Thinkpad Edge E420 owners.

Thats correct!

 

anti glare is matte, vibrant view is glossy.

My thinpad had some alpidia ram, something like that, it said it was made in Japan, I currently have 8gb of g.skill ram, get whatever ram is cheapest and has the best warranty.

 

last of my bad feelings are about the hinges of the E320. the hinges and the whole laptop construction (bad or good) would make me to buy the E420s (or 420) .... som thoughts?

and the thing with the Ecoupons....i never tryed any ecoupon, how is it working, is it working? .)

 

These thinpadds are pretty strong, I would assume that the E320 is as good as the E420. I would not get an E420S, the plastic over the screen makes it worse I have heard. You cannot get a bigger battery, it is harder to change the ram.

 

thats the problem the UK lenovo page just have the E420s in offer...

... what about the ecoupons or saivngs??????

 

I got a ThinkPad Edge E420 in July this year. I use it very sparingly. About ten
times altogether so far. I started it up yesterday and saw just half of the screen . It's like a piece of paper being torn arbitrarily on the left side, not a clean cut. I plugged in an external monitor and could see the whole screen
no problem. Has anybody seen this type of problem on the E420?

Thanks,

Luc

 

It's the broken display syndrome. Usually caused by careless handling, such as sitting on the laptop left on a chair. Perfectly cureable with decent amount of money

 

Does anyone use the ExpressSlot? How do you guys like the keyboard

 

Keyboard is great. I have not used the express port.

 

I do not see any reason that I would use the express card slot, the keyboard is the best I have ever used.

 

From you guys that have this laptop (e420), has any of you used the normal thinkpad keyboards? How do they compare according to your perspective? I would go test one at but don't know any re-sellers?

 

I have used a traditional (T410) keyboard, and it is solid, so is the Dell Latitude Keyboards, they are similar. But I still think the E420 has the best keyboard.

 

I love the keyboard but the right arrow and space bar are loud compared to my SL410.

However the MSATA slot makes up for it! I ended up getting the 40GB 310 Intel SSD. I was a bit skeptical since the Intel 80GB was has almost 2x faster specs. The laptop really came to life even with the 40GB model. My boot times were cut by more than 50% SSD - 25sec vs. HDD - 65sec. HDD being the 500GB 7200RPM the computer came with.

Few pix of the install as well as benchmarks HERE

 

OK, last question I promise Is the trackpoint the exactly the same between the t420 and the e420? In terms of precision and touch. Thanks!

 

The feel of the trackpoint is slightly different between the E420 and the T420.

 

I don't know, the trackpoint is fun, but I use it rarely, I usually use an external mouse.

 

Do you mind explaining the difference between the two?

 

Worth the difference in upgrading computers?

 

I think not, its not better or worse on either, its just slightly different, since they have different keyboards, both are equally accurate, only difference is that there used to be no "press-to-select" option on Edge laptops, at least Edge 15 that Ive used didnt have one.
Press to select means that you can actually tap/push the trackpoint itself to select items just like you do with mouse button.

 

It is not something that you can easily explain.

To me the trackpoint requires a bit more effort to use and the trackpoint buttons are less comfortable to use.

 

I'm going to see if I can revive this thread a little bit.

Just bought an E420 at Office Depot today after having my T400 stolen during a home burglary last week. Now that I'm almost finished with my degree, I didn't feel I needed the durability and computing power that I needed when I first bought the T400.

In the few hours I've had the computer I'm finding there's a lot to like, especially for the price. However, two things have been bugging me and I'm curious if its just me/my computer, or typical: there is a ton of flex in the lower right corner of the keyboard, so the down and right arrows click really loud when pressed (and somewhat the Enter key), and the fan flips on for literally half a second quite often when I open new programs. I think I'm noticing the keyboard flex because I rely too heavily on the down arrow when scrolling through websites, but also not sure if somehow my keyboard flexes an inordinate amount? Doesn't seem like very many people have been bothered by this. As for the fan I'm guessing there's some power setting somewhere that I can change but not really sure.

