New T models for next year?

[Tim-ANC]

I'm looking at buying a T530 now but don't like what I'm reading about the keyboard. Any news about new T-models coming out next year? If so I hope they return to the original keyboard.

[Tim-ANC]

Oh well, wife told me I needed another business expense for the year. Lenovo was having a 20% off sale through today on the W530's. Got this for $1823 USD:

Intel Core i7-3820QM Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.70 GHz)
Windows 8 Pro 64
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
NVIDIA Quadro K1000M Graphics with 2GB DDR3 Memory
16 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (4 DIMM)
UltraNav with Fingerprint Reader
180GB Solid State Drive, SATA3
DVD Recordable 8x Max, Dual Layer, Ultrabay Enhanced w/ SW Royalty for Windows 8
9 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70++
Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN
Mobile Broadband upgradable
1 Year Depot/Express Warranty

[wolfman]

Very nice machine, congrats! Probably could have saved some money installing the RAM and SSD yourself if so inclined, but that's a real sweet machine all the same.

[Tim-ANC]

Thanks. And agreed on the installs but I was in rather a hurry and have too many other projects.

Concerning this topic, I try to upgrade Thinkpads every three years and the time falls at the end of the year. Then the new models are out a few months later. Bought T60 then came the T61's. T500 then T510. This time I opted for a W because the discount was better and it has 4 ram slots and better graphics card option over the T530. Maybe catching the end of year sale is a better strategy then taking on a new model that hasn't had the bugs worked out of it yet.

LOL, every time I buy a laptop, I think of the first one I bought in 1994. Epson. 350mb (yes, mb) hard drive. Color graphics (yes, a new thing) and cost $2200 USD. Now my blackberry does more than that machine.

[juiceeburger]

I wish Lenovo would make a "classic" keyboard that an enthusiast could install in place of the new chiclet design. I know it won't happen because everything is thin thin thinner these days, but it's what I'd like to see.

I also wish they would bring back the monstrous W7xx framework with the slide-out extra screen. And touch-enabled. And a docking station with a plug-in port for a PCI-16x graphics card. And, oh heck, why not a laser anti-missile defense shield just above the ultralight.

[Tim-ANC]

Agreed on the keyboard. I'm trying to be objective, but soured before even using it. When I got my T500 it came with a thin tinny keyboard. Felt like a Del. One of the keys stopped working a week into ownership. They replaced it with a solid classic keyboard.

To add to your wish list: Fold out minibar.

[Puppy]

According this post http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 5&start=30 and article http://www.thinkscopes.com/thinkpad-san ... -are-they/ and Supported systems of this driver http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... D=DS032411 there are T440s, T540s, X231s, X241s, X240 coming

[ThinkRob]

T431s announce date is supposed to be some time in March of 2013. I would assume that the non-s models will also be announced sometime around then as well, but that's just a guess.

Also, the placeholder/leaked info is conflicted as to whether the naming will be T431 or T440. I'd bet on the latter, but that's just a guess.

[Puppy]

Lets start to speculate

- 21:9 glossy TN screen with maximum 768 vertical pixels and 98:1 contrast ratio for all models and screen sizes (except X series with glossy e-IPS panels)
- no trackpoint
- touch screen for all models
- plastic hinges
- no Windows 7 downgrade option
- no F numbers on function keys, just pictures
- no real docking solution, just external USB-connected one
- no 4G/LTE option for customers outside US

[Ibthink]

Possibly both ThinkPads under and above the X1 Carbon are new T/X. So I don´t think Lenovo will switch to 21:9.

See: http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/ ... ntana.html

[ThinkRob]

Those names sound like either ThinkPad codenames or ODM platform names.