Thinkpads Forum

Do you think it is worth purchasing a T serie by comparison with the new L serie?

For example the first price: T412 vs T410i (Core i3 330M 2.13Ghz).

It depends on your needs. How are you going to be using your ThinkPad?
(You can find out more about the L series here: http://lenovo.bhivesoft.com/bhive/t/100 ... sp?id=3951 )

The L series is morphed from the SL series, which is not as good as the R series it replaced, my opinion of course. I would echo, it depends on your needs. If it's mostly just sitting on your desk, then perhaps the better quality of the T series may not be needed if you're on a tight budget, but notebooks that travel frequently tend to take a beating. Things got a way of happening.

Actually, the L series is as good as the R series. Check this out: http://tinyurl.com/2e3fomk (and if you want, you can check out the song that I wrote about the L series on the off-topic forum.) I completely disagree that the L series (and the SL series) isn't as good as the R series. It's a ThinkPad so its quality is great.

thePCxp wrote:It depends on your needs. How are you going to be using your ThinkPad?
(You can find out more about the L series here: http://lenovo.bhivesoft.com/bhive/t/100 ... sp?id=3951 )

Thanks for the link. Durability tests are here. T and L share the same batteries and the same dockings. I am surprised, they say the L serie is thinner than the R serie. It seems to be thicker. And also I don't find the configuration with the ATI discrete card.

Danoc wrote:Do you think it is worth purchasing a T serie by comparison with the new L serie?

That depends on whether you want a real ThinkPad or not.


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thePCxp wrote:I completely disagree that the L series (and the SL series) isn't as good as the R series.

Perhaps it depends on which R series people are comparing the L series with. IMO, IBM's R series was *not* very well built -- I had an R32, R40 and two R50p, all of them okay in build quality but far from top notch. I haven't owned or seen the R51 that you have, but I imagine it's similar to the R50p, i.e. okay but not great. Lenovo's R60 and R61 were much better, but the subsequent R500 was very disappointing. So, maybe the L and SL series are as good as the IBM R series and Lenovo's R500, but not as good as the R6*. I did play with an SL series at Best Buy last month and it really wasn't that good.

The experience on the R61 will depend on whether it was a 14" or a 15" model. 14" is just a slightly thicker T61. 15" is a budget model. Same with R400/R500. Both in terms of hardware and materials.

The L series (and SL series before it) has its merits, and for sure the addition of the docking port is a big plus (SL didn't have it). But the keyboard layout is not the same classic layout, and that alone is enough for some people to not call it a real Thinkpad. It also has a slightly more shiny and consumer-ish look.

dr_st wrote:The experience on the R61 will depend on whether it was a 14" or a 15" model. 14" is just a slightly thicker T61. 15" is a budget model. Same with R400/R500. Both in terms of hardware and materials.

Oh, wait a minute, I am remembering now. I have never seen an R60. What I played with were a friend's 15.4" R61 and another friend's 14.1" R61i, and both were impressively sturdy. The 15.4" R500 that I saw at a computer store felt sloppier and had an awful LCD, much worse than any other TN screen I had seen.

dr_st wrote:The L series (and SL series before it) has its merits, and for sure the addition of the docking port is a big plus (SL didn't have it). But the keyboard layout is not the same classic layout, and that alone is enough for some people to not call it a real Thinkpad. It also has a slightly more shiny and consumer-ish look.

I never pay attention to accessories such as docks, and I can adapt to all kinds of keyboards and keyboard layouts very quickly. So, when playing with that SL series at Best Buy, I only paid attention to its build quality and wasn't very impressed. The Asus and Toshiba laptops right next to it were better built.

I am getting so sick and tired of people saying that the SL, L, and Edge series are not "real" ThinkPads. You guys are hurting their feelings by saying that. They are real ThinkPads. You guys really need to do your research (I recommend the Lenovo website and blogs) and realize which market(s) they're intended for. Lenovo made these models (a well as all other Lenovo PCs) from customer feedback. They're just giving customers what they want in terms of needs.

