ThinkPad T431s / X230s Leaked

woah, up to 9 hours of life in a S class T series?

cant wait for the haswells.

 

Another photo, from ZDNet:



Looks like the Space bar is broken though ...

 

An indicator pops up on the right side corner of the screen of my X220 if caps lock or numlock is on.

 

I wouldn't believe in those "9 hours" -- X1 Carbon sports similar guts but declares up to 6 hours only http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/thinkpad/x-series/x1-carbon/x1-carbon-datasheet.pdf

 

So, as some of us predicted starting price point drop to $949. Well, to be honest base configuration still looks a bit overpriced. Considering that T430u is available at almost $ 650, I personally see no reason to pay 300 more to get a mediocre HD+ screen and docking port. In my opinion a fair price for basic configuration is somewhere between 800-900 USD. Closer to $ 1000 price point comes unbeatable Samsung Series 9 with 128 SSD, excellent PLS screen, great battery life and very lightweight and portable overall.
In other words, in my opinion $ 200 could justify the difference between T430U and T431s. I need to buy a new laptop by the beginning/ middle of April and will see if T431s is going to be available by this time. If both - release date and price satisfy my needs, I'll be among the first owners of 431s, if not - T430u is still an excellent value... Or Samsung Series 9 X3C if I decide to spend more on a new laptop...

 

Does the T431s have red keyboard back lighting? The datasheet makes it look like it.

 

No, I think this is a wrong picture. The picture in the data-sheet shows a Y400/Y500 keyboard, with this red backlight.

 

According to The Verge, or it might have been TechRadar... It does have red backlighting. Sounds a bit Alienware to me!

 

Interestingly, on some images it looks like Lenovo removed the PrintScreen button from the most ridiculous location ever, and put with a second Windows key instead. On other images, in http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/thinkpad/t-series/t431s/t431s-datasheet.pdf , it's still that PrintScreen.

It's about time they fire that schizophrenic dude from the keyboard layout department, and stick to something, whatever that something is.

 

Is this going to replace the T430s? Would be weird for them to have a T430u, T430s and T431s. Though the better option would be to get rid of the T430u since the only point of it existing is the price.

Aside from there being so many models, I like it. Good weight, screen, battery life, optional mSata drive, and nice touchpad/keyboard.

 

Hmm, I actually think I like the look of this, though I've never owned a Thinkpad but plan to get one as my next laptop sometime this fall (hopefully with Haswell). Assuming the trackpoint buttons work as normal despite being integrated into the track pad area. One thing I'm wondering is, how does this differ from the X1 Carbon besides the extra half pound or so of weight? I'm also hoping they improve the screens since that seems to be the number one complaint in the X1C thread, though I see people complain about pretty much every laptop's screens on these forums so I'm not sure how much stock to put into that. I hope that since this sort of cannibalizes the X1 Carbon's market, the next generation Carbon moves up to at least a 1080p screen, then I'd probably buy that, otherwise I think I'd go with the T431S. The bezels are pretty impressively thin and I like the look overall.

 

We've seen high quality (high res, high contrast, IPS) displays in tablets costing <$500.
Are we insane when we ask for a mediocre display in our laptops that we've paid a lot more?

 

What are the primary functions of the F11 and F12 keys?

 

The higher res screens might be popular, but for me I find 1600x900 too small and uncomfortable on a 14". And as a web designer and developer I need to work with native resolution, so messing with the DPI isn't really an option for me because everything looks fuzzy or off. Anybody know if there will be an option of the 1366x768 on the T430s or X1C?

 

No, T431s will be HD+ only, much like the T410s, which was WXGA+ only. But you always have the option to increase the PPI in the Windows settings.

These functions were firstly introduced with the ThinkPad Twist, and they are supposed to make the Windows 8 experience better. They have the following functions:

However, these are the functions for Windows 8. For Windows 7:

Sorry, F12 is missing, in the Chinese User Guide of the T431s is, according to the Google Translator, noted for F12: "Turn on the computer", but this appears to be a fail of the Translator.

 

Where do you see a 13.3" or 14" tablet with a display like that?

 

Yes... I took the lazy way out and just deleted posts after complaints of newkidontheblock's post. Sorry.

 

Relevant Slashdot article and comments:

Are Lenovo's ThinkPads Getting Worse? - Slashdot

 

Thank you for posting this.

I re-posted the link on TPF to see the amount of tar and feathers it generates towards these (in my opinion) imposters with a ThinkPad logo...

 

The X240 will save everything.

 

As long as it's a carbon copy of 240X, but with updated guts, it very well might...

