaning, swearing I would never buy any used laptop in my life, (and watch your TH-cam channel again) the little guy came back to life and stole my heart away. The wifi has no issue and the battery holds for 45 minutes. The typing is awesome. I’m happy 😊
Haha, that's awesome that you brought it back to life! Glad I was able to help.
I bought an x200t thanks to your advise on that model in one of your videos. I can really tell this last c2d machines were great! Btw thanks for helping out countless guys like me who were seeking advice/didint know what ThinkPad to buy to feed their addiction
Haha, my pleasure. Happy to help.
Firstly, thanks for this lovely video.
You can indeed Libreboot the X200, but the process isn't as easy as on the X60. The X60 can be done by anyone without physically opening the case. The X200 requires some knowledge, dismantling + jumper leads etc. Hence, I had someone else do that for me. Note: If you don't have access to Windows - as I didn't - have whoever Libreboots it upgrade the BIOS to latest version. The person who did mine said Libreboot can be quite particular about mismatched RAM. In my case he kindly replaced with a working pair. If you do send your X200 off to be Librebooted, might as well include a brand new CMOS battery. When the keyboard and cover are off, it's but a few seconds to replace.
Once Librebooted, there's a known issue with rebooting while a DVD player is in the X200 UltraBay. You'll need to manually eject the entire drive unit (not just the DVD disc) before booting up.
The X200 UltraBay has poor shielding around the headphone socket wiring. If you hear a constant very low volume hum, it ain't you. USB audio doesn't suffer this problem.
A better screen can be found on eBay (from China). Details elude me, but be careful with minor differences between various 'X' laptops. Do your research carefully.
I like this laptop more than any other. Even turned down the free offer of a modern MacBook. Sold my X240 to buy two of these as I'd simply had enough of TrackPads. If all you do is type, email and browse the web on Linux, it's fab! Runs Arch Linux perfectly with a fully encrypted HDD (including boot).
I particularly like the tactile quality of these older ThinkPads. Just as all modern cars appear to look the same, it's getting the same with laptops. All now slithers of metal or plastic. The X200 has personality and style; the user not so much.
Running Arch Linux in 2022, the only time I experience slowness is during the initial boot and getting Xmonad to a usable state. Also, initial opening of a 20 tabbed web browser (Brave) takes time. Once all that's done I never think I'm running a slow machine. TH-cam runs perfectly too. As I mentioned, I only do simple stuff on it.
Still haven't swapped the HDD for an SSD. Think I'll do so this year. That'll apparently do wonders. Plus I'll upgrade the screen.
Very cool stuff. Thanks for sharing your experience and journey with your X200.
I think your edit is a fair assessment of this machine in 2022 but my bro you should get an SSD lol makes a huge difference! :)
@@neildissanayake7942 You are absolutely right. I've been told it'll speed things up tremendously. I just can't get my head around BTRFS. It's confusing and scary, especially understanding how to backup to external HDD's. Having said that, I'll probably make the jump before end of year.
I ended up getting the X200 after accidentally bought the wrong UltraBase for the X220. Now I have both X200 and X220.
It's funny you say that. I had the same thing happen to me except I resold the Ultrabase only to be reunited years later with an X200.
@@LaptopRetrospective Hard to tell both UltraBase apart from online listings. 😅
Now I need an UltraBase for my X61 Tablet. It is the only ThinkPad in my collection without a dock. Been searching high and low but no avail.
as X200t (Tablet) owner, here's my thought about X200:
• stronger, much durable hinge
• faster P8800 core 2 duo CPU option
• smaller and lighter than X200t
• there's also slightly 'slimmer' version called X200s with same CPU option as my X200t
• if you really want to tinker, X201 motherboard can fit easily on X200 case (not so sure about X201s mobo on X200 body)
Yeah lots of parts are interchangeable between the 200 and 201.
Used the x200 for years and upgraded at the end of last year to an x390. Still love my x200 but being able to do heavy loads is nice
Wow, that's an upgrade for sure!
The one dock I tried for my Nano didn't seem flimsy at all, wasn't cheap though.
