Is this the right Lenovo for me?

I'm set on getting a Lenovo. I think a T400 or T500 is right for me. I don't know which one to choose though.

I will be watching movies, listening to music, web designing (photoshop/flash/html, etc) as well as using the internet a lot. I will be taking my laptop outside of my home at times. I will be using this as my main computer at home. I will game a little.

Here is the specs of what I am thinking of getting:

Intel Core 2 Duo processor P8700
14.1" WXGA+ TFT w/ LED B or 15.4" WXGA TFT with LED Backlight
3 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (2 DIMM)
160GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
CD-RW/DVD-ROM, Ultrabay Slim
Express Card & PC Card Slots
Integrated Bluetooth PAN
ThinkPad b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless LAN Mini-PCIe
9 cell Li-Ion Battery

Are these ideal system components of what I will be doing? I'd like to keep it as inexpensive as possible, however I still want my computer to be relevant down the road and can be flexible.

I have never owned a laptop before, so please let me know your thoughts. Thank you so much!

 

T400 is more portable but if you mainly use it at home, you are better off with the T500's bigger screen.

I would also configure the memory with 1 dimm of 2 gb instead.

 

Why would you do this? I don't even know what this is. Please explain thank you .

 

Firstly the T500 also have a more powerful graphics card, so if you do games then you should get it. Also the T500 have the displayport out, which means even without the dock you and use the dvi port of the LCD monitor if you have it, this will give you a better graphics.

Also you get a larger screen real estate, the T500 is only slightly heavier than the T400, so even if you lug it around it is not a major detriment.

Having 1 dimm of 2 gb allows you to upgrade the other empty slot when you need it. If you populate both of the slots with the ram, then when you upgrade, you will have to remove the other ram, which is uneconomical and wasteful of resources.

 

It all really comes down to 1.- what games you want to play, and at what detail settings/resolution, and 2.- how much you value screen real estate.

Also, I would suggest the WSXGA+ CCFL screen on the T500 over the LED WXGA, because there is just such a large difference in screen real estate, but not much difference in brightness between those specific screens.

 

I would go for the T500. The graphic card is better and the screen is bigger (of course... LOL). Personally, I think that 15.4'' laptops are as portable as 14.1'' ones...

 

I agree with MS, if you go for the T500 go for the WSXGA+ CCFL option. 1280x800 on a 15" screen really isn't making the best use of the larger screen.

 

Does the T400 have the WSXGA+ option now? I thought the WXGA+ is the highest resolution you can get?

 

T500, I think you mean, StealthTH

 

I would go with a 2 GB single DIMM and if you're going with the T400 don't get a 9 cell, I think it'd be too huge

 

Currently, laptops in general have 2 slots for DIMM memory sticks (netbooks usually one & may even be soldered in place).

DIMMs come in 1GB, 2GB and 4GB capacities atm.

Within such design specifications, and subject to your lappy's BIOS & OS whether they address the entire memory, you can end up with the following installed RAM capacities depending on your configurations:

Code:

Slot 1     Slot 2     Installed RAM
------     ------     -------------
1GB        -          1GB
1GB        1GB        2GB
2GB        -          2GB
2GB        1GB        3GB
2GB        2GB        4GB
4GB        -          4GB
4GB        1GB        5GB
4GB        2GB        6GB
4GB        4GB        8GB

IOW, it pays to spend a bit more on a single stick 2GB DIMM memory stick instead of 2 x 1GB DIMMs if you require 2GB atm, since it frees up one slot for you to upgrade your machine to 4GB in the future. Single stick 4GB DIMMs are still too costly atm.

Hope that clarifies matters for you.

 

Yeah, oops on that one. I was talking about the T500.

 

wow...this thread just helped me decided to go with the 500 over the 400 for my wifey (on the 22nd when 7 is out)....!

would replace a 5 year old fujitsu she uses for her biz to do quickbooks billing and then just basically, internet...facebook stuffs!
I really think she'll like a the screen real-estate with the 500.

 

I can't argue the screen real estate issue, but for those things, a dual core CPU won't be much faster than a Pentium M.

 

Thanks for the great responses. I will be getting a T500 w/ discrete graphics with WSXGA+ CCFL and 2GB 1 dimm.

I have a few more questions.

what's the difference between these?
Express Card & PC Card Slots / Express Card & Smart Card Slots

will a 9cell battery look too bulky on a T500? How long does a 6 cell last vs a 9 cell typically?