 

"...carbon copy..." haha, I see what you did there. I was thinking more about the keyboard layout and wonder if there is a slim chance lenovo will go back on there new 6 row style in favor of the full. If they finally realize that a 16:10 or 3:2 is desired for business users and general consumers alike, then why not throw in the extra row to take advantage of the increased vertical space as well? IMO it wouldn't affect the new clean-lined aesthetics and be a better alternative to the current layout.

As for the lack of touchscreen, I just hope they offer it as an option in the *40 lineup.

Non-removable battery is an issue. Even the galaxy S4 has a removable battery. It's been a standard feature in the ThinkPad line-up for a reason, and it's not like the new built-in battery provides 10+ hrs of actual usage. I guess it is another thing we may not like about the *40 lineup. But I still think they're headed in the right direction with the Lenovo|Think brand split. It gives their design team a chance to return to making thoroughbred business notebooks, but also deliver high-end options for PC consumers.

 

Here some very interesting details about the T431s:
- ThinkPad T431s Service Training Course (Service Training/Videos, BIOS Simulator, Specs)
- http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/t431s_hmm_en_0c10894.pdf (Hardware Maintance Manual)

Good news: Maintenance is very good and quite easy (maybe not as easy as with the T430u, but still easy compared to many other UltraBooks or the X1 Carbon). There are many CRUs:
- Base-Cover Assembly (This is a good news)
- RAM (one SO-DIMM)
- HDD
- HDD Bracket
- Sim-Card Tray
- BIOS Battery
- WLAN + WWAN Cards (M.2 format)
- Keyboard

 

Does the T431s support a storage device in the M.2 WAN card slot?

 

Since there will be a configuration with a small 24GB M.2 SSD Cache: Yes.

 

Yeah, that's not what that extra space will be used for. Who needs a 6 row keyboard when you can have...


...a bigger touchpad!

 

Lots of love towards new design on Lenovo blogs...

New T431s Illustrates How ThinkPad Loyalists, Techies and the People Will Define Future Design - Products - Lenovo Blogs

 

Company tries to justify their changes, tries to convince holdouts that new is always better. News at 11.

Still disappointed that they're consumerizing the Thinkpad line. If we wanted a consumer-class laptop, we would of bought one.

 

Yea, they are getting an ear full. It will be interesting to see if Lenovo design decisions change anything (revenue wise). Lenovo has been doing very well in the market and until people stop buying and switch, they'll continue to ignore some of the feedback.

I really don't see how they can ignore the display issues they have. Nearly every comment is about their screens. Unfortunately most of the comments are from people wanting higher resolutions, not quality.

 

The worst might be yet to come...I'm serious when I say that TrackPoint will likely be completely gone within the next three generations.

And no, user feedback won't matter whether they're making money (which they currently are) or not.

Directives come straight from the top. And are executed. Or else...

 

Dunno whether trackpoint will be gone or not, but those of us who use it are few and far. I know many Thinkpad users, and others who use other business notebooks that have it, and no one except me uses it. It's hard to fault them for focusing on maximizing the touchpad and it's performance when that's what users seem to prefer using.

 

The last time I checked, there was an IdeaPad line with no trackpoint...they should've focused on touchpads and 6-row backlit keyboards there and leave the ThinkPads alone in these respects...

 

Ah, awesome, one way this is better than the X1C. Now if they made a 15" version of this I'd be in heaven. It seems kind of strange but I think it'd be awesome to have a larger screen ultra book, for the increased work space while keeping a thin chassis. I don't need high end hardware in a laptop, just enough to get work done and having a bigger screen is more helpful than more hardware when an inexpensive desktop can be easily way better in that aspect. As a newcomer to thinkpads I have a different perspective from most, for me the main thing is having good input devices (keyboard and trackpoint) and I'm not tied to the current layout. I just want something light, solid, with good input devices and preferably a good screen. Assuming the integrated trackpoint buttons work well I'll be completely happy with a next generation thinkpad.

 

Unfortunately they have yet to deliver a good screen on the 14" models in quite some time.

 

True.

That's why I never identify with any brand or any company name. Heck, they're out to make money. I spend my money to get the tools that I like. I don't get excited when they make money, or become numero uno, or go out of business. I don't want to pretend I am a Lenovo/ThinkPad expert, defending/explaining every move that they make.

I never mentioned Apple. He did.

Well, just copy Apple products and paint them black -- oh, excuse me, "enriched Graphite Black."

 

While we all in forums use trackpoint, out in the real world hardly anyone else does. Catering to what users prefer makes money, not ideologies.

 

I threw up a little in my mouth when I received the latest email from Lenovo titled "13 Years of getting it right"

 

Out in the real world hardly any user expects the Fn key to be where the Ctrl key is, or the PrtSc to be on the right of the space bar.

Ideology? Stupidity? User preference? Arrogance?

