Why get a thinkpad T430s over a ultrabook?

I am debating whether to get a T430s, but I am having a hard time justifying a T430s over a ultrabook.

I have always used Thinkpad, so I really would like a new thinkpad. However, for similar price, the Zenbook has SSD, is much lighter, has a larger battery and possibly a better screen (although I prefer matte). Lenovo already moved to a circlet keyboard and I am guessing T430s does not have thinklight. Lenovo's website is filled with inaccurate information (like T530 HD is 1900x1080) which does not give me confidence in their services.

So why do people choose a T430s over a ultrabook? Other than the possibility to get discrete graphics (which I don't plan to get). I've also considered an X230 and after reading this article ThinkPad T430 Vs. X230 still am not sure if a small size like the X-series suites my needs better.

 

Not to mention, the UX32VD has discrete graphics and uses standard hard drives.

I guess people would want a T430s for flexibility. You can fit up to three drives on there (two 2.5 SATA, one mSATA), swap between an Ultrabay battery, an Ultrabay caddy, or an Ultrabay DVD drive in the Ultrabay, and add as much RAM as you want onto it.

 

Why? Because they are ThinkPad fans. There are nothing really special about the T430s to justify the "s" and the higher premium.

 

No? Thunderbolt on the i7 models, enhanced carbon-fiber top (same material as the X1 Carbon, stronger than the material of the T420s), Rapid-Charge and of course thinner and lighter. All things you cant get on the T430.

 

ThinkPads are business laptops, and are built more durable. Ultrabook = high end consumer laptop.

 

That's what the OP said. Interpretation: slim and light.

Sure, but does the OP need all those things?

All of a sudden, Thunderbolt becomes a necessity? Last year, it was USB 3.0, but life went on as usual.

 

No, but a nice addition.

No, the T430s has a ThinkLight.

 

Thunderbolt's pointless unless you want to transfer large amounts of data between two devices quickly. That, use it for eGPU purposes.

 

Is the X1 Carbon an Ultrabook?

 

I just sold my zenbook in anticipation of getting VD. Haha. Definitely the best designed notebook/ultrabook in history. It's like a solid piece of aluminum with zero flex. The 1600x900 display on the zenbook is already legendary. Also a big fan of Elantech touchpads.

 

Trackpoint. Keyboard. Black. TPM module. Dock. Business support.

If need none of the above, and the panel in T430s is the standard-and-special-for-Lenovo-14" kind (buy 1, get 5 free), I would stay away.

 

you don't have to spend hours to take the thing apart to change stuff

 

good point. Did any ultrabook pass any of the military tests? What happens if you drop one?

 

Yeah serviceability is a key positive on ThinkPads, not many Ultrabooks will provide a comprehensive parts list or system documentation required to dismantle and service the system easily by yourself.

 

That is more on the OEMs than anything. Dell, HP, Lenovo being the big 3 of business readily have the service manuals available to everyone, minus Lenovo's Idea and Essential line. Good luck finding manuals for Sony (through Sony ASP login), Toshiba (tear down guides in Toshiba tClaim), Acer/Gateway/eMachines (none????), god don't even let me loose on ASUS (@#$#$@$@#$#@!!!).

 

I made a similar decision but with a T420 over an ultrabook.

My reasons :
16GB ram > 4/8GB
higher than 1336x1768 resolution
Displayport to power 2560x1600 vs HDMI which tops at 1080p
Ability to run 3 SSDs
and docking station.

 

Ergonomics, serviceability, durability, reliability, security, long support lifespans, timeless design, port selection.

If those don't matter, or matter less than the other stuff you are concerned about, then don't get the T430s.

btw, T430s has a Thinklight.

 

Not much reason really. For me the only plus side of the T430s is the docking system, but I'm sure it can be done away with.

 

You can do exactly the same thing with the T430S. I picked the T420 for the exact same reasons you did virtualjock. I would add eSATAp to the list.

