super cheap saleout T420si, with i3-2350 is it just too bad?

[emtee3511]

I have the T's and X's in my signature, and have used others. I love the X200 /or X60/X61(s)/ for portability and light weight. It would be hard to choose T or X if I had to use only one -- If you carry your laptop with you often (as in daily), then you may prefer the X series -- but if you carry it with you on occasion, then the T's larger screen is quite nice. In my opinion, whichever one you choose, you will miss something about the other -- but it's all good Both the T and X are awesome to own/use.

As for the docking station/ultrabase, when the X6x or X200 are docked, they 'feel' much chunkier/heavier than the T series. If I had to use the CD/DVD drive regularly, I would prefer the T series, but that's just me. If I had to transport my ThinkPad daily, I would choose the X, but wouldn't transport the ultrabase because of it's weight.

Your T430s certainly doesn't sould like an "older, cheaper model" to me -- it's specs are pretty awesome

[PRAGUEGUY]

The one I have is not old. I had a great discount agreed for a 420is with i3 processor. I sent the money and then was told the 420actually isn't available. I got some discount on the 430 but still had to pay extra money compared to the deal on the last 420si left in Central Europe...

[PRAGUEGUY]

I am even thinking of a swap...of the T for an X. But I will bleed money from my nose...the T has had two weeks of use, and I swapped the HDD for my own SSD. Had to take the enclosure off the higher HDD standard disc...So, I wonder who would take it ...as trade in for an x230.
I meant to thave the T430 as a desktop replacment..to use instead of my crap pc at work, for which I lack admin rights, and it annoys me.
However, in the meantime, I am realisisng my back pain is getting worse...which means I could do with a light PC like the x series.
When judging the two, I do not so much care about the integrated cd drive in the larger laptop...it is really the much better screen the T430s has.
I thought the T was the closest thing in a fully fledged notebook to resemble an ultrabook, but still a normal PC.
However, I have seen the X230 in the store and really really liked it...I cannot afford to have both, do you thinks swaps are possible? two thirds of the price might be received as tradeoff...but, I am an animal...I am not sure if I am able to put the HDD back in the same shape. Also, I tore off the black stripe or band or whatever, that is used to pull out the HDD off its hole.
so what do you think? should I forget it?
I cannot at the moment have both, out of the question. I mean the T and the X version at the same time.

[emtee3511]

"I am slhightly regretting I did not get the x series...."

I don't have a computer store near me that stocks Thinkpads, so when I purchase, I first research as best I can (especially reading here on the Forum) and then make a decision. Only once was I disappointed -- when I purchased my X301. I had not paid enough attention to the actual size demensions and was used to My X60. When my new X301 arrived I was a little 'put off' because, although it was VERY lightweight, it's footprint was more a T size than X size.

For a short time, I regretted my purchase, but I didn't want to take a loss on return, so I kept it. After my initial disappointment, I very much enjoyed having the machine. When I decided to sell it a year or two later, the loss I took from my purchase price was no more than the loss I would have taken if I had sold or traded it immediately on receiving the machine. When I did decide to sell, it was not because of size, it was because of the screen.

You may want to wait and use your T430s a bit before you decide if you really want to trade.

[PRAGUEGUY]

well..we are never satisfied, some people have many notebooks..
I dont want to have many.
The reason why I am considering a tradein is that in the short time I have had the laptop I have discovered that I will use it more as a mobile device, and there will be a greater share of entertainment use than planned.
The reason to go for the fourteen inch screen had been a plan to use it instead of my main work PC. however, the restrictions on moving data around, that is, taking my work files home and doing work on my pc, are so annoying that this mode of use seems less important, than I had expected.
I have researched the laptops very extensively, but the use pattern seems to be different than planned...
also, I have real back pain problems, every hundred grams count...
I have just run like for my life to catch a connecting flight, transferring in Vienna from an inbound flight from Bulgaria to catch a plane to Prague.
With severe back pain, it is really terrible to run x miles inside the airport, having half an hour, and getting an unexpected security check on the way...
I would have rather had an X series.
Also, literally in the last week, I got news that I will travel more than I had expected. But I will not be issued a super "mobile jetsetting manager" style laptop at work...so, an X is making ever more sense.
I am exploring the tradeins... I wonder if I am able to restore the HDD to a state acceptable to a store. Like I have not idea if I did not delete the Recovery parittion..I have installed an SSD into the machine. Getting the laptop back to factory status will be quite fun...any advice appreciated.

[emtee3511]

If you put an SSD in your T430s, you should still have the original HDD in factory condition, yes? If you made changes to the original HDD, you should be able to use your Blue Thinkvantage Button to do a factory restore. The black tab you pulled off of the HDD is just a 'handle' to pull the HDD out -- if you are very neat and careful, you should be able to super-glue the handle back on.

I really sympathize with you realizing you need the ultra-portable after your purchase -- hopefully you can arrange a trade and not loose too much money in the process

[PRAGUEGUY]

I have made a clone of the original hdd onto an SSD. but without the Lenovo Recovery partition, it would have been a waste of space on a much smaller HDD (150 G instead of 500)
So, if the Think Vantage had resided on the Recovery partition, I cannot do it. However, the recovery cds may do the trick. I think I had saved the recovery partition somewhere, and then, either did or did not delete it for want of hdd storage. I will look around. thanks.