 

I have also bought a Lenovo E420 from Office Depot recently. I do agree about the keyboard flex on the right side more than the left. The right arrow key is noisy but it's the only key with that issue. The fan does come on for a second once in a while but I don't believe it's a big deal. This past weekend I installed a Samsung 128gb SSD and the machine now runs even better. The SSD really made a difference in how the laptop performs. It did take me a couple of days to install the SSD since I could not get it to install with the Norton Ghost software provided by Samsung. I had to eventually used the recovery disks created when you first boot the machine. This worked out well and now I am very happy with the results. I don't think I could ever buy another PC unless it came with an SSD.

 

I'm teetering between an E420 and an L420. Price is the ultimate deciding factor, or else I'd snatch an x220e or a T series Thinkpad. The E420 comes equipped with a 500gb 7200rpm drive wile the L420 comes with a 320gb 7200rpm drive, but the L420 has an i5 2520M (2.5GHz), whereas the E420 has the lesser i5 (2.3GHz). I doubt I'd notice much difference for basic computational tasks such as word processing, playing music, or light gaming.

I'm more concerned with build quality than anything. I was going to snatch an x120e but the processor is far too underpowered. I love the small design and quality construction, but it's just too slow. Of course, I'm pretty sure the E420 isn't the most durable. I'd spring for the L420 if I knew that the build quality was superior and more akin to the classic T series, but I'm not sure. A bit of research yielded good durability but less than that of the X and T (naturally). Since both the E420 and L420 are spec'd the same but cost $475 and $544, respectively, I'm unsure of which to spring for.

I certainly won't be throwing this down my dorm room halls or taking it out into the field to do research, but you never know, and the reason I want a Thinkpad is for its ruggedness and ability to resist the rigors of time.

So is an L420 worth an additional $70-80 for a slightly faster processor, slightly better build, and 180gb lesser HDD?

 

70-80$ isnt that much unless youre on really tight budget.
If youre not going to toss it around and stuff into tight spaces, cram books on top of it then I would probably go for cheapest offer if you fancy looks of both machines and want to make your choice looking at the price since the difference between HDD/CPU is quite small IMO.
E420 has smoother look and looks less boxy than L420.

Well, if they were the same price I would opt for L420 since it IMO stands closer to T series than Edge. But thats only judging by looks from my side as well as due to classic key shape on keyboard. Dont get me wrong, Edge series keyboards are nice to type on but I find that classic ThinkPad keyboard is much better, chiclet aint bad but square keys are better for me at least
But that is irrelevant if you never owned ThinkPad before, in that case learning curve/adaptation from one type of ThinkPad keyboard to another wont be a problem
Be alerted however that some folks have reported E420 to have rattling-flexing keyboard where the lower right corner of the keyboard is, around arrow keys You might want to investigate that information and see whether its a common thing or simply some users got bad keyboards on their laptops.

 

Well I am probably going to be tossing it around a bit, loading it into my bag with books, lugging it across campus, traveling with it, etc., so durability remains one of the most important factors in my decision. Not that I disrespect my stuff, but you know, happens.

Performance is also very important or else I'd have gotten the x120e by now (which I absolutely love, if it only had an i3!) I do remember reading about the flex on the E420's keyboard around the arrow key region, which is a bit disconcerting as it made me question whether or not an E420 retains Thinkpad standards. I love the design on the E420, but I think I prefer the simplistic look of the classic Thinkpads. I've never had a Thinkpad before or even played with one. No stores around me carry them. I've been to four stores today in hopes of test driving one before I buy. I did toy with an Ideapad but found them in the same class as most of the others. At least I've learned most laptops are junk!

I can also snag a brand new T510 but I think it'll be too big/heavy. Plus it has a first gen i5, only 3GB RAM, and a 320GB 5400RPM drive. I know the specs aren't everything, but I feel like the L420 is a better deal and certainly a tad more portable. Basically I'm trying to cram durability, decent performance, and portability all into one. My budget is $600 max, so my only options are really refurbished Thinkpads. From my research, it seems that I cannot go wrong with this choice.

