Thinkpads Forum

I am considering buying the T540P with the i7 4800MQ with the standard 500 GB hard drive from Lenova's site. I'll upgrade the RAM after I get it to 16 GB to save some money and run Ubuntu on this system. Just wondering if anyone else on here runs Linux on this and what their thoughts are on this system for development? Most of processing will be on intensive MySQL queries so I want that to run fast and of course I'll have lots of resource hoggers open like NetBeans and other dev tools. The other concern I have is if I can hook up my dual 26" monitors (DVI/VGA) to this or what kind of hardware I'll need to do that? I'm a longtime desktop user that has finally decided its time to get a legit laptop.

Also SSD seems like a compelling (albeit costly) option. Worth it? I remember years back these had limited life, has that changed? Thoughts?

A comment about SSD:

They still have limited life. In the push to increase capacity, shrinking geometries have actually reduced the life of the cells in the past 4 years.

Makers also conceal that cell retention time declines with use long before outright failure.

The algorithms used to conceal pattern sensitive induced retention loss at the device terminals are so complex that SSDs cannot be completely characterized.

"Write amplification" is not technically understood by endusers. This is also an intentional concealment, to make SSD lifespan appear longer than it really is.

The misrepresentation of SSDs is the sordid side of tech. They're appropriate for consumption-only devices in form factors that do not provide shock protection.

Hi,

These are very interesting and informative points. I am currently considering buying a ThinkPad for software development and I was planning on getting an SSD which makes it considerably more expensive.

Can you direct me to some more extensive information on these shortcomings of the SSD technology?

fliegermaus wrote:Hi,

These are very interesting and informative points. I am currently considering buying a ThinkPad for software development and I was planning on getting an SSD which makes it considerably more expensive.

Can you direct me to some more extensive information on these shortcomings of the SSD technology?

Read the reviews for the Samsung 840 EVO on Amazon.com. I installed the 500GB model in my MacBook Pro about a month ago and have been very happy with it.

My new T540P just shipped which I am scheduled to receive next week. I eventually plan to upgrade it with the Samsung SSD to it as well, provided there are no known issues with the 840 EVO in the T540P Thinkpad.

Don't bother with the Amazon comments, they are usually either from paid people, or tell you absolutely nothing truthful.
Check reviews by the likes of Anandtech, Storagereview, Guru3d and SSDReview, to mention a few worthwhile ones.
Not to forget the experiences of prominent forum members here!

RealBlackStuff wrote:Don't bother with the Amazon comments, they are usually either from paid people, or tell you absolutely nothing truthful.
Check reviews by the likes of Anandtech, Storagereview, Guru3d and SSDReview, to mention a few worthwhile ones.

I beg to differ, greatly. I have read quite a few very useful reviews on Amazon, in regards to many kinds of items.

Such reviews, even if they are not nearly as indepth or professional as those done by review sites, have some advantages:
* Among many different reviewers you are likely to find a few that notice / care about unusual things, the kind that standard run-of-the-mill reviews tend to ignore / skip.
* Tech sites tend to review products close to their release dates and basically use the product only for the duration of the review. Therefore, they usually do not know have the ability to tell you how a product fares with time and prolonged use. User reviews on shopping sites, such as Amazon and Newegg often come from users who are long-time owners, and have this ability.

precip9 wrote:A comment about SSD:

They still have limited life. In the push to increase capacity, shrinking geometries have actually reduced the life of the cells in the past 4 years.

Makers also conceal that cell retention time declines with use long before outright failure.

The algorithms used to conceal pattern sensitive induced retention loss at the device terminals are so complex that SSDs cannot be completely characterized.

"Write amplification" is not technically understood by endusers. This is also an intentional concealment, to make SSD lifespan appear longer than it really is.

The misrepresentation of SSDs is the sordid side of tech. They're appropriate for consumption-only devices in form factors that do not provide shock protection.

^^^^^^

Quoted for truth.

As for the reviews...I'd trust NewEgg to a degree, but wouldn't trust Amazon. Not if I were looking for something tech-related anyway.

Back to OP:

Unless you're in dire need of a ThinkPad right here, right now, I'd suggest waiting for the next generation.

The *40 series leaves a lot to be desired, and apart from T440s which has generally fared pretty well - surprisingly well IMO - has been a flop. I really don't recall any ThinkPad series in the last 15 years that has received such a blast of negative feedback from end users.

My $0.02 only...

ajkula66 wrote: Unless you're in dire need of a ThinkPad right here, right now, I'd suggest waiting for the next generation.

Based on the typical product life cycle, when should we expect the next generation to be available? Would it be next Spring (March/April)?

Thanks

Lenovos product life cycle follows Intel product life cycle. Broadwell U is going to be released in January, that the point when we will see the first big wave of new ThinkPads. The second, smaller wave will come in April/May/June/July, with the Broadwell Quad-Core CPUs...

The only bothersome thing about T540p is the clickpad and missing trackpoint buttons.

You can get middle click to work with 3d party software but slab is not like a discreet button.

Otherwise T540p is fine, screen is nice, build is OK. Keyboard is nice, only layout different from the 7-rows. Typing this on one at the moment. I remember some issues going to sleep initially but it was sorted out after BIOS and driver updates.