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    T400s Review by ptrn

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by vert, Jun 10, 2009.

  1. Faruk

    Faruk Notebook Evangelist

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    I think this is the most beautiful Thinkpad ever... except maybe excluding the X301! I don't know if anybody else noticed, but even the screen is centered :D

    PS. Yes I really do think that Thinkpads look good.. nice and professional!!
     
    Faruk, Jun 11, 2009
    #51
  2. useroflaptops

    useroflaptops Notebook Evangelist

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    nah I wouldnt say its the best looking thinkpad ever. The new T series are always going to be a little ugly no matter what due to their smaller keyboard and wide screen meaning theres a load of nothing that borders the keyboard.

    The better looking thinkpads are likely the x30x and x20x series. The screen fits the keyboard, and without as much problematic design and engineering flaws like the keyboard issues.

    The t400s is only an improvement to their t400 but I'd say its hardly the best looking. Plus, its not too much to ask for a centered screen for a laptop nowadays is it? This shouldnt even have been an issue for the t400 series.
     
    useroflaptops, Jun 11, 2009
    #52
  3. Faruk

    Faruk Notebook Evangelist

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    lol I actually thought the 2 speakers on either side of the keyboard was a nice-looking design, that's what Apple does with their Macbook Pros :p
     
    Faruk, Jun 11, 2009
    #53
  4. useroflaptops

    useroflaptops Notebook Evangelist

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    Thats cause they make big laptops. They really have no choice., Any manufacturer who goes and makes a laptop with screens larger than standard keyboard size means they will get borders somehow. unless they make it so large they want to add a number pad to fill the gaps.

    If i were going on looks alone i'd be getting the x20x or x30x but for me id prob need the performance factor so i'm stuck with the r/t series pretty much. but i would get the t and admit the x looks better.
     
    useroflaptops, Jun 11, 2009
    #54
  5. pufftissue

    pufftissue Notebook Evangelist

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    Knowing Lenovo, the screen will probably be absolutely horrible. Therefore, I won't be getting the laptop. Otherwise I would be a thinkpad loyalist to the core.
     
    pufftissue, Jun 12, 2009
    #55
  6. dearyuxiao

    dearyuxiao Notebook Enthusiast

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    wow, it seems the power button got backlight!
     
    dearyuxiao, Jun 12, 2009
    #56
  7. Faruk

    Faruk Notebook Evangelist

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    Guys.. I looked up the weight of the Thinkpad DVD-RW here:

    http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...-category-id=05DDD9AC6ACF41188DF914D49172E04F

    And it's listed as 0.42 lbs.. So would this mean that getting the T400s without the optical drive would be 3.85 - 0.42 = 3.43lbs?? Or maybe I'm being too optimistic and the 3.85lbs is the weight excluding the optical drive? Oh man if it's gonna be 3.4lbs that just makes it so much better...
     
    Faruk, Jun 12, 2009
    #57
  8. dawn

    dawn Notebook Consultant

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    Looking at the pictures, I noticed the array of activity indicators below the screen has been drastically reduced. Now it seems there are only three: WLAN, Wireless PAN and Disk Access. No WWAN, Battery Status, AC Power, Standby, Num-Lock, Bluetooth. For me it's a move (cost-cutting measure perhaps) in a wrong direction. I really liked the previous traditional design with the abundance of indicators concentrated in one place, giving an easy overview of the machine state. Hopefully, it will not become a trend Lenovo will follow in their next laptops.
     
    dawn, Jun 12, 2009
    #58
  9. k3davis

    k3davis Notebook Consultant

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    ptrn's review seems to have been pulled (unless he unpublished it temporarily for some reason)

    dawn, I noticed the indicator shortage also but it didn't register. I don't know that I needed all of them anyway (scroll lock on my T42? don't mind that's gone) but it seems they did overcut, especially with the battery indicator. Isn't that kind of important?
     
    k3davis, Jun 12, 2009
    #59
  10. KanT400

    KanT400 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I don't know should I wait T400s or go for second T400 with the huge deal. I need a new notebook til September and my budget ~$700
     
    KanT400, Jun 12, 2009
    #60
  11. Benlehot

    Benlehot Notebook Geek

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    I don't think the T400s will be around 700$
     
    Benlehot, Jun 12, 2009
    #61
  12. usapatriot

    usapatriot Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Yeah, it will most likely start at $999+ which is unfortunate because if it were less I would have waited for it.

    Right now I'm waiting on the Ideapad U350.
     
    usapatriot, Jun 12, 2009
    #62
  13. KanT400

    KanT400 Notebook Enthusiast

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    If through CPP? Now I can get T400 for ~$650 after tax with P8400,2Gb RAM, WWAN, 5100wifi,BT,6Cell..
     
