Thinkpads Forum

If HP can come out with a 14" workstation laptop with all the latest bells and whistles in the form of the Elitebook 8440w, I
wish Lenovo would follow suit. Anyone else wishing the same?

See the review of the HP Elitebook 8440W here:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5453

HP Elitebook 8440W
Intel Core i7 620M Processor 2.66GHz (turbo mode up to 3.33GHz, 4MB L3 cache)
Microsoft Genuine Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
14-inch LED-backlit HD+ display (1600 x 900)
NVIDIA Quadro FX 380M (512MB)
4GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM
320GB 7200RPM HDD
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
9-Cell Battery (10.8V)
Dimensions: 13.2 x 9.2 x 1.5 inches (including feet)
Weight: 5.89lbs


I'm still clinging on to my 14" 4:3 t61p until Lenovo can come up with a suitable replacement.

It would be nice. Not that I would buy it (I have no need for professional CAD GPUs), but I can imagine it can fill the needs of quite a few people, yours included.

One thing to realize is that the GPU in these models will be inferior to the 15-17" counterparts. Otherwise, thermal management will become a serious problem. Excess heat from the GPU was what led Lenovo to move from the full-fledged V5200/V5250 on the T60p to the crippled (half-RAM, half-bus) 570M on the 14" T61p, and eventually abandon all 14" workstation models.

watch for some different T410s discrete GPU SKUs in a few weeks...

I must have a workstation class machine for the resource intensive work I do. While I can appreciate some peoples preference for the 14" size, I personally prefer the 15" size for my work. I carry it everyday and really don't mind the extra 1/2 lb. of weight. I believe the days of a 14" ThinkPad workstation are long gone. That said, I've had several top of the line HP workstations in the last two years, just for the fun of trying something different although I never actually used them in place of my ThinkPads. They simply don't have the precise trackpoint like a ThinkPad does, and I strongly dislike touchpads. Also I've found the HP models to have a lesser build quality, and keyboards that cannot match the speed and comfort of their ThinkPad counterparts. There are several other areas that did not sit well with me which is the precise reason I bought a few new HP's just in case the one sample was an aberration. What I found is good consistency from one to the next, but they simply do not live up to the ThinkPad standard by my experience. Yours may vary. Finally I have a friend who works for a company that deployed 35 EliteBooks this year, and in less than 60 days over 30% of them required replacement or significant warranty work.

archer6 wrote:Finally I have a friend who works for a company that deployed 35 EliteBooks this year, and in less than 60 days over 30% of them required replacement or significant warranty work.

Gee, let´s hope this won´t be the case with the newly announced 8740w...

Here's my take on HP. They are making some good moves with each new product cycle. I am currently using the newest 17" HP 8730w, which I bought new in august of 2009, thus I've got quite a bit of time on it. Fully spec'd with the top of the line configuration, is was $5,072 MSRP. My HP corp discount reduced it to $4133. So that gives you and idea of pricing.
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While the Dreamcolor display is very impressive, and clearly superior to most ThinkPad displays, my personal criterion is based on what the entire laptop is like, how well it functions as a whole, and the ready availability of everyday needs such as easily accessible drivers and other downloads. This is, in my opinion one of Lenovo's great assets. Their support site is extremely comprehensive and feature laden. It's the prior decades of IBM, now Lenovo content that is second to none when it comes to self service support resources. A long lineage of professional resources for the high tech professional such as myself. HP simply does not have this depth and breadth of resources available. Being relatively new in the professional laptop space, they leave a lot to be desired. While they are making good progress and coming on strong with new products, they simply do not have the history, experience, and support that my well respected ThinkPads do.
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Believe me, I am _not_ operating from a position of being a blind ThinkPad zealot, but rather one who is very open minded and platform / brand neutral. Witness the many _other_ brands of laptops I mention as I continually seek to remain on the leading (not bleeding) edge of laptop design, functionality, and usefulness.
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That said, I do remain a strong ThinkPad advocate and loyalist. For how much longer after decades, remains to be seen. As long as Lenovo remains viable and clearly intent on building first class workstations they will remain my first choice. However if the stumble, I will be well prepared through my continual ongoing testing of the competitions best efforts.
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At the end of the day, my number one criterion is to own the best laptop for the job at hand.
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Cheers...