 

I picked up a 420s over an Ultrabook recently. The flexibility is what finally sold me. I hadn't done my own upgrades on a computer in the past. But I needed a new home laptop and saw how easy it is to change the RAM, HD etc... on Thinkpads and it made the difference for me. When I compared the size and weight in real life use I couldn't find a time when the extra .1"-.2" inches going from the really thin ultrabooks at .6" vs. the 420s at .8" in height were going to make a difference. And they actually weight just about the same. I had just gotten a regular 420 for work and I did notice the weight difference between the 420 and 420s.

With the prices of SSD's and MSATA's dropping you get a lot of options on the thinkpad that you don't get with most ultrabooks.

If you need to get the weight down a bit, go with an MSATA drive and take out the DVD drive.

If you need a ton of storage inside you can do that. Heck even having a DVD inside is still a nice option to have.

If battery life is important, you can add that too.

I'll be the first to agree they don't look as cool as the ultrabooks. But since this was the first time I was going to pay close to $1k for a computer I wanted to make sure it can last and I figured my usage will likely evolve, so it's nice that the machine can too.

For the cool factor I'll get some new shoes and a watch...

 

User-upgradable shoes and watch?

 

Hi guys, new here - just bought a t430s and it should ship soon - quick question on the above statement.
" You can fit up to three drives on there (two 2.5 SATA, one mSATA)"

There is room for this? So i ordered mine with a 320gig hdd - does this mean there space for a 2nd drive without using the Ultrabay?

 

Yes, a mSATA SSD storage device can be installed into the WWAN PCIe slot.

 

Thank you very much!
Wicked news...

 

actually, I just got an email from Lenovo: 430S does not have rapid charge; that was incorrectly listed on their site. The main advantages of T series over ultrabooks are 1. much better docking 2. matte screen 3. better connections and options for bay. 1 and 2 are critical for me, but I do wish they included rapid charge and I do wish they had brighter screens and I do wish they offered larger ssd's at lower price. All told, may go with 430S, or may finally look to another brand such as HP, Samsung, Toshiba. Main preference for Lenovo has been keyboards; I suspect the new keyboard is still very good; look forward to seeing some reviews on the 430 and 430S, hopefully soon.

 

Incorrectly listed on their site? What the f?

That is utter BS. This smells.

 

I actually wouldn't believe most of what they list on their site or what the employee tell you. I suspect there will be a huge numbers of T530 being returned for having a 1396x768 screen instead of 1900x1080 as listed. I tried to order a T430s, the order screen always says "page not available", so I called them, they said there's a price error, the discount does not apply to T430s or any of the T series. After I said that's ridiculous, he double checked and claimed that the discount does work for T530, but not the T430s. A bit internet search revealed that the problem is that the discount only works if the total price is above a certain point, has nothing to do with model number. Add a webcam and order went through. I cancelled the order yesterday due to a configuration error. The first lady said she would cancel it. Nothing happened for 3 hours. I called again and the second lady said she would cancel it and I would get a confirmation email soon. 12 hours later, no email. So much for reputation of the Thinkpad. I might still order it since very few other laptops use trackpoint, but it certainly left a bitter taste in my mouth.

 

with thunderbolt you can connect an external desktop graphic card with no bandwith penalty giving the T430s the same or even better performance then most desktops.

It's also the first pc notebook with thunderbolt and that's the only reason why I'm going to buy it.

There are other announcments but still nothing until now.
I liked the Gigabyte U2442 that is very similar. 14" same size same screen same cpu same base price.

