I've been browsing trough this forum for months now trying to figure out what my next laptop would be for university. After trying two highly praised laptops I registered just to share my opinion of both to help other people that are in my situation. Keep in mind this is from a university student's perspective and I mainly deal in questions of ease of use, build quality, and comfort.
My previous laptop was an old ThinkPad the 600x. For those that are not familiar with the model, it is considered to have the best keyboard of any ThinkPad (and already ThinkPad’s are known for great keyboards) and it's built like a tank, literally. So my standards in build quality and keyboard feel were very high.
Size/Weight:
For those that are debating if the M6Bne is too big to carry around, here's my take on it. If you ABSOLUTELY need to play the latest games, then it's the machine for you, but after using it for a week, I quickly realized that it simply was too big and heavy (I'm 6"2) if I had to carry it around. It definitely is a plus playing all those games, but every time I actually had time to sit down and play one (need a mouse connected to play any shooter) I was at home with my high-end desktop next to me. Which defeated the purpose of a powerful notebook in the first place. This is perfect for the people that want to make this their main machine. My previous 600x was somewhat smaller and I missed the form factor. It seemed that since I was used to the size of the 600x anything bigger was truly a pain to use. Even lying in bed and doing some work on the laptop was hard since it was so big. I must add that the weight didn't bother me as much as the size of the laptop, taking it in and out of my bag was just too much trouble.
This is in sharp contrast to the x31 that replaced the Asus. It's small and light and it makes carrying a laptop anywhere I go a breeze. The keyboard is very easy to use in comparison to other ultra portables since most of the keys are standard size, after trying it out for a few minutes I could type fairly quickly. Key response was perfect in comparison to the sticky feel of the asus keys (I in no way consider myself an expert on the subject but I'm sharing the feelings I had when typing on the two machines). It's like night and day going from the bulky asus to the x31, it makes using my laptop so much easier and so much more convenient.
General Use:
The screen on the M6Bne is truly beautiful, I was lucky to have 0 dead pixels. Watching movies is incredible. Doing work with excel is much more efficient since you have all that screen real estate. One thing I was very disappointed with was the sub-par speakers on the Asus. Considering it’s not exactly a small laptop I was expecting something decent from 4 speakers. Even at full volume I had trouble watching a movie since I couldn't hear the dialogue too wel in a remotely noisy area (and yes I tweaked all the audio settings, in a quiet environment the speakers were just adequate) this in SHARP contrast to the smaller 600x with its 2 truly loud speakers. I always thought that was the standard but after going trough the Asus, I see why the 600x speakers were exceptional. Also, The palm rest was uncomfortable to use when the laptop was in a less then ideal position, an opinion a lot of people shared, maybe it's because I have big hands, but the edges were too sharp and would making typing a pain, I would have liked something rounded.
The X31 has HORRIBLE speakers. Words can't describe the awfulness of the speaker (yes, there is only one speaker under the laptop). Forget about listening to anything trough it. At full volume everything is like a whisper, no wonder AnandTech mentioned that it was one of the smallest speakers they ever saw in a laptop, you can barely hear anything. External speakers or headphones/earphones are a MUST. That was definitely one of the more disappointing aspects of the laptop. I was expecting something on the same level as the 600x. The palm rest is also a bit short (keep in mind I have big hands) so typing is also not as easy as I would have expected. I find the screen to be "ok" in size, being spoiled by the 15.4 on the asus or even the 13.3 on the 600x, forces me to admit that at 12" the screen is a bit small, movies are still ok on it, but I find the 13.3" screen on my 600x a better compromise in size and function. (Comparing side by side with the X31, the color reproduction seems to be richer on the Asus)
Build Quality:
This is the topic I hold dear. The most important thing in a laptop for me is the build quality, since I will be carrying it a lot, I expect something that feels sturdy that I trust would last me a long time. I was spoiled with the 600x, no creaks/squeaks even after 5 years! Almost no flex anywhere, just holding it in your hand and you feel how solid it truly is. I simply can't praise the build quality enough. It's funny but when I first got the laptop, I thought every laptop was made the same way, after seeing the models made by other companies and playing around with my new Asus I finally understood what I took for granted all this time.
Now for me the BIGGEST disappointment with the Asus was the build quality. I still can't believe people compare it to IBM, I'm no IBM fan boy, that's why I went with the Asus since people on this board were saying it comes very close to the IBM build quality, commonly considered the second most well built after IBM. Boy was I in for a surprise. The Asus squeaks in many places on the palm rest (pressing a little bit on the palm rests makes it squeak a lot), bending the screen a bit makes it squeak, generally speaking, the laptop does not feel as solid as it should. To explain myself better, it's not a machine I think could last me 6 month without a hitch or squeak, and definitely not 5 years like my old IBM. It seems just too fragile in many places and the materials feel somewhat cheap. Build quality is simply sub par for me (I know a lot of people here like this laptop, but I'm just sharing the feelings I got when using it, remember I’m coming from a 600x). This had to be the single biggest disappointment for me, it felt cheap, the kind of plastic cheap, and after a week of use it just squeaked too much to my liking (and I saw small bits of the silver paint gone on the laptop's corners from one week of moderate use!). I still don't know how people can praise their build quality, maybe if you are comparing it to a Dell or Toshiba.