@@GerdLPluu for the battery there are chanmrging banks. Not great but good enough for me since I don't have to turn it off. I don't really have a need for hotswaping SSDs, and I never use more than the 16gb of ram anyways (more than the x200s max) since the 4gb was good enough (the life of a Linux user). The processing power and recent OpenGL support was a big selling point for me.
Totally understand how you feel. There is something about the substance of the old docks and says, "Yes, I've just plugged in my battlestation!" That you just don't get with a single teeny cable.
I have ThinkPad X200 with 4GB of RAM and 180GB Intel SSD running Windows 11 and Arch Linux. This old beast is so amazing considering the age -- works great for daily tasks. Love it.
That's impressive!
I am not a windows user but your comment was interesting, did you need to burn this image in a particular way to get it to boot?
X200 is a fantastic little laptop. Get in the AFFS panel or better yet mod in a modern 3:2 display and do the X210 upgrades, and you have one hell of a ThiccPad.
Now there's an idea!
You mean the X201 upgrades? Can't find x210. If you meant x201 I see it has an i5 and 4gb ram.
X210 is an unofficial mod that puts a modern motherboard in.
@@LaptopRetrospective And I would LOVE to get my hands on it!!!
It's pretty cool. I had the chance to buy one but the price, my needs and the battery life made me give it a pass. Still really cool.
Crazy how overblown the "slowness" of c2d is. This is ancient in tech-years; still my daily driver. If rendering/compiling isn't required these machines still run well on arch-based distros. Doesn't even meet the sys req's yet runs IBKR TW without much issue!
I prefer it so strongly I have a big stack of spares!
Gotta use what works for you!
The airport lounge prestige machine of it's day.
"Hold on, let me check my laptop." Used to impress.
Watching this on my x200, bought it recently to use for multimedia. Surprisingly, it is capable of 1080p youtube playback, loving it. Rocking it with win10. I dont like poor little speaker, but bluetooth headphones works completely fine.
Haha yeah that mono speaker is the sum of its parts.
Great review. Thanks! Lenovo should think back to when they used to make good things.
Consumers have changed the industry for better or for worse.
Love the battery charging capability in the Ultrabase! Fascinating to hear about the fakes.
As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip down memory lane :-)
PS Still happily using my X240, while my much newer Asus ZenBook collects dust, ha ha.
Something awesome and handy about that form factor. There's a reason my X220 remains my "around the house" laptop.
I own a X200 and a T400, both with Ultraport 4gb ram and a ssd, Win 10 Pro, boot in less 10 sec. Great machines for light use!
That's awesome! Very speedy indeed.
@@LaptopRetrospective thank you for your feedback, just clocked both again, and to be accurate the X200 boots in 18sec, it has the Intel P8700 and the T400 boots in 21 sec, with Intel P8400, both have a Kingston ssd 120gb.
I have to mention also the great keyboards.
Greetings from Sintra, Portugal!
Still fast Times given their age. Yes, those keyboards are really something else.
My mum still uses this laptop as her main (and only) computer. I bought it for her around 2013 for like £90. What's crazy is that they sell for the same amount or even more right now. I remember I didn't quite get it why they were so cheap back then (it wasn't just a one off deal, they all seemed to be in this price range). Interestingly, in the last couple of years their price seems to be going up now. I think one reason is Libreboot compatibility, and the other is the general trend that older Thinkpads are getting more sought after for their keyboards and design. Same with my T60, it was cheaper 4 years ago than they are now.
Also my dad uses it's successor, the X201. Almost identical, but has a core i5 cpu, so somewhat more future proof (a big downside though is that for the first three generations of core i processors there is no way to undervolt them, so it runs quite a bit hotter than my mums X200, which undervolts really well).
And I had no idea about that battery charging connector on the dock. I have to check that out when I visit my parents next time. I wish my docking station for the T60 had that feature, as I sometimes use multiple batteries.
Yeah there are some natural price inflation but some of them are overpriced in my opinion. You can coreboot ThinkPads now up to the X/T/W x30 thanks to ivyrain.
The Ultrabase is a must have I think for these machines.
The X200 was my first ThinkPad :-)
Great place to start!
Great to see how many people from all walks of life enjoy your many videos on these old warhorse machines. Keep going!
