T400 vs T500

Hi folks

Sorry if this is a "dumb" question, but I've been researching getting a new thinkpad for a while (upgrading from a T42) and I'm narrowing it down to the T4x0 and T5x0 lines. I'm finding everything slightly confusing, and there's some old info up on the Lenovo site.

What's the major difference between the two lines? Is the T410s a leap forward? Cost is not a huge issue right now, I want something that's pretty powerful yet lightweight. Something that will stand the test of time decently well.

Which one has the best screen? I'm a bit drooling over the MacBook Pro because of the screen, but having a Mac presents too many obstacles right now.

I'm going to be using Windows 7 as well.

 

Screen size/resolution and the GPUs are the probably the biggest differences.

The T400s is about four pounds, which is very light for a 14" notebook. I would also point out the T410s does not use a standard hard drive if you think at some point down the road you'd like to upgrade.

Probably the best screen on the T series is the 15.4" WSXGA+, but that's only if you get the LG. There's a Samsung as well, which is generally regarded as inferior to the LG. Unfortunately there's not way to choose or a way to know what you're getting until it ships. The next best screens is probably the high nit WXGA offered on the T400.

The T510 or W510 with the 95% gamut screen might work a look as well.

 

I have no first had experience with the screens so I can't help you there. Here's a couple of things I've pickedup though.

Hardrive:
The T400s, T410s use a 1.8" harddrive. These are less common than the 2.5" size so you might less choice if you want to buy an SSD at some point. However provantage.com seems to have the 1.8" X18-m G2 SSD instock now.

http://www.provantage.com/scripts/search.dll?SEC=&QUERY=intel+x18-m&Submit.x=0&Submit.y=0

The T400, T500, T410, T510, all use 2.5" drives

http://www.provantage.com/scripts/search.dll?SEC=&QUERY=intel+x25-m&Submit.x=0&Submit.y=0

DisplayPort
The T series now uses display port. If you ever like to hook your laptop up to a TV you can use a display port to HDMI adaptor, but so far I've only seen one person with a T510 with Nvidia discrete graphics get audio to work through the display port as well. I'm still not sure if you can get audio through display port on the T410 or T410s, or whether you need discrete graphics to do it on the T510.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=453665&page=3

Switchable Graphics
Only the T410s has switchable graphics. The T410, T510 don't. Switchable graphics allow you to switch between the intel integrated and nvidia discrete graphics.

OLED Screen to come...sometime
LenovoBlogs, Inside the box blog might give some idea of what's comming in the next link of thinkpads. They aren't definite though.
http://lenovoblogs.com/insidethebox/?p=392

 

Thanks a ton folks.

I'm SO against the 16:9 conversion...it makes no sense since most of the operations you're doing on a computer involve some sort of vertical scrolling. I'm not looking for a souped up portable DVD player... /rant

Anyway Another question....is the T500/W500 a lot heavier than the T400/410? I'm having a tough time trying to picture the size and whether or not the 500's will be annoying to carry around. I'm taking my laptop with me EVERYWHERE, travels, to the coffee shop to work, etc. It's on the road like 75% of the time. I just don't want to get stuck with a junky screen. How would the 400/410 screen compare to my ye olde T42?

Also, I do not see anything regarding switchable graphics on the Lenovo site for the T410s....did they remove it for some reason?

Thanks again folks, this is a tough decision for me

 

16:9 Screens
Keep in mind that quote I used was just the opinions of the blogger, Matt Kohut (works at Lenovo, don't really know what he does besides blogging). Doesn't mean Lenovo will for sure be going to 16:9 screens.

What size for the mobile user?
If your going to be carrying around your Thinkpad a lot, I think you will find any 15" notebook too big and heavy. Try borrowing a friend's 15" notebook if you can, to get an idea of what it's like to carry one around. Don't forget to carry the powerbrick too. Depending on how much other stuff you have to carry you might find the T400/T410 a little too heavy too, so you may want to consider one of the 12" X series thinkpads. Some people find a 12" a little too small though, it depends on what you want to do with it. Some people use a cheap netbook just for carrying around, doing the cafe thing, while using a bigger notebook for serious work. The lighter T410s might be a good compromise between screen size and weight, course the price goes up.