After getting a feel of the Asus, I got scared and thought that maybe this was the standard for everybody, since they were considered above average in build quality; I thought I should be expecting the same thing from the new IBM’s. So when I received my X31 a week after using the Asus I was naturally anxious to compare since I had to decide between which two machines I would keep. And I must say there is a WORLD of difference between the two in terms of build quality. The X31 doesn't squeak at all, it feels very solid. There is absolutely not comparison between this and the Asus, the materials and construction used on the IBM are on a whole different level. Flexing the screen there are no squeaks to be heard and everything feels extremely solid. Pressing hard on the palm rests results in silence, in sharp comparison to my asus that would automatically squeak on even small application of pressure (especially the palm rest that was covering the leds). I can take the machine in one hand, and I feel that everything is solid, that the finish is perfect, I get the impression that I could drop the laptop and it would be fine. It's something I wouldn’t be afraid to use or to handle since I feel that it's made very well. I must add one interesting piece of information, as much as the x31 feels solid, I must say it still doesn't surpass my 600x, maybe it's because the later is heavier, but taking the 600x, feels like you have a solid unbreakable brick in your hand. Yet, the x31 comes VERY close that quality, with the Asus easily trailing behind.
Conclusion
In the end, the exceptional build quality, and the amazing portability made me choose the X31, I don't think it ever was a close decision, especially since the beginning I wasn't fully satisfied with the Asus. The lack of an optical drive is not a problem for me since I realized while using the M6bne that I would use the drive only at home when installing software something I could easily do with the ThinkPad over my network or with a external cd-rom. Getting the x31 for 999$CAD from the IBM clearance corner also helped in my decision. I would reconsider my decision only if the X31 was several hundred dollars more then the Asus; otherwise it's simply not worth the sacrifice in build quality. It seems that once you use something with exceptional build quality (like the 600x) you just can't go back, anything that doesn't come close just feels cheap and flimsy.
**Take note, I heard that other new IBMs are not as solid as the X31/X40, I know the T40 has it's share of build quality problems, and any low end IBM (G series maybe R series) might also suffer from a lack of build quality.
My previous laptop was an old ThinkPad the 600x. For those that are not familiar with the model, it is considered to have the best keyboard of any ThinkPad (and already ThinkPad’s are known for great keyboards) and it's built like a tank, literally. So my standards in build quality and keyboard feel were very high.
Size/Weight:
For those that are debating if the M6Bne is too big to carry around, here's my take on it. If you ABSOLUTELY need to play the latest games, then it's the machine for you, but after using it for a week, I quickly realized that it simply was too big and heavy (I'm 6"2) if I had to carry it around. It definitely is a plus playing all those games, but every time I actually had time to sit down and play one (need a mouse connected to play any shooter) I was at home with my high-end desktop next to me. Which defeated the purpose of a powerful notebook in the first place. This is perfect for the people that want to make this their main machine. My previous 600x was somewhat smaller and I missed the form factor. It seemed that since I was used to the size of the 600x anything bigger was truly a pain to use. Even lying in bed and doing some work on the laptop was hard since it was so big. I must add that the weight didn't bother me as much as the size of the laptop, taking it in and out of my bag was just too much trouble.
This is in sharp contrast to the x31 that replaced the Asus. It's small and light and it makes carrying a laptop anywhere I go a breeze. The keyboard is very easy to use in comparison to other ultra portables since most of the keys are standard size, after trying it out for a few minutes I could type fairly quickly. Key response was perfect in comparison to the sticky feel of the asus keys (I in no way consider myself an expert on the subject but I'm sharing the feelings I had when typing on the two machines). It's like night and day going from the bulky asus to the x31, it makes using my laptop so much easier and so much more convenient.
General Use:
The screen on the M6Bne is truly beautiful, I was lucky to have 0 dead pixels. Watching movies is incredible. Doing work with excel is much more efficient since you have all that screen real estate. One thing I was very disappointed with was the sub-par speakers on the Asus. Considering it’s not exactly a small laptop I was expecting something decent from 4 speakers. Even at full volume I had trouble watching a movie since I couldn't hear the dialogue too wel in a remotely noisy area (and yes I tweaked all the audio settings, in a quiet environment the speakers were just adequate) this in SHARP contrast to the smaller 600x with its 2 truly loud speakers. I always thought that was the standard but after going trough the Asus, I see why the 600x speakers were exceptional. Also, The palm rest was uncomfortable to use when the laptop was in a less then ideal position, an opinion a lot of people shared, maybe it's because I have big hands, but the edges were too sharp and would making typing a pain, I would have liked something rounded.
