Lenovo Thinkpad T410 Owner's Lounge

Sorry, what sticky?
I'm kinda new here...

 

The latest version of tabook can be found here.

 

That's what I know as well...
Thanks anyway...

 

Thanks for all feedback. Must say IBM tech support is super efficient and very clever with good customer service. I'd buy another IBM just for that level of support.

I sent it back via their box and UPS, they called the next day, did their work and i got the machine back the following day. Apparently all they did was to reimage the machine. The tech guy did find something fishy with the low battery time and he pointed out that strange flickering screen - i had noticed it too, but i didn't think it was an issue. well it's fine now. Another tech guy said i could have done that reimaging myself if they had walked me thru it. lost a few days back and forth. that was not too bad. Only issue i had was the preloaded antivirus software that i had paid for. They don't send you a CD with that and you will need to reinstall it. I got a run around from one dept to another before someone finally got me the right solution on how to reinstall it. go directly to the sales dept and ask them for it.

Battery life is better than before, but if you need much more than 4 hours of work done, better to get a 9 cell. My 6 cell can go for more than the previous 2+ hours, but not more than 4 hours i think. Have not checked the full time yet but at least the battery indicators show a range between over 4 hours to 3 hours depending on what i'm doing.

After all that hooha, yep, loving my new T410 now...

 

Did you guys use the ESC+ site for technical support?

I filed a request Wednesday night and I still havent received a call or email.

 

Apologize if posting on the wrong thread. After seven weeks of research, I placed an order for a T410 this evening. I admit I'm feeling a little buyer's remorse given this and the three competitors (MacBook Pro 13", Sony Vaio Z, Dell E6410) I looked at costs so much money. Hopefully, when the laptop arrives, est ship date is a long 5/13/10, I'll be more than happy investing so much into it.

 

How much did the T410 you configured run?

Out of the other 3 that you mentioned, the Dell E6410 is the only other one I would be interested in, but there aren't reviews out AFAIK and once configured its quite a bit more expensive than a similar T410. :|

 

Excluding taxes and discounts, the base unit came to $2405.70 for the i7-620M, Win 7 Pro 64, WXGA+ WWAN, Nvidia 256MB, 8GB RAM, 500 GB 7200 rpm, Fingerprint, Camera, 9 cell, Bluetooth, Ultimate 6300, Gobi for Verizon.

I added two items: a) 3 yr Onsite + 3 yr Thinkpad Protection for $254.15 and b) an extra 90W Ultraslim AC/DC Adapter for $81.59.

Subtracting the 10% ecoupon of <240.57>, then add $8 recycling fee, and add the local sales tax, the final total is $2728.40.

I know I'm paying a little more than I should, but personally the final decision came down to familiarity with the X60s from a few years back and that bias has stayed with me. I'm hoping that the Thinkpad quality has not gone down since that time.

 

That's quite expensive still. Do you really need 8G of RAM? Isn't that some 200 dollar upgrade over the 4G configuration?

 

Yes, I require 8GB of RAM so that the laptop can easily be configured for working in any industry whether its Final Cut Pro for video editing, AutoCAD for engineering, or Tradestation for Finance.

It probably costs much less to upgrade on one's own, although I don't have as experienced a computer background as most on the forums to perform what is considered routine upgrades.

If I got 4GB RAM via 1 DIMM, and got the other DIMM from say Crucial, the cost would be just under $547. So it actually costs me less going through the OEM today.

 

Sweet mother of mystery that's a lot of cash. Is that USD? I plan on getting i5 520m, WXGA+, Bluetooth, Intel 6300 Wifi, 6-cell, and whatever the cheapest HDD and RAM options are (and whatever the cheapest Windows option is, since I'll be running Linux anyway). After educational discounts and a 10% coupon, I'm only looking at around $850 USD.

I'm only getting the Intel IGP, since I just need to run Compiz and the occasional UT2004 match. No games from the last 5 years, or any CAD, for me, so the Intel will do just fine.

