What to recommend in lieu of MBP 13?

Hi All,

I'm posting this here as its specifically about Lenovo systems. I'm helping a friend decide on a new notebook and am currently looking at the following systems based on her requirements for good battery life(5+ hrs), small size and weight, built in optical drive, snappy and responsive system (Decent processor, 4GB RAM and SSD should provide this) and reliability. Her use will be mainly Office apps, playing audio and video and web browsing.

1. Thinkpad T410
2. Thinkpad T410s
3. Ideapad Y460
4. Thinkpsd Edge 14
5. Ideapad V460

The budget is about 1100 USD but there is some leeway of a couple hundred if justified. I'm particularly interested in the V460 due to the brushed aluminium body but can't find much information out there. Most of these come with a HD display but i'd prefer HD+ if possible. Graphics are unimportant so long as it can handle Blu rays, aero, etc with ease (no lagging) but i'd like a fingerprint reader, esata, hdmi/displayport, bluetooth, expresscard and Vga to be included.

I'd welcome any help or advice here and am open to discussing the pros and cons of the listed systems (or any others). If you require more information on chosen configs I can provide those too.

Thanks

 

I would go with T410 and T410s forget about the comestic metal casing on consumer laptop, these are just for looks and they don't hold up that well to small knocks and bumps, as they will easily dent.

T410s is slim but slightly more expensive than the T410, both of these have all the ports option that you mentioned.

MBP 13 is good too, i bought it and give it to my gf. But the port option is limited and no fingerprint reader. But the trackpad is easy to use and seems to be fit with a certain female demographic.

 

macbooks are so heavy

 

the 13 inch macbook pro is not that heavy.... although i find Apple somewhat off putting with the recent spades of suicide at their affiliated foxconn plant.

 

Foxconn Raises Shenzhen Factory Worker Wages By 200 RMB – chinaSMACK

 

given that they pay 500 RMB to workers on average, which is lower than the unemployment benefits, which is 600 RMB a month.

Foxconn has become a giant in itself, where it can affect the necessary laws to make itself immune to many rules and regulation that affects smaller industry players, much like Standard Oil before it was broken up by the Antitrust legislation....

Apppple obviously like Foxconn, because they both operate with iron fist on their workers, no one would dare to leak any information or do anything untoward to these two megaliths.

 

I was under the impression that all laptop manufacturers use Foxconn products (Lenovo included), so what are you suggesting?

 

Lenovo primarily uses Compal and Quanta, as do many others

 

Foxconn makes a lot of motherboard parts for most laptop companies, but they are not directly involved in the manufacturing of Thinkpad from what i can gather. I am not suggesting anything, only trying to say that what bitten fruit and Fox.con is doing has put lot of pressure on their workers, with some dire consequences.

 

That's one of the things I like most about the 13" MBP. Extra weight usually means the material is strong. Ever pick up a Sony Vaio Z? It feels like a wafer, and creaks like one as well.

 

Extra weight does not always necessary mean it is strong. It really depends on the material and design employed for the laptop. You could make the laptop out of stamped low quality steel and another using Mg/Al or CFRP of same thickness. The former may weigh more but the latter will be stronger using the same design.

But for what it is worth the 13 inch MBP is good little laptop with some limitations, but i still prefer the Thinkpads T410/T410s because the myriad of expansion options and port availability. Also MBP has a limited screen movement due to the hinge design, it can't open through 180 degrees.

Internal battery design of the MBP is another feature that is limiting.

MBP is not a serious business laptop, but rather it is a well built and designed consumer laptop, which is fair enough.