The X31 has HORRIBLE speakers. Words can't describe the awfulness of the speaker (yes, there is only one speaker under the laptop). Forget about listening to anything trough it. At full volume everything is like a whisper, no wonder AnandTech mentioned that it was one of the smallest speakers they ever saw in a laptop, you can barely hear anything. External speakers or headphones/earphones are a MUST. That was definitely one of the more disappointing aspects of the laptop. I was expecting something on the same level as the 600x. The palm rest is also a bit short (keep in mind I have big hands) so typing is also not as easy as I would have expected. I find the screen to be "ok" in size, being spoiled by the 15.4 on the asus or even the 13.3 on the 600x, forces me to admit that at 12" the screen is a bit small, movies are still ok on it, but I find the 13.3" screen on my 600x a better compromise in size and function. (Comparing side by side with the X31, the color reproduction seems to be richer on the Asus)
Build Quality:
This is the topic I hold dear. The most important thing in a laptop for me is the build quality, since I will be carrying it a lot, I expect something that feels sturdy that I trust would last me a long time. I was spoiled with the 600x, no creaks/squeaks even after 5 years! Almost no flex anywhere, just holding it in your hand and you feel how solid it truly is. I simply can't praise the build quality enough. It's funny but when I first got the laptop, I thought every laptop was made the same way, after seeing the models made by other companies and playing around with my new Asus I finally understood what I took for granted all this time.
Now for me the BIGGEST disappointment with the Asus was the build quality. I still can't believe people compare it to IBM, I'm no IBM fan boy, that's why I went with the Asus since people on this board were saying it comes very close to the IBM build quality, commonly considered the second most well built after IBM. Boy was I in for a surprise. The Asus squeaks in many places on the palm rest (pressing a little bit on the palm rests makes it squeak a lot), bending the screen a bit makes it squeak, generally speaking, the laptop does not feel as solid as it should. To explain myself better, it's not a machine I think could last me 6 month without a hitch or squeak, and definitely not 5 years like my old IBM. It seems just too fragile in many places and the materials feel somewhat cheap. Build quality is simply sub par for me (I know a lot of people here like this laptop, but I'm just sharing the feelings I got when using it, remember I’m coming from a 600x). This had to be the single biggest disappointment for me, it felt cheap, the kind of plastic cheap, and after a week of use it just squeaked too much to my liking (and I saw small bits of the silver paint gone on the laptop's corners from one week of moderate use!). I still don't know how people can praise their build quality, maybe if you are comparing it to a Dell or Toshiba.
After getting a feel of the Asus, I got scared and thought that maybe this was the standard for everybody, since they were considered above average in build quality; I thought I should be expecting the same thing from the new IBM’s. So when I received my X31 a week after using the Asus I was naturally anxious to compare since I had to decide between which two machines I would keep. And I must say there is a WORLD of difference between the two in terms of build quality. The X31 doesn't squeak at all, it feels very solid. There is absolutely not comparison between this and the Asus, the materials and construction used on the IBM are on a whole different level. Flexing the screen there are no squeaks to be heard and everything feels extremely solid. Pressing hard on the palm rests results in silence, in sharp comparison to my asus that would automatically squeak on even small application of pressure (especially the palm rest that was covering the leds). I can take the machine in one hand, and I feel that everything is solid, that the finish is perfect, I get the impression that I could drop the laptop and it would be fine. It's something I wouldn’t be afraid to use or to handle since I feel that it's made very well. I must add one interesting piece of information, as much as the x31 feels solid, I must say it still doesn't surpass my 600x, maybe it's because the later is heavier, but taking the 600x, feels like you have a solid unbreakable brick in your hand. Yet, the x31 comes VERY close that quality, with the Asus easily trailing behind.
Conclusion
In the end, the exceptional build quality, and the amazing portability made me choose the X31, I don't think it ever was a close decision, especially since the beginning I wasn't fully satisfied with the Asus. The lack of an optical drive is not a problem for me since I realized while using the M6bne that I would use the drive only at home when installing software something I could easily do with the ThinkPad over my network or with a external cd-rom. Getting the x31 for 999$CAD from the IBM clearance corner also helped in my decision. I would reconsider my decision only if the X31 was several hundred dollars more then the Asus; otherwise it's simply not worth the sacrifice in build quality. It seems that once you use something with exceptional build quality (like the 600x) you just can't go back, anything that doesn't come close just feels cheap and flimsy.
**Take note, I heard that other new IBMs are not as solid as the X31/X40, I know the T40 has it's share of build quality problems, and any low end IBM (G series maybe R series) might also suffer from a lack of build quality.
