Thinkpad E vs T vs L?

I'm looking for a 14" laptop, but there's the T440, T440s, T440p, E440, and L440, all of which have similar configuration options yet very different pricing?

 

T Series = The 'Traditional ThinkPad' (More premium, more durable)
L Series = Like an economical version of the T Series, still decent.

In regards to E Series, I've heard they are like rebadged/rebranded IdeaPad products.

Edit: Qualities that may vary between these may include materials, magnesium roll-cage, upgradeability, room for expansion (RAM, M2 SSD etc), hinge/lid quality/construction and more.

 

Pass on the *40 series altogether and wait for the *50 generation to hit the market. You'll be glad you did.

 

You do have a point, however not everyone hates the button-less trackpad. Plus, now is a good time to get outlet deals as Lenovo tries to shift remaining stock.

 

It's not only the trackpad, although it does play a huge role in the equation. And given that Lenovo went back to physical TrackPoint buttons, I'd venture a guess that most people indeed hated the setup on *40 series.

Generally speaking, the Haswell ThinkPads have been "meh" and I'm being kind here.

As for Outlet deals...there is no such thing as a "deal" on a bad design. Not in my book anyway.

My $0.02 only...

 

For people who like the TrackPad, the Tx40 series is very attractive, due to the lower prices now that Broadwell ThinkPads with buttons come out.

My advice: Try out the ClickPad - if you like it, you can get a Tx40 model much cheaper, cause the Tx50s are in many ways mere updates of the Tx40 with Broadwell and the dedicated TrackPoint buttons, so if you like the ClickPad, there are not many reasons to get a Tx50 instead (exception: If you are looking for an X1 Carbon...but thats a hole different story...).

Tx40 are good ThinkPads. Its just that the ClickPad ruined them for many people^^

 

Thanks. I think I'll be going for an L-series then, as the T440 (with no suffix) is 60% more expensive than the L440 and the s/p models are almost twice the price.

I'm on the fence for the reasons Incontro mentioned

I've hated the clickpad since my X220 days, but this laptop will pretty much always be sitting on a desk - the only mobility it'll be seeing is moving from one desk to the other. A mouse will always be available, so I'm not sure it really matters.

 

X240 and W540 both seem to be loaded with issues, according to numerous posts on Lenovo Forums. That's what I was referring to when I said that the entire generation was "meh". As a platform, Haswell has failed to impress me, but that part I'm not blaming Lenovo for.

T440s is likely the best pick of the litter, presuming an AUO FHD panel and not a LG one.

With that being said:while I agree that people should experience the TrackPoint/TouchPad combo of the *40 series and make a judgment themselves, I predict that *50 will be a better crop overall.

My $0.02 only...

 

Is this like HP Elite vs Pro equipment? Elitebook/Probook, Elitedesk/Prodesk, etc.

 

I'd choose a T even if its of one gen older of the equivalent L. Its that feel one gets when tapping on keys on a better built chassis. They are just different, its like effortless without the bounce. The same applies to then Latitude series in Dells. I am still stucked in ivy bridge just because of the general feel of using one. I do carry spare batt to compensate for batt life though.

 

My own personal gripe with the L440 is its weight/form factor. Now I don't know what your requirements are exactly, but if you are looking for a smaller 14" to supplement another larger notebook you may already have, I don't think it will help much, seeing the L440 weighs in at around 2.3KG. Just my own opinion.

If your budget allows, I would go for the T440s as ajkula66 recommended, it is considered 'cream of the crop' for this current gen. Very nice design.

Agree.

I don't know much about HP's business range.

In the past I frequently used a Sandybridge based L series (L420) which was loaned to me, and it was on-par, or even slightly better than my T410 in terms of build quality. (T410 had a slightly creaky palm rest, which was annoying.)

 

It's the other way around - this notebook is being supplemented by a Surface Pro.

As such, whether it be Haswell or Broadwell, I need something with a quad-core CPU and upgradability...

 

Well, you'll be looking at W series most likely when it comes to ThinkPads, then...and these don't come in 14"...

 

I just got a L440 and its great, replaced the screen with the T440s ips, was super easy. Id rather have a full sized processor then those ULVs. In the future ill get one of the top quad cores off ebay when they drop heavily in price.

 

L440 isn't quadcore. Only the T440p offers quadcore Haswell, in a 14" form factor.

 

This isn´t true at all, the L440 was and is available with 37 W Quad-Core CPUs (compared to 47 W on T440p). See this picture taken from the configuration page:

 

Interesting. I assume that is taken from lenovo.com? In the UK, we only have these options available:



Generally our configurations have been similar to those available in the US, so I (wrongly) assumed there was no quad core available.

EDIT: I also find it interesting the i7-4600M demands a ~$100 premium over the i7-4702MQ.

 

I just ordered an L440. I need one now. Spec'd with the i7, 1600 x 900, 16GB Ram, 1TB HDD (gonna be virtualizing things with it so space over SSD speed), Windows 7, and the 9 cell (plus other goodies). I didn't like the last T*** I had at all really, and I bought some E540's recently for staff and liked the build and keyboards. L series sits in the middle. I didn't feel like paying the extra for a T*** just to get an m2 slot and a backlit keyboard.

I'll give more details in a few weeks when it comes in.

EDIT: I would have loved to had the chance to wait for the L450 series but time is in issue for me. I'm not a fan of the buttonless trackpads but carry a BT mouse everywhere anyways.