I might go with the L420 based on better build quality alone. I need to do a bit more research. Thanks veer, you were immensely helpful

 

Welp, I just happened to check out this ebay auction of a T420 I was watching. 3 minutes left and I bid $555 and won, totaling $563 with shipping. Plus the seller is only an hour away so I should receive it early next week.

I don't think there is a warranty, but the photos look great and the seller has excellent feedback with over 3,000 transactions, so I am hopeful that this laptop is actually "gently used" as stated. I am so happy to have found this deal! I was willing to pay $544 for a refurbished L420, so what's an extra $20? Core i5 2.5GHz too!! Pretty much 50% off. yay!

 

Anyone play Oblivion GOTY on there E420, I just got the game back from my friend, and it loads and the bethesda logos come up but the screen just goes black it wont load the game. I tried compatability mode with xp but still no luck, anyone play this game on their E420?

 

All well, it would not play that well anyway, I got it for xbox.

 

Hey guys , I tried to use my Dvd/Cd Drive for the FIRST time today to load a couple of CD's on the computer/Itunes , and neither disk would read.

Any Help ???

Do I need to do something 1st ?
thanks!!!

 

In Lenovo Power Manager, is the optical disk drive set to turn off when idling? If so, you can experiment with turning that setting off (you may need to toggle the Advanced mode).

 

I have no idea. This is my first laptop , had it for 3 months and this was the 1st time I tired to play a cd and it wont read it. Even Lenovo Support could not help. I have no clue.

 

Hey guys-
Another E420 question. I ended up returning the one I got from Office Depot and getting another one, which has much less keyboard flex in the lower right (still some, but an acceptable level). However, I think the new one has a very subpar screen. Very griddy, I guess called the screen door effect? I've now had it for a couple of weeks, and I'm really not getting used to it. I can still return the laptop for another one (extended Christmas return) but that might just get me the same version. Pretty sure the first one of these I had had a far better screen, my T400 certainly did! Anyone else have this problem? I understand this is not going to be a great screen either way, but it drives me crazy when everything looks like it has a grid over it, even from 18" away. Would Lenovo support help me get a new screen or would they just tell me to live with it?

 

Check and see in the intel graphics manager if you have the Power Saving Technology enabled it dims the screen and makes it look really bad. If you still do not like the screen maybe you should change it/get another laptop.

 

Is there any way to skip the 1802 error for the E420s yet? I really want to install an ultimate-n 6300 card but no luck yet. Help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Anyone play Minecraft

 

Anyone seen the new Envy 15 looks awesome.

 

Anyone buying a new Ivy Bridge system this year, I am, I will be selling this E420 this summer.

 

I am thinking of getting this laptop, possibly i5-2520M or i7-2640M, 6gb ram, 320GB 5400RPM HDD etc and would like some reviews/opinions on it. Particularly about the build quality, I have heard that the build quality is not that great. Would you recommend this laptop?

Its either this laptop/MSI x460dx/Acer 3830/4830 TG that I will probably be getting so just trying to decide which one!

Thanks!

 

I just ordered the i3 320gb version. Saw it in office depot and it looked like garbage quality compared to full blown thInkpads. But still miles ahead acer or low end hps... Actually all there display laptops looked nasty prob the dust and horrible lighting in the store. I figured that of the e420 was plasticy imagine all the other bargain bin laptops there. Best budget laptop I think, well I guess I'll post back after I get it. For me it's just a place holder Till I get a decent Mac that can actually play games decently or refresh of the x220. Might get a vidock in a few months for the e420 as well. I might post a mini review on this board or if I'm too lazy at least my brief thoughts and a yotube video.

 

The Edge line certainly isn't built up to par with traditional Thinkpads but I find the build quality more serviceable than other sub $600 laptops on the market. Congrats on you purchase ThinkPaid.

 

If i was looking to spend ~800 on a Thinkpad Edge E420 for better specs, do you still think the build quality would be worth it for that amount/ would the build quality still be at least average to other $800 laptops. Also do you think the build quality is good enough to last at least about 2/3 years?

