Brad wrote:The backlit keyboard has smooth keys and the non backlit keyboard has the rougher key finish. If you wanted the backlit keyboard installation is quick and it is plug and play.
Thank you! The wife and I are both liking the rough keys so far, but it is tempting to get the backlighting, and I may do that sometime. This rough keyboard is nicely clickety-clackety and has enough travel to keep me happy, and it's mostly about the typing for me... and while the backlighting would help if I were working late in bed or something, I can type fine in the dark anyway.
So my list of potential upgrades for the T450 currently runs as follows:
1. RAM (just upgraded from 8 to 16 GB for $26)
2. Keyboard ($35-40 currently, not bad)
3. 2.5" SSD (would probably go with the 480 GB Sandisk Ultra II for ~$110 currently, but will wait until I need it)
4. M.2 SSD (MyDigitalSSD 480GB is currently $130)
So in one potential future I wind up with 960 GB of storage and 16 gigs of RAM for $866, with a backup 2.5" 128GB to revert to with my applications and Windows 10 already installed. Not bad! And later, for what I expect to be significantly less than $300 (currently $330), I can install 32 GB of RAM. The laptop will not be a limiting factor in what I can do over the next few years... it'll just be me.
Sitting here with the T450 next to my old, still-booting T420, here are my impressions on the external aspects:
1. The T450's chiclet keyboard is ever so slightly wider. Of course, there are little spaces between the keys on the T450, and the T420 has speakers left and right (don't miss 'em). The T450 keyboard feels much better while typing and has comparable key travel--and note I LOVE my T420 keyboard to this day.
2. The keyboard layout on the T450 is more efficient. There are no Scroll Lock, Home, End, etc. buttons which I never use, Print Screen is in a better location, etc. However, I wish the Delete key were bigger.
3. The T450 is thinner and not wedge-shaped, sitting on a flat surface, both clear wins for the T450.
4. The T450 is much lighter.
5. The T450 is silent, while the T420 runs its fan often at idle and is quite loud when it does by comparison.
6. Due to the hinge design, the T450 top of the screen bezel is noticeably lower (would help on flights, I suppose) and it doesn't have such a giant, ugly bottom bezel appearance as the T420. I used to like the old taller screens (4:3 but also 16:10 as on my X201), but the bezel layout of the T450 isn't as in-your-face wasteful.
7. The apparent build quality of the case is better. My T420 developed cracks around the edges fairly early on, and I doubt that will happen with the T450, partly due to bay and port differences as well as materials changes.
8. The coating on all surfaces of the T450 feels nicer. Of course the T420 is worn shiny in places due to use, but EVERYTHING feels much nicer than I ever remember it on the T420.
9. The keyboard clicks on the T450 are a little louder. I like it.
10. I'm guessing and hoping the hinges on the T450 will last longer. Time will tell.
11. Looking along the side edge of the lid as I open and close it, the T450 flexes slightly, which I don't like. The same goes for the T420, maybe slightly less.
12. The T420's touchpad has dedicated lower buttons, which I like. I wish both laptops did not have the upper buttons, as I'm not a trackpoint user.
13. The T420 has vastly superior parts accessibility. Simply adding RAM involves taking off the entire bottom of the T450's case, a delicate operation not for the faint of heart. I accelerated purchase of an M.2 SSD just so I won't have to open the case again for quite some time (as I upgraded to 16GB of RAM at the same time).
The T450 is of course much faster, being newer, but I also like its overall physical usability much better (except the glaring accessibility issue) for these reasons.. and I loved my T420, X201, T60, and all the other ThinkPads I've ever owned. This one is the best for me yet.
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