What accessories should I consider with my purchase?

Should i take insurance on anything?

I've been looking at Lenovo's website to purchase. Are their prices reasonable? Also, I live in Canada. Am I able to purchase through Lenovo's US website? Because it is cheaper to do so.

Should I buy A lenovo asap from their website since they have discounts right now? Are there any other coupons?

Thanks so much for your responses!!!

 

You can take a look at my review of the T500 for details on the machine; the link is in my signature.

Unless you already know what a Smart Card is (it's an identification card used for authentication purposes), chances are, you will never use one on your laptop. Go with the cheaper ExpressCard + PC Card slot combination.

A 9-cell battery extends out from the back approximately 1 inch, which I feel is an nonissue. The biggest downside I would say (other than price) is weight, but given the extra runtime that you can get from it, it may be worth it for you.

Only purchase the accesorries you need, and if you do, make sure Lenovo is actually giving you a good price - 90% of the time, bundled software/accessories can be found cheaper elsewhere.

I think if you purchase through Lenovo US, the warranty will only be valid in the US. Not positive though. But in either case, Lenovo US will only ship to US addresses, so unless you have a buddy in the US willing to take it over the border, you're out of luck.

 

I don't see where you can specify 2G as one stick or two sticks...

 

That's because you did not choose the basic model of the T500, which, the last time I checked, came with 1GB + 1GB. The elite one already comes with 2GB in 1 DIMM as the standard.

 

It seems kind of a nuisance that the warranty is only valid in the US

 

i hear the new gen thinkpads are coming in january, why dont you wait for 2 months? i think it will be quite a major redesign coz the thinkpads have gone through a little redesign since the past 2 years and they redesign their product every 2 years.

 

The refreshes are just an x10 added on. Aside from hardware refreshes I don't think they will be drastically different in design. Also the pricing will of course be much higher until a few months after launch when sales start to come along.

 

Why don;t you go to the local store and play with some 14" and 15.4" machines. In my experience the weight numbers don't give a fully accurate picture. 15.4" laptops typically add a decent amount of bulk compared to 14" laptops.

Also keep in mind at the higher resolution level the T400 has an LED display. I believe(not sure) the T500 has a CCFL display at the higher resolutions. LED displays are typically brighter and more vibrant.

 

I think I will get the T500 now instead of wait. I'll buy from the Lenovo website. Are there any other coupons available for me to get some discount?

Is this machine easy to set up once I get it?

 

http://www.notebookreview.com/coupons/

you can find the Lenovo coupons in the link.

 

Cheapest place to buy Lenovo is typically through the cpp program. You can google for "Lenovo CPP program" to find details and the current password.

 

Lenovo Canada has a thanksgiving sale right now, 15% and 25% off T400. I am leaning towards it now since it is a great sale...

Here is the specs I will be choosing:

T400 w/ discrete graphics
Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9600 (2.8GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2)
14.1" WXGA TFT HN w/LED BL (or will 14.1" WXGA+ TFT w/ LED BL be good enough??)
2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (Will this be enough? should I go 4GB 2 dimm?)
160GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
CD-RW/DVD-ROM, Ultrabay Slim
Intel Turbo Memory hard drive cache (none). What is this anyways?
Express Card & Smart Card Slots
ThinkPad b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless LAN Mini-PCIe
6 cell Li-Ion Battery (someone said 9cell would extend too much out)

does this combination make sense?

The estimated total is $1,158.00 Candian, which I think is a very good price. Should I go with this?

 

i would go with the WXGA+ screen. Intel turbo memory is bit like SSD, but there are lot of problem with driver support, and there is no real evidence of major performance boost.

Don't get the smart card slot unless you use it, get the multicard reader (for SD, MMC, MS pro duo, etc)... the rest of the thing looks pretty good, especially the CPU....

You can upgrade the ram from aftermarket, as it would probably cost half as much.

 

thanks for the reply lead org.

quick question though,

why did you choose the lower priced wxga+ screen over the higher priced wxga high nit screen? Is the difference not worth the money?

 

Supposedly the high nit has better contrast and angles, though not like the IPS screens. There's a thread here with some pics if you want to check it out.

 

the higher resolution offers bit more screen real estate, but either the WXGA and the WXGA+ should be okay. It really depends on what you use it for.

 

People purchasing the T400/T500 from lenovo's website right now will be getting the newer types without some of the old issues like flexing keyboard/palm rest, etc?