 

Most any laptops last for about 2 years so with the edge you will be good. Personally for $800 I would for a t420 or x220 if you prefer.

 

My Edge 14 just passed the 1 year mark and is holding up perfect. Much better than the two Asus laptops I had prior. A few cosmetic scratches but I'm a little rough on laptops. Even so I'm confident I can get another year or two out of it. The Edge 420 feels the same to me quality wise. It is going to be a long time before I'll be in the market again for another laptop. I admit an Edge Thinkpad is not a laptop I'd want if I were going to be transporting it to and from school everyday or traveling all the time. If your looking to spend $800 with an upgraded warranty that sounds right to me. If not then I'd recommend seeing if you can get the T420 just for a little more quality and bang for the buck if you can find the right deal.

 

Get the Acer 4830TG, one it can play games well, and two it has better battery life. The E420 has solid build quality, I have had mine since they first came out and it is fine shape, stays cool etc... But I wish I had a laptop with a dedicated GPU and a bigger screen... so with that said I would get the Acer 5830TG.

 

Well for around ~800, If I were to get a T420 or x220, the specs on it would be significantly less as well as having integrated graphics/ not sure if i could even get it for ~800 (I live in Australia btw, so most of the tech e.g. laptops are usually overpriced here and there is not that much range)

Well actually the lenovo e420 I am thinking about getting has a AMD Mobility Radeon HD 6630 dedicated graphics card so yea.

Well I guess that was my major issue - the build quality, but seems that it is not that bad. How is it performance wise? as I have heard that some laptops despite having superior processors still perform poorer than other laptops with inferior processors. (I would probably be getting i5-2520M or i7-2460M with 6gb RAM, 320GB 5400rpm HDD)

Also any issues with it heating up to high temperatures or high fan/cpu noise etc? And any issues with the hinges getting weaker or anything?
and Is there a difference between the Lenovo Thinkpad Edge 14 and the Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E420 - Just found that out, and also found that the build quality according to reviews is much better in the Edge 14 compared to the E420.

 

The Edge 14 is the last generation, the E420 is the current generation. Since you live in Australia and can get the AMD6630M then I would say get it, the 9 cell battery would get enough battery life (I want 6+ hours) and you can upgrade to an SSD. The only downfall of the laptop then would the screen, I really think the screen does not get bright enough. The build quality on the E420 is fine, it is much tougher than most other consumer based laptop. This laptop stays very cool, my temps peak at 67C when gaming, it stays around 47 in everything else I do, this laptop stays cool. Hinges are strong, I have had mine over 6 months now hinges are still very strong. Fan noise is low. As far as processors, I would get the basic i5 as it is strong enough, unless you want to go up to an i7 and get more l3 cache. Also idk about Australia, but I got 4gb of ram with the laptop, and then went on Newegg and got 8gb for ~45 dollars, so I would not pay Lenovo for a ram upgrade.

 

Thanks for your response. The laptop actually already comes with 6gb. I might have to go and check out the laptop somewhere if I can find it to see how the screen is. But other than that I will probably get this laptop.

 

get the e420 with the radeon. the build seems better than my e320 and i am happy with it. They are quiet laptops in terms of noise and the heat can be very low unless you are using both full power from cpu and gpu.
at the moment i am using this on my bed and not even venting it and my temps are as follows in the attachment and my radeon is turned off and manually put on intel graphics

noise is not noticeable at all. and its just as impressive when in max load and trust me i know as i have used all sorts of laptops including the loud sony sa model

 

just got the machine today!! everything is perfect so far except.

1)screen is a little grainy/not as bright expected. (well this is my first matte display). its on max brightness.

2) like the other poster here the right of the keyboard tray near the arrow keys feels loose rattles and makes noises.

3) battery sits very loose, is putting paper in between safe?

4) fan noise in bursts is kind of annoying. but the sound 99% of the time is OK.

if I can work on those issues I would happy with this laptop.

 

I am only really worried about 2 and 3. Do you think they will cause problems in the future, is it really bad/annoying?
Also a question about the actual screen is it actually 14" or 14.1/2/3/etc " and is it 16:9 or 16:10