t400 or t500 i cant decide please help

Alright i configured 2 laptops .... i need help deciding whether i configured them right.. like is a really fast processor but a mediocre gpu a good buy .... i need this to take me 3- 4yrs so i was banking on a fast processor.. also is harddrive space important cuz i was just gonna buy a portable external... also weight and size is really important ... should i sacrifice and go big.. see i take it around everywhere back and forth to school, library, etc so light weight is #1 but im not sure if its worth it


ThinkPad T500 - 1 Yr Depot Warranty $1,127.25
Edit
Ships within 17 bus. days**

<spoiler /><spoiler>

Intel Core 2 Duo processor P8800 (2.66GHz 1066MHz 3ML2)1
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium12
15.4" WSXGA+ TFT
ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 with 256MB
2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
None
160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm4
DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Slim5
ThinkPad b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless LAN Mini-PCIe
6 cell Li-Ion Battery60
1 Year Depot/Express Warranty7
Processor1 Intel Core 2 Duo processor P8800 (2.66GHz 1066MHz 3ML2)
Operating system12 Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
Operating system Language Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium - English
Display type 15.4" WSXGA+ TFT
System graphics ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 with 256MB
Total memory 2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
Keyboard Language US English Keyboard
Hard drive4 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Optical device5 DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Slim
System expansion slots Express Card & PC Card Slots
Modem Yes - AMoM
Mobile Broadband Integrated WWAN upgradable
Battery60 6 cell Li-Ion Battery
Power cord 90W AC Adapter; NA, LA, (2pin)
Publication Language English US Publication
</spoiler>


ThinkPad T400 - 1 Yr Depot Warranty $1,137.75
Edit
Ships within 16 bus. days**

<spoiler /><spoiler>
Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9600 (2.8GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2)1
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium12
14.1" WXGA+ TFT
ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 with 256MB
2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
None
160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm4
DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Slim5
4 cell Li-Ion Battery60
1 Year Depot/Express Warranty7
Processor1 Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9600 (2.8GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2)
Operating system12 Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
Operating system language Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium - English
Display type 14.1" WXGA+ TFT
System graphics ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 with 256MB
Total memory 2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
Keyboard language US English Keyboard
Hard drive4 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Optical device5 DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Slim
System expansion slots Express Card & Media Card Slots
Bluetooth Integrated Bluetooth PAN
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters ThinkPad b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless LAN Mini-PCIe
Modem Yes - AMoM
Mobile Broadband Integrated WWAN upgradable
Battery60 4 cell Li-Ion Battery
Power cord 90W AC Adapter; NA, LA, (2pin)
Language pack English US Publication

 

t400s or t500, in my opinion.

 

I just went from a 14" standard to a 15" wsxga+ and the extra real estate is sweeeet....

It's nice to be able to look at multiple windows at the same time.

 

are you going to do any intensive gaming/ 3D modeling? If not, I would go with t400 with the 6 cell battery and WXGA+ LED, which has recently become re-available. Also, a 2.5' western digital 500gb hdd is only about 80-100 right now. I bought one from Dell small business about 1 month back. Should give you much better transfer speeds than a usb external hdd.

 

Im sticking to the 14inch

Should I go with the Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 or P9600 processor

its a $120 upgrade is it worth it though in terms of battery life and power

 

There won't be a significant difference in battery life between those two processors.

If you really want the small amount of additional performance of the P9600, go for it. But, in all likelihood, you'll neither notice much of a difference between the two processors nor need the extra power the P9600 buys you.

 

im not even sure if i should be investing in a lenovo now

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=414372

these guys are saying i should buy it later on cuz id be basically wasting my money on something thats gonna change in 4 months ... makes sense cuz the ati3470 is over a 1yr old

 

The faster CPU will not offer you much. Three years from whatever CPU you get will be slow. Most typical tasks like Office and Internet aren't very cpu intensive.

If you're planning on carrying it around a lot, I'd go smaller.

 

Even the updated T410 will be less powerful than quite a few notebooks currently out. I wouldn't hold back on purchasing a Thinkpad in hopes that the T410 will be incredibly more powerful than the T400 is right now.

 

4 months is a long time. The question is, do you need a new laptop now? If yes, get it. If not, don't. Doesn't matter when you buy, something better is always on the horizon. So it really depends on your _current_ needs.

As for t400 v t500, I recently just juggled this myself. But ultimately settled on a t400. The few deciding factors were:

- ATI 3650 on the t500 is faster GPU, however feature wise it's the same as the 3470 on the t400. Both are DX10.1/SM4.1 cards. And for I do(graphics software), faster isn't important. YMMV. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_ATI_Graphics_Processing_Units

- t500 display options are WXGA(1280x800), and WSXGA+(1680x1050). I think the former is a little too low for a 15 inch screen, and the latter is too high. The T400 currently has a WXGA+(1440x900) option, which I think hits the sweet spot.

- after owning a 17 inch monster laptop for the last few years, I'm eagerly to go smaller this time.

However, with all that said, I've also seen/played with a T500, it's actually a great machine too.

 

i would wait for a t510 to be released, possibly in january, and then jump on a coupon available here and get myself a new model t510. the t500 is outdated and the misaligned screen really puts me off.