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riviera74
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Lenovo reviews

Sat Jun 16, 2012 10:15 pm

Does anyone know of any reviews of the latest Lenovo Thinkpads, especially the T, L, and W series? If so, please link them here in the comments. Thanks in advance.
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:11 am

Don't know of any, but I love my T420. And the T410 I had before it. Very good laptops, IMHO.
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:22 am

Love my X220. There are probably no formal reviews done yet, but if you look at the forums at notebookreview.com you might be able to find people who have purchased the latest models and given their thoughts.
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:31 am

I have a W510 from work. Its fantastic! I can only recommend it tbh.
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:25 am

I echo the Thinkpad quality. Love my T61p (although at 5 years old, it's slowing down nowadays). Hate using any laptop without the Thinkpad tackpoint (pointing stick with scroll) - but that's just a preference.

Seems like one of the main concerns for the new Thinkpad series is the chiclet style keyboard. I've used the E420s, which I believe has a similar style keyboard to the new Thinkpads. The newer keyboard is not bad but, if I had a choice, I would still take the older style Thinkpad keyboard. Having said that, I would personally still buy a new Thinkpad with the chiclet style keyboard. In fact, I'd buy one in a heartbeat if it was in a 14" or smaller form factor with a quality screen of 1080+ horizontal lines of resolution.

You may want to keep an eye on "forums.thinkpads.com" and/or "forums.lenovo.com" - I'm sure if you google the model you're interested in + one of those sites you'll start seeing some user reviews pop up in a few days to weeks.
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:35 am

Just google for reviews.

I've been a Thinkpad fan for a long time but sadly Lenovo really brought the quality down. They just don't feel like tanks anymore. Another case in point is the T420s I purchased brand new last year. I've been babying it and mostly use it as an HTPC so it was out of the house maybe about 6 times in the last year. The motherboard had to be changed twice so far. Luckily it happened under warranty but I was forced to buy an additional year of it due to this and that makes me unhappy. Frankly speaking I might be looking towards Apple for my next laptop purchase. The newly-released T430s is barely any better than the T420s and I hate the chiclet keyboard with a passion. At least my machine has a proper IBM-type keyboard.
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:19 am

Synchromesh wrote:
Frankly speaking I might be looking towards Apple for my next laptop purchase.


Yeah, quite honestly I've had the same thought; especially with the retina display. But it doesn't seem like any of them have a matte finish. And then there's how accustomed I've become to the trackpoint - as good as the Apple touchpads are, I'm not sure I could deal with that. And for work I would need the ability to run Windows natively and stably- which it doesn't seem like full driver support is out for the new MBP with retina.
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:55 pm

HorseIicious wrote:
Synchromesh wrote:
Frankly speaking I might be looking towards Apple for my next laptop purchase.


Yeah, quite honestly I've had the same thought; especially with the retina display. But it doesn't seem like any of them have a matte finish. And then there's how accustomed I've become to the trackpoint - as good as the Apple touchpads are, I'm not sure I could deal with that. And for work I would need the ability to run Windows natively and stably- which it doesn't seem like full driver support is out for the new MBP with retina.


For some folks, Apples would be the absolute diametric opposite to a Thinkpad. Even the latest Thinkpad models come apart easy, like Legos, and are easy to upgrade.
The Retina MBP is completely non-user-accessible. Even a savvy user will have trouble with a chassis completely populated by glued and bonded components.

Not an Apple hater, I work on them all the time. But this new MBP is a big, big step back for nerds.
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:36 pm

Sure, but most TP purists only consider the T and X (and W - the W is the replacement for the Txp line) REAL thinkpads...and those models are all still good.
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:55 pm

Last week I ordered someone in my program an X-series. It should arrive in a few days. http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/31/leno ... 30-review/
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 2:36 pm

thegst wrote:
HorseIicious wrote:
Synchromesh wrote:
Frankly speaking I might be looking towards Apple for my next laptop purchase.


Yeah, quite honestly I've had the same thought; especially with the retina display. But it doesn't seem like any of them have a matte finish. And then there's how accustomed I've become to the trackpoint - as good as the Apple touchpads are, I'm not sure I could deal with that. And for work I would need the ability to run Windows natively and stably- which it doesn't seem like full driver support is out for the new MBP with retina.