T430s
1.8kg
NVS5200
smartbay ODD
2x usb3.0
1x usb2.0
SDXC slot
ethernet
thunderbolt
VGA
card reader
expresscard

Gigabyte U2442
1.4kg
nvidia 650M
no ODD
2xusb3.0
2xusb2.0
thunderbolt
hdmi
card reader
ethernet

I was considering the Gigabyte U2442 because of the 650M....
But I choosed the T430s because:
-there are many parts available (some T420 parts are compatible) and that's great for modding, extends the lifetime, allows more updates etc etcalso allows me to change the keyboard layout to my native language.
-it has an ODD smartbay and really important to me. it gives me great flexibility. I can add built-in gps, usb wifi, more i/o ports, 4g, with minor modding without voiding warranty.
-it will be available faster.
-I love the matte design though cosmetics are not a deal braker.
-well built and durable
I don't like the fact that:
-it doesn't have a more powerfull gpu
-lacks hdmi
-it has a 7.5mm HDD. but a 9.5mm can be installed.


why consider it over an ultrabook? everyone has it's reasons.
They are generally more expensive. I care about weight but not that much. I preffer other features like removable battery, ODD, better cooling system etc.
14" is the sweetspot size for me.

 

@ __-_-_-__

What about the T430 screen quality? I read that it is the same, poor screen as in the previous T420

 

Read this post and this post.

 

I don't require better screen quality then the T420 at least while on the go. Anyway there's not many alternatives with notebooks with thunderbolt.
But if I need screen quality I'll use an external monitor that is bigger and much better then any notebook monitor in the world. Same with GPU power.

 

I'm hoping it will be cheaper (at some point) than most ultrabooks with 1600x900 screens, will have more processing power, and better cooling than an ultrabook.

 

it won't be. T430s it's as expensive as most ultrabooks. it's an expensive notebook for the price. you can get way much more bang for the buck 14" notebooks then the T430s that perform even better.
As for the more processing power, well that it's not true because most ultrabooks can handle 35W TDP cpu's. so the processing power will be just equal.
About the coolling, that might be true but it just depends on the design. And what's the problem if an ultrabook runs 5ºC more hot? it will perform just the same. I don't think it's a deal breaker.
But then, there's no ultrabooks with thunderbolt just yet. Acer Aspire S5 was announced but it's insaly expensive.
The only other already announced ultrabook with thunderbolt is the Gigabyte U2442 which is cheaper, has a much much better GPU, has much better cooling system and imo has a better screen.

 

False. By definition, an ultrabook must use a ULV Intel Corei CPU to qualify as an ultrabook.

If it transfers heat to your lap, that is a serious ergonomic issue (unless you always use your LAPtop on a desk). If it runs hot, lifespan and reliability will drop. Better cooling can also be interpreted as quieter cooling, some people like quiet computers.

 

That's your definition. Not mine. Also, there's AMD ultrabooks and you can get sub 1.5kg notebooks with a 35W TDP cpu.

quiet is different from cold. what's the difference between 10ºC and 15ºC?
Also lifespan and reliability doesn't depend on 5ºC but rather on the cpu usage.

 

No, the "ultrabook" moniker is a standard set out my Intel. To qualify for the "ultrabook" name they have to meet Intel's requirements. One of which is a ULV processor.

Heat and fan noise are related to each other, if a laptop runs hotter, the fans will run faster to keep the heat down. Lifespan is due to a variety of factors, and heat is a major one.

 

ultrabook is not a brand name or has any copyright and I'll use the term ultrabook with the definition I want and not how someone at a company wants it to be.
if you ask AMD they also say they have ultrabooks with AMD cpu's.

heat and fan noise are not related. want examples? go see 120mm fan reviews. I can give you loads of examples of high cfm fans that you can't hear in full speed and low cfm fans that make loads of noise.

lifespan does not variate with just 5ºC difference.

 

Ultrabook is a spec created by Intel and Intel says ULV Corei, thus ULV Corei.

Ultrabook is a brand, and its copyrighted by Intel. So what they say goes.

If you ask AMD, they will say that you can have ultrathin notebooks with AMD CPU's. If they said you could have ultrabooks with AMD CPU's, they'd be lying.

 

Do you seriously expect to see 120mm fans in laptops?

 

That isn't a notebook, it's a hovercraft.

 

do you expect all notebook fans to be the same?

 

T430s and S430 both have TB

 

That is really funny.