Suggestion for new Thinkpad

[pianowizard]

No trackpoint.

Sorry to hear that. I feel lucky that I know how to use touchpads well, so I don't have to limit my laptop choices to those with trackpoints. These days, good laptops that don't have trackpoints probably outnumber those with trackpoints five- to ten-fold.

[allen]

what did you end up with markos?

[ganon11000]

Ever thought of upgrading the CPU (if its not soldered on) to a 2.2+ GHz c2d? Or upping the ram etc..

[markos]

Allen, in the end I didn't buy anything as nothing ticked all the boxes (I still have and use my old T60).
But the need is still there, and as the holiday season approaches, I'm revisiting the subject. I checked lenovo.com and there are several new models that could be candidates. At first glance though the screens are either matte but <FHD resolution or FHD but glossy. Wtf? Any suggestions?

[markos]

The T530 with the FHD screen seems a good option. Any thoughts?

[Cigarguy]

I've heard, but have not used, good things about the FHD screens. I would go for the T520 myself as it's 1) have the classic keyboard and 2) is a little cheaper which not sacrificing much in terms of power and features. The 5-10% speed difference between SB and IB is not noticeable during everyday use. Obviously plan on upgrading to 8 GB of RAM and a good SSD.

[markos]

I've heard, but have not used, good things about the FHD screens. I would go for the T520 myself as it's 1) have the classic keyboard and 2) is a little cheaper which not sacrificing much in terms of power and features. The 5-10% speed difference between SB and IB is not noticeable during everyday use. Obviously plan on upgrading to 8 GB of RAM and a good SSD.

Hmm, the t520 doesn't appear at lenovo.com. The t530 with the fhd screen and 8gb of ram and 500 gb hdd is $849 right now, which seems pretty good to me (i will then replace the hd with an ssd). How much cheaper is the t520?

[Medessec]

You'd be picking up one secondhand, or old stock from another website. Likely secondhand. You can post a WTB here or scan ebay.

I'd figure you might as well get a T530 if you're not as caring for the keyboard or exterior, or a W520 if you do like the T520's exterior.

[allen]

i am a macbook pro retina user now, since march 2013.
my t60p flexview screen was beyond aged.

i thought i saw lenovo starting to offer ips panels soon.
i bet they're nice, but some of the benefits of this apple are the widescreen being 16:10 instead of 16:9, using imessage with my iphone, and the compatibility with literally almost everyone i know that also has an apple computer, and majority of them iphone as well.

i could go on about the differences, but idk if there's any point, they're computers, they're not perfect but i have to use em.

[TTY]

The problem is I can't find a model that has all that I want. Here are some things I (think I) can't live without:
- Trackpoint
- Good keyboard
- Good screen, IPS, matte and non-reflective, around 14-15 inches, at least 1400x1050 resolution (in widescreen it has to be bigger in both dimensions, although I would prefer 4:3 form factor but I know that sadly that doesn't exist any more)
- Good CPU, GPU, connectivity etc. Not really fussy about specs here as I'm sure all modern models will be much better than my 5-yr old Thinkpad. The problem is that the basics (screen, etc.) seem to be getting worse as years go by (I sound like an old man, "they don't make them like they used to"!).
- I would like USB3 and a built-in webcam
...
So, any suggestions??

The T540p might soon be available in the UK. It should be possible to configure it with a 2880x1620 15.6" IPS panel.

[RealBlackStuff]

Check for the up-and-coming T50 motherboard.
It's a hugely modernized version of the T43/p mobo.
If you love(d) the T43, you'll love its T50 successor!
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=110787
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=112339

[markos]

The problem is I can't find a model that has all that I want. Here are some things I (think I) can't live without:
- Trackpoint
- Good keyboard
- Good screen, IPS, matte and non-reflective, around 14-15 inches, at least 1400x1050 resolution (in widescreen it has to be bigger in both dimensions, although I would prefer 4:3 form factor but I know that sadly that doesn't exist any more)
- Good CPU, GPU, connectivity etc. Not really fussy about specs here as I'm sure all modern models will be much better than my 5-yr old Thinkpad. The problem is that the basics (screen, etc.) seem to be getting worse as years go by (I sound like an old man, "they don't make them like they used to"!).
- I would like USB3 and a built-in webcam
...
So, any suggestions??

The T540p might soon be available in the UK. It should be possible to configure it with a 2880x1620 15.6" IPS panel.

Thanks, I looked at it, I'm not sure I like having the numeric keyboard as it means that the main keyboard will be off center. It could be a matter of habit, who know. The other annoying thing is the lack of the physical buttons at the top of the touchpad, especially the middle one (for scrolling with the trackpoint).
The higher resolution sounds nice though (assuming scaling issues with legacy apps are sorted).
I prefer to buy from the US though, as I prefer the US keyboard layout and the lower price

[markos]

Check for the up-and-coming T50 motherboard.
It's a hugely modernized version of the T43/p mobo.
If you love(d) the T43, you'll love its T50 successor!
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=110787
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=112339

This is VERY interesting, thanks.

[Temetka]

Am I the only one who paid attention to his system specs as posted in the very beginning of this thread?

He has 2GB of RAM. Of course the system is slow. HE HAS 2GB OF RAM.

Now I am not one to throw a lot of money at an older system, but seriously. Bump that bad boy to 4GB of RAM.

[RealBlackStuff]

The T60 can accept 2x2GB=4GB RAM, but the T60 is ONLY capable of using 3GB out of that (so 2GB+1GB is OK).
3GB will certainly help, but is still on the low(er) side.
This chip-limitation has only been mentioned about a gazillion times on the forum...

[markos]

Indeed, RAM could be upgraded but not sure 3GB would make all the difference needed, and the other issues remain, i.e. CPU fan noise, plus I wouldn't mind an overall faster/more modern machine, USB3, etc.

Anyway, when I saw the sale for the T530 I mentioned above, I ordered one (it had a long waiting time and the discount given the specs seemed very good, so I thought I order one and worst case scenario I return it/cancel it before shipping).

The main details are: 2359CTO, Intel Core i5-3230M, 8 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (1 DIMM), 500GB HDD 7200rpm, TW530 15.6FHD Anti-Glare, T530 NVIDIA Optimus with 1GB.

I checked just now and the same model is not available any more, so it seems like a clearance sale (which I don't mind).

I hope I like the keyboard and the screen (and the form factor as I'm sceptical about the widescreen aspect). If I don't like it I will research the T50 option.

[RealBlackStuff]

You're most likely not going to like the T530 chicklet keyboard and its useless-for-serious-business 16:9 widescreen.

[Nigellus]

Maybe that's where we're headed. The age of the perfect laptop is passing

Was there ever a "perfect" laptop? To me, my Panasonic Toughbook CF-Y7 is almost perfect, but not exactly.

At one time, around 2002, my ThinkPad 600E was, for me, at least, the perfect laptop. It did everything I needed it to do and ran perfectly. Most importantly, it was the most comfortable computer I've ever typed on. IBM designers really knew their stuff. As time went on, software compatibility issues and the changing nature of computing made it less ideal, but still a good machine.

My T60 is a "better" machine in every way (except maybe the keyboard.... it feels different; not sure why... maybe it's psychological), but I don't get quite the same feeling of ultimate awesomeness (it IS pretty awesome though).

I am a little concerned after reading this thread about the newer models, which I may consider some day when I have the budget. However, I don't want a glossy screen. Is there an aftermarket non-reflective matte LCD we can get that we can install ourselves?