hey guys with a T420???

I know there are a few of you out there with them already, so tell us about it will you, I am particularly interested in the screen, is the quality good, or crappy like the T410?

 

I had a 14" T61, and never liked the screen; it was dim and the colors were dull. I've had the T420 for a day now, and I'm very satisfied with the brightness and I think the colors have definitely improved. Again, this is in comparison to the T61, I don't if it's a step up from the T410 since I haven't used one.

On a side note, I'm really enjoying everything about the T420 so far. I was a tad worried about the battery life earlier, but it's actually pretty damn good.

 

cool, thanks, how are the viewing angles? do you have the 900x1440 screen?

 

I have the 1600x900 screen and the viewing angle is not great. It does the job for me, but I think it's just like the previous models in that aspect.

 

May I know the battery life? How many cells do you have and how long does it last under normal, light use (100% brightness, wifi on, surfing/documents only). Thanks!

 

I've got the 9-cell, but I've only had it for a day so I can't really comment on how long it'll last till it drains. First impression is that it's got a pretty good battery life (est. 10h+) at mid settings.

 

I have the 1600x900 screen, it is much brighter than the dull screen on my old T60 from undergrad.
Contrast, colors, and viewing angles aren't going to win awards, but they are fine for me. I edit school documents on it, watch movies, play light games, no complaints really, if I want to edit photos I use my external monitor.

I can get between 8-10 hrs with screen at 8/15 brightness, turning the wireless off can get an additional 30-45 minutes of run time.
With the screen around 6/15 brightness will push it out over 10 hrs of time but that isn't a realistic usage scenario for me.

Overall, best laptop I've ever owned. I really don't have a single complaint about it so far.

 

^^^ So, realistically, 9 hours for a T420 with 9-cell battery? Fair conclusion?

 

On the tabook, it states that the 6-cell gets up to 9 hours. Is this correct?

 

Hey how do you connect it to the external monitor? to TV?

Congrats on your new machine!

 

Yeah, with realistic use (such as WiFi on, accessing the HDD occasionally, screen at a readable brightness like 8/15 or so) I am getting around 8 to 10 hours out of the 9-cell.

9 hrs on a 6-cell seems impossible unless the brightness is at 2/15 with WiFi off and doing nothing but writing a Word document.
In a normal, fluorescent lit classroom I can read the screen easily enough with it dimmed to around 8 or 9/15, any less and its a pain to read the powerpoint lectures. Honestly though 11-12/15 is much more comfortable.

 

Real user's experience, worth repeating:

With realistic use (WiFi on, HDD accessed occasionally, screen at readable brightness), the T420 lasts around 8 to 10 hours with a 9-cell battery.

 

Yeah...this is also what my experience is. I have now stabilized at 11/15 (I may try slipping down one notch to 10 for a while and see how things work) on battery and 12/15 when on mains.

 

Is there any pictures of the 9 cell sticking out? Also is it heavy with the 9 cell to carry around during school, etc? I'm thinking of buying the T420 real soon.

 

^^^ It sticks out the back like this:



In the overall context of the T420, the 9-cell battery does add weight, but is not a burden in and of itself. The "tabook" says:

Weight: 6-cell: from 4.31 lb (1.96kg); 9-cell: from 4.70 lb (2.13kg)​

You're looking at 5 lb in your backpack.

 

Not bad, looks like a big brother to my x120e.

 

I ride my bike 2.5 miles to school with it on my back (on crappy DC public streets with some hills in Arlington, VA) and use it all day between classes and library/studying and when doing research, it is anything but a burden.
It weighs less than a full size science textbook.
I use a normal sized REI daypack (Lookout 40) and it fits in there with plenty of room to spare.