Looking to go from HP to Lenovo--any thoughts on this configuration?

I have the computer in my signature that's getting close to three years old, and I use it daily in research and writing, web browsing, email, and an occasional movie.

I was looking at the HP dv6t computers, but I've always read about the good build quality of Lenovo and the excellent keyboard.

I configured the following Thinkpad 500, including an extra AC adapter so I could have one adapter at home and one at my office. Any thoughts on the following setup?

ThinkPad T500 - 1 Yr Depot Warranty
Edit 2242CTO $989.00 $989.00
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2) 25W
Operating system : Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
Operating system language : Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium US English
Display type: 15.4 WXGA TFT, w/ LED Backlight
System graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator x4500HD with vPro
Total memory: 2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
Keyboards: Keyboard US English
Pointing Device: UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad)
Hard Drive: 320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Intel® Turbo Memory hard drive cache : Intel Turbo Memory 2GB
Optical device : DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
Card Reader: 7 in 1 Media Card Reader
System expansion slots : Express Card Slot & Smart Card Reader
Wireless card: Intel WiFi Link 5100 (AGN) with My WiFi Technology
Mobile Broadband: Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
Battery: 6 cell Li-Ion Battery
Country Pack: Country Pack North America with Line cord & 65W AC adapter
Language pack: Language Pack US English
Accessories and options:
ThinkPad and Lenovo 65W AC Adapter - with US/Canada/LA Line Cord 40Y7696 $39.00

Total cost is $1028 (total savings of $405, according to the site). I could get a dv6t with a 12-cell battery and 500GB hard drive for a little less, but my impression is the build quality and keyboard of the Thinkpad would be a good deal better.

Any thoughts? Are there changes in this configuration I should consider? Would you consider something else? This is as much as I can spend, but I wouldn't mind spending less.

Thanks much for your help.

Bill

 

is this at the cpp site? if not, its a bit cheaper there with coupon code USESAVET10 if its over $1000 and USESAVET5 if its under $1000.

 

I had to discover what "cpp" is. Evidently, I'm not a contractor, family, or friend.

Bill

 

The CPP site is now pretty much open to anyone with the access code (just Google for it, I do not think we are allowed to post it here) - you do not have to be a contractor.

You can read my review of the T500 for detailed information - link is in my signature.

Several critiques of your configuration:
Display type: 15.4 WXGA TFT, w/ LED Backlight: I would advise you to go with the WSXGA+ CCFL screen, because it is only a bit dimmer (both are rated at 200 nits brightness), and provides much more screen real estate.
Intel® Turbo Memory hard drive cache : Intel Turbo Memory 2GB: With 2GB and up memory, there is very little to no difference in performance with Turbo Memory. I would suggest using this money to save up for an SSD, an upgrade that will give you a much, much, much more noticeable performance boost.
System expansion slots : Express Card Slot & Smart Card Reader: Unless you are a corporate or government with a specific use for a Smart Card reader for secure authentication purposes, it will be completely useless for you - stick with the cheaper PC Card + Express Card slot.

With an integrated graphics system, you should be able to get an even better price than that.

 

I concur with Midnightsun...... don't get the turbo memory and smart card reader unless your corporation supports smartcard id.... otherwise it is a waste of money.... also i will upgrade the wireless card to Intel 5300.... it has better signal reception compared to the Intel 5100...

 

I would have suggested this too, several months ago when the upgrade cost from WiFi Link 5100 to 5300 was a bit less than $20. But since then, the upgrade cost has gone up to $40, which I think is probably not worth it.

 

If it is too expensive then you can forget it about it.... if it is priced reasonably then yes..... The Intel 5300 trumps the rest of the wireless card i have in picking up the weak wireless signals..... with it i can see all my neighbours wireless hub, which i never seen before with the other laptops were too weak...... so i love it..... also i live in an apartment next to my old uni, and i can pick up their wireless signal...

 

Thanks, guys. I appreciate your insight. You're helping get a better configuration for less money!

I found the code for the cpp site and configured again. If you spend $999, there is an extra 10% coupon, while below $999 is 5%. With that in mind, I upgraded the processor, the RAM from 2GB to 4GB (the total savings putting it below a 2GB stick at Newegg) and the display to WSXGA+. Upgrading the wireless card ended up being $17.

Price before taxes is $940.78 with a savings of $622.22, including an additional AC adapter. It seems hard to imagine that I can get a better quality computer with a similar configuration for less money.

So how about this?