Maybe you can get your hands on an x2100 to try 😳
I've always wanted to take a look at one of those custom motherboard setups but they are incredibly expensive.
@@LaptopRetrospective they're about 1500 cad I believe. Given the specs it doesn't seem too bad. I suppose it depends on stability and if one needs to rely on the machine. I'm not sure how any warranty would be claimed short of eating expenses of shipping back.
Yeah, the cost is one thing, battery life and supply of new batteries is actually my biggest concern.
@@LaptopRetrospective 9 cells can be refurbished for about 65 cad but I understand your point; you have to really love these things
Yeah and whoever is doing the work needs some level of skill. That isn't found everywhere.
As Lenovo technician, This X200 is solid made model .It is base model of later models such as x220,x230. It is easy to maintenance. Although it is made in long time ago. it is outperforms new fancy laptops.
The X200 is pretty great, not sure if I agree when you say it outperforms new laptops. Maybe more durable?
@@LaptopRetrospective Yes more durable . What I meant was comparing to Chromebook and some new ones from Acer . Also I recommend buy the T or X series laptops. Those E series laptops frame is very filmsy and difficult to repair - it is nightmare of technician.
Ah that makes more sense. 👍
Lenovo tech - cool so many people enjoy this dude's videos. I've been watching a bunch lately haha. Maybe doesn't outperform but it never fails to make me laugh, how much people overestimate the computing power they *really* require.
Exactly this. A great number of people don't need a whole lot.
great video! the only thing u missed is that it still has a 3g modem (which does work under linux & can be made to work with windows 10 too)! great if ur in a pinch, or enjoy the novelty of the sent sms messages via ur laptop!
Thanks for the additional information!
@@LaptopRetrospective no probs!
Hey, what kind of specific ram should I put? My brother is giving me a x200 and I'm thinking of upgrading it also this will be my first laptop.
2:06 tells all for RAM.
I have this and I love it! Best laptop ever.Runs with Windows 10 64bit.4gb ram and no ssd disk but runs perfect in 2023!
That's awesome, what do you use it for?
Great video sir! I've been using an X200 (laptoblet-rotating screen and stylus) for the past six years and it's suited me well. But I have two questions maybe you could help me out with. Firstly, can you recommend a good video for doing the Linux swap? Second, would you kindly point me in the direction of information on how to do a harddrive swap? I really hope to get another five'ish years out of it. I appreciate any and all insight sir and have a wonderful day!
There are lots of great videos out there for swapping/cloning drives. Meridian Reflect Free is where I'd suggest you start. If you're considering this and Linux then I'd suggest getting Rufus USB creator and your distro of choice and put the new drive in and give it a whirl. Let me know if you have further questions.
Do x200 and x200s use same ultrabase? If so is x200 ultrabase compatibile with ultrabay battery?
Check the PSREF. I'm pretty sure the Ultrabase doesn't take an Ultrabay battery since it is a powered accessory.
I love that feature of charging another battery on the x200 ultrabase, i hope features like that would make a comeback....oh wait, we don't even have removeable battery anymore.
Yeah, in some regards they aren't as much of a necessity.
@@LaptopRetrospective right, higher battery capacity and fast charging. Still its cool when you can reload a laptop like the old days
For sure. Almost as satisfying as docking and undocking.
Hey man so I may found a fake x200 which is missing lenovos logo on lid of display. Says it has a p8700 processor but guy does want a 60eur for it and i do want original machine for myself so i am not sure should I buy it or not? Because it could be that the machine is original one just happens to have no lenovoa logo on lid?
No Lenovo on the lid isn't a surefire sign of a fake. The real tell is the ports and battery.
Has same ports as any x200 and the lenovo logo on front of display next to led indicators. So I am pretty sure this is one of rare x200's without lenovo logo on the top lid?
Mine was in a flood 7 years ago and still works. It’s running arch btw
Impressive!
Nowadays I have an x230 for daily use and a t61 that I am upgrading to be usable
Cool, what upgrades are you considering?
@@LaptopRetrospective Just basic stuff, 4gb of DDR2, a battery that works and an SSD for now, the machine apart from the upper case is in spectacular condition, and was a bargain.
Grazie hai spiegato molto bene e chiaro anche per quelli che non sono esperti.
My pleasure!
