Worth it to buy t420 for school?

[sshashid87]

First off, hello. I'm new to Lenovo and Thinkpads, but I've finally decided that I want to buy something reliable enough to last me four full years as I go through med school. I've only heard good things about the T-series, and it seems like the best solution for me, but now I have to pick between the T410 and T420.

I know there have been threads about this before, but I'd love to get some opinions now that the T420 launch is less than a month away. I'll only be using this laptop for work, as I have as desktop to use for games/movies/photo editing/etc. I think I'll really be using it to watch lectures posted online, to study anatomy photos, to research journal articles and online textbooks, and to create presentations and documents. So, overall, I won't be demanding much out of this computer, and I just need something dependable. Given this info, will the T410 be a solid choice? The sale prices are amazing on this model, and I can get a fully loaded one with a 3-yr warranty for $1050 (listed at $2100 according to the Lenovo website). I know the 420 will have the 2nd gen i7 and a 16:9 screen, and I'm sure some other features, but do you think it's worth the price difference, which I'm assuming is going to be several hundred dollars?

Thanks for all the help, it's greatly appreciated!

Edit: I was also wondering if swapping out the standard 4GB of memory for two 4GB sticks would void the warranty? I was planning on buying the 4GB on 1 DIMM, but it turns out it'll be the same price if I order another stick from newegg, and I'd rather have matching ram.

[ZaZ]

overall, I won't be demanding much out of this computer, and I just need something dependable.

Then I think the T410 offers better value because when the T420 starts to be sold, the T410 will likely be much less expensive. Given that you're not pushing the machine much, the marginal value the T420 offers is slim.

Upgrading the memory does not void your warranty, but since your needs are pretty modest, it's probably not worth the cost. You can always get the 4GB and see how it goes. That wouldn't preclude you from adding a stick later if needed. Good luck and welcome to TPF.

[ssd_thinkpad]

If you carry your notebook around with you all the time, you may consider the T420s.

[sshashid87]

I was considering the T410s and 420s, but they are a bit more expensive, and the size doesn't really bother me all that much, to be honest. I used to have Dell in undergrad which was about 5-6 lbs, and I didn't mind throwing that in my backpack. And I was probably going to go for the 9 cell battery anyway, so I knew I probably wasn't going to get a really light computer. But I wish I could find a store where I could actually pick them up in person. I'd like to see if there's a noticeable difference in speed (410 vs 410s with the i7 vs i5), but again, I'm not really going to be overworking the laptop.

If I do go with the 4GB ram (still not sure which model), should I opt for the 2x2GB or the 1X4GB stick? I think there is an upgrade price, but I'll have to recheck.

Thanks for the replies so far, much appreciated! I'm going to keep doing research, and I will probably wait until the 420 release before buying anything.

[ThinkRob]

If you carry your notebook around with you all the time, you may consider the T420s.

Generally, I'd agree. But with student budgets being what they are, I might caution the OP to consider whether the weight of the T410 1) will be an issue and 2) requires the rather expensive reduction that the T410s will provide. The price difference between the T410 and T410s is steep, particularly given that the former is often on sale while the latter is not.

Personally, I'd take the money that I saved on the T410 (over the T410s) and put it towards an upgraded warranty or upgraded memory, both of which are IMHO much more valuable than a slightly lighter laptop.

Just my 0.02 USD.

[ThinkRob]

I'd like to see if there's a noticeable difference in speed (410 vs 410s with the i7 vs i5), but again, I'm not really going to be overworking the laptop.

There's not. Ok, so I don't know your workload, true, but let me say this: I run a very heavy development environment for my job, and I can't really tell much of a difference between a laptop with an i7 and one with an i5. Yes, there is a not insignificant difference in benchmark performance, but in practice (at least for me) there's not much of a noticeable difference. Considering that my workload is rather atypical and far heavier than most users', I suspect that you won't notice a difference either.

[sshashid87]

There's not. Ok, so I don't know your workload, true, but let me say this: I run a very heavy development environment for my job, and I can't really tell much of a difference between a laptop with an i7 and one with an i5. Yes, there is a not insignificant difference in benchmark performance, but in practice (at least for me) there's not much of a noticeable difference. Considering that my workload is rather atypical and far heavier than most users', I suspect that you won't notice a difference either.