For some folks, Apples would be the absolute diametric opposite to a Thinkpad. Even the latest Thinkpad models come apart easy, like Legos, and are easy to upgrade.
The Retina MBP is completely non-user-accessible. Even a savvy user will have trouble with a chassis completely populated by glued and bonded components.

Not an Apple hater, I work on them all the time. But this new MBP is a big, big step back for nerds.


Yeah, I agree with you. For a long time I have admittedly been a bit of an Apple "hater" - although not outspokenly, just with my own purchasing decisions. And a few years ago my misgivings regarding the non-user-accessible nature of Apple laptops (among other things) would have stopped me cold from ever considering an Apple purchase. So while I honestly doubt I will end up buying anything other than a ThinkPad for my next laptop - I'm still not pleased with any option they currently have on the market. I am very frustrated with the decreasing screen workspace on virtually all new laptops. For me, 1920x1200 has become a basic requirement; so the idea of the retina display is almost appealing enough to outweigh all of those cons - (if it were compatible, and scaled decently with Windows). Nowadays productivity is my primary concern, and for me functional display work area is a necessity.
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:22 pm

HorseIicious wrote:
Synchromesh wrote:
Frankly speaking I might be looking towards Apple for my next laptop purchase.


Yeah, quite honestly I've had the same thought; especially with the retina display. But it doesn't seem like any of them have a matte finish. And then there's how accustomed I've become to the trackpoint - as good as the Apple touchpads are, I'm not sure I could deal with that. And for work I would need the ability to run Windows natively and stably- which it doesn't seem like full driver support is out for the new MBP with retina.


I would wait for 13" Retina although that's basically a Retina Macbook Air. I do agree that lack of upgrading options makes these systems much less appealing. On top of that I need a decent docking station and aftermarket ones for Apple are quite pricey at $250 or so. I paid $75 for my current Thinkpad dock in slightly used condition.
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:00 pm

I love my W520. Powerful, light, awesome battery life. It's everything I wanted in a laptop.
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:19 pm

I use a T400 at work, and I love it. Very reliable, quiet, and runs cool. Pretty much same can be said of the T420s and old T61s, based on my observations at work.

Not to mention they're pretty cheap (especially with employee discount).
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:31 pm

I haven't used a T430 yet but I have used multiple T61, T400, T410, T420, T510, T520, W510, and W520 units. As each new model comes out they've gotten better in basically every way. The trackpads are not the greatest but that does look to be one of the bigger improvements in the latest release (T430, T530, etc). The keyboards have gotten better, the T61 keyboard was pretty good but I can confidently say the T420 keyboard is much better and I only assume that will continue despite chiclet design. Screen quality can vary, Lenovo seems to source them from a few suppliers for the same model even when talking about the same apparent specifications. Meaning, I've had two T420 units side by side, both 1600x900 matte displays and one had a visible screen door effect and the other didn't. In time I've come to truly love the trackpoint, if you're a programmer or often moving between multiple windows with command lines it truly reduces repetitive strain. You'll get surprisingly accurate over time with it. As well the docking station port is a must have for myself.

My issues... wish the T430 would have had a 1920x1080 option instead of 1600x900 but alas you have to go up to the 15" T530 for that. Also $250 for the NVS 5400M seems insane but I guess that's what you pay for the professional drivers (it's a slower clocked GT630M/540M).

Overall I'm a big ThinkPad fan.
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:42 am

I was the site admin and resident warranty tech for Lenovo at my old shop, and only stopped because they paid very little for warranty work even compared to Dell or HP.
It was somewhat offset by the ease of the jobs and the nicely packaged and presented FRUs. Made me an IBM/Lenovo fan for life, though - I saved my doctor's office a few grand by insisting they standardize on used x60s with SSDs instead of all-new machines that will just break in a year. With the system we built, if one of the docs manages to kill an X we can either swap the SSD into a waiting spare x60 in minutes or image from a recent backup+diff if the machine is completely destroyed.

