ThinkPad vs Toughbook?

There's a Toughbook W8 deal going on at FW/SD for $400 shipped. Which one is a better lappy in terms of ruggedness and build quality: the W8 or ThinkPad X201? Thanks!

 

they are about the same, if you can get a Toughbook W8 for 400 dollars, then i would get it. But note of warning is that it is using a ultralow voltage cpu.

W8 is equivalent to the Thinkpad X200s in terms of spec.

 

What's the downside of ultralow voltage CPU? AFAIK, lower voltage = longer battery life.

 

Less performance.

 

Looks like W8 has internal DVD drive while X200 doesnt, also is there webcam available even as optional upgrade on W8?
That and ULV cpu seem to be major differences, except for TB being usually more expensive and perhaps considerably better build than TP's?

 

the toughbook is unquestionablly built more ruggedly and if you really will be using/abusing the laptop and exposing it to very rough handling & conditions it's a good choice, but there are some definite tradeoffs.

the CPU is somewhat slow by today's standard , C2D 1.2ghz...certainly very adequate for regular office apps, web browsing, etc but nothing as fast & capable as the iX processors if you need extra processing for more demanding apps. a 4:3 1024x768 display, and slightly quirky keyboard/touchpad are other considerations that you'll have to deal with and the LCD display was never better than OK compared to other laptops at the time and pales in comparison to the higher brightness of the x200/1 displays. the W8 is essentially a very beefied up x61s thinkpad but with a slower processor.

$400 for a new specimen isn't a bad deal (i could see myself buying one at that price just for the coolness/toughness so that i could have something that i can 'beat up' for casual use) and if you're not a very demanding user, it's a good portable machine.

i wouldn't recommend it as strongly if you want something that is a little more future-proof or if this will be a primary machine that you'll be using for the next 3-4 years though. for an extra $200, you can probably get a x200 which will be admittedly less rugged, but which will likely return more value in the longer term - higher performance and ram capacity, lower costs of ownership (batteries, etc).

make sure you check the laptop configuration and compare it to your needed memory requirements and calculate your cost. you're going to pay a disportionate amount to buy new ram since it's the older type; you can probably source cheaper on ebay/craiglist/for-sale forums.

 

the W8 is not that rugged, it is a tough machine business use, but don't expect it to perform as well as its fully ruggedised brothers.

 

W8 can fall 3 feet without damage, you can spill liquids, and step on it (LCD side down) and it won't break.

Keep in mind that you cannot return the W8 on this discount as it was a military build that was cancelled. It comes with a 3 year warranty, but that doesn't cover due to accident, which seems like an oxymoron considering how they tout its ruggedness, but it can still break.

I ordered one if only because I want one that I can use and let my kids play without much worry of it breaking. It's a darn good deal for $400 shipped, only thing I don't like about it is the dismal brightness of the display, but meh, who cares. Webcam / mic would be nice, but have my laptop and soon Dell mini netbook for that.

 

I would get one without hesitation if it had a trackpoint. I replaced my T400 with a Cf-52 (WUXGA FTW!). Toughbooks are on another league entirely in the build quality department but I am not sure about the "business rugged ones" and the round touchpad design will never replace my beloved trackpoint (Even the one in the 2530p rocked!). In the w8 defense, compare this one versus a netbook or notbook and you'll buy it in one second, also this seems to have a decent warranty vs outlet and used thinkpads (bad experiences with lenovo support comparing it to hp business one).

 

i doubt that 400 toughbook deal will fly... can't imagine they have so many in stock..

 

Exactly! This is a big downside for me as I use my computer outside a lot.
Big advantage of LED screens.

 

Word on the street is that the laptops were from a US Army order that was subsequently canceled. The size of the canceled order was 10,000 laptops, so it is possible that Panasonic does have a full warehouse of them in stock.

 

Think about it... Army order 4 year old laptops....

 

Why not, if they wanted something small, light, and more or less disposable for the troops. If all they needed it for was basic tasks and simple apps, then why go with bleeding edge tech?

 

I ordered 3 for the kids. While not what I want I think it's better than a netbook would be in so far as durability and performance. No trackpoint, HDMI and crappy screen kills it for me though. But it's much tougher than any thinkpad which will hold up well to boys abuse.

YouTube - panasonic w8 amazing notebook

 

it's the army...

we'll see

 

Where? I want one!

 

Check out FW and SD.

 

Why they canceled it? 10.000 units is a substantial amount. Sorry for a bit out of topic.

As for Thinkpad vs Toughbook, on paper yes, Toughbook is more rugged and solid than a Thinkpad. But for everyday use, Thinkpad still excel in term of specs and features.

 

HTBTPWYBSKATTUWEDFWASDSF

Oh sorry, I meant to say

Hello there black think pad, would you be so kind as to tell us what exactly does FW and SD stand for?

 

FW = FatWallet.com

SD = SlickDeals.net

 

LOL! They stand for the WWGD obviously!

 

CPU and screen resolution are the main no-no's for me, otherwise would jump on this deal in no time

 

Toughbooks are way better in my opiinion. The only big (really big if you are a longtime thinkpad user) downside is the lack of a trackpoint. Keyboard is not fantastic either. Everything else is awesome.