Then I'll buy 4GB of Corsair and a WD Scorpio Blue to put in. I'm looking at around $1000 USD total ... for the kind of money you spent, yeah, you're going to want it to be PERFECT. I would have rather gone for the T410s at that price.

 

I'm thinking about setting my brother up with a T410, my only concern is if there is an integrated microphone?

I will be ordering it with a webcam, if that makes any difference. Shame Lenovo couldn't splash out and have two audio ports, being able to use standard headsets would be nice.

Thanks in advance.

 

Yea the T410 has two built in noise-canceling mics below the LCD, on the screen bezel.

 

Right, its USD. Forgot to mention Office Pro 07 is part of the config. It's essentially a desktop equivalent except for the cpu and graphics card. I did take a look at the T410s and the main reason I passed was the laptop would be exposed to all sorts of non-laptop end users. It would take only one mistake from a random person to render the screen unusable.

 

Well that's understandable. I would love the T410s but the price is just way too high for me, and the 1.8" form factor for the drive means I'd have to pay a lot for a good SSD (read: $500 for an Intel X18-M G2 160GB).

I hope you're happy when you get your T410, let us know. I'm still waiting until I get enough money together to place my order.

 

Did you look at the W series? For that money you could easily have a quad core CPU and the RAM is cheaper because the W510 has 4 RAM slots. 2GB x4 is a lot cheaper than 4GB x2.

 

I looked at the W510 very early in my search and liked the quad core and the ability to expand to 16MB RAM. The main reason I passed on the W510 was the weight. While the .66 lb difference between this and the T410 doesn't sound like much, it will mean a great deal to my shoulders and back on those long walks to catch connecting flights at airports.

 

Your problem is not the weight of the laptop, it's your backpack. What you are describing is that the weight of the bag is being placed on your shoulders. This is the wrong way to use a backpack, even though 99.999% of people use them this way.

You need a real backpack that is made for traveling, and you're not going to find it at a luggage store or computer shop. A real backpack has a belt strap, and any backpack without one is defective. Proper use of the belt strap causes all of the weight to be carried by your hips, and you can wear it for hours and not get uncomfortable.

Look at something like this made by Booq. You can see the belt strap in the 3rd picture. If you travel more than once a year, this kind of bag is essential. I personally have a booq (but I don't work for them), so I know they are good, but I'm sure there are others out there.

I'm really, really serious about this. Knock your specs down a bit and use that money to get a good bag. As it sounds like you travel a lot, this is absolutely the most important thing you can possibly do.

 

Really? I didn't know this. I currently have a North Face Box Shot backpack, which has a dedicated laptop compartment.

It can be somewhat uncomfortable with a laptop in it, but the backpack does have a belt strap, which I never used and actually removed (it was designed to be removable) and now have sitting in my closet ... I'll have to put it back on and give this a go.

 

Forgot to mention, I'm leaning on a Waterfield sleevecase by sfbags to protect the laptop while traveling. It's about $120 USD with tax and shipping.

The backpack looks good. Unfortunately, I have a personal bias against backpacks. I did look at the products from Briggs & Riley which is closer to my interests.

As for specs, I chose the component upgrades based partly on the laptops procured by info tech depts of companies in specific industries and the reviews of forum members.

True, the laptop specs on order sound a little overkill. But I would rather err on the side of a little more versus one where I felt could not accomplish the projects I'm asked to complete.

 

That belt strap will probably get the job done. Here's how to use it:

1. Put the backpack on and adjust the shoulder straps. The straps should be snug on your shoulders and the pack not hanging down too much. This is an area where the "cool kids" leave too much slack.
2. Loosen up the belt so you can easily wrap it around your waist and clip it in.
3. Take a deep breath and hold it
4. Tighten the belt until it is snug by pulling on the loose straps
5. Let out your breath. When you do this, you should feel the weight come off your shoulders and onto your waist. Also, the shoulder straps should be a little loose, and that's fine, you don't need to tighten them. There's a clip on the front that will help to keep them together so they don't sliding off your shoulders.

Let me know how it goes!

 

The built in microphones already mentioned are very very good.