    KanT400, Jun 12, 2009
    #63
  14. cn_habs

    cn_habs Notebook Deity

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    Did you see the pictures from different angles? :)
     
    cn_habs, Jun 12, 2009
    #64
  15. dearyuxiao

    dearyuxiao Notebook Enthusiast

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    yes, now T400 start from ~$650 with eCoupon code. but this is the lowest price and it has an expired date.

    T400s would most likely start from ~$1300 or ~$1400, even with discount, the cheapest price probably around approx 950~1050.

    Who knows!
    :) :D
     
    dearyuxiao, Jun 12, 2009
    #65
  16. ldupont

    ldupont Newbie

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    Anybody can guess whether or not the combination of the Intel's 4500MHD graphics along with the display port is gonna be able to handle a 2560x1600 resolution on an external monitor? Also, the review posted by ptrn appears to be down...
     
    ldupont, Jun 12, 2009
    #66
  17. Benlehot

    Benlehot Notebook Geek

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    it should be able yes
     
    Benlehot, Jun 12, 2009
    #67
  18. k3davis

    k3davis Notebook Consultant

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    On further thought I kind of like this, though I think I will miss the battery one (unless the apparently lit power button will give this indication somehow). It appears there's a LED on the caps lock key, and some of the current thinkpads have about 50 indicators, so toning that down might be good.
     
    k3davis, Jun 12, 2009
    #68
  19. menos

    menos Notebook Evangelist NBR Reviewer

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    menos, Jun 12, 2009
    #69
  20. k3davis

    k3davis Notebook Consultant

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    k3davis, Jun 12, 2009
    #70
  21. Faruk

    Faruk Notebook Evangelist

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    Faruk, Jun 12, 2009
    #71
  22. dearyuxiao

    dearyuxiao Notebook Enthusiast

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    definitely not. The thinklight won't be above the webcam.

    I believe this is only a test model, the real T400s may be different to some extend.
     
    dearyuxiao, Jun 12, 2009
    #72
  23. MidnightSun

    MidnightSun Emodicon

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    MidnightSun, Jun 12, 2009
    #73
  24. menos

    menos Notebook Evangelist NBR Reviewer

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    Thanks. I was too shocked and too stirred to look for forensics ;)
    It is all about the shape of a lens in a diode, I suppose.
     
    menos, Jun 13, 2009
    #74
  25. richardjay

    richardjay Newbie

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    Anyone know when these will be available in the UK and whether XP will still be an option ?
     
    richardjay, Jun 13, 2009
    #75
  26. ldupont

    ldupont Newbie

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    The T400S appears to be available down under. Given the price difference between the T400 2765P5M and the T400s 2808C8M, 2 systems with pretty much the same specs, one could extrapolate a 25% increase in the price tag with respect to the T400.

    Also, the T400s review by ptrn isn't online anymore. Anybody knows what happened?
     
    ldupont, Jun 15, 2009
    #76
  27. jaredy

    jaredy Notebook Virtuoso

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    Maybe he was not suppose to write about it per nondisclosure agreement.
     
    jaredy, Jun 15, 2009
    #77
  28. jonlumpkin

    jonlumpkin NBR Transmogrifier

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    That doesn't mean anything. My x200 Tablet (as well as the x61T, x60T, x41T) also has the logo on PgUp (same keyboard as x200 ). However, NONE of the tablets have the ThinkLight (due to the flat rotating screen design). When I press the key combo, I get an image of the light and an X (the BIOS knows that the Tablet doesn't have a ThinkLight).

    I fear that the T400s may be lacking one as well, because I definitely can't see the recessed portion for the light anywhere in the lid.
     
    jonlumpkin, Jun 15, 2009
    #78
  29. k3davis

    k3davis Notebook Consultant

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    I sure hope not. What would be the reasoning? This might be a dealbreaker for me, and I was seriously thinking about picking one of these up when the free upgrade window opens up (assuming it's released).
     
    k3davis, Jun 15, 2009
    #79
  30. jonlumpkin

    jonlumpkin NBR Transmogrifier

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    Thickness of the LCD reason could be one, although I'm not sure how much of an issue this would be (the x200s and x301 both have a ThinkLight).
     
    jonlumpkin, Jun 15, 2009
    #80
  31. jaredy

    jaredy Notebook Virtuoso

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    That would suck because at a certain point thinness should not be done at the expense of features.
     
    jaredy, Jun 15, 2009
    #81
  32. vert

    vert Notebook Consultant

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    he probably got a cease and desist order...

