Is W700 ever going to get cheaper?

[mattbiernat]

In a year or so I will be looking for a 17" laptop. I really would not want to spend $2000 for a W700 or its successor. Are they ever going to get around the $1200-1300 margin (that is of course w/o sacrificing its build quality).

[ZaZ]

You want a $2000 notebook, but only pay $1,200 for it? To get there, they'd have to chop something out of it to get it to that price, but at that point it ceases to be the old notebook. Maybe in the Outlet if they desperate enough.

[Brad]

Check out the outlet W700's here.

Brad

[Aroc]

Are they ever going to get around the $1200-1300 margin (that is of course w/o sacrificing its build quality).

The outlet or some crazy coupon stacking is probably the best bet. You will probably also have to forgo the 1920x1200 WUXGA display to get to that level, if at all. I imagine we'll see some nice outlet pricing on the W700 when the W701 (for example) is replaced and the outlet is used to sell of some of the refurb stock of the earlier model. The W700 is a premiere mobile workstation with pricing to match. You might consider the R500 or W500 if you can live with a slightly smaller screen.

Another option is to call up Lenovo and haggle on the price. They've always been able to negotiate better than CPP/EPP pricing when I've done that (for both work and personal purchases).

[Pocket Aces]

If you want a 17" laptop for that price, buy a Dell. Thinkpads are serious machines, and the prices reflect that.

[Crunch]

I hear ya. I have to have a deal on everything I buy, too, and the W700 w/ WUXGA. The prices have come down quite a bit. I configured it one time just to see, and so that I would be able to compare later. For me, the price has declined by $1,500-$2,000.

Anyway, yes, check the outlets out. Eeeeevery now and then, there'll be a machine that has (for the most part) the configuration I want, including the non-negotiables (e.g. WUXGA screen res.) as well as what I'd like to have. Just gotta buy my own 3-yr warranty.

[mattbiernat]

Thinkpads are serious machines, and the prices reflect that.

true on that but the price of x300 went down from something like $3000USD to $1400 and after cupons to 1150. for some reason thou the W700 prices keep staying high while all the other machines get cheaper. can anybody explain that?

[awolfe63]

true on that but the price of x300 went down from something like $3000USD to $1400 and after cupons to 1150. for some reason thou the W700 prices keep staying high while all the other machines get cheaper. can anybody explain that?

Many people buy an X300 on a whim - because it looks cool. Lowering prices on that kind of product boosts sales. Most people buy a W700 because they need it for work. If you need it for work, you will probably buy it even if it is $500 or $1000 more than you would like to pay.

[SkiBunny]

true on that but the price of x300 went down from something like $3000USD to $1400 and after cupons to 1150. for some reason thou the W700 prices keep staying high while all the other machines get cheaper. can anybody explain that?

Companies attempt to maximize overall returns. My guess is that the mobile workstation market features less price elasticity and that the ultracompact space is more competitive.

[Crunch]

OMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!! Just ordered a BRAND NEW W700 400NIT UXGA for $1,836. Including TAX. Base price was $1,6xx-something! It's 3:10am, and I just hit the BUY button. :D:D:D:D Now what to do with this beautiful T60p. This is the best screen Lenovo currently has (W700) w/ the 512MB nVidia crazy card and now it may be time to say good-bye to Super-IPS...

This deal I could...not...ignore...Anyone know who makes the screens for the W700...is it also LG or Samsung??

Woooooooooooooooohoooooo...

[mattbiernat]

no, actually I bought X300 because it was super light weight and I knew that I would walk a lot in Dominica. and thinkpads are pretty much ugly but i like them like that. well, I am planning to buy W700 sometime by the end of next year so we will see....

[SkiBunny]

OMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!! Just ordered a BRAND NEW W700 400NIT UXGA for $1,836. Including TAX. Base price was $1,6xx-something! It's 3:10am, and I just hit the BUY button. :D:D:D:D Now what to do with this beautiful T60p. This is the best screen Lenovo currently has (W700) w/ the 512MB nVidia crazy card and now it may be time to say good-bye to Super-IPS...

Congratulations!
But why were you too cheap to get the 700ds? (j/k haha)
Seriously, after it arrives, please share with us your opinions about the W700 screen.
I find the IPS screens better (contrast & clarity) than my W500 screen at work, but I haven't tried a W700, which is a lot more money.
The W700 screen is twice as bright as the W500 and T60p.

Now what to do with this beautiful T60p.

Put it on the marketplace thread... there's probably someone watching for one.

