Need to new Thinkpad upgrade from t41 please help

So my T41 finally died on me last year and i am now finally moving on (used an Acer till now but i am about to break it i had it so much). i need some advise as to which T series to buy t400 - t500 and what specs.

The one think i loved about the thinkpad was its keyboard.
The one think i hated about the old thinkpad was the fact i couldn't see anything in the sun. Which was a real problem because i spend alot of time in Africa and the Middle East.
Also the screen resolution was poor.

So pls do keep these things in mind. Also i would like to spend a max of $1100. I dont mind buying refurbished or redistributed laptops.

any advice would be appreciated.

 

My advice then is to get a T400 with the WXGA LED High Nit screen. From what I've read is that it is perfect for viewing in the sun. If it is out of your price range the next best bet would be a T400 with the WXGA+ LED BL. The WXGA+ will be slightly higher resolution but not be as bright. I'd stay away from the T500 if out door viewing is a concern. The WXGA LED may be too low of a resolution for you on a 15" screen and the CCFL options don't have the brightness for outdoor use.

 

Only the X200 tablet (only released for couple of weeks at max) have the outdoor LCD right now, which is a quite a deal more expensive then 1100 dollars......... I am not sure what sort of brightness you are after regarding the screen.

 

basically my work involves alot of driving so as long as it can avoid that then i am happy... does have to be perfect just visual

 

thanks alot. this has been really useful advice and hopefully it can fit within my budget!!

 

The T400 with the high nit LCD is plenty bright for outdoor usage.

 

any advice on if i should looke at refurbished or redistributed laptops?

and if i should any recommendation on where to look?

 

The X200t has been out for quite some time, it's just NBR did a review very recently.

My primary suggestion for you would also be the T400 with the WXGA High-Nit screen. It's a very nice screen, in addition to being very bright.

But you should probably fill in the FAQ so we know what else you need. If you do not need discrete graphics, you can get a T400 with a WXGA High-Nit screen for under $900 (with coupons or CPP discount, even less).

 

Order new if it fits your budget, sometimes on the Outlet you get another thing as opposed of its specifications.

 

where can i get coupons from??

as far as the FAQ's are concerned my answers are below:

1) What is your budget? Max us$1100

2) What size notebook would you prefer? 14"-15"

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator. USA OR UK

4) prefer lenovo

5) refurbished or redistributed laptop would be most definitely and would be preferable

6) primary use: office work and downloading/watching movies

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both? both

8) don't really play many games. sometimes play football management sim
9) 3-4 hours minimum of battery

10) no need to see

11) windows

12) preferable 1440 x 900 but i am flexible (currently have 1024x 768 which is crap)

13) screen: i travel alot to the caribbean and africa so i need a screen which i can see even in the glar of the sun

14) no

15) want to buy it asap and atleast 2 years

16) flexible but atleast 160 GB

17) yes i definitely need an optical drive but i am flexible as to which one

 

My recommendation:

T400
14.1" High Nit WXGA LED (the brightest Thinkpad screen currently available, above average quality, and better resolution than your T41).
9 Cell
P series CPU is recommended (e.g. P8600) for balance of performance/battery
Integrated graphics is probably adequate for you needs
Start with a 5400RPM 160GB HDD, you can always upgrade later if you like.
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WWAN, Fingerprint, etc. at your preference


Current ThinkPad coupons are maintained here. They are updated frequently and 15%+ is not uncommon.

You can check the Lenovo outlet for refurb models, but my guess would be that the high nit option is fairly rare.