Switchable Graphics
Lenovo can make a nice Thinkpad, they just can't tell you what they've made. I'm not even 100% sure the T410s has switchable graphics by default or if its an option.

Screen Quality
Always best if you can see the notebook in person first. Try tricking a friend into buying one first . I haven't seen a T410 so can't help you out.

 

Thanks! Yeah I was kind of thinking about that...using a netbook for carrying around to be ultra portable. I think anything under a 13" is going to be too small. Not even sure how big my T42 screen is but at least it's 4:3. My T42 is also pretty heavy...I want to say around 5lbs? I don't have a scale.

I've gotta be able to do some work on the thing since I do web marketing and design...I don't need a full on massive computer but something that won't make me crosseyed. I might get a high end desktop for image editing, etc.

What stores carry Lenovos? I'm in Southern California. I went to BestBuy to try to gauge sizes. Didn't like any of their off the shelf laptops though. The keyboards are utter garbage compared to the ThinkPad. And I"m a cripple without the trackpoint.

Maybe just get a full-on desktop and then go with a large netbook or the X series?

Too many choices...ugh. It's hard because I can't physically see what I'm shopping for.

 

I have a T400 and go to school

The T400 seems to be lighter than the thick plastic that my R51e is at home. I'm not sure what kind of material is used and if there is a roll-cage but the overall weight is light. I guess if you're carrying many things it adds up but I really don't have a problem carrying it to my classes. I'm a girl so if I can do it you can! lol. Seriously though I love it and if I had to use a smaller screen I wouldn't know what to tell you. My dad has a 600X that is pretty nice structurally but it beeps too much so I would feel strange taking that to class.

My T400 also has the WXGA+ so my resolution is pretty detailed. I find that Abiword works fine for taking notes. I don't have the $$$ right now to get MS Word so I have to make Abi work for me. It works out okay- at least it will let me save documents in other formats besides abiword formats The only thing I would recommend is getting a 6-cell battery maybe b/c the four-cell that I have lasts just a hair over two hours. I'd sit near an outlet or buy a bigger battery and stuff that four-cell in a spare bag pocket.

 

Another option: Thinkpad for on the road and then at the office use it with an external monitor. A docking station can be helpful for this. Ergotron.com sell stands that hold your notebook screen next to your external screen, so you can work on both side by side.
http://www.ergotron.com/Products/tabid/65/PRDID/254/language/en-CA/default.aspx
http://www.ergotron.com/Products/tabid/65/PRDID/243/language/en-CA/default.aspx


This looks pretty cool to me.

From your comments about working on the road, 12" screen being too small, I think netbooks are out. My comments about 15" being to big for a mobile user may not apply to you. Work use is different from university student use. You'll have to look at what situations you'll be using it in. You have T42 so you have some frame of reference already, just measure the screen corner to corner diagonally to see what size it is.

There may be stores that carry thinkpads in your area. Google around, ask in the forums. Some University/College campus computer stores carry them as they sell them to students.

Goodluck, let us know what you decide.

 

I have an Ergotron monitor stand for my 20" UXGA Dell monitor. I've had it for about fours years. When I first got it I liked it so much I sent Egrotron an email saying such otherwise you're just a complainer. A few weeks later I got a reply from Ergotron asking if they could use my email on their website as a testimonial. In jest I wrote back of course they could as long as no animals were harmed in the testing and production of the stands. They sent me back a three page email saying how they all love animals over at Ergotron and how they would never use/harm animals in product testing blah blah blah. It was all rather humorous. I guess if you love aninals, Ergotron is the way to go.

 

If cost is not an issue and you like the MacBook Pro screen why not just buy a MacBook Pro and use BootCamp to run Windows 7 on it?

 

So, what did you end up getting?

 

On the 410s, the Australian lenovo thinkpad web site has: "Thin and light like T400s and the same great features, plus faster processors and nVIDIA® switchable graphics"