---------------------------------------------------------

2242CTO ThinkPad T500 - 1 Yr Depot Warranty
Ships within 11 bus. days**

Intel Core 2 Duo processor P8700 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2)1
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium12
15.4" WSXGA+ TFT, w/ CCFL Backlight
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator x4500HD with vPro
4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)8
UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm4
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)5
No Bluetooth
Intel WiFi Link 5300 (AGN) with My WiFi Technology10
Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable65
6 cell Li-Ion Battery60
2242: 1 Year Depot Warranty - TopSeller7
Processor1 Intel Core 2 Duo processor P8700 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2)
Operating system 12 Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
Operating system language Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium US English
Display type 15.4" WSXGA+ TFT, w/ CCFL Backlight
System graphics Intel Graphics Media Accelerator x4500HD with vPro
Total memory8 4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Keyboards Keyboard US English
Pointing Device UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
Camera Integrated Camera
Hard Drive4 320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Optical device 5 DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
Card Reader 7 in 1 Media Card Reader
System expansion slots Express Card Slot & PC Card Slot
Wireless card10 Intel WiFi Link 5300 (AGN) with My WiFi Technology
Mobile Broadband65 Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
Battery60 6 cell Li-Ion Battery
Country Pack Country Pack North America with Line cord & 65W AC adapter
Language pack Language Pack US English

40Y7696 ThinkPad and Lenovo 65W AC Adapter - with US/Canada/LA Line Cord

---------------------------------------------------------

My only concern about the WSXGA+ is how small will the fonts be. I do a lot of reading online. Will it just be a matter of manually increasing the font size and the fonts will be sharper in this 1680×1050 resolution?

Thanks again. Any additional comments are appreciated.

Bill

 

If text is too small on the WSXGA+ resolution, you can always increase the DPI, but in general it's better to stick with the default DPI.

To see if text is too small, you can go to a local store and find 15.4" laptops with a WSXGA+ screen, 14" laptops with a WXGA+ screen (text on that 14" would be slightly larger than on the 15.4" WSXGA+), 12" laptops with a WXGA screen (should be very close to a 15.4" WSXGA+, text-size-wise), or 17" laptops with a WUXGA screen (text on that 17" would be slightly smaller than the 15.4" WSXGA+).

 

Thanks, MidnightSun. I've read that the WSXGA+ presents sharper fonts which evidently offset the smaller size.

As far as the configuration goes, how does it look? I had almost gone for an HP dv6t or HDX16t, but this seems a better computer all around, especially considering the build quality.

One more thing--integrated or discreet graphics. I went with integrated because my graphics needs are not intense. Any thoughts there?

BTW, great review. I was reading it when you posted.

Bill

 

Since you have got the P8700, you might as well get the cheapest T9xxx that is available.

 

The configuration looks good - only other thing is that you may want to wait a few days until Windows 7 comes out, so you can get it preinstalled. Otherwise, you will have to pay a small fee for shipping the "free" upgrade to Windows 7. Of course, if you're fine with Vista, it's not that big of a concern.

If you're not gaming or doing any 3D rendering, discrete switchable graphics will not be of much use.

That's a $102 upgrade from the P8700 on the CPP website, definitely not worth it in my opinion. The OP will not be able to even notice a difference.

 

It it worth an extra $92 (for T9600 after 10% coupon)? Would I notice an improvement with what I'm doing?

I had thought about that. The anniversary sale ends October 21, the day before Windows 7 is released. It would be nice to have Windows 7 preinstalled just not to have to deal with it. Still, I've used Vista since February '07, so that's not an issue.

Thanks for your help. I think I'll jump on this within the next few days.

Bill

 

T9600 over P8400 you would notice a difference when you do a complex photoshop manipulation or a large excel calculation/or matlab calculation.... T9600 over P8700 still yes....

P8700 over P8400, definitely no.

The point that i making, is that you are wasting money when you do a P8700 upgrade, if you are going to spend that upgrade dollars, you might as well get the cheapest T9xxx processor you can find....or you are just wasting money.

In my opinion, either P8400-> T9xxx (lowest you can find in that category, is that the T9300?)...or don't do the CPU upgrade at all....

 

Understood. I had originally upgraded so that I could get the 10% coupon. However, I just went back and returned to the P8400 processor and went from the 6-cell to the 9-cell battery to push it over $999 so basically, I'm getting the better battery for free.

Thanks,
Bill

 

Enjoy the laptop.

 

Yes, that was definitely a good idea - the 9-cell will give you much more runtime on battery. Enjoy your laptop!

 

Thanks, guys. You've been very helpful.

