Want model with best build quality

With absolutely 0 (even if youre a hard typer) keyboard flex. This is a must. So which series should i be looking at? Price is not an issue.

I want 14'' max with i3 at the minimum.

 

T410s or X201s should nearly meet your requirements.

 

From my limited experience, sometimes, these requirements are difficult to fulfill. As with all production runs, there will always be some degree of variance, which at the consumer-end/ user-end means "the luck of the draw". But yes, the Thinkpad line of laptops are generally built very well. Other than that, you will have to take your chances. Of course, the base specs - 14" and i3 - are always determinable.

 

Yep, as above, every model has variance - so it's really up to luck as to which part you get. I believe Lenovo uses 3 different companies for keyboards, but that might have changed recently. You can always get a small mechanical keyboard if you are a serious typist. If you don't need a numpad, something like this is an excellent and portable solution (there are also Cherry Blue and Black variants, if you prefer):

Majestouch Tenkeyless Tactile Touch - elitekeyboards.com - Products

 

Amen to that.

check out my FILCOs

cherry blue otaku and cherry brown otaku

 

Avoid T410. I bought mine in March...and my keyboard is failing for the SECOND time.

 

The keyboard on all the T-series machines is the same...keyboard failures aren't a reason to avoid a notebook in my opinion. You may have just gotten a couple of bad ones on your machine. It's also possible you have a mainboard issue and not a keyboard problem.

 

I think you want a T410 with an older T61 keyboard in it.

 

X301 I think has the best build quality. Simply a solid, rugged machine all around. The keyboard feels EXCELLENT, even better than my NMB T61's keyboard. The keyboard on the X301 has a nice "rubbery" feel to it, and it just feels all the round better build than most other currently produced Thinkpads.
So, my vote goes to the X301. While very pricey when new, they are worth every penny IMO.

Hopefully Lead-Org will chime in at some point in this thread. He is VERY knowledgeable about almost every thinkpad there is, and I for one very much value what he has to say !

 

My X200's keyboard is excellent. Usually there's less flex when there's less space. Of course there's always the iPhone/iPad. Glass doesn't give much.

 

Not possible - the T410/T510 uses a new keyboard design that's different from the old T400/T500/T61/T60 keyboards. They're incompatible.

Keyboard flex is rarely a complaint in the X-series, from what I've seen, so those may be your best bet. Like ZaZ said, if the chassis is smaller, there's less space for flexing.

 

I advise you wait until the X301 receives the next ULV chips, then you'll have the best built ThinkPad in years (at least fit and finish wise) with at least an i3 (likely an i5 or i7). The chips are due for release in the coming months, though we may not see a refresh until early next year at the latest.

 

I don't know if that's going to happen. Lenovo's still using Core 2 Duos on the X301.

 

I second this. The X200 has a great chassis - no flex, even with the new keyboard design.

Heh, yeah, you could always go for glass.

 

My T410 keyboard is perfect. No flex. I can type like the wind on this puppy.

To the original poster: Either the X, T or W series of ThinkPads would be your best bet for build quality. But as others have said, there is always a small chance that YOUR unit will have a little flex in the keyboard. This is easy to remedy with some aluminum foil or tape under the keyboard. I did that with an Asus and it worked great.

 

I was looking at the X301 on the Lenovo US website (they are not sold in India!). Looks very good, actually! The only thing is that it comes with a SSD and I don't think it is possible to choose a HDD option unless I am missing the option. But it can user-replaced right?

 

That model has a low-voltage Core2 Duo processor and with the SSD it's very expensive. You might want to look at the X201. It's only slightly smaller and has HDD options and more powerful CPU. The X301 apparently is not available with HDD and may not have a standard connection for one. You'd have to talk to Lenovo about whether or not you can put a regular HDD in it.

 

Hmmm...Thanks. Did not know that the X300 did not come with the HDD option. Just got myself a R400 and now I need to justify the X200/1. When I moved from a 15" to the 14", I said "mobility'. Now, what do I say? More mobility? You see what I mean?

Perhaps I should wait for a refresh of the X200/1 if one is impending. And, anyways, in India, for some reason, the X series cost a lot. Later this year on a trip to SE Asia, I might pick one up if it comes with IWS.

 

I said X301, not X300. I was looking at the currently offered X301 on the U.S. Lenovo website. What you see from there might be something else.

 

Yeah...sorry, I was referring to the X301 too not X300 as I mistyped above.

 

In Australia you could option for the platter hdd when the X301 was first released.

 

Yeah. IIRC, I think the X301 takes 1.8" form factor drives, which aren't as common as the 'standard' 2.5" form factor drives. You can still get a platter based HDD for them, although I think the largest and fastest you can get is a 5400RPM, 320GB unit. I think cost is a bit of a premium over 2.5" drives, also.

 

I just checked the Lenovo HK and Singapore sites and you can't get the X301 there. But I did notice that if I travelled to HK (as I intend to later this year), I can pick up a T410 for very cheap as compared to India and Singapore (I am taking into account the x-change rates, of course). The only thing is whether the machines come with an IWS. If necessary, I won't mind paying extra for that.