Improving Lenovo Thinkpad T400

I don't own one, but I have seen one and read a lot of reviews. Thinkpad T400 would be my perfect laptop if it somehow addresses following problems:

a. Provide HDMI or Display port (with audio support)
b. Spill-ressistant backlit keyboard; thinklight is fine but I read in reviews that thinklight is actually somewhat blinding. So, even a better angled thinklight will do or a backlit keyboard. But making sure keyboard stays spill-ressistant
c. Make it slightly lighter (knock off 0.5 to 1.5 lbs)
d. Remove flex from palm-rest areas, I know keyboard flex has already been addressed.

Rest all is great, I think.

 

The Thinklight issue is only a problem on the T400 LED backlit display model, and I'm not sure if it still is an issue.

I somewhat doubt Lenovo will implement a backlit keyboard anytime soon, though.

My biggest gripe is definitely the lack of DisplayPort audio, but unfortunately that is a chipset issue, not Lenovo's fault, and therefore unchangable until the Calpella platform. HDMI is more of a consumer standard, and Lenovo has to pay a fee to use the port, so it will likely never make its way to the T-series.

 

i would like if my T400 sat evenly on its surface, the battery didn't wiggle, the led lcd panel wasn't heavily blue, and it didn't whine and

 

Making it lighter is a toughie, as the rollcage is already relatively light.

 

More carbonfiber .

 

Lol, you call 1.5lbs slight?

I agree, though, lighter would certainly be better. 4.5lb would be great for the T400. Alternatively, they could release a lighter T300 with a WXGA+ LED display. *cough*

More money you say?

 

As an owner of a T400 I agree with all of this, though I have no flex in the palm rest. Overall, I’d also like to see the chassis more rigid and thinner (Lenovo can just tweak Apple’s design for these two)—and the idiot who allowed vertically mounted USB ports should be fired.

 

I guess even the next gen of thinkpad T,R,X,W won't add backlit into the keyboard since it's thinkpad , it built for business class. Thinklight is pretty enough. Not only the backlit keyboard use more energy than thinklight, but also it will be looks like a gaming laptop

 

With the LED display, at times the screen is so bright the light provided by the ThinkLight is not useful. Also, with Lenovo’s lesser quality assurance as of late, the ThinkLight puts more blinding light in your eyes than on the keyboard so, overall, this little feature is in need of a bit of an overhaul or replacement.

As for the gaming comment, I really couldn’t care less. Good function tends to trump all and I actually use a gaming mouse—not because I game, but because it’s one of the better mice out there.

 

Well with that in mind backlighting is not really functionally since it would detract from the keyboarding feel.

 

That's the point, like E4200's keyboard, feels bad..

 

ExACTly. Add about .75 to 1.00 lb. more features to the X301 and they would have one excellent machine. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

 

Definitely. The X301 is about twice my budget.

(Ok, maybe not twice, but somewhere close.)

 

My x200 did not sit evenly on the surface because of the battery wiggle. Stick a piece of paper on the side and stop the battery from moving, then see if it still wobbles.

 

is battery wiggle due to the laptop, or the battery? is it possible I wouldn't have wiggle with a different battery?

I guess this is a question on whether batteries or the chassis has more consistent build. I assume that random battery and chassis combinations will yield different results, ie some batteries will be tight in some chassis and it's all about finding a good match. yeah?

 

I believe it is due to manufacturing tolerances on both the battery and the bay. My guess is you have a bay at the wide end of the tolerances, and a battery at the narrow end of the tolerances. These two combine to give you wiggle.

A new battery may fix the problem, but you really would just be playing the lottery on it (unless you could go into a store and try a dozen different batteries until one fit [highly unlikely]).

 

1. More video card options ie. HD 46xx
2. extra USB w/ eSATA
3. better QC, I miss the good ol' T43 days.

 

I think many will agree on this one.

 

Three USB ports is enough for me—and eSATA might come close to dying once USB 3.0 starts shipping.

 

Can anyone verify if the Thinklight issue has been fixed on the T400?

Edit: After a quick google found this: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=71275

Looks like the two detractors from the nbr review have now been fixed

 

I'd like to see an ATI 4000 series discrete GPU option.

 

I agree. I think Lenovo has done enough screwing around with the keyboard on the current generation of ThinkPads and it got them nowhere.

 

So, if Lenovo listens to our suggestions on this thread (and there aren't that many), they will come up with a 'perfect' laptop.

Wishful thinking?

 

I'll mention some I like, even if they're already been offered in their T400/T500 series,

LED backlit;
Better fit in the palmrest (Yes, the T61, or at least mine has some amount of flex specially on the left side (express card slot),
Red stripes on the touchpad buttons lol

I don't know, I think lenovo has a very solid product with the ThinkPad line.

Although, the _Dell _E6400 style has caught my eyes.

Oh I forgot, something important, in the past, I didn't consider the difference that a good, quality screen does... After watch some laptop screens, i.e., my past _Compaq or my sister's _HP _dv600z, and comparing the vertical viewing angles and stuff, and doing the respective comparisson with a quality Flexview (IPS) panels, the difference is impressive... I mean, the screen is the most important thing in a laptop, well among others like the power and build quality, but is the part which interacts the most with the user.

So, I would like to see quality panels again in the laptops (something that will not happen) even if they are 4:3.

 

Completely off topic question: why do you put underscores before certain words? To make sure it isn't hotlinked? If so, why...?

Edit: I ask because I've seen people do it a lot, and I'm completely confused.

 

lol, I do it to avoid the hotlinks...

I don't know about the other users

 

Just because they annoy you, or...?

 

Man, for the sake of honesty, I have OCD, I like to see everything following an order, I don't like that bolded blue words in the pages, I know I know, I'm lame

lol

 

Hahaha. Alright, that's a good enough reason for me. Sorry for hijacking the thread!