 

That blog states that the new trackpad has "subtle red lines on the surface indicating the trackpoint buttons." Do these show up in any of the press photos? While I'm still not convinced the design will be good, I'd like to issue a thank you to whichever employee prevented the people in charge of "simplifying the keyboard colors" from scrapping that.

 

The subtle red lines are now presented in graphite black.



Also, "the people" should have fixed the odd-ball Fn key while they were intimately interviewed and stalked. That's an important "consumerization" step.

 

That was cited directly from the blog, either they're wrong or the press photos and prototypes don't show it, which admittedly is pretty unlikely. Every image I've seen of the T431s appears as you've posted.

Agreed on the Fn key. It makes no sense with regards to the rest of their design changes.

 

I am also not tied to any particular keyboard layout, as I have to use Dell/HP keyboards at work while I use X220 and T430 at home, each of which has a different layout.

 

How come everyone complains about the Fn and Ctrl keys on ThinkPads when I never see anyone complain about MacBooks having it the same way? Does the Mac OS not rely on those keys as much?

I'm personally turned off by the direction Lenovo's taking the ThinkPad. If and when my nearly three year old X200 finally bites the dust, I'll probably resort to scouring around for a used X220 or X230 if I can come to terms with the 6-row chiclet keyboard.

 

Maybe this will be in the production models, we will see. If I may remind, the first prototypes of last years Thinkpads also had blue instead of grey FN-symbols. The color was changed later with the production models.

 

On the U.S. lenovo website, they now have the T431s notebook under the T series line. https://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/thinkpad/t-series/. But when you click on it there is a lovely error (WCI HTML is not valid Error details: javax.servlet.ServletException: javax.servlet.jsp.JspTagException: com.i2.se.uic.hightech.wci.tags.WCIFileIncludeTag error: Error while getting Layout category SitesConsumer/All/US/Public/Web for site web [ in BCISiteAttributesImpl.getValue( Integer 160, String )]

Of course there is. There is a TrackPoint in the picture, it's nice and low so as to not touch and make marks on the screen. Lenovo's website needs an overhaul along with the Think/lenovo split. So many things are broken, including the entire Outlet site! Or am I the only one with recent problems? And by recent I mean the last 2-3 years.

 

After looking at the engadget pics, I honestly don't mind the new look. Whether it feels as premium as the previous model (and if the TP works as well as they claim) is anyone's guess.

I wager we should all wait until production units are available, much like a car's looks can vary from auto show stand to in the streets.

/uses a latitude...so yeah...flame away.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

 

I quite like the look too. I'd go so far to say the X1 Carbon and this new T431s are the only ThinkPads I'd even consider buying. The others may be great machines but they're so dog ugly!

As a Latitude/XPS user for the past decade, Lenovo have finally made something that would interest me.

I think they're taking the gamble there are more buyers thinking like me than there are traditional ThinkPad die hards. They think they'll get more sales with this direction and I'd tend to agree.

 

I like the look of the T431s, too. And I am a long time buyer. But looks can be deceiving.

Recent history indicates early adoption isn't the smartest move. It is best to wait for the production models to land in the market, and see what shakes out afterwards. Customers typically don't get accurate assessments from early reviewers because they are more interested in search result ranking and advertising revenue.

 

I know that only too well. Having originally bought a Samsung Series 9 to replace my Latitude. Lasted a week and I had to send it back, the keyboard was just awful. Ok, it might be fine for a bit of web browsing but try doing a lot of typing or coding - my fingers actually hurt after a while.

Replaced that with the XPS 14 in September. Nice looking laptop but the keyboard isn't much better than the S9. It has more feedback but there's something not right with the spacing - seems the gaps are too large, which causes me to make a lot of typos.

I'm thinking of offloading in May/June and my top contenders so far are...

Lenovo X1 Carbon - perfect in every way except its way overpriced in the UK. £900 would be fair enough, but £1400? Seriously!

Lenovo T431s - looks good except I'm not a fan of integrated touchpad buttons. I do a lot of dev work and trying to click and drag at the same time is frustrating to say the least on this type of pad.

Dell Latitude E6430 - too big and clunky.
Dell Latitude E6430S - not available with 1600x900
Dell Latitude 6430u - not available with 1600x900 in UK yet but otherwise a big contender

However, going off topic here... back to the T431s... Any word on UK pricing yet? The T430s is a ridiculous £1300 here, which makes the Dells at £900 look much better value for money, especially considering there isn't a great deal between them (in terms of support, reliability, keyboards and ruggedness).

 

This is exactly why I want a Thinkpad, because of the trackpoint solving the dragging problem. My current laptop drives me insane because of the integrated buttons, but I think over time the integrated button tech has gotten better and I think they said Lenovo worked closely with Synaptics on these.