Beautiful machine, I got an X200s recently and it is very nice. Good video
One day I want to feature more s models.
@@LaptopRetrospective An X201s would be a cool feature, since they are pretty mystified lol.
Any s model would be neat. I don't see them often enough.
I still use my X200s as my main machine. But how much difference are there between the regular and the "s"?
SL series processors, different lid design. The s uses carbon fibre to lighten it up. A 1440x900 panel was an option. Webcams and WWAN were not options from what I've read.
great video but i saw it too late..out of my ignorance on the camp i think i just bought a fake lenovo x200..is missing the stamp lenovo on the top :(
what else i could check?
thank!!
If it's fake, the ports and battery are an absolute dead giveaway. The Lenovo stamp missing doesn't make it fake.
Hi ! I currently own one of thoses "fake" x200 but mine is in core 2 duo configuration. But I was always wondering why the lenovo brand was missing. You can contact me lf you want, I'm french so if there is any linguistic mistake please dont take care 😊
Please let me know how best to reach you! I'd love to hear more. You can find my email in the About section of my TH-cam page. Twitter DMs or website contact form work too.
@@LaptopRetrospective whitout problem. I will text you in the day on your Email adress !
First off, I'd like to say: Spectacular video and information found here. You definitely got my like, comment & subscription!
I'm a desktop guy, been so since 2004. I had the opportunity last year to a free ThiinkPad X201 from a local buy nothing group. All it needed was an HDD/SSD and an operating system. Guy who gave it to me said his company upgraded laptops so they were no longer needed. Here we are now with Windows 10 Enterprise, and I have found use for this laptop as my personal computer while at the office (work, if you will). Been doing research on what I can do to upgrade this thing and boy was I surprised by the possibilities!
Found an UltraBase X200 dock station for $14 in total off eBay.
Found a FILCO Mechanical Keyboard at the thrift store for $20
Noticed the RAM on this laptop has already been upgraded to 8GB.
The next thing on the list is a USB 3.0 ExpressCard & a new battery. Current battery lasts about 2hrs-1hr30 min under regular use.
I don't plan to replace this laptop any time soon! Going strong in 2022.
I wanted to ask you on more elaboration on your Bonus segment, about the "fake" ThinkPads. Are these laptops missing ALL Lenovo branding, or only the label on the front cover? (Behind the screen)
Thanks again for this video! I don't usually comment this long but this video peaked my curiosity.
Thanks for sharing your story and I'm honoured to have your support and that you took the time to comment. The Fake ThinkPad is an interesting bit as there are lots of small differences and several people thought they had one, contacted me and it turns out they were legitimate examples.
@@LaptopRetrospective Thank you for the feedback & reply. Thought I too had an example but all my X201 is missing is the front cover Lenovo logo, and I saw you had the same in your review video of the same system.
Got the flush fitting 3-port USB 3.0 ExpressCard installed and it's flawless. Transferred around 60GB of data thru a USB in less than 10 minutes.
Happy to report I also got the X201's finger print scanner to work on Windows 10 after around 3 days of trying to enable ALL biometric settings on Windows. After getting the ThinkVantage Fingerprint Software & some services/registry edits, it works like a charm. This laptop just keeps on impressing me.
Last thing I have coming in for this laptop is a brand new, OEM 9-cell (47++) battery I got off eBay for $60. Will come back and report battery life times after that!
Excellent upgrades!
Can u help me out........ i have a thinkpad x201 and it has an express card slot so i bought a egpu dock now i beed to know which 10 series card is compatible with it????? Pls help
eGPU.io is going to be your best resource for information.
Pls help........i have a x201 can i buy the express card rgpu dock as i am doubtful cause the expresscard slot is a little bigger than normal
Yes. 34mm slot cards fit in the 54mm hole. See my eGPU series in this channel if you want to see it working in an X220.
I bought this laptop few weeks ago for 45€ and a new recharable cos the older one was broken. Well I didn't opened it up and didn't modified this laptop but for the using the few days I love it a lot and it's perfect for playing damn old games, editing your music, watching videos or DVDs on it :) But I'll upgrade the RAM to 8GB, 1 TB or 500 GB SSD instead of my 128 SSD I got here, the Docking Station and a new Network Card for this :) I'm hopping between WIn 10, Tiny 10/Tiny 11 and Linux Mint XFCE to see the differences in Performance etc. This small thing is perfect for traveling :)
Very cool!
