T400 at 25% off - great deal?

Hey all,

After being duly impressed by the x40 tablet I got the Missus recently, I took a peek at the Lenovo site for 13-14" models. The T400 seems to be a really good deal at 25% off. And it seemed to be pretty well priced to begin with. Anytime I've tried configuring a suitable Dell with similar specs (XPS, Latitude or Precision), I very quickly pass $2k.

I just configured a T400 that came to $1700 with

• T9400
• Vista Ultimate
• 1gb (will upgrade myself later)
• 160gb 7200rpm hd
• DVD burner
• Bluetooth
• AGN wi-fi (have an N router)
• 9 cell battery
• 20" monitor

It sounds like a truly excellent deal, and after re-reading the review, the battery life and screen quality seem well worth the cost.

Perhaps I'm preaching to the crowd but can anyone think of a single reason I should pass this up? I'm in the market for a replacement for my Dell and was willing to wait until December to buy. I haven't comparison-shopped Dell today, but I was resigned to spending $2k just for the laptop until I saw this.

Additionally, can it really have a 2nd hard drive? That would totally push it over the top.


thanks,

Arp

PS any comments on additional warranty are welcome too - I'm moving to Costa Rica and perhaps accidental damage coverage would be worth it? Gracias!

 

That price seems awful high...I dont know about the monitor add-on, but you should be able to get that config for closer to $1100.

 

www.lenovo.com/cpp

 

@keltix: Woah - CPP drops the price to $1400, in line with what MikeC says since the monitor adds almost $300. Lenovo doesn't monitor who makes CPP purchases?

So is $1100 the going rate for this configuration? Or is that is good as it gets? In any case, thanks for preventing me from pulling the trigger too quickly ;-)

ps Does the T400 allow for a 2nd hard drive? I usually seen that offered on larger laptops.

 

they do not monitor who purchases CPP online
on the phone they do;

$1100 is the best price you're going to get for that config

the only problem with cpp is that i 'heard' you cannot return the laptop if you are unsatisfied

i had no problem ordering cpp and im happy with my t400

 

I was going to get a business lease, but the price seems too good to pass up. I'm not sure what I'd be unsatisfied with - mostly likely not build quality compared to my Dell.

otoh, my point behind getting a business lease was the ability to get new hardware sooner. Perhaps it makes no difference..

 

A notebook with IWS might not be a bad idea if you're going to Costa Rica. Also make sure the warranty is valid in Costa Rica.

 

Costa Rica?
Accidental warranty is not applicable is Florida and California, so I doubt Costa Rica will qualify. Or maybe as long as you buy it in the US and you get if fixed somewhere in the US...idk

 

Are u kidding?
1700$ for a T400?
I don't know what u do with T9400, it's useless with T400
I can figure the T400 at about 1200$ but with a much more joyful and powerful than yours, CPU IS NEVER THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

 

@zaz & keltix: Yes, I will confirm that with Lenovo. Considering that business users do travel, I imagine there must be some flexibility. If not, then I can go to Dell as I've already confirmed with them that I would be totally covered worldwide.

@lanxworld: It is if you produce music - plugins add up fast. CPU has always been the biggest bottleneck for me. That $1700 included an external monitor and a bunch of other extras too. For the most part, the T400 is clocking in at ~$1100 before add-ons. Also, can you explain your radiant joy configure a bit further?

 

I guess the $1700 is not too bad considering you got an external monitor and a "bunch of other extras too". If you can afford the laptop with the extras and really need all that stuff, then go for it. Buy what you need and not what you want. Technology changes too quick now a days for you to want everything.

 

Most true - I only held off buying a laptop until Montevina was released. I was going to wait for Dell, but I'm not interested in waiting until Nov/Dec when I can get most of the same features (save maybe wimax) from Lenovo right now.

 

It does seem that Lenovo doesn't egregiously overcharge for RAM like Dell does, so I'll probably add 4gb.

As for extras, the other big one is an upgraded warranty (pending a discussion with Lenovo, of course). That and the monitor account for about $450. The knickknacks I can do without are a Kensington lock (not a bad idea though) and a bluetooth mouse (competitively priced, but maybe I'll shop elsewhere for something rechargable).

 

There's total warranty coverage in Costa Rica, including accidental damage! Looks like I'm ordering today, and I knocked off most needless extras. Total: $1845:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9400 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2)
Operating system: Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate
Operating system language: Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate US English
Display type: 14.1 WXGA+ TFT, w/ LED Backlight, Camera
System graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 with 256MB
Total memory: 4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Keyboard: Keyboard US English
Pointing device: UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad)
Hard drive: 160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Intel® Turbo Memory hard drive cache: Intel Turbo Memory 2GB
Optical device: DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
System expansion slots: Express Card Slot & PC Card Slot
Bluetooth: Integrated Bluetooth PAN Wireless card: Intel WiFi Link 5300
Wireless WAN: Integrated Wireless Wide Area Network upgradable
Battery: 9 cell Li-Ion Battery
Power cord: Country Pack North America with Line cord & 90W AC adapter
Language pack: Language Pack US English
Accessories and options:
3 Year On Site Upgrade with 3 Year ThinkPad Protection
Lenovo ThinkVision L200P W LCD Monitor
ThinkPad Serial ATA Hard Drive Bay Adapter II

The Dells I looked at (Vostro 1310, E6400, M2300, M1330) were priced the same higher by about $100, except for the M1330 which is on fire sale (but has the lovely 86xx series gpu). All in all, less than I'd probably spend if I waited for Dell to come out with their laptops with switchable graphics and wimax. And the hot-swappable Ultrabay rocks - I've been dying for a 2nd hard drive and not wanting a 17" behemoth for it.

I probably would have bought a Lenovo earlier if I hadn't been so fixated on getting something that looked hotter. Practicality wins. I'll search a bit for possible coupon codes before committing, but the CPP price seems hard to beat.

 

Well
I agree with you
But
I just think whether you can choose the W500 instead
It's already have T9400,AMDV5700 and WSXGA+,starting from 1300+$

 

I think W500 is what you need, but I guess you care a lot with weight

 

I want something much more portable, and the T400's battery life is ridiculous. I'm usually at a desk when doing real work, so that's where the external monitor comes in handy. Otherwise, I'm reading/surfing/emailing from anywhere and the battery life will be most welcome (my Dell at best, with a brand new battery, lasted 2.75 hrs). After holding an M1330 last year and seeing the LED screen, my idea of what I wanted in laptop totally changed. I've only been looking at models with 13.3" & 14.1" LED screens.

I also don't need a top-of-the-line gpu, so why spend the money for it?

 

It's a really good deal because you can stack it with CPP discount.....this makes it so good a deal that you cant get it anywhere else

 

If you're ordering t400, pray a lot for LG panel. From what i've heard people doesnt _like_ their Samsung panels.

 

I am - fingers crossed for bright white...

 

If I get a Samsung display, it's going right back; I'll refuse delivery and re-order. (unless Lenovo does not list the serial number on the laptop box like other manifacturers). The UPS guy can wait a few seconds while I do that.

 

Is there someplace online to check a serial number for this info?