[Crunch]

Congratulations!
But why were you too cheap to get the 700ds? (j/k haha)
Seriously, after it arrives, please share with us your opinions about the W700 screen.
I find the IPS screens better (contrast & clarity) than my W500 screen at work, but I haven't tried a W700, which is a lot more money.
The W700 screen is twice as bright as the W500 and T60p.

Hey, thanks for your celebratory kindness. Yea well, the W700 is really the ONLY Thinkpad I could buy at this time, as it is the one with best screen, not considering IPS. So I called back and got this Pantone calibrator, since it was only a $40, but with two coupons stacked (I always HAVE to have a deal lol...it's always so much more fun knowing how much I got it for ) and this thing might actually be useful (calibrates the screen or something). And, last but not least, I'm always thinking about resale value.

And yes, good idea to be it in the Marketplace. Then again, everyone here knows how much $$ a 2-yr. old T60p goes for, and I usually sell my "old" Thinkpads for more than I buy a new one.

This time I will likely only come close. However, it's hardly apples vs. apples as to what I'm getting vs. what I'm selling. Plus, I put a super-strong CPU in the T60p, which is also a 64-bit one, a wireless-N card, as opposed to a b/g WiFi only, and I have a UXGA AFFS (S-IPS) panel. (how's that for a first draft for a sales pitch? )

[SkiBunny]

However, it's hardly apples vs. apples as to what I'm getting vs. what I'm selling. Plus, I put a super-strong CPU in the T60p, which is also a 64-bit one, a wireless-N card, as opposed to a b/g WiFi only, and I have a UXGA AFFS (S-IPS) panel. (how's that for a first draft for a sales pitch? )

Did you get the quad core? drool...

Yes nice sales pitch, but I think UXGA is too strong/small for me. Anyway in your next pitch, also remember that the C2D in your T60p besides being stronger is (more importantly to some ppl) also cooler.

Hope you keep you T60p long enough to compare it side by side with your new W700. If it weren't so darn expensive, I'd like one too... as we age we need bigger screens to see

[ZaZ]

Congrats on the machine. Yes, if at all possible, snap some comparative pics of the W700 and T60p screens.

If the UXGA is too small for you, the 17" WUXGA on the W700 has about the same pixels per inch 133 as the 15" UXGA T60p, though the W700's screen is brighter, which does help with readability. I'd have to agree on the UXGA. I thought about going that way with my R60 as the PPI is only slightly higher than my old 14" SXGA+ R60. I was glad I went with the SXGA+ as I think UXGA would have been too small. Mostly where I want it is FF, but it's easy to make text smaller in FF, which has the same effect as a higher resolution.

Just curious as to which LCD you have on your W500 SkiBunny?

[SkiBunny]

Just curious as to which LCD you have on your W500 SkiBunny?

It's 1680x1050. Alas it belongs to IBM, not me. They standardized on SXGA+ years ago and continue to use that (or its widescreen equivalent), at least for the fullsize laptops. Though I've also seen some 14" T61's there with WXGA+ and I don't like them.

[ZaZ]

Just curious as to what you thought of the WSXGA+ panel as compared to the IPS?

I'd have to agree I can hardly tell a difference between WXGA and WXGA+. I suppose you won't have to worry about it too much longer. 16:9 screens are coming. It'll be WXGA++(1600x900) like on the Dell Inspiron 14z. Yeah, more space on the sides.

[proaudioguy]

OMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!! Just ordered a BRAND NEW W700 400NIT UXGA for $1,836. Including TAX. Base price was $1,6xx-something! It's 3:10am, and I just hit the BUY button. :D:D:D:D Now what to do with this beautiful T60p. This is the best screen Lenovo currently has (W700) w/ the 512MB nVidia crazy card and now it may be time to say good-bye to Super-IPS...

This deal I could...not...ignore...Anyone know who makes the screens for the W700...is it also LG or Samsung??

Woooooooooooooooohoooooo...

What are your specs on the T60P, I may be in the market if the price is right.

[SkiBunny]

Just curious as to what you thought of the WSXGA+ panel as compared to the IPS?

I think the "looking for" in my sig sums up my thoughts.

[SkiBunny]

I'd have to agree I can hardly tell a difference between WXGA and WXGA+. I suppose you won't have to worry about it too much longer. 16:9 screens are coming. It'll be WXGA++(1600x900) like on the Dell Inspiron 14z. Yeah, more space on the sides.

Maybe we'll be able to rotate the screen image by 90 degrees and use it in portrait mode?