I still use x201 with that ultrabase for working (well if it works fine until today why should i change?)
If it still works for you, then keep with it!
i just bought an x201 i5 1x4gb with ultrabase recently, it doesn't have the touchpad on palmrest (just like your x200)
Not uncommon. The parts are interchangeable. No backwards compatibility though.
I have an X201 as a secondary machine, and I actually work with it,.just fine.
Awesome!
My x200 doesn't have the Lenovo logo on the lid, but has the intel p8700 processor and the usual port configuration..
Probably an in-between model then I suspect.
Watching with my X201, I already upgrade with RAM 4 X2 and SSD 128 and running in Windows 10 Pro, and still awesome in 2023 : d
What do you use it for?
@@LaptopRetrospective I usually use for microsoft office, excel, watching youtube, listening spotify, some time edit video, i forget I already replace the battery, repasta and cleaning fan, some time play roblox, so far still smooth and keyboard very comfortable :D
what type of RAM do you use?
@@nahdofajar3032 i use Kingston 4GB (2) Laptop RAM DDR3 1333 1.35 V
I have one of these exclusively for writing. However, I hadn't used it for the past year - other things going on - and tried to charge it a couple of nights ago. The amber light has been flashing for almost two days. Probably time for a new battery.
Sounds like it. Does it still turn on?
@@LaptopRetrospective Only when connected to the mains. The battery is totally dead.
Yep sounds like it.
@@LaptopRetrospective It has a new battery and seems to be working perfectly. Thanks.
Excellent!
So no comments about the fake Thinkpad? 12:14, is that a knock-out HDMI port?
Not really sure, these pictures are all I've ever seen.
Can u make a video on the forgotten thinkpad x100e cause this launched only in usa and failed to launch naywhere else as it had heating issues the already manufatured units were given to employees. ............... (i was one of them)
If I ever get the chance, I certainly will! I've done a video on the x140e.
1. I did not know about the UltraBase battery charging feature. That's cool.
2. The CPU choices are only P series, not T series.
3. Apparently, the UltraBase has 2 speakers. I cannot verify this.
4. You don't have the fingerprint reader. If you did then there would be a ribbon connector attached to the palmrest.
1. Yeah, pretty neat!
2. Hmmm noted, perhaps the spec sheet I had included other models or regions.
3. Ah yes, look to be on the front!
4. Correct.
Right, two speakers. Handy for the X200, which only had a single speaker!
Correct!
Nice... but no touchpad hmmm how would I navigate thinking of getting one in 2022 🙂
TrackPoint is all you really need. 😁😉
Is the think pad x201 compatible with the ultrabase?????????????????
I believe so?
So the UltraBase is the first try at a docking station?
It wouldn't be the first. Many IBM models had one before.
My R61 from 2007 (older than this one) came with a docking station.
ThinkPad 570 was the first to have an ultrabase. That series (560/570) continued as the X series.
There were three full-size docks, named Selectabase I, II, III. The first one supported a few models. Maybe 750 or 755? With Selectabase II and III, you had to buy a port replicator (Selectadock) that matched your ThinkPad (eg 770 or 600), and that slid onto the Selectabase. I still have them for my 600X. The dock has space for ISA/PCI cards, as well as a 5.25" bay. Built-in SCSI.
hi i have one without built in webcam, can you help to advise where to get the right one?
You have a model without a webcam? What exactly are you looking for?
@@LaptopRetrospective yes thanks! i like this x200 very much and would like to upgrade with a built in webcam, but have check on the internet and found different type and not sure which to buy, would you kindly advise?
Upgrading to one with a webcam would involve some significant disassembly which is outlined in the maintenance manual. Depending on your level of comfort and availability of the parts you might be better off buying another unit that has one. It should be very easy to tell from photographs if one is included or not.
Does this dock able to be used in x260?
No, they are not compatible.
I have the X200, among many other Thinkpads, I use only for writing and playing, nothing else to do with it, I use my Thinkpad T520 for everything else... apart from that the only thing I like from the X200 is the portability...