This is the first laptop I've been able to use without a headset.

Note however that the Lenovo drivers have a Control Panel applet that enables you to control the microphones more than the default drivers installed through Windows Update. You can select One-One or Conference modes which allows the whole room or just the person sitting infront of the PC to be heard.

The One-One is very directional and if you aren't talking straight at the PC, it filters you out. However if in a noise place, it is great as only you can be heard.

 

Thanks for the info on the mic, after discussing with my mother (who is paying), and my brother, there is some concern about the quality of the screen.

My brother currently has a Dell XPS M1210, and I have a 13" MacBook Pro. How does the screen compare to these for viewing angle, color intensity and brightness? I know it's a picky question, but Lenovo have a 20% restocking fee on returns in New Zealand, so we need to be sure.

Thanks

 

the t410 screen will be poor when compared to those screens
that's not to say it isn't decent or usable
but relative to those screens, especially the macbook, the t410 will be poor

 

Is it me or is it that every update of thinkpad they get heavier? The T61 was under 5 pounds, the T400 is slightly over 5 pounds and now T410 is nearly 5.5 pounds?

I saw my friend's T61 (14inch) and it didn't look nearly as bulky as the T410 at the store. I was shocked

 

with the 9 cell? The price to pay for military semi ruggedness?

 

Panasonic toughbooks are considerably light and more rugged. And I was referring to 6 cell across the board for thinkpads.

 

Is anybody else having difficulties with their mute button?

It seems it works fine whenever I have nothing playing in the background, but as soon as I get an .avi file up and running, the mute button refuses to work.

Any suggestions?

 

I just want to put this out there that I received my T410 yesterday and it's really nice. I haven't tested its battery life yet. Specs are in my signature.

 

hey everyone. new to this forum. i'm a previous thinkpad owner, a t60 and love it. I haven't bought the t410 yet but hopefully in a few days. Just one question for you guys. Due to some budget constraints, i've decided on one of two configs. Either an i5 with nvs3100m OR an i7 with intel graphics. my gaming consists of playing crysis, WoW, and COD all at the same time on multiple screens. Just kidding, there actually won't be any games played on this machine at all except flash games on the web. HD movies will be played though and just some normal business stuff and my vice of online poker. would love to hear from all you guys and gals with the experience. Thanks in advance!!!

 

HD movies will play fine on integrated. The latest flash (10.1 - currently a beta) has accelerated support for the intel HD GPU, so watching say Hulu full screen now uses almost no CPU.

 

Wow seems like a lot of the same new buyer questions lol Lenovo is gaining interest I guess which is good.

Well currently I have a Dell XPS M1330 and now I am thinking about getting a Lenovo T410 with these specs:

ThinkPad T410 - 1 Year Depot Warranty
Edit
Ships within 9 bus. days**
$1,750.00
$1,285.00
$1,750.00
$1,285.00
Intel Core i5-540M Processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L3, 1066MHz FSB)1
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 6412
14.1 WXGA TFT, w/ LED Backlight (WWAN antenna)
Intel HD Graphics
4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)8
UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm4
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)5
6 cell 2.6Ah Li-Ion Battery - Dual Mode60
Bluetooth w/ antenna
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (3x3 AGN)10
Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable65
2516: 1 Year Depot Warranty - TopSeller7

TOTAL NOW $1285.00 with coupon applied but sales tax is also to be added so maybe $1350 will be the final total.

What do you guys think good buy or not?

How long do you think this laptop will last without any issues or problems?

Is an refresh or update of the T410 due soon?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Not sure if I should by excited or scared but received a UPS shipping tracking number this morning. Heard there were component shortages so I'm hoping Lenovo didn't cut corners to put the laptop together. Anyway, it should arrive here in the USA in at most another 9 business days based on the worst case experience of forum members.

Ordered 4/11/10
Shipped 4/20/10 (Departing Hong Kong)

 

The T410 is the refresh/update. It came out only a few months ago. It's unlikely that there will be another refresh any time soon.

 

Thanks Orev just checking to make sure.

