Sunday, February 19, 2012

Lenovo discontinues ThinkPad X120e

Lenovo is phasing out the ThinkPad X120e now that the X130e 11.6 inch laptop is available. The Lenovo ThinkPad X120e is no longer available for purchase from the Lenovo website.

The X130e has a semi-rugged case and a choice of more powerful AMD or Intel chips. It is thicker and heavier than the X120e. The X120e measured 11.1″ x 7.4″ x 1.2″ and weighed about 3.3 pounds with a 3 cell battery, while the X130e measures 11.6″ x 8.5″ x 1.3″ and weighs 3.9 pounds with a 6 cell battery. For comparison the dm1z is 11.49" x 8.46" x 0.83-1.26" and weighs 3.5 lbs with a 6 cell battery.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

What wireless adapter added to DM1z whitelist for BIOS F.13?

The dm1z BIOS version F.13 update, "HP Notebook System BIOS Update (AMD Processors)", states it "Provides support for a new Wireless LAN card" but I still cannot determine this card.

I went to the HP online store to view the dm1z laptop to customize a dm1z to see if I can select a wireless card to deduce what the new wireless card version or brand.

I chose the "Recommended configuration", went to "Customize & Buy" and then in Components went to Networking. There are no customization options available, just the single default option. But what is that card? Is it the same Ralink RT5390 1x1 2.4GHz only wireless card I have? Or is it a different one now, perhaps the one that has been added to the whitelist as implied by the BIOS F.13 update? If I can find out what new card the dm1z supports, and if it supports 5GHz 'n', then I'm updating my BIOS and buying that card somehow.

I clicked the 'Help me decide' link from the "Components > Select: Networking" page to see if there was some more info on the wireless card.  Here's a screenshot of the page:

WiFi wireless card details for the dm1z from shopping.hp.com. One option available, no specifics on the card are provided.
WiFi wireless card details from the dm1z from the shopping.hp.com site.
Only one option available and no specifics on the card are provided.
The popup has the following text:
Networking
PC includes a network port for broadband Internet connectivity. Internet access sold separately.

You can choose one of the options below:

802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)

802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R) can provide speed improvements up to 20% in the 2.4GHz band relative to 802.11g. Bluetooth is a network interface that uses short-range radio waves to provide wireless links between compatible PCs, printers, cell phones, PDAs, and other portable handheld devices. Bluetooth lets you do and enjoy more: transfer photos from your Bluetooth-equipped digital camera to your notebook PC for editing or printing. DISCLAIMERS: Based on WiFi Certification testing of 802.11 a/b/g/n data rates, Mbps. See http://www.wi-fi.org/knowledge_center_overview.php?docid=4590 for more details. Wireless access point and Internet service sold separately. Wireless Internet use requires separately purchased Internet service contract. End user actual speeds may vary depending on network and environmental factors.

See that it says nothing about 5GHz or 2x2 support or anything about the card manufacturer. It's probably still the Ralink RT5390 1x1 card. Still looking for which adapter has been added to the whitelist....