Nice to hear they are still getting used.
I really cant think of any older laptops than age as well as the thinkpads. I wonder if well see the same with the newer gen thinkpads, like the x1 nano
I'll let you know in about 10 years. 😁
@@LaptopRetrospective maybe I'll still be replying to you then on my x230 XD
Time will tell.
So the same factory made a UA Lower End ThinkPad X200.
If you're referring to the "fake" one, I've yet to see another in the wild.
Not a bad machine. Considering it is getting on for 13 years old any failure in display cable problably would have happened by now. Built like a tank.
Yep, very true.
Is possible change the processor?
Nope, sorry. You'd have to swap the whole board.
Is the power port same for x200 and t420 i guess it is but just to check
Yep, same plug. Chargers will vary based on CPU and GPU configuration but will work, just at different efficiency.
@@LaptopRetrospective Hi! I dont know how but palmrest on my t420 got broken so i wanted to super glue it. I did that and when i wanted to return it keyboard didnt fit as it should, could it be that I missed a millimeter when gluing palmrest?
Probably. Palm rests can be found to replace yours without breaking the bank.
@@LaptopRetrospective yeah I found one for like 10 euros so I will buy it
Nice!
Great information
Cheers!
Hey is that ultrabase compatible with x201
Pretty sure? The X201 is barely different than the X200.
It's compatible. I've had several ultrabases used between the X200, X200s, X201, and X201T without issues. It was handy having one base with optical drive and another with HDD :-D .
Thanks for the confirmation!
Can u please please make a vido on thinkpad x201 cause most of us in india get these at cheap rates
I already did years ago. 👍
X201 is basically the same, but better. I really see no reason to buy an X200 over an X201 now, unless you want to play around with mods. Sure, X201 will cost a bit more, but not that much more.
Still using my X200 occasionally.
Do tell.
Imagine the x200 series with dedicated GPUs
eGPU would be the closest thing without some real thermal challenges.
laptop z 2008 roku, starszy od x201 ale też dobry. X201 miał taczpad a x200 nie miał wogule, wszystkie nie miały kamer. Te notebooki były znakomite do pracy, były ultra cieńkie, lekkie. X200 miał system operacyjny windows vista business a x201 miał 7 professional. Wszystkie miały 4gb i były 64-bitowe
2:10 why two 8GB 1Rx8?
It doesnt support 16GB of ram, how not addressing half of the ram capacity helps?
Won't two 4GB modules 2Rx8 be better?
The text on the screen is correct. Max is 8GB.
@@LaptopRetrospective @Laptop Retrospective i know 8gb is max, dude i have my x200 since a very long tims, i just say 2x8GB 1Rx8 is slower than 2x4GB 2Rx8
Am i right?
Am i?
@@LaptopRetrospective and 2x8GB 2Rx8 is exactly the same performance as 2x4GB 2Rx8
Because chipset just dont address half of it
The difference between 1Rx8 and 2Rx8 is one has the chips on one side of the RAM and the other has it on both. I do not know if there is any appreciable difference in performance.
@@LaptopRetrospective dont tell me whats the difference between two and one rank per module
Im an IT guy
This are a REAL laptops. robust, durable, lot of ports, upgradeable.
It is a great little piece of kit.
my x200 is the real one but without the lenovo badge
That's strange that you have one without. I'd love to see pictures.
@@LaptopRetrospective i would love to show some pics, where can i send it?
Send some to my email. You can find it in the about page for the channel under business inquiries.
X200 the 🐐
I TRADE FOREX AND STOCKS EVERY DAY WITH MY THINKPAD X200, A VERY NICE MACHINE.
Nice! Glad to hear it is still getting used.
Greetings
Same to you!
Lenovo ThinkPad 👍💪👍😍👍
Who is watching this video on a x200, me, lol
I think there is a few of you out there. 😉
@@LaptopRetrospective this is actually my main computer with the dock. Am simply waiting for it to die so that I can buy a new one. Seems like that day is longer than what I ever expected. 😂😂
Haha, no kidding!
@@free_soul_human it will never die ypu can always fix it
@@Azhi3r but its processing power wont be enuf for basic applications in future.