Thinkpads Forum

I have an old T42 that's still going strong and I really like, but the screen backlight keeps burning out in less than a year. James Arndt's been good about fixing it twice now, but I'm wondering whether it's time to replace it. Sad, because it's otherwise still a great computer. I bought a T400s last fall, but the screen was so miserable (zero vertical viewing angle, i.e. no place in which the top of the screen didn't invert or the bottom blacks go gray, and horrible washed out, low-contrast) that, together with the fact that the case was warped, I convinced Lenovo to let me return it. So now I'm wondering what to do. I figure my options are:

- Splurge on a T410s and hope the screens have improved since the T400s, but I'm guessing they're identical.

- Get a T400 and figure I'll eventually upgrade to something else.

- Finally make the switch and get a MacBook Pro, but I'm not a fan of the keyboard; at least now there's a matte display option on the 15-incher. Why Apple can source great display panels while Lenovo is unable to baffles me...

Recommendations?

Hi Niccolo,

Several folks have noted that they have T410 models with good 1440x900 screens.

I have read several references to the LG-Philips LP141WP2-TLB1, with 300 nits brightness and 500:1 contrast being the best screen available for the T400.
Have tried to find info on a similar screen for the T410, but so far, no info.

Good health, Weogo

I have a T42 (2373-K5H), just migrated my data to T410 (2522-RE3).

My T42 had the top end 1400x1050 high resolution 4:3 screen. It was not bright enough for outdoor work (read: inside a car on a sunny day).

My T410 had 1440x900 high resolution 16:10 screen, apparently it has the *same* DPI as my T42 high resolution screen.
I can anecdotally confirm this.
Viewing angle is very good and usable.
The LED LCD screen is very bright, and uses much less power than the T42, giving longer battery life.

Just my 2 cents...

I have a T410s and the screen is atrocious. I do not think it has changed since T400s. Perhaps the part number has and, at any rate, there are at least two screen suppliers, Samsung and Toshiba/M a t s u s h i t a. I have the latter (from what I've read both are bad). Very high black level, zero vertical viewing angle. You might have seen me complaining elsewhere in this forum. I feel exactly the same as you do on all counts. I also have an Apple (13" MB unibody) and agree with you about the screen and keyboard. Looking over notebookcheck.net, while there may be screens that are slightly better in the 14.1" 16:10 segment, none would appear to match up to the latest Apple screens that have a measured contrast ratio in excess of 500:1. The T410s/T400s has been measured at 98:1 and a ridiculous black level of 2.88 (whatever units that's in). The best you could hope for is probably about 140:1 contrast and half the black level, which would still be high, in an overall slightly dimmer panel. I contemplated buying another panel myself, but shied away from it as the bezel is very difficult to remove (at least without special tools) without damaging it. Some other company is bringing out an education-focused tablet device that's using 2 14.1" 16:10 IPS panels. I have a secret hope that Lenovo might offer these, but have heard nothing to indicate this will happen or that the tablet is more than a prototype.