T440s vs X1 Carbon vs T430s

Hi ladies and gents,

I hope all is well. I didn't get much advice besides from ZaZ on the main forum hence I am asking the question here.

While streaming hockey games and playing AOE 2, my 3 year old ThinkPad T420s has been pissing me off with the screen turning into different colors or random freezing and shutting down like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqhE...leFbWCIgNv45eg

So I am in the market for a new 14' or light 15' that offers great build quality, decent screen and battery life and most important with no reported design flaw like warming up with my T420s.
Having said that, I've only had ThinkPads in the past so having a trackpoint is preferred but I am willing to consider other laptops with great touchpads.

Thanks in advance!!


1) What is your budget?
1000 CAD but I am willing to pay more for quality and durability.

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Netbook; 10” screen or less
b. Ultraportable; 11" - 12” screen
c. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
e. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

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

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like:
b. Dislike: Apple

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
No

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
Office, browsing, multimedia, casual light gaming

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
I am planning to hook it up to my external monitor but could go back to school in the near future so portability would nice.

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
Age of Empires 2 or maybe some single person shooter once in a while

9) How many hours of battery life do you need? The more the better so 5h+

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
No, as long as I look up some reviews and videos I'd be ok.

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (Windows 7 / 8), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Windows 7 but could live with Windows 8.

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. Click here for Screen resolution information.
I like my T420s' 1600x900. 1080p may be stretching it but I wouldn't rule it out.

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?
Matte

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
No

15) When are you buying this laptop?
Near future not urgent though.

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
At least 3 years

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need? Do you want a SSD drive?
I'd need a 320 GB HDD minimum but SSD would be nice even though I've never had one.

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD Burner, Blu-ray Reader or Blu-Ray Burner?
Don't think it's important as I've burned like 5 CDs to put in my car in the past 3 years.

 

I guess to me it boils down to how much you want a good screen. If that's the top priority, then the T440s has it, but you're stuck with the integrated trackpoint buttons. If you want a good, not great screen, the 1st gen X1C might be with best blend of good screen with buttons. The T430s screens are average at best.

 

I am not sure if I can be efficient if there weren't any dedicated trackpad buttons. Have most users gotten used to the clickpad? What's the consensus here.

If not, I'll have to see if there's a good deal for X1C or wait for Q1 2015 for the new generation with buttons.

 

I really hate the trackpad on my T440s that I used my mouse all the time even when I'm in my bed. But I love this T440s, It has all I need in a portable notebook except the trachpad

 

I've mostly gotten used to it - although I tend to tap to click on the t440s to avoid depressing the entire pad. And I don't use the trackpoint at all on this machine because I don't like clickpad buttons for it.

 

I've heard Lenovo made some changes to the trackpad after its release and it's better, but that's still third hand knowledge.

 

After release meaning when? My unit is from June 2014. My friend's is from August 2014. (Yes, he copied me and also bought a t440s.) The touchpads and keyboards have different feels on them, although I prefer mine - his feels a bit more mushy to me.

 

agreed, this is how i use it. The trackpad also has many gestures you can customize to your liking. Unfortunatley the trackPoint is just for show in my case because of the missing buttons... Overall the 440s is pretty good, but that screen is amazing!

 

I don't use the gestures any more than I do on other pads - just 2 finger scrolling, and 3-finger click to go back/forth. I tend to disable ones I don't use.

And agreed, the trackpoint is just for show without buttons. Unfortunately, that also means one less selling point for Lenovo over other brands in my mind.

 

So guys, I was able to find some local deals (no 15% Canadian sales taxes) in sealed boxes:


1) X1C(2014) 20A7002FUS (i5 + 4GB+128 SSD + 3yr depot): $1000 Lenovo X1 Carbon 20A7002FUS 14" Ultrabook 20A7002FUS B&H

2) T440s 20AQ-005XUS (i7+4GB+180 SSD +3 yr depot): $1100 http://www.rakuten.com/prod/lenovo-...led-ultrabook-intel-core-i7-i7/256166700.html

3) T440s 20AQ-006HUS (FHD+ i7 + 8GB + 256 SSD + 3yr onsite): $1250 Lenovo ThinkPad T440s 20AQ006HUS 14" Ultrabook 20AQ006HUS


I personally think HD+ is good enough for a 14' but option 3 does offer the FHD IPS display. HD+ on X1C and T440s are all TN pannels right? X1C has a HDMi port so I can still hook it up to my external display.

What do you gents think?

 

Yes, the HD+ are TN, but some are better than others. I haven't seen the T440s HD+, but if history is a guide, the X1C should be significantly better. Again, it boils down to whether you want the IPS and whether you're willing to live with its shortcomings to get it. It's hard for me to answer than for you. My own answer was to get a Dell.

 

What's IPS' or the T440s' shortcomings?

The Latitude you have recommended isn't available at Dell Outlet Canada. ThinkPads are actually cheaper than comparable Latitudes and EliteBooks who usually cost 1K+ here.

 

IPS is a type of screen. It offers higher contrast and wide viewing angles. In a nutshell, it's a much better screen.

Some ThinkPadders don't like the new chiclet keyboard because the moved and removed some of the shortcut keys. Having used the T430, X230 and X1C, I thought the new keyboard was pretty good.

The bigger problems is they've now integrated the trackpad buttons into the touch pad, which isn't near as good as the old setup that had dedicated trackpoint buttons.

Other other thing for me was cost. I can get a E7440 with IPS LCD and three year warranty in the Dell Outlet for $600. I won't get a T440s for anywhere near that price.

 

Where sis you find that in the Outlet?