After all the time I've taken to do the research, weigh up this machine over that machine, the purchase was deceptively simple. It all started 6 weeks ago...

Like all good researched purchases, it started with an evenings web research. Not even froogle, sorry google products, can give you a comprehensive list in the UK, so you have to perform the same search on Dabs, MicroWarehouse, Insight, PCWorld (actually their business site can be competitive) and all to discover that nobody in the UK can come up with a machine close to the specification I want.

Admittedly it was the high end specification I was after so I was very surprised to find it wasn't available. Why does Lenovo think that nobody in the UK will want an X61 tablet with SXGA screen, 7200rpm drive and bluetooth? Are we not allowed to lust after exactly the same spec that our cousins over the pond get to review?

Bad service

In fact that was a good idea. Maybe I could get the US custom build website to deliver me one over here? Well in short no. First we contact Lenovo US and ask them. The first email I got back wasn't a good sign.

Not one to be easily put off, I took on the challenge. First some phone calls to Lenovo UK and then a follow up email with the US.

Then things started to lookup a little, well eventually. My thanks go to Chetan for the first useful email response of this saga.

Out of the blue (sorry couldn't resist) came ever more good news.

 Now this is starting to look promising. It should just be a case of chasing the re-seller to get hold of a machine.

The good news

I had a great wedding in New York, but no 'come and give us your money' phone calls or emails. However I am still writing most of this using my pen on my X61. I've had to compromise and get a lower spec machine off the shelf. At least I only ended up with a slower hard drive but I will always wonder if this machine could have been faster. Hmmm... When will SSDs become affordable?