    also stop putting those referral links in your posts, and im assuming thats the only reason you are posting because every single one of your posts has a ref link in it.
     
    vert, Jun 16, 2009
    #82
  33. ldupont

    ldupont Newbie

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    Wow, that's my third intervention and the first time I'm using external links (as far as I know). But isn't putting external links within my post an excellent reason to post? How can you ever get tired of the thrill of selecting a single word, then clicking on that tiny button before pasting an URL.
     
    ldupont, Jun 16, 2009
    #83
  34. dietcokefiend

    dietcokefiend DietGreenTeaFiend

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    Look at the webcam, now look about 1/2cm to the right and that is where it is. ;)
     
    dietcokefiend, Jun 16, 2009
    #84
  35. Faruk

    Faruk Notebook Evangelist

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    Kevin, you're typing on one of those right now aren't you?! :p

    When is the review coming out?? Don't worry we'll pretend that we didn't hear :D
     
    Faruk, Jun 16, 2009
    #85
  36. pufftissue

    pufftissue Notebook Evangelist

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    Will the screen be horrible on this laptop? If not, then this is my next laptop.
     
    pufftissue, Jun 16, 2009
    #86
  37. wilse

    wilse Notebook Evangelist

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    all indications are, at this point, that the screen will be the same led 14.1 wxga+ available in the t400
    so, yes, the screen will be horrible, unfortunately
     
    wilse, Jun 16, 2009
    #87
  38. jaredy

    jaredy Notebook Virtuoso

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    Horrible reads as nothing note-worthy.
     
    jaredy, Jun 16, 2009
    #88
  39. mtkc

    mtkc Newbie

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    mtkc, Jun 17, 2009
    #89
  40. dietcokefiend

    dietcokefiend DietGreenTeaFiend

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    I dont know what you are talking about. HEY LOOK OVER THERE! :eek:
     
    dietcokefiend, Jun 17, 2009
    #90
  41. Bujdee

    Bujdee Newbie

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    Someone delete my post... :confused:

    Maybe i can't post the T400s reveiw.


    jaredy:

    Which Elecom ZEROSHOCK bag do you have?
    this or this ?
     
    Bujdee, Jun 17, 2009
    #91
  42. usapatriot

    usapatriot Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    So how much more is it going to cost over the T400?
     
    usapatriot, Jun 17, 2009
    #92
  43. wilse

    wilse Notebook Evangelist

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    no one knows for sure, but estimates i've seen kicked around are in the neighborhood of a $400-600 premium. just rumors at this point, though.
     
    wilse, Jun 17, 2009
    #93
  44. wilse

    wilse Notebook Evangelist

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    i wonder if it will have expresscard 2.0?
     
    wilse, Jun 17, 2009
    #94
  45. BinkNR

    BinkNR Knock off all that evil

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    BinkNR, Jun 17, 2009
    #95
  46. k3davis

    k3davis Notebook Consultant

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    Wow, that was informative, lol. I guess I'll have to cancel my plans to throw their new laptop under that rolling platform that wheels the space shuttle to the launchpad. Boo, Lenovo! ;)
     
    k3davis, Jun 17, 2009
    #96
  47. Faruk

    Faruk Notebook Evangelist

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    From the 2nd video you can see that it uses a 1.8" SATA drive :(

    Looks like it might not make any sense to get this one without an SSD. I hope when this comes out there will be an option to get a 2.5" SATA caddy for the ultrabay instead of the DVD drive. It would probably be useful to have a 64GB SSD + a 320GB or 500GB 2.5" SATA drive.

    I just wish they would have skipped the ultrabay on this one and put in a 2.5" drive instead of 1.8", and then they might have even had some space for a GF9300m instead of Intel GMA... Same with the X300, I really think DVD drives are useless for ultra-portables.
     
    Faruk, Jun 18, 2009
    #97
  48. jonlumpkin

    jonlumpkin NBR Transmogrifier

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    1.8" for the main is not bad as there are plenty of good 1.8" SSDs (I am using one). I admit, that it would be really nice if the optical could be swapped for a standard 2.5" drive though for people that want more than 64GB of storage at a reasonable price point.
     
    jonlumpkin, Jun 18, 2009
    #98
  49. jaredy

    jaredy Notebook Virtuoso

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    I feel like an optical drive is a must for the T series though...
     
    jaredy, Jun 18, 2009
    #99
  50. Faruk

    Faruk Notebook Evangelist

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    Well then they should have made it an X400 :p
     
    Faruk, Jun 18, 2009
    #100
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