Mini-review for the ThinkPad L412

Hi,

I finally got my ThinkPad L412 today! Took a little longer than expected but it's here and all I can say is - wow.

I will start with the negatives, the first thing I noticed was the packaging. I have been through many, many laptops and honestly Lenovo don't put enough protection for the computer. Thankfully it arrived okay, but two thin green side holders and a plastic bag won't really do much! So if Lenovo are reading, put some more protection in with the computer!

The hinges aren't as strong as I'd of expected from Lenovo, but I only can put this down to the fact this isn't the "true" ThinkPad. I suppose the metal hinges are perfect. The screen doesn't wobble, but it doesn't feel "strong". And then the slight flex on the CD drive plastic is the only other minor flaw! Apart from those three things, and only two apply to the actual laptop - I can't fault it at all!

The positives have got to be the keyboard and build quality. I have never had a laptop which has been made this well. No flex on the keyboard, bottom panels, side panels, palmrest, even the screen is pretty strong! And this doesn't have the roll cage! I can only imagine that the models that do have that feature are rock solid.

The keyboard is by far the best one on the hundreds of laptops I've seen. Nice feel, not too loud despite what some reviews say. And a good solid click! The touchpad is textured which gives it a nice feel to it and the trackpoint is easy to use and highly responsive. As this is my first ThinkPad, I think I'll stick to the touchpad! Again, the touchpad buttons are also very well made.

The screen closes with a magnet, which is very similar to other notebooks - however, I don't think the magnet is as a MacBook for example. I know the L series omits the latch which is something I'd of liked. But not really a deal breaker!

The feel of the notebook is solid, I don't do much that would "test" a notebook. It will be mostly on a desk or occasionally on my lap. I'd say 25% of this laptop's life will be seen travelling. But only in a bag and in an overhead locker onboard a plane! I personally would not class this as portable. It is very chunky which is good for me, but if you were looking to work in a small space - I'd look for something thinner. Such as the X series.

To conclude, I am absolutely blown away with this laptop. I knew it wasn't a "true" ThinkPad but for the price and the quality - I have no reason to spend a penny more. I highly recommend this model if you are a home user looking for a well built and affordable machine. Or if your in a small/home business and don't really need or want to pay that much for a T series computer.

Will I buy another ThinkPad? Absolutely. I honestly do not know why I have gone for other brands in the past and ignored this brand.

THANK YOU AND WELL DONE LENOVO.

 

And one feature I wasn't expecting - the Active Protection System. I did upgrade the HD to a 320GB 7200 one, and I suppose this brought the APS. This was quite the surprise as the comparison page on the Lenovo website said that the L series didn't have HD protection!

 

I would be interested in some pics if possible.

Thank you for taking the time to review this machine.

 

EVERY ThinkPad has freefall sensor, what your L412 might not have is shock-mounted hdd.

I second about pictures - would be nice to see real life images of your laptop

As for points you mentioned about build quality/downsides of your laptop - dont worry, the same can be pretty much applied to T series as well, my R400 wasnt perfect, my T410 isnt perfect either, so unless your L412 lacks feature that you really NEED and MUST have, then there is no rational reason for you to think about T/X/W series ThinkPad being vastly superior to L series !
I thought that hinges on my R400 arent as strong as they should be, but I had no idea how strong they should be given its my first laptop (besides EEE PC 701 that Ive used a bit) and my first ThinkPad as well. It turned out hinges on my R400 were just fine for ThinkPad standarts and not bad at all.
Now, I do think that hinges on my T410 are not as tight as those on R400 and while they dont wobble, I do feel they are weaker than on R400, I feel it when moving laptop up and down while using it on my lap on the couch, screen changes angle <-normal usage patern for everyone who changes posture once in a while or put their laptop aside to go make some tea or pick up TV remote control
Also, bit more about comparing L412 to "real ThinkPad" - T410 doesnt have screen top roll cage either.
Biggest differences I suppose are battery life, size, weight, lack of ultrabay, lack of latches and perhaps WWAN upgradeability? Thats about it, if you dont need those funcitons, I see NO reason why to pay more for something that might be only marginally better for you and your needs !
Just because yours doesnt have none of that roll cage and some other small features that other ThinkPad's might have, doesnt mean its not real ThinkPad!
It is ThinkPad, people should live with it! If its build quality is good, why not?!
Oh, so it doesnt have roll cage? Many IBM R series didnt have one either, werent made of magnesium bodies etc, so what? Those werent real ThinkPads either?! Nah, people just like to *itch As long as its well built, isnt limited/crippled in general options and user experience and customer service is on par with X/T/W series and isnt as shoddy as 15" Edge then Id call it cheapy real ThinkPad that can
So, enjoy your machine and make sure you post some pictures as well as post some user experience impressions after a week or two when youve worked out all flaws and goods of this machine

Congrats to you on your laptop, I hope it will work fine and make you feel happy all the time using it and wont let you down!

 

I think that's what they're shooting for. Glad it worked out and thanks for posting.

 

That was a very good reply! Thanks!

I always thought anything that said ThinkPad was a ThinkPad but a lot of posts really don't class anything other than the T/X/W as a ThinkPad!

Please expand on the T410 not having the screen roll cage? I am going to be needing a rough and tough machine, and my first choice would be that but if it doesn't have it then I will need to look into it.

My mistake on the HD protection! Well I am still very impressed with the feature as it wasn't said on the website! I have never dropped a laptop in my life, but it's reassuring to know it may save it if I do!

For now, I don't need those extra features. The light and the latch would be two I'd of paid for as an upgrade but nevermind! I will be really enjoying using this computer and I look forward to buying other Lenovo ThinkPad's in the future!

And yes, I must fit into their target market and so far it's working out for me!

 

T410 has no roll cage in display cover, only magnesium roll cage in laptop base.

Make sure you have configured you APS sensor to suit your usage patterns.

Forgot about ThinkLight, it gets handy quite often, but then again, you can simply adapt to low light conditions and learn to look less at keys while typing. Millions of users type in the dark and dont complain.

Also L412/L420 has only 1366x768 resolution, optional 1600x900 would be nice.