Thinkpad Haswell refresh pricing?

Hello,

I'm going to be an incoming freshman for college in the fall (need it by the end of August). I've been desperately looking for a new laptop that's durable and reliable - and I found the Thinkpad line. I seriously considered buying the T430 but didn't because of the TN screen. I'm considering the x230. Right now my setup is as follows:

For $914. I knew that this setup could be ~$1200+ when the x230 first came out. My question is this: how much will the x240 / x240s / T440s be compared to this when they're released? I'm looking to spend under $1000. I only recently discovered thinkpads, so I'm inexperienced with how the pricing fluctuates when a new refresh comes out.

Thanks!

 

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the redesign of the upcoming Thinkpads so if I was looking for Thinkpad right now, I would buy the current gen models. If you're a demanding user and want the latest and greatest, then wait for the Haswell release, but who knows when they'll be available to order. If the Haswell Thinkpads were up for sale right now, then I might take a look at them. You have a time limit. The current deals on the X230 are tempting, even though I don't really "need" it.

I just customized an X230 with the Barnes and Noble discount with all the features you have except the backlit keyboard and including Windows 8 with a 3 year Depot warranty and the price was $798. For some reason, if you choose Windows 7, the backlit keyboard is standard. You may choose that feature if you wish, of course.

 

If you need a new laptop by the end of August, you won't have time to wait for the Haswell refresh Thinkpads to be ready for order. Pricing-wise, in the past, Lenovo has has offered some pretty good pricing right out of the gate, with the newer generation not costing much of a premium (if at all) over the usual price of the previous generation. That held true for both the X230 and X220 releases.

 

Go for the X230 as configured. It will serve you nicely for at least two years in college. (You don't need Haswell. Heck, X220 Sandy Bridge will do.)

If you get a notebook in the next couple of weeks, you'll have plenty of time to get acquainted with it, in addition to doing whatever upgrades you want to do, like adding a second RAM stick and a mSATA SSD. Plus, should something happen, including you changing your mind about the notebook, you can take care of it without the pressure of being on-campus with all sorts of classes and activities.

 

Sign up for Barnes and Noble Gold | Lenovo | (US) if you haven't already.

I just spec'd out the same config for $743.

 

I highly suggest you wait for Haswell. Buying a laptop when you KNOW a refresh is coming in 1 or 2 months is not a smart move. I am 90% sure that the X240 will have the same pricing as the X230 when it was first released. However, when the Haswell refresh comes, the X230 will likely have a 15-20% discount. Even with the non-discounted price, the new design/features/processor should justify the 20% in price.

So wait for Haswell. If the upgrade dosen't impress you, at least the older version will be cheaper.

 

Same dilemma as OP, but I intend on waiting for the t440s because of dat 1080p IPS display and possible 18 hrs battery life.

Quick question, my university has a discount program through lenovo is it possible to stack the discounts with the barnes and noble one?

 

Thanks all for the heads up with the B&N gold discount. Made an account and got it down to $743. Judging by the fact that the x230 was ~$1250 or higher as reviewed originally by Engadget, I'd say the new refresh will definitely be above what I spent. I originally considered Haswell for the TDP and battery life, but with a 9-cell I'm not really going to be wanting for more juice. The touch aspect of the x240s didn't interest me at all, either. I think 720p is perfect for a 12.5 inch screen, it's 125 ppi which is very close to the 130 ppi that the 900p w/ 14" (the T440s) offers. FHD seems a bit overkill for a 14" laptop, imo.

Thanks for the info!

 

While the EnGadget review may have been $1,250, if I recall correctly and I may not, Lenovo offered some pretty good coupons when the X230 was released. It's really hard to say about the pricing on the X240s since it's quite a bit different. I don't think Haswell is worth waiting for since the X230 already offers long battery life. The reason to wait is if you want the FHD LCD, which it doesn't seem like you do. There's some merit in waiting because you can always buy the older model if it's a better fit, but I can't see being able to get a X240s by the end of August.

I would agree 125 is the optimal pixel density for most users in my experience - be it 12.5" HD, 14" SXGA+ or 15" WSXGA+. Despite the lower resolution, the X230 is very usable and the stick is easy to scroll on, which mitigates the lower resolution in my opinion.