[PRAGUEGUY]

Well, so far so good. I went to Think Vantage tools, and tried to go back to factory state, or to "make disks that allow me to do that.
I got a menu asking me to "create recovery disks,", when I clicked on it, my pc said "Cannot find recovery files".
Of course, they are no longer on the SSD disk,
the good new is,
I can see a partition called Lenovo Recovery on the backup HDD. What I did, I placed the original HDD into a box, to be used as external backup. I did delete the old system partition, with Win7 on it, as I had cloned it onto the current ssd so it seemed a waste of space.
But, crucially, I had just enough presence of mind to keep the "Lenovo Recovery' partiton where it was, so I have it.
Only thing, there may be booting problems...When I recreate the original HDD, that is, clone the system partition back on the 500 HDD when it is taken out of its box and moved back into the laptop, there may be some booting problems.
It is some of the many Lenovo utilities that actually launch the recovery when you press the blue button.
And, there is NO blue button, I can see now. No such thing on this laptop. Its gone with the onset of 430 keyboard. So, I may have some partition management and booting obstacles to overcome when I try to restore the HDD to its factory state...I have the system partition, cloned on my SSD, with win updates and Lenovo updates and XP Trial version on it.
And the original Lenovo Recovery partition stacked away on the original HDD..so i see if I manage to patch it back together.
I did consider leaving the original HDD intact..would have saved me hassle. But, I wantted to be economical...I am running out of hdd storage, and did not want to buy new yet.

[PRAGUEGUY]

This will be fun...In the folder called Recovery, there is all the information needed to make factory recovery disks..but, it is organised so it works only in the original setup. There is a Recovery.INI file, and an executable application, when I click on it, it says cannot find files.
There are some text files in there, which point the recovery software to the location of the recovery image...where it should be, not where I have it now .(My external Sata box has an USB connection, so I connected the disc via USB. The laptop can see the recovery partition, but it does not work properly.
I will now try to tweak it...change it so it can find the current location of the recovery files..see what happens.

This is one of the text files, RECOVERY.INI:
[partition1]
size=17999
type=07
label=Lenovo_Recovery
volume=Q
fs=NTFS
active=0
backuptype=COPY
state=1
recfromsp=0
imagename=
install=
installsplit=
[partition2]
size=1499
type=07
label=SYSTEM_DRV
volume=S
fs=NTFS
active=1
backuptype=WIM
state=1
recfromsp=0
imagename=Sdrivebackup.wim
install=recimagex.exe /apply /verify Q:\factoryrecovery\Sdrivebackup.wim 1 S:\
installsplit=recimagex.exe /apply /verify Q:\factoryrecovery\Sdrivebackup.swm 1 S:\ /ref Q:\factoryrecovery\Sdrivebackup*.swm
[partition3]
size=
type=07
label=Windows7_OS
volume=C
fs=NTFS
active=0
backuptype=WIM
state=1
recfromsp=0
imagename=Cdrivebackup.wim
install=recimagex.exe /apply /verify Q:\factoryrecovery\Cdrivebackup.wim 1 C:\
installsplit=recimagex.exe /apply /verify Q:\factoryrecovery\Cdrivebackup.swm 1 C:\ /ref Q:\factoryrecovery\Cdrivebackup*.swm

[emtee3511]

Wishing you very good luck -- you are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay in over my head

[PRAGUEGUY]

I managed to do it see separate thread
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=107714

[PRAGUEGUY]

btw, I may just forget the tradein thing..just typical buyers remorse..
I am now working with a software that has many panes of its interface, and the good screen does help...

[PRAGUEGUY]

I am beginning to understand those out there who have more laptops..but, I dont want that at the moment. I have accumulated loads of e-junk at home... always planning to go to our version of Ebay and sell it, but never getting around to it.

[PRAGUEGUY]

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=107797

I have found some candidates for the tradein, this is the link to a separate thread

One of the two is quite cheap, but comes without a docking station, moreover, in the specs for the display it says Anti glare, and the more expensive is Anti Glare - Premium, so I wonder if the absence of the word Premium means it is not the ips model? if you have any thougts...thx

[precip9]

A USB 3.0 ExpressCard is most definitely inferior to a built in USB 3.0 port. There are two main advantages to USB 3.0. The first being the increased speed, and the second being the increased power. The ExpressCard slot can give you USB 3.0 speeds, but it cannot provide anywhere near the amps needed to power USB 3.0 devices. The USB 3.0 ExpressCards are pretty much only useful for USB 3.0 flash drives or devices that have their own power supply.

FALSE. I have tested the Transcend USB 3.0 ExpressCard adapter,
http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Express ... nd+usb+3.0

When used with the supplied cable to draw additional power from a usb 2.0 port, the card simultaneously powers two Silicon Power A80 1TB drives, http://www.amazon.com/Silicon-Power-2-5 ... +Power+A80

My Amazon review appears as "Great for W7 laptops"

[emeraldgirl08]

I am beginning to understand those out there who have more laptops..but, I dont want that at the moment. I have accumulated loads of e-junk at home... always planning to go to our version of Ebay and sell it, but never getting around to it.

I think someone needs to fess up, admit it, and post at this thread.