 

I ordered mine on 4/5 and it shipped on 4/12 from Hong Kong and I received it 4/14. Mine was 2-day business UPS.

 

Want to pick up a T410 as there is a 30% sale, but worried about screen quality. I have not been too impressed with their screens since they discontinued the IPS panels. Is the screen that much of a deal breaker? Is the T410 screen same quality as the T400 but a bit brighter?

 

I'm just about to pull the trigger on a new T410. And I have a few questions

First, about the warranty. I want to get the two year extended warranty (just the basic one). I live in Singapore and I'm planning on ordering one to a family member in the US and when they come to Singapore in a few weeks, they will bring it with them for me. I was just wondering if something were to happen like a bad stick of ram or a faulty hard drive, would I be covered here in Singapore? The only reason I'm not buying it here is that the prices are massively inflated.

Next, for the rare occasion that I will be playing games on this (I have a beast of a desktop) how is the NVIDIA NVS 3100 at handling games? As long as it can play some modern games at med-low settings I'll be happy.

Lastly, would the 6-cell battery used with the Core i5 520M and the discrete graphics last me around 5 hours while just word processing? I heard about a graphics switching option in the Lenovo control center, would that save battery? I don't want the 9-cell one because it sticks out the back and is heavier.

Sorry for the many questions, but I just want to make sure I get a good laptop! Thanks.

 

Never mind, I just bought one

I couldn't wait

Can someone just answer how much battery switching the graphics saves?

 

There is no integrated/discrete graphics switching in the T410. There was supposed to be, but it fell through.

 

Mezzi,

If you haven't already pulled the trigger on the T410, why don't you go with the higher resolution WXGA+ screeen. It's not that much more expensive than the WXGA screen and fully worth the extra few $. Just my opinion.

 

miliranga, thank you for your suggestion and I have now selected the 14.1 WXGA+ TFT, w/ LED Backlight (WWAN antenna) thanks again.

 

Random comments – the first 11 hours owning a T410

10:30am, surprise from UPS, the Thinkpad is here. Arrived faster than expected (Ordered 4/11, Est Ship 5/13, Actual Ship 4/19 (mistyped 4/20 bec of the int’l date line).

10:33am, happy the Office 07 Pro cds were included as backup. Sees the correct Sim card. The 9-cell extends 15/16” from the back edge. There’s some flex on the left third of the keyboard. Presumably, small strips of masking tape under some of the curved edges under the keyboard is a solution but I have no wish to open up a new laptop.

10:38am, Ethernet unplugged. Power on. Select Windows startup username, password, options. Fingerprint reader being difficult. Only recognized the forefinger and thumb of each hand. The trick was to lean towards the left two-thirds of the sensor.

11:10am, Sees the Think desktop. Battery shows 75% capacity and 99 minutes to complete recharge. Immediately clicks Thinkpad icon in task bar to burn factory recovery disks. But oh no, the DVD burner shows (power off) in “Computer”.

12:10pm, have not reinstalled any drivers or reinstalled any programs, skimmed through submenus galore on Win 7 Pro 64 for an hour. Calls Lenovo support line. They give me a ticket number, yeah they’re a big help, lol.

1:10pm, Found the solution, Restarted the laptop duh, AND The default Power Manager setting “Energy Star” caused the problem. Somewhere in that setting, one submenu must automatically turn on/off the DVD burner and it also prevents the laptop from shutting down (found out two minutes later). Has to pull out the AC power plug and battery. Don’t worry the battery is fine. On the restart, in Power Manager, selected Maximum Performance setting and voila hello DVD burner. Can hear the whir of the CPU fan in the background but it’s not as loud as forum members have made it out to be.

2:00pm, 3 burned Recovery DVD+R’s later (1 boot, 2 data), tests the 1440x900 screen with NVIDIA 256 card watching last 15 min of Rudy on WinDVD 8. I’ve got the sound at max, thinking about 65-70 on the decibel level. Screen is acceptable, you have to look directly at it otherwise the picture fades from the sides or above. The left palm rest is a little warm to the touch. I’m going to echo a previous commenter that there’s no way I’m keeping the laptop closed with the AC plug still plugged in lest I end up with marshmallow left speaker in the morning.

