Thinkpads Forum

I bought two Thinkpads over Thanksgiving for Christmas. A W510 for me (for a huge negative and slide scanning exercise) and an Edge to replace my wife's aging Dell.

I've been a Thinkpad consumer since the 600X, and the Thinkpad is my only computer at work and home since that time.

Well, the Edge is a nice laptop, but it ain't a Thinkpad... The two major beefs are:

1. The keyboard. "Chiclets" and compressed.

2. No "feedback" - the activity indicators that we're all used to (like wiresless and HDD) are all missing.

I'll be returning it for a SL410 which was what I wanted to order to begin with and the Lenovo guy talked me into the Edge (with AMD) because it was a little cheaper.

It's a nice machine otherwise, but I just don't think it meets my expecations for the "Thinkpad" look and feel.

Oh well...

hi tp*...
thanks for post ,,,, well am glad in lots of ways that I DIDNT FALL for the SAME TRICK!!
I stuch to my guns and ordered the SL410..... which also has a HDMI connector!
(i got fedup of Displayport playing up etc etc ,,, and PLUS wasnt ever going to get any AMD thinkpads! ..to me it sounded like MB with Kia engine ,,, sorry no disrespect to any of the car buff ,,, just like using car ala'gy)

if you not in that fussy....I would look@ here for lots of BARGINS!
http://outlet.lenovo.com/
I got my 2x SL410 (refub/top of line intel proc /4GB ram~$330shipped!) and its good as new, wasnt even a belmish & has the Std Warranty to boot! Wife & kids love it as does all things for everyone! Never got Any better VALUE!!

Cheers - Happy Holidays

My daughter has a SL400 she bought a while ago and it's a little workhorse. I had to replace the keyboard when she spilled on it. It's a nice machine and "looks and feels like a Thinkpad". The Edge's keyboard ruined it for me. I could have lived with the rest.


The SL410 was ordered this morning. I didn't think of looking on the outlet site but I ordered with 4GB memory and Win7 64 Pro to be compatible with my W510.

Glad ; the link is/was of help!!
FYI..not sure what you paid for the Sl510; but I got one with P8700intel,4gbram and 32072khd with Win7 with dvd+COA XP! ,,, all of that for $382 shipped to me .....and 1 yr warranty to boot!
....and I dont see anything that would classify that machine as 'scratch/dent'.....

so yeah ,, super bargin !

I'm a long term thinkpad owner\user. I still have and use a T-60. I found an excellent deal on a 14" Edge with AMD Turion II P520 and the
best chiclets keyboard I've ever seen or used. I only bought it after I read hundreds of buyer reviews in which buyers report loving the keyboard
and the Edge, their first Lenovo laptop.

Lenovo clearly markets the Edge as a consumer and home business laptop. It certainly is better design and quality build than the other
laptops in its price range. In adition, it ships bloat ware and trial ware free. I paid less than $500 total for my Edge a week weeks after
it was released. Its the first new computer I've purchased in ten years. I did my research before I bought and I must say I got
exactly what I thought I would get. I touch type so I need keyboard feedback. I certainly get feedback from my Edge. I also have
large hands and fingers.

I really think disliking the keyboard is strictly a matter of personal taste, not a indication the Edge is defective. I have never seen or
used a stick or touchpad mouse I like but I would never say they are no good. Many, many people like them and many prefer them
even over a small wireless mouse, which I like and use.

You can hardly compare an under $600 consumer\home business laptop with over $1,000 business models. Isn't that like comparing
a $300 eMachine with an Alienware gaming computer and saying: It sure isn't a $5,000 Alienware! Of course, it isn't and a Ford Fusion
isn't a Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.

Of course, I could be completely mistaken about all this. I do know I paid under $500 for a nice, quality laptop with HDMI and a keyboard
that professional writers seem to love.

--Bruised