I will only be in the US for a few months this year (working overseas), so by the end of my stay even if the T530 is out I am guessing the prices will still be high. I probably don't want the "first ones" as my habit is to make sure to let things "settle down" regarding any firmware, hardware tweaks. Even though I would benefit greatly from the better battery efficiency of Ivy Bridge, I just don't think the timing will be right for me for a T530, so thus a T520 it is. (I have used a x120e keyboard and have not minded it, so even the "negative" of the new T530 keyboard wouldn't be a negative for me... but again timing is probably not right).

So, T520: when is the best time to buy? After T530 is announced, will there be discounted T520 prices? I would assume so, but I have seen that E520 machines simply aren't available on Lenovo.com after the E530 announcement, and on reseller sites the E520 seems to be selling for equal that of the listed E530 prices! Probably depends on supply. So any advice on this would be welcomed.

Secondly, I run Ubuntu so would like to order without Windows and would hope to get a discount. But Lenovo.com says they can't sell to me with "freeDOS", even though I have heard from others they do. Does anyone have advice on how to purchase from Lenovo.com without MS Windows?

Otherwise, main requirement is that I want 1600x900, no need (or desire) for Nvidia graphics. Depending on price points, I can add RAM / bigger HDD up front or after the fact.

So, I can "custom this" on Lenovo's site, but am mainly hoping for advice on timing (best time to purcase a T520) and the possiblity of a "No Windows OS discount".

Thanks,

iveand

Hi,
I don´t think that the price of the T520 will drop down fast after the launch of the T530, because Lenovo wrote in one of their roadmaps, that the Sandy-Bridge machines will stay available until Sembtember. So the prices will drop in Sembtember.

There is no "no Windows discount". Never was, and will never be.

You can't buy a ThinkPad without OS unless you're a large corporate user.

There are folks in Europe who got their money back by taking the whole OS thing to court.

I wouldn't hold my breath for a refund.

This is the same reply that I got from Lenovo: they don't sell without an OS. But FreeDOS is an "OS", so it doesn't exactly answer the question I asked.

I don't expect them to install Linux for me (I can do that myself).

I believe your answer is the only answer I will get regarding getting something direct from Lenovo without Windows installed. I think the better approach may be to contact MS directly to inquire about a refund.

Note that I am partly wanting a refund for unused softwafe, but I am also wanting to do any part possible (yes it is a very small part) in indicating to Lenovo that MS Windows is not necessarily wanted by some of their potential customers and having the option to not have it would be a benefit to some (but unfortunately I am guessing that Lenovo / MS relationships prevent Lenovo from selling machines without Microsoft in the US).

I am not wanting to "flame" or "bash" Windows, but I simply don't need it on a new laptop.

There are two ways that one can obtain a ThinkPad with Free DOS that I'm aware of at least here in the U.S. :

a) By being a large corporate customer

b) By purchasing a machine that was an overstock of the aforementioned kind at Lenovo's Outlet.

My approach (and I've been a Linux user for years) is as follows: if the machine I'm interested in seems like a good enough deal hardware-wise, I make the purchase and then load whatever OS I feel like running on it.

I value my time way too much to be looking for anything more than that...

I am in the Czech Republic. I have seen a number of cheaper Thinkpad Edges without an OS, but thats probably not what you want. They are on sale officially by sellers.
http://www.mironet.cz/lenovo-thinkpad-e ... +dp160953/

bad resolution of display..you can see some ideapads there.

In my experience, I have not seen firesale prices of ThinkPads after new models are released. Lenovo seems to just sell out what they have and the prices remain rather static. If anything, the price of the T520s will go up. Businesses want uniformity and will pay the difference to keep it.

Your best timing on buying a T520 is probably going to be over the Memorial Day holiday when Lenovo has one of their recurring sales.

You may find a ThinkPad on E-Bay or the Lenovo Outlet without an operating system or FreeDOS, but they are few and far in between. If you want a ThinkPad, and particularly if you want to buy it from Lenovo, you are going to have to buy one with Windows installed. It's not that they won't sell you a computer without an operating system, they won't sell you one without Windows.

Microsoft is not going to give you a refund because you don't want to use the operating system installed on the computer you bought.

Call it what you will, last summer, there most definitely were official DOS-only offerings, that netted massive, unheard-of discount levels when you stacked coupon codes, on the T420, T520, and X220.

I would not expect to see such an offering again.

Most likely because someone somewhere backed down on ten thousand or so pre-ordered units...and you can't send all of that to the Outlet...

Happens once in a blue.

Used to happen in the IBM days as well.

Should one count on it? Heck, no.

DOS-only configs were offered 100% custom through the retail site shortly after the X220 launched.   it wasn't due to a corporate order overrun or cancellation.   the window of opportunity was small though and the offering shut down rather quickly.   had it been more popular it might have lasted.   power users are astonishingly rare and these systems sold in very, very small numbers.

remnants of the event can be found on various forums and sites.   search google for "X220 DOS" and you'll land on some of the discussions.

definitely.   one could write a book on all of the errors the CTO program had through the years.   most don't know that IBM used to have an internal SKU for every CTO combination possible.   there was a time when detail outweighed efficiency to a debilitating level.   prices reflected that mindset.