2:30pm, ready to download free AVG Antivirus. But oh no again, no Internet using the Ethernet plug, gasp.

3:30pm, tests wireless internet using neighbor’s router. 870 down/700 up. Thank god I paid for three antennas on that 6300, the neighbor is one house over and showing 60% on Access Connections. Downloads and installs AVG.

3:38pm, talks with girlfriend online while attempting to figure out ethernet prob. You can tell where my focus is. The built-in camera is so-so. You’ve got to be sitting a certain angle otherwise you’ll look like a hall of mirrors. Same with the mic. Be on the left center of the keyboard to pick up your voice. I prob should have purchased a mic from Lenovo but saw the negative reviews about breakage and will keep looking. Fairly certain the mic port on the right side is 3.5mm.

5:50pm, girlfriend departs. Stumble around IE 8.0 and Control Panel submenus.

6:30pm, Lenovo tech support calls about the DVD burner prob. Can they help with the Ethernet? Dimitri says no, I’m sol, call the main desk for another ticket. I think I’ll go a different route.

6:50pm, calls Broadband provider. Bingo they solve it in 15 min and earn my subscription renewal. 1) Power down then restart cable modem, 2) MAC address refresh from them, 3) Toggle one box on internet connection submenu, 4) IE 8.0, Tools, Internet Options, Connections, Make sure it does NOT want to dial out upon new connections.

7:15pm, Broadband is fine. Installing other programs. For one prog, have to right click the startup tab, properties, compatibility, click only “disable visual themes”. Welcome to Win 7 Pro 64. Thinking SP2 or SP3 will be the more stable version.

9:05pm, two things haven’t tested is battery life and wireless broadband from my carrier. That will be in the next three months. expect to get at least 90 min less 9-cell battery life with the NVIDIA than say with the Intel Integrated. Despite the two snafus (Power Manager setting, Ethernet), starting to get comfortable using the T410. Consistently using about 2.3GB RAM but I haven’t streamed Bloomberg TV or opened all the prog I expect to use on a given business day. Thank god for Samsung, that’s the 8GB RAM. Unfortunately, there’s a Seagate 500MB drive. I’ve had hit and miss with their HD. One thing I’ll miss is broadband speed. Since my desktop was registry tweaked at 12M down / 800k up. The laptop is preset around 8M down / 900k up. I have no desire to tweak anything on this machine for stability sake.

Did I overpay a little, yeah a bit. And I'm definitely avoiding Lenovo Tech Support. But considering the price premium to get an equivalent Apple MacBook Pro, Sony Vaio Z, or Dell E6410, and because of my fondness for the X60s, should this T410 last as long as it should, the next laptop many years hence will be a Thinkpad too.

 

nice commentary ahades!!!

 

This may help you with your problems somewhat:

Getting High Performance from Len.ovo Cameras

Also: you mean GB, not MB, toward the end of your post when you talk about memory.

 

All right, thats much better on the camera. Thanks ckx. Now I can comfortably use Skype and not look like Elphaba's long lost brother.


Random comments - Overnight Day 1 and Day 2 owning a T410

11pm - 8am, kept the laptop streaming Bloomberg TV all night to make sure no computer freeze or blue screen of death. Its all good.

8:01am, Shutdown sequence uploads Win 7 update from MSFT. Adds 40 sec bef laptop goes off. God I'm hope its nothing.

1:02pm, Pulls out A/C adapter. Power On with Fingerprint reader on second swipe. Windows installing update from this morning. Prays for no crash. 90 sec later, sees Think desktop. Whew. Believe its bec on the first power on yesterday, clicked yes to only one of the boxes (critical/security upd only).