I'll be honest, I feel somewhat pathetic in describing the extent of my computer needs. Everyone else here seems to have...real jobs...with an actual need for all that the Thinkpads have to offer. I'll only be streaming lectures and checking out online labs/quizzes for anatomy.

I think the most important "requirements" for me are a high-res screen, fairly large hard drive, 5+ hour battery life and a good WiFi connection. (As to the last point, can anyone explain why there are 5 options for WiFi under the T series? I have absolutely no clue what any of the upgrades offer, but I'm pretty sure I just need the standard Intel or Thinkpad wireless... )

Sorry for being so Thinkpad illiterate...thanks for the help!

[Colonel O'Neill]

I'd think the massive battery life (15 hours on a 9-cell) of the Sandy Bridge generation would be beneficial to a student.

[ThinkRob]

I'd think the massive battery life (15 hours on a 9-cell) of the Sandy Bridge generation would be beneficial to a student.

Oh, absolutely. I guess it depends on the intro price of the T420.

My advice: wait until the T420 is out. If it's cheap enough to get (with an upgraded warranty), get that. Otherwise, get the T410 and put the money you save towards an even better warranty or some other upgrades. Heck, you could even go one generation further and pick up a used or refurbished T400 and save a load of cash. The only problem with that would be the warranty, but honestly, given how easy most repairs are (Lenovo provides nice, step-by-step guides in the form of their "hardware maintenance" manuals) I wouldn't let that stop you.

[sshashid87]

Awesome, thanks for the info. I'll definitely wait it out, I don't start school until the end of July anyways. I'll assume that there will still be some good sales on the T410, even if this deal expires on March 10. Hopefully, they'll still allow me to customize the 410 if I decide to get that, once the 420 is released.

The 15-hour battery life sounds pretty amazing, that could save me from having to drag the power cord everywhere, which I will inevitably lose. Appreciate all the info and advice!

[ThinkRob]

The 15-hour battery life sounds pretty amazing, that could save me from having to drag the power cord everywhere, which I will inevitably lose. Appreciate all the info and advice!

Keep in mind, the 15 hour figure is Lenovo's advertised lifespan. While Lenovo tends to be more honest than many manufacturers in their estimates, they are on the side of "best case" battery life (example: my X61s could only hit the advertised lifespan if I turned the brightness down to the minimum, dropped the wireless power, and didn't tax the CPU at all.) It'll be interesting to see how close to the 15-hour mark the T420 can actually reach under a normal workload.

[sshashid87]

Sure, I figured 15 was on the higher side of the scale, but I'd still assume 10 hours or so. After reading through a bunch of forums and such, I think I'm somewhat set on the T410. It'll be more than fast enough for me, and I can get a great setup for $1100 with a 3-yr warranty through the SPP program (not sure how they verify stock ownership, as there wasn't an area to put in any shareholder number or anything of the sort, but I have proof if they call).

I'll still wait and see the prices for the T420 before I buy anything, but it's more out of curiosity than anything else. The one last question I have is regarding the WiFi options...what is Advanced N-6200, Ultimate N-6300, or Advance N +WiMax? Can I just stick with the regular wireless options, or is it worth $20, $30 or $50 to upgrade to these options?

Again, thanks to all who have helped, I'm basically set on my decision, excited to actually get it...

[waterloo]

Keep a close eye on coupons!

[sshashid87]

Are coupons stackable? Right now, the SPP program + 10% seems like a great price, but hey, I'm not averse to more discounts. I'll look through the coupons on this forum, but I couldn't use more than 1 at a time...even still, great prices til Mar. 10 (though I think they've had versions of this sale since December).

[ThinkRob]

Are coupons stackable?

No.

[sshashid87]

No.

Eh, that's okay, still a great price.

Alright, I think I've made my decision...I'll wait for the T420 to come out to compare prices, but I think I'm just going to go with the T410 anyways. Med school loans are going to be hell to pay back, so any money I can save would be great. Thanks so much to all who helped, really do appreciate the quick responses!

[schmaud]

If you are constantly hauling the unit around with you, you might want to consider an x-series as well. likely there are deals on the x201 comming up soon, as the x220 was announced.

Befor you buy check if your school has special conditions with lenove, some do.

cheers

ralf

[jdrou]

If you are constantly hauling the unit around with you, you might want to consider an x-series as well.

Not if he wants a 'high-res screen'. I'd say that disqualifies the X201's 1280x800 and X220's 1366x768.