 

At 2x the price

 

If you're looking for ultimate in durability, Toughbooks are it, but you usually sacrifice performance or quality is lacking in other areas like the display.

But in any case where else can you get a $400 notebook with anything as powerful as the SU9300, 3lbs or less, with an optical drive, and one that you can drop off a table or spill something on it and have it keep on running without issue?

 

You cant compare thinkpads to toughbooks. Even for entry level toughbooks.

The price range is very different first of all, but of course its no excuse for anything per se. However toughbooks are marketed and designed to be rugged. Thinkpads are not neccesarily designed for ruggedness but more for general use even though they are fairly rugged for normal use anyway.

 

I believe you can compare at least hardware wise some "business rugged" toughbooks to thinkpads.F8 vs t400s. Since I bought my CF-52 I converted to the toughbook cult. Also an all black toughbook is the sexiest machine ever. (very subjective). As I've said before: If only toughbooks had a trackpoint!

 

well id say that and if they have a square touchpad instead of a circular one. they dont do black ones normally though.

 

the great pity with the toughbooks (besides the lack of a trackpoint) is that they aren't discounted significantly.

i would love to get my hands on a s9 (their closest equivalent to the x201) to round out my ultraportables collection, but can't justify spending over $2000 for one when for about that same price, i can get two x201's. it also has a few design quirks, the s9 has a max ram limit of 6GB, and doesn't offer nearly the wide range of customization (cpu, hd, battery) that Lenovo offers with their models. if they priced a s9 at around $1400, i could maybe be talked into getting one.

while the inclusion of a dvd drive does set them apart, i can only wonder how much better they could make their machines if they eschewed the dvd drive and put that space to more innovative use such as more battery or second drive bay options, etc.

thinkpads are tough too. i read somewhere that they do the 'flat drop' test from 36" as opposed to the 30" that the toughbooks endures. the toughbook definitely has a stronger cover, but the full size keyboard on the x201 (both machines are similar in width) trumps the panasonic even if everything else between the two were roughly equal (which is it not).

 

For overall ruggedness, the Toughbook wins hands down !

Most of the PD's (at least in my area) had X series Thinkpads 8-10 years ago in thier cruisers (for mobile MDT's in the patrol cars). Now, Toughbooks are used in patrol cars (the ones that have still not yet switched to a separate touchscreen/keyboard MDT). The Toughbooks are SUPER pricey, but they are also MUCH more rugged than the Thinkpads as well. They can stand (and are mil. spec. tested) for dust, shock, vibration, 6' drops, etc. However, like I said, it all comes at a PRICE.

I would consider the Thinkpads to be semi-rugged, but NOT fully rugged like a Toughbook 19/31 series.

 

I would not consider thinkpad semi-rugged. Just business. Matched up against Panasonic semi-rugged there is no contest. Semi-rugged they call the 52 and 74 which are tough as hell, just not water proof. Even their Business W8's and such are more robust than thinkpads.

Basically
W8's>Thinkpad>Precision>Elitebooks

 

How about on-going software support, such as bios and driver development? Is ThinkPad better in this area?

 

slightly better, but not by much.

 

Except this time it's $400.

 

Yup! Ordered one for my dad. 3 pounds with a dvd drive with 3 year warranty, 4/3 ratio screen is perfect for him to read pdf document. All of that for $402 shipped out. I love thinkpad but this is a good deal.

 

thinkpad support is more than slightly better.

the cf-w8 doesn't have any win7 64bit drivers for it, whereas i can happily run win7 64bit on my x61s and the x61s predates the cf-w8.

 

agreed which is why i said that this is a nice bargain in my initial email in the thread. i actually ordered one on Sat but have yet to get the follow-up confirmation email. if you're not a particularly demanding user who doesn't need leading edge processing or just someone who wants a secondary laptop, this is well worth considering.

but the circumstances which surround this deal and why this is priced so low, happens just how often?! the sad fact is that panasonic isn't very interested in pricing their laptops to the typical retail consumer. [if anyone can point me to a source or deal where i can land a s9 for under $1400 i'd sure love to know about it.]

 

okay, it is been a while since i had toughbook ultraportable.

 

Aren't we comparing apples and oranges?

A toughbook is for constructions sites where it will be outdoors a lot.

I wonder if there is some type of cage a Thinkpad could be put in to protect it.

 

well that depends on which type of toughbook you are talking about. The W8 is not really something you would use as an full outdoor laptop, it is more of a laptop that you can take with you to site once in a while, but it is more of a robust business laptop.

 

Nop. The business line of panasonic toughbooks its a direct competitor to lenovo thinkpads. Toughbooks are pricey though. The S9 premium version is so beatiful but the 4k price kills it for almost everyone.

 

Yeah they are somewhat competing but... I think both kevinla and you guys are correct. I'd see Toughbooks more as a laptop you'd take on a field work. I guess you could say Macbook is also used as business laptop. But for a different kind of business - Toughbook would work well if you're a government spy or something.

Since they cost a lot I imagine only people who have this specific purposed will actually buy it.