Why do people still buy Ideapads and Lenovo Essential laptops?

I mean, given that you can get a decent T420 at $600-700 and an ideapad Z470 with integrated graphics can cost up to $900, why would ANYONE still buy them?

 

Some dont like TP design, others are not informed about other choices besides consumer grade notebooks, some find lack of proper dedicated graphic cards in TP's big no etc. Someone else wants their glossy screens.

 

I would agree with that assessment, at least compared to the Z-series, but the Y-series models have pretty decent hardware and are often heavily discounted. The Y460p and Y560p can be had with a quad-core CPU, Radeon 6550M, and 8 GB of RAM for $850. The Y470 and Y570 can be had for similar money when on sale as well.

However, after having a Y460p with absolutely shoddy build quality, I wouldn't touch one anyway.

 

Many TPs do have dedicated graphics cards, and most ideapads don't either. I mean, as much as I like thinkpads there are indisputably some nice notebooks out there (Asus, apple, etc.) that are nice. But if you compare them to the ideapad in terms of price, looks and function, the ideapads are such a joke...

I think at that price you can have a thinkpad (eg T520/420) with similar specs too, if you're willing to upgrade the ram aftermarket.

I mean seriously, pay $1500 (that's already a web discount) to get this bloated piece of junk of an ideapad? I can't think of anyone who would do it...

Lenovo - IdeaPad Y560d 15.6" laptop

 

I don't think Lenovo's other series laptops apart from thinkpads which weren't really theirs to begin with are as good as the other main competitiors.

 

Thinkpad and Ideapad/Essential series laptop are usually sold through different channels. Most of the consumer laptops are widely carried in retailers, which means the regular consumers are more likely to get exposure to it. For lot of people whom don't purchase many laptops or not interested in laptop, they will do the following thing:

1. Get an Apple laptop or other windows based laptop.
2. IF they go with windows based laptop they would usually select the laptop based on price, spec, design, size, brand.

This is why most of the ODM laptops are so brightly coloured and always have a glossy surface finish, this is to grab the consumer attention.

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Obviously if these consumer laptops do not perform as well, then these customers would search for better quality laptops like Thinkpads (provided that they are burnt by Lenovo's consumer range laptop and/or carry a grudge against this company).

Also, if these consumers are exposed to the Thinkpad through work, friends, etc, they most likely would consider Thinkpad and such for their future laptop purchases, provided they are okay with the design, price, features,e tc.

In regards to non so conventional (by regular consumer standard) design and prices of Thinkpad laptop, this is one reason why the Thinkpad edge was created.

 

Cause most people are uninformed. As it's been stated, ThinkPads are not sold at most retail outlets, and ones sold at retail stores are ridiculously overpriced (we had a T410s with mid range specs w/ 3 year depot warranty for 1700) to the point where average joe schmoe will have a heart attack.

It is true IdeaPad is bleh but then again it is not a ThinkPad. It is Lenovo's in house brand and it is truly inferior to the ThinkPad moniker. No 7 row keyboard, lid latch, ThinkLight, roll cage, ultrabay. IdeaPads have always had hinge issues. The old school ones (Y510) felt cheap yet cost an arm and a leg. But there have also been pictures of drastic QC issues with the newest ThinkPads being so cheap (mainly x220).

 

so the conclusion we've come to is that people buy ideapads because they're either misinformed or genuinely stupid?

 

ideapad is just an ODM machine, it is not that different from other ODM machines from the competitors.

Ideapads are for people whom may look for features that is not available in business class laptops, these laptops are usually bought by people whom buy their laptops from retail stores.

 

By "uninformed," I think it's more like the customer has to know about the ThinkPad brand beforehand. It's not necessarily saying "the customer is stupid," it's saying the customer has to have done research or had previous experience with the brand in order to know that it's an option because the average retail store isn't going to have a ThinkPad on display. And even if it did, it would still require previous knowledge of what's under the plain, matte black exterior.

 

different products for different markets, I think it is pretty narrow minded to called people in another market segment "stupid".

 

IdeaPads are still generally cheaper for the same raw hardware--for the same price, I can definitely get a more powerful IdeaPad than a Thinkpad, no doubt. For most, that's what really matters, and I can definitely understand that. Many of the other qualities of well-made business laptops are harder to assign monetary values to, but that's what makes a Thinkpad worth it to me.

Agreed.

 

Several of my friends and collegues only spend about $500 to $700 for a notebook, but they change their notebook every year or two.
They know those craps will break in couple of years, so they sell them before they break and get new lappy.
Well, they get to use newer technology more often and I think its not really a bad idea.
However, me personally, I can't live with cheap felling crap in my hand for a year or two.

 

Also as MidnightSun mentioned price. True it is "cheaper" for the money however the support is nowhere near the same. At my workplace it is a real pleasure fixing ThinkPads as we are through IBM. But servicing Lenovo Lenovo laptops is like wrestling an alligator for a piece of meat. Also people want cheap specs to perform business work, and sometimes the results are bad (people losing their laptops for 4-6 weeks to manufacturer = lots of lost revenue).

For basic use, a base ThinkPad can be the same as a mid range IdeaPad. Quite the difference from IBM ThinkPads which could easily start 2-3 grand, easily hit 4-5 grand.

 

Not with a dedicated GPU. The T-Series ThinkPads with the AMD Radeon are still not available in the US, and I doubt they ever will be. The only option for a decent discreet GPU is the W-series, which is far too specialist (and expensive) for the vast majority of the market.

 

does the T520 and T420 have AMD Radeon GPU now?

 

ThinkPads come with the Radeon equivalent FirePro chips (though only W series has them). ThinkPad hasn't officially used Radeon chips since the T400/T500 series. Besides most people who buy ThinkPads just need basic graphics, I'd say a good portion or most just get Intel GPU. Most people don't buy ThinkPads to game on.

 

You must be trolling. The budget-or-worse NVIDIA NVS 4200 is similar to the Radeon 6550?
(edit: should have read the 2nd page first)

 

Precisely. Though the idea of an X220 with an eGPU is an intriguing one. But again, that's not what most people will do.

 

Because most people don't need or want a ThinkPad.