Two questions:

1. I've read that the 7200rpm HDD is noisy. I wouldn't mind the additional speed to access the hard drive if the 7200 is not so loud or gets too hot. That's why I've chosen the 5400rpm. Any thoughts?

2. How useful is the fingerprint reader? It's something like $17 more, so that's not much. I've read where some have disabled it for whatever reason.

Thanks,
Bill

 

1.- My Hitachi 160GB 7200RPM drive runs quite cool, although it is loud - it is the loudest component in my T500, louder than the fan. Personally, I would just choose the cheapest hard drive for your configuration and later, if you choose, upgrade to a better hard drive or SSD - generally, the upgrade costs for hard drives that Lenovo has are not worth it.

2.- I would say it's a waste of money. It really does not give you added security at all, and the money is better spent elsewhere. It's only convenient if you have a tablet PC, in which case it would be more convenient logging in with that as opposed to flipping the screen back over and typing in your password and then converting it back to slate mode again.

If I had a laptop with a fingerprint reader standard, I would probably disable it anyways.

 

Actually the fingerprint scanner is less secure, since it can be easily fooled if someone has your fingerprint, you can read the article on this topic on www.thinkwiki.org.

 

Depending on whether you're sold on the T500 or not, I'd also think about the T400 with the WXGA+ screen.

I found that WSXGA+ (1680x1050) was a little small for me even on a 20" desktop LCD (sent it back and went with a 24" 1920x1200 display, which was more readable) so I knew having it on a 15" display would be hard for me, and my eyes are fairly good. But, I've had 1280x800 on a 15" display and it was way too large, and didn't give me enough desktop area. Getting a T400 was more portable than my 15" T61, and the resolution turned out to be the perfect sweet spot.

I agree with the others that the 5300 wifi can be nice, though it isn't absolutely necessary. If you use Skype or another videoconferencing program, Bluetooth will let you use a wireless headset (like your mobile phone BT headsets) which can be nice. As for processor, to me, the P-series is the better choice due to lower heat and longer runtime on battery compared to the T-series. On HDD, well, I went with a cheap drive stock and upgraded it afterwards. A 500GB 5400rpm drive was $80, and kept my battery life long while still providing decent performance due to high platter densities.

If you need to bump the price up once fully configured the way you want, always consider bumping the warranty up a little.

 

warranty is always a necessity. I would consider the accidental protection plan a good insurance for possible future mishaps.

 

Thanks MidnightSun, lead org, and LoneWolf15. The warranty is an interesting idea. It's funny--I've never bought an extended warranty for a computer, and now I'm looking at buying a lot better-built computer than the consumer ones I've had plus an extended warranty. I've always considered that if something was going to go wrong, it would probably happen during the 1st year. Maybe I've been milking the law of averages. Of course, I'm a geezer who takes his computer back and forth from home to office, so there's not a lot of opportunity to damage it. Isn't that what accidental covers?

That's a good idea about the HDD. I had really rather have a 500GB than a 320GB (the highest offered). I'll check on what the least costs and work from there.

And drop the fingerprint reader option.

Thanks much,
Bill

 

If someone drops it, steps on it, trips over a cord and knocks it off a table, tips a cup of coffee in it, etc, you'd be covered with the accident protection.

 

Right--just trying to decide if I need that in my situation. Maybe I've lived a charmed life! I'll look into it more.

Nice to see someone from up the road.

Bill

 

The only accidental damage protection warranty is one year for $71.20 on the CPP configuration I'm working with.

There is a "Total 3 Yr Depot Warranty" option for $95.20, but it doesn't appear to cover accidents. It basically takes the stock 1 year warranty and adds two years to it.

Interestingly, there is a "Total 4 Yr Depot Warranty" option for $183.20. You really pay for that fourth year. Looks like when Lenovo considers when things are going to break down.

Bill

 

Lenovo definitely has aging schedules for warranty liabilities.

Anyways I definitely recommending at least having the basic warranty extend to 2 years (on-site is preferred for sure).

Amex and sometimes Visa cards add on an extra year of warranty (more or less, but that's what it boils down to) that is provided through the CC company.

 

Definitely get the ON-SITE warranty. It's cheap and well worth it. Depot takes forever and subject to "disputes".

Thinkpads rocks...I used to like HPs, but after T400 and T500, I'm sticking with Lenovo - the quality is way, way better and the prices are the same.

I tend to avoid the high nit displays on smaller screens. The standard resolution on the T500 is fine. Get LED backlight for sure.

Enjoy yours once you order.

