thinkpad edge 430 reliability vs t430

I'm planning to getting an edge 430 but I've heard horror stories of how the build quality is greatly inferior to those of a "proper" thinkpad ie t430 or x220.

Is reliability and build of the edge bad enough to prompt a genuine caveat emptor (like ones against Sony and HP)?

Edit: stupid Swype..

 

To prompt a what? I can tell you that I will never buy or recommend another Edge machine, however my opinion is based on the Edge 15 (believe the first of the series).

 

Like a warning against buyers.
Why would you never buy/recommend another edge machine?

 

Because every ThinkPad I've ever had has lasted for years and felt like a brick. IMO the Edge 15 felt and looked cheap, and as you can see in my signature it died at it's 1 yr 2 week old point (It would not power up, no lights at all regardless of any power adapter tried.) ... I tried to get that thing to power up for two days before I threw it on a shelf. I recently posted another thread about it, because about a week ago (about 2 months later) I pulled it because I was going to list it for parts on eBay, it decided to boot like nothing ever happened now --- Two months later, it's working again, however I don't trust that it will be for long.

I've been using ThinkPads for a long time (long before Lenovo started making them), the Edge was the first to disappoint me.

As stated, mileage may very, I know that some people are very happy with their Edges, maybe they can post other sides of the story.

 

I have an E420 (my second thinkpad) for two yrs and love it. I am a programmer and mainly use it for that purpose. At work I have a Dell latitude 6410 and I can say they are comparable in build quality, though E420 has somewhat better cooling and the Dell is more bulky.

I have taken E420 on long international trips and have no problems at all. But I cannot image what will happen if I drop the E420. I have dropped my other thinkpad twice and nothing has happened to it.

 

The edge 15 the first series does feel cheap. I bought one and promptly sold it, now the edge 14 on the other hand felt solid and a very nice machine. I had the first i3 model and it was fine. I'm sure the E420 is just as good if not better. Been wanting to check one out, but have not yet. With that said the build quality is not of a T model thinkpad, but still a solid machine, especially over most consumer models.

 

I have an E420, the build quality is great and it stays cool, but I wan unhappy with the quality of the screen, and I have used some real T series Thinkpads now, and they feel more special, I would get a T series, they are more durable and have better screens.

 

Whether in real life usage T series will prove to be more durable than recent Edge laptops is arguable.

It all depends on how you use your laptop, Edge could be as good as X/T series depending on your usage patterns and requirements.

 

I have a e430 and im happy with the build quality so far for the price, its actually dam good.
Payed about $500 for mine

 

caveat emptor = Latin for "let the buyer beware."

I guess there is no such thing as a classical education anymore.

 

I've got the E425 and I've had a mostly positive experience. It has been fairly reliable since the first day I turned it ON. In my daily activities it has met all my expectations and never let me down.

Its my first ThinkPad and I enjoy using it everyday for several reasons. The build quality on my E425 feels very good. The case is solid and shows no signs of flex whatsoever. To me it doesn't feel cheap, it feels durable. The display lid however does have some flex but what laptop doesn't. Luckily the hinges are metal and very stiff so the lid stays in place (no lid wobble)! It has a spacious and tactile keyboard which is simply a joy to touch-type on. The TouchPad/TrackPoint are responsive and easy to use. The matte display is usable in all types of lighting. The cooling system is robust and I like that it has dual exhaust vents. The port selection is great and connections are solid. The ExpressCard slot allows for some expansion through add-on cards. I really like the low-key non-glossy black business-oriented exterior which some might not but as with many other business-class laptops, form follows function.

I haven't had any major issues with it except for the TouchPad/TrackPoint becoming permanently disabled. I called up ThinkPad support and after a quick troubleshoot I was asked to send it in for repair. It was/is under warranty so Lenovo covered all the costs. They fixed it and I had my E425 back within 3 days. So far I've had a great experience and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable and good quality laptop.

What I don't like about Lenovo or this particular laptop are that the driver updates are few too many (specifically the AMD switchable graphics display drivers). I've noticed certain display issues (like flickering and the display becoming so dim and the brightness not adjustable) come up that are annoying. I would've like to have seen the option of upgrading to a better HD+ display of at least 1600x900 resolution, better contrast, and wider viewing angles. I wish there would've been a better discrete GPU than the 1GB DDR3 6470M, USB3.0, and an mSATA port.