@pianowizard: just because you had a bad exprience with an R500 and an SL series doesn't mean that they are all "bad". Lets not forget that all ThinkPads have different build materials but one thing that they all have in common is they all have great quality. If you're used to the T and X series, the others may feel "weird" only because you've gotten so used to the build materials of the T and X series.

@Danoc: get whatever ThinkPad you want. Just take your needs into consideration and compare the two models in terms of features. That will help you determine which ThinkPad will need your needs.

Tried both only difference is the rubber finish the rest is almost the same of course T has i7 L don't...

nxman wrote:Tried both only difference is the rubber finish the rest is almost the same of course T has i7 L don't...

No 56k:
http://a.yfrog.com/img696/8835/dsc2176.jpg

Really, last time I checked the inside bits were very different too.

L series screen can take more pressure on the back of the lid while the new T series screen flexes while opening and closing the lid...

nxman wrote:L series screen can take more pressure on the back of the lid while the new T series screen flexes while opening and closing the lid...

Subjective, go do some objective analysis to see if the screen is actually under more stress. (If you claim that more rigid is better, then you're horribly mistaken.)

Navck you sound like a fanboy! do you want me to do an objective test like the one Lenovo did when they said T400-T500 keyboard is stiffer than previous generation ThinkPads? hehe your myth is busted lol take it easy fanboy

Even if one were to concede the L is as well built as the R, which I am not doing, you're stuck with a 1366x768 screen even on the 15" L512. That's a major turnoff for a lot of people. Dell offers 1440x900 on the E5410 and 1600x900 on the E5510, which would be Dell's equivalent to the L series.

I would choose the L series over Dell anytime! Dell may offer a "better" screen but their quality is whack and they're not ThinkPads/Lenovos. How can you say that the L isn't as well built as the R? Of course they're built as well as the R!

The Latitudes I've seen seemed pretty decent if you ask me and I don't know that not being a ThinkPad is necessarily a bad thing.

Have you seen a L series Thinkpad or is your opinion solely based on the reviews you've read like the one from Laptop magazine? I have not seen an L series notebook, but have seen several SL notebooks, which I believe at least in part the L series notebooks are based on. I would not consider the SLs to be as well built as an R series.

Remember that the SL and L series are intended for different markets. Just because it's based on the SL series dosen't mean that it's like it. You're probably not used to the materials of the SL's build which is probably why you're saying that they're not as well built. ThinkPad and Lenovo forever!

nxman wrote:Navck you sound like a fanboy! do you want me to do an objective test like the one Lenovo did when they said T400-T500 keyboard is stiffer than previous generation ThinkPads? hehe your myth is busted lol take it easy fanboy

Be nice. He's just telling it like it is. He knows about engineering.

thePCxp wrote:Remember that the SL and L series are intended for different markets. Just because it's based on the SL series dosen't mean that it's like it. You're probably not used to the materials of the SL's build which is probably why you're saying that they're not as well built. ThinkPad and Lenovo forever!

I would consider the SL and the Edge too to use materials more akin to a consumer based notebook, of which I have seen many examples.

nxman wrote:Navck you sound like a fanboy!

We don't put labels on other members here, so take this as a warning. If that is how you operate we'd be glad to see you take your business elsewhere.

thePCxp wrote:all ThinkPads have different build materials but one thing that they all have in common is they all have great quality.

Okay, from now on I will remember that all laptops with the name "Thinkpad" have great quality.

thePCxp wrote:Dell may offer a "better" screen but their quality is whack

I will also remember that all laptops that aren't called "Thinkpads" or aren't made by Lenovo have inferior quality.

FredGarvin wrote:I would consider the SL and the Edge too to use materials more akin to a consumer based notebook, of which I have seen many examples.

But that doesn't matter, because any laptop that's called a "Thinkpad" has top-notch quality.

Is there Thinkpad Kool-Aid now?

As much as there is a koolaid for Dell*, HP, Sony, Acer, ASUS, Apple.
*Rare unless found in common habitat.

However I trust my T410 over many, many other laptops and from what I've seen, the Edges are pretty decent machines.

Unless you want to imply that Microcenter cherry picks the display models... Which would say something about the Vaios that are missing keys!