W520 size vs. mbp 15

i am looking for a replacement for my macbook pro, and the W520 is the one i lik the most so far. the only thing is that i really like the size of the macbook pro. Is the W520 bulkier? i know the weight is similar and the screen size and such are the same, but the W520 just looks much thicker and bulkier then the mpb.

 

MBP 15:
14.35" x 9.82" x 0.95"
5.6 lbs

Thinkpad W520:
14.68" x 9.65" x 1.29-1.44"
5.75 lbs with 9-cell, 5.40 lbs with 6-cell

It is undoubtedly thicker, by up to half an inch at the rear. Footprint-wise, they're roughly equivalent (the MBP is deeper and not as wide, due to its 1440x900 16:10 screen). With the 6-cell, it's actually lighter than the MBP15. Overall, I'd say they're roughly the same, although you won't be winning any "thinness" contests with the W520.

 

how do you think the sager np5160 and 5165 compare in terms of thickness and weight? is the W520 thicker then those sagers?

thanks for the fast response btw

 

I'll throw my two cents in here, I had a MacBook Pro for 3 years and yesterday my w520 got delivered. To be honest, when I first opened the box, I thought it looked a helluva lot bigger then my unibody MBP was.

After using it though, this laptop blows the MBPs out of the water. Sure, the 9 cell battery adds a little bulk to the back, but after my initial charge I ran on battery power for 9 or 10 hours with moderate internet usage and listening to streaming music through Rdio.

That battery life has made me totally okay with the little extra bulge in the back and the keyboard is an absolute dream to type on. Weight wise, it's no where near as heavy as I was expecting it to be with the 9 cell. It's a little back heavy with the battery installed, so you have to pick it up differently, depending on how you picked up your mac, it's an adjustment for me though.

The W520 fits everywhere that I put my Mac before and once you start using it, you don't really notice the slight difference in thickness. To be totally honest, I prefer the W520 being a little thicker, it seems a lot more comfortable to type on.

 

oh i want even considering the 9-cell battery. How much extra battery life would that give over the 6 cell battery?

 

I have no clue to be perfectly honest with you. About two weeks ago Lenovo had the W520 on as a web special and the 9 cell was the default battery option, if it wasn't I don't think I would have sprung for it personally.

The amount of time that I use my laptop while not next to a power source is slim, so a lower battery would have been fine for me. That said, it really goes for how you intend to use the laptop. If power won't be an issue for you, you could probably drop down to a 6-cell and still have pretty good battery life.

The power management tools Lenovo ships are incredible as well, there's an option called 'power stretch' or something to that effect, which will turn off some things for you so you can try and squeeze some extra juice out of your battery before it dies. When I played around with it, it gave me an estimated 35 minute increase.

 

The MBP feels heavier but it is quite a bit thinner. If you've had the MacBook Pro 15" for a while and dislike the size and weight, you aren't going to like the W520 for the same reason.

At this point I wouldn't buy anything. The new Ivy Bridge based machines will be out in a few months and with any luck both camps will be thinner and lighter.

 

The 9 cell battery should give something around 50% ~ 60% more battery life than the 6 cell. In other words, the battery life with a 6 cell is like 62.5% ~ 67% of that with a 9 cell.

 

if you can wait 3-6 months, then yah hold off, but if you need something now (work, school etc.), then buy it now.

there will always be something newer and better coming along, even after ivy bridge is released. its not such a big deal as people make it out to be.

 

Actually, I care less about this chipset this time around. I don't really need something faster and battery life isn't an issue for me.

I am more interested in slimmer, lighter and cooler running designs. I am really hoping Apple will nail it this time with the MacBook Pro. Or the rumored MacBook Air 15". I also hope Lenovo will have some promising machines in the next generation. The current gen is meh.

And I typed that on the Optimus T420.

 

im sure the next generation/model refreshes will include many thin and light laptops with this ultrabook trend.

 

As I tell everyone, fill out the FAQ since it will much better help find out what is best for you. The W520 thickness doesn't bother me over my MBP since it doesn't feel bulky but it's a lot more powerful and easily serviceable, especially for workstation applications. I also like the ability to have a second main battery and a slice battery. However, if you prefer OS X, maybe another Apple might be better for you.