 

warranty are expensive after 3 years due to the greater liability for Lenovo for part inventory.... since every 3 years there maybe a large part revamp, and Lenovo holding stocks of old parts really add to the costs....

 

That, and since laptops depreciate quickly, paying for more than 2-3 years is counterproductive. Better to invest that same dollar amount now for a future purchase.

As others have said, the onsite service is preferable to depot.

 

I would still be the onsite warranty for a year. It's worth it, in case something messes up. And for $30, to me it's a no-brainer.

If you change on Amex/Visa, etc, they usually extend the warranty another year.


I used to replace my laptop yearly to get the latest; this year will be the exception, my T400 is still going strong. Maybe next fall, when Core i7 and 320GB SSD are the standard, I'll get a replacement ;-)

Unless you know you will keep your laptop for 3 years, the extra money is not work it. I agree - save and invest it in the new laptop down the road.

 

In USA the laptop is so cheap, you can afford to get a new one every 3 months..... but in some countries the cost of laptop are prohibitive with the tariffs, taxes of every kind.... so they are forced to keep the laptop for more than 3 years....

I usually find most problems develop within the first 18 months, and after that no big electrical faults come up, just minor niggling problems like fans getting dirty that need cleaning and sometime replacing........

But for me i will get 3 years of warranty regardless, since it is only slightly more and my laptop higher resale value would recuperate part of the cost (obviously i don't want sell my beautiful thinkpads collection)...

 

A new one every 3 months in the US vs 1 every 3 years....

Hmm...12 laptops over 3 years? Maybe a little hyperbole? ;-)

If it was that cheap, you should take a flight over, get 2 or 3 as spares, and you be ahead of the game.

I understand your point - there was a bloke from Norway here, and the prices were like 50% higher there than in the States.

You guys need to get your free-trade, low tax mode on with your gov't.
If I ran for Prime Minister on a platform "A Thinkpad for everyone!", could I win? ;-)

 

You just haven't seen some prices they charge in some countries. I was half joking when i said 3 months per laptop, well actually for last few months it is one laptop each 3 weeks or so for me on average.

USA sells Thinkpad at around 30 to 50% discount to that of Australian counterpart when coupons are taken into consideration, and sometimes for each full priced thinkpad laptop i buy in Australia i can get two in USA 6 months after the product launch.

But, obviously there are various discounts and wage sacrifice i can access through work, to get the cost of thinkpads down to manageable level.

I have probably purchased a bit more than 12 thinkpads in the last 3 years.... my parents nor gf actually know about this, i stashed them at various residents... this is also why i don't keep my thinkpad collection in one area..... since it all looks the same to them, they think i only got 4 thinkpads....

 

"Hi, my name is lead org, and I'm a ThinkPadaholic."

Bill

 

haha i will use that in the signature.... thanks mate.

 

If you read the end of my post, I noted the guy from Norway and the cost of Thinkpads, so yes, I am aware they cost more in other countries. I feel for ya. I agree it you could get close to 2 for 1 in the States vs other places.

12 laptops in 3 years - you are a Think-a-holic. ;-)

I got 8 over 3 years, but only 5 of those were for me. And I thought I was obsessive. Compare to you, I'm not worthy!

 

Actually i got my Thinkpad W500 for 600 USD in real dollar terms factoring in the company discounts and salary tax that i didn't have to pay...... i don't think i can even get it that cheap in USA....

 

I doubt you could get one through CPP for twice that.

You perhaps could find a way to get one for that cheap in the USA, but you would probably be arrested.

Bill

 

What is CPP?

Anyway.... the laptop was priced at 1800 Australian dollars all up when i put in all the discounts codes (the spec was not that good with minimal ram, hdd space, WSXGA+ screen, 6 cells battery)... and factoring in that when the company signed the check for my laptop purchase, it was deducted from wage pre-tax (that was what they told me)... and i had to pay 47% salary tax... so 1800 dollars less the salary tax i otherwise had pay... around 970 dollars and there is the GST amount on the original purchase dollars, i took a trip to Sinagapore got that back too.... So around 600 to 700 USD depending on what the exchange rate was back then.

 

Contractor Purchase Program.

lenovo.com/cpp

Best discount short of the EPP (Employee Purchase Program) and sometimes, coupons are still available for an additional discount. I got my T400 through CPP, with an additional 5% discount, and ended up with almost all the toys for $900.

 

EPP is what i used..... one of the T400 was a machine given to me when i started work (i had another two, one sold and one was forcibly given away)... X301 is so broken i don't want to take it out... i will probably get an entire new casing for it.