1:08pm, Comments on 9-cell battery on NVIDIA 256. Battery at 97% about two min after Think desktop appears. 91.39 Wh power remaining out of max of 93.59. Power Manager says the following regarding power under the following presets (Display Brightness is on the scale of 0-15 with 15 being brightest) with only IE 8.0 (two tabs, no Bloomberg) and Yahoo Messenger running in the background, 1.8GB RAM in use, connected via Ethernet:

Energy Star, 5 hr 6 min, Display 10 (not going to use it, oh phantom of the DVD on/off switch)
Timers Off (Presentation), 5 hr 20 min, Display 9
Max Battery Life, 6 hr 20 min, Display 0 (unrealistic, attempting to read the screen would require a lighthouse beam)
Video Playback, 4 hr 30 min, Display 15 (presumably, streaming TV, YouTube, Hulu from IE 8.0)
Max Performance, 3 hr 20 min, Display 15 (likely watching a DVD in the burner continuously)
Power Save, 6 hr 20 min, Display 0, (not usable, similar to Max Battery Life)

Realistically, expect about 4 1/2 to 5 hours on the 9-cell if you're doing office work or searching nonstreaming Internet sites using an Ethernet connection. Will test the wireless connection when Verizon or AT&T has some deal (how about no 2 yr contracts, monthly only and I'm in)

Saw the function to turn off the Always on USB (yellow port on the upper right side) but I'll leave it on for now.

1:50pm, notices I'm using the Trackpad more than the Trackpoint. Even with clean and dry hands, the palm rests show a little impression or discoloration (oil from the skin, calgon take me away). The left button below the Trackpad shows three perfect fingerprints residue impressions. And of course the Fingerprint reader.

1:53pm, While the keyboard is dust free, the screen is starting to pickup a little dust on the top 1/5 of the viewing area especially in the top corners. Uses one dry kleenex to swipe a few times in one direction.

2:00pm, Decides to insert Ultraslim AC Adapter. Likes the cell phone charger, car cig lighter, and airplane power extensions. But one big negative, it doesn't go in flush into the back of the laptop. Its very loose in the back and feels like it will pop out easily. The base AC adapter is a snap solid fit in the back. But both adapters work as prescribed and recharges the 9-cell in the same amount of time. While the bottom of the Ultraslim runs cooler and lukewarm to the touch after 20 min in use, the bottom of the base AC adapter is hot and definitely should be set on a solid nonflammable surface (if you're thinking about leaving it on say your bedsheets or the carpet floor overnight, should you end up Burger King Flame Broiled, it's your funeral).

3:00pm, girlfriend should be online soon, hoping the camera change doesn't make me look like the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz.

 

I've seen a bunch of different reviews that claim different battery lives so could anyone with a 6-cell battery and the discrete graphics tell me what kind of battery life you get under regular use? (Word Processing, Light web browsing).

I can't wait to get mine!... Hasn't shipped yet :'(

P.S. How long does the DHL delivery take?

 

When you say paid for 3 antennas - is that the same as ordering the system with a 6300, or did you have to specify 3 antennas in addition?

Thanks,

Dan

 

Right its the same. Did not have to specify.

On one of the various threads, reviewers mentioned when deciding bet say the 6300 vs the 6250, spec wise there was one add'l antenna (3 vs 2). Since I expect to use the laptop in areas where WiMax is not avail, I went with that option.

 

Thanks. I have a new T410 with a 6300 too. But having the 6300 only guarantees you have 3 antenna connections, not necessarily 3 antennas. I haven't taken my machine apart to check. This guy with an X210 apparently only has 2 antennas connected to the factory installed 6300.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=474179

Dan

On Edit: I removed my keyboard and my N6300 does have 3 attached antennas! Yeaaa!

The maintenance manual does say that there may only be two antenna leads. My configuration includes the web camera, but not the WAN card or Bluetooth. The WAN card takes two antennas and I'm not sure about the Bluetooth. It's possible they have some constraints that prevent the max number of antennas for all devices if you are maxed-out.

I'm impressed with the engineering. I have a Dell Mini that took me 15 minutes and a dozen screws just to get to the socket to add another stick of memory (and 15 mins to put it back together). The t410 only took two screws and 5 minutes to remove the keyboard, inspect the 6300 and put it back.