And the damn wifi card limitation is easily bypassed by slot swapping, pin taping or modded BIOSes :D

I guess a good review for Lenovo, OP, is that nerds dig their stuff?
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riviera74
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:30 am

These are all great testimonials. Next question: should I buy a new Thinkpad T or W or X series, or get a used one from eBay.com, or a refurbished one from lenovo.com?
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:47 am

riviera74 wrote:
These are all great testimonials. Next question: should I buy a new Thinkpad T or W or X series, or get a used one from eBay.com, or a refurbished one from lenovo.com?

It all depends on your budget and needs. I always preferred used since I'm able to fix these myself and my current experience with the new system I own seems to indicate it's the right choice. Let the first owner deal with issues under warranty (if there are any) and then there is a chance you'll have a nice lightly used stable machine.

As for screens, I'm very disappointed with the 1600x900 I have. They should've done 16x10, not the pathetic 16x9. On such a high end machine it's unacceptable. The colors are quite average and the plastic bezels are just huge all around which makes a $1200+ machine look cheap. Gone are the days of the awesome Flexview IPS panels. I'm definitely no the only one who is unhappy because the same complaint was all over forum.thinkpads.com. Hopefully the W-series screens are much more pleasant.

My personal recommendation would be a used X-series (x61 is awesome, especially the tablet) or T61/T400.
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:23 pm

No way I'd go as old as a T61/T400 unless your budget is extremely tight. A new T420 starts at $660 these days. Even the base configuration is going to run laps around a T61 or T400. Not to mention much better connectivity option in every sense, a better keyboard in both usability and features, better expansion options, etc, etc. A T61 or X61 is five generations old now afterall.
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Fri Jun 22, 2012 9:06 pm

Washer wrote:
No way I'd go as old as a T61/T400 unless your budget is extremely tight. A new T420 starts at $660 these days. Even the base configuration is going to run laps around a T61 or T400. Not to mention much better connectivity option in every sense, a better keyboard in both usability and features, better expansion options, etc, etc. A T61 or X61 is five generations old now afterall.


If your budget _is_ extremely tight a T61 is an insanely good choice, actually. It's the 1998 Camry of laptops - very easy to find in excellent shape. The 14" widescreen T61 i'm on cost me $200 for the 1440x900 screen, 2GB RAM, a 250GB HD and a pretty useful battery. There is not a thing wrong with it.
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riviera74
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Fri Jun 22, 2012 10:05 pm

I would probably go for a T520 myself since a 14" screen in my opinion is a tad small. If I wanted smaller, I would get an ultrabook instead.
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Sat Jun 23, 2012 6:16 am

I really only have one complaint about my Lenovo ThinkPad Edge e525: The 1366x768 screen is no terrible. The color is good, and the viewing angles are fine, but there just aren't enough pixels for the images to look good.

Edit: Wow, that is terrible grammar, too.
Last edited by titan on Sat Jun 23, 2012 2:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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riviera74
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Sat Jun 23, 2012 8:57 am

titan wrote:
I really only have one complaint about my Lenovo ThinkPad Edge e525: The 1366x768 screen is no terrible. The color is good, and the viewing angles are fine, but there just aren't enough pixels for the images to look good.


I know. That is why I seek notebooks with a higher resolution (say 1600*900).
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:13 am

The T520 I was issued at work has a lovely 1600x900 IPS panel and a spare 4GB SODIMM that I've already repurposed (8GB RAM with a 32-bit OS). I'll never find a better laptop keyboard than the non-chiclet IBM/Lenovo boards. Closest thing I've ever come to a Model M on a laptop.
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:04 pm

Captain Ned wrote:
The T520 I was issued at work has a lovely 1600x900 IPS panel and a spare 4GB SODIMM that I've already repurposed (8GB RAM with a 32-bit OS). I'll never find a better laptop keyboard than the non-chiclet IBM/Lenovo boards. Closest thing I've ever come to a Model M on a laptop.


How did you find a 1600x900 IPS panel for your T520?
 
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Re: Lenovo reviews

Sat Jun 23, 2012 1:05 pm

Washer wrote:
How did you find a 1600x900 IPS panel for your T520?

Don't know and can't find out. Twas delivered to me by the Federal Agency for whom I'm supposed to use it.
What we have today is way too much pluribus and not enough unum.

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