[chazz]

wow Crunch that REALLY IS a good price..
this is the only one thinkpad (w700) I would consider after the T60Ps..
I am also weighing in on the verdict of this screen...vs T60P

[Crunch]

wow Crunch that REALLY IS a good price..
this is the only one thinkpad (w700) I would consider after the T60Ps..
I am also weighing in on the verdict of this screen...vs T60P

Exactly! The graphics options are the BEST. Naturally, I got the WUXGA screen, and the Patene color calibrator, which "corrects" any color mismatches and has 72% gamut, and 400NIT for niccceee brightness. Everything else is pretty much ok at the base price, except for things like the Intel WiFi Link 5350 w/ WiMAX, although for those who have been following its technology, including its supposed cellular wireless function, it may just drop dead at any point. But hey, $18 after sale price+stacked coupons make everything almost half off.

I just want to know when this baby will ship!!?? I'm all paid up. Does Lenovo charge you guys the price for the laptops that you bought upfront?? And what's with Lenovo's "estimated" shipping dates?? They ship, don't get the customs forms in order, so for a buddy of mine it went back and from China to the U.S., and back to China, and hopefully he hast it by now.

Let's see how "unbelievably great" this 400NIT WUXGA w/ Pantene calibrator, blahblahblah stacks up to my S-IPS one on my trusty T60p. It had better get "close" if ya know what I mean.

[SkiBunny]

Let's see how "unbelievably great" this 400NIT WUXGA w/ Pantene calibrator, blahblahblah stacks up to my S-IPS one on my trusty T60p.

Obviously will be twice as bright and useable outside, which the T60p isn't, especially the 14" versions that are only sxga+ 150 nits if I remember correctly.

[Crunch]

Obviously will be twice as bright and useable outside, which the T60p isn't, especially the 14" versions that are only sxga+ 150 nits if I remember correctly.

I have this thing called a S-IPS panel from a company that used to produce what amounts to industrial strength when the screen has a technology called AFFS (Advanced Fragfield shielding). It's noticeably brighter in the sunlight and you have full 180 degrees Flexview wide viewing angle. They're also "indestructible", according to the company that made it (Hydis). I just hope the W700 will come close with this Pantone calibrator, 400nits, etc. I don't work in the field, so my knowledge about them is limited. I do have a lot of bases for comparison, though. 12 Thinkpads in 10 years.

It seems a long time between ordering, shipping, and receiving these days. Anticipation is half the fun. I just cannot wait to compare it to the crazy screen I have on my T60p. A true gem!

[FeanorLobelia]

For a mobile workstation the price is reasonable although it should start to come down.

As for displays I've never used an IPS screen so I'm handicapped in my ability to compare, but my W700 has a fantastic screen. Check out this http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_ ... -9320-9876 illuminating feature.

One thing I would warn you about is build quality. Generally good and solid but with some issues. Whilst the HP and Dell equivalents use metals extensively on the chassis, the Thinkpad is mostly plastic around the roll cage and this can sometimes be unsatisfying. I'm on a replacement W700 as (amongst other issues) the bezel started to separate from the rest of the LCD, causing it to 'click' and creak against it (by no means an isolated problem as one review attested to it). And the Thinkvantage buttons lie on a cheap, creaky piece of plastic - not really what you want to see after spending so much. Glad the T400s seems to fix this.

Apart from that it's a great workhorse. Side by side pics please!

[Crunch]

For a mobile workstation the price is reasonable although it should start to come down.

As for displays I've never used an IPS (Flexview) screen so I'm handicapped in my ability to compare, but my W700 has a fantastic screen. Check out this http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_ ... -9320-9876 illuminating feature.

{snipper-doooh}

Apart from that it's a great workhorse. Side by side pics please!

How long have you had yours, and what specs? I think the W700 is a dream, including the screen, which was the only reason I got this particular model. The color calibrator is fantastic, as I'm sure you know. How often do you run it? And that NVIDIA "control center". Oh my.

I'm in the middle of transferring my stuff from my T60p to my W700. I don't know if I want to sell my T60p. Good things have happened since I got it from a guy on ebay who I talk to on a regular basis. It doesn't hurt that this is a special version of IPS (Super duper "AFFS" IPS lol), which is noticeably better than even regular IPS. It resulted in an incredible 10-month business arbitrage deal for me, and I learned a lot when I was working on it for "fun". It runs perfectly, and I future-proofed it a year and a half ago.

So I can shoot you a side-by-side, but it won't do either one justice. I can tell you from 10 years' worth of experience however that before the W700, nothing came remotely close to IPS until this baby came out. Sorry you got a bad unit. In my opinion, it is extremely solidly built. Lenovo's shipping from Shanghai is pretty wild. Definitely no comparison to when IBM was at the helm.

And you're right on the money with the calibrator. Wham, bam, "new" super accurate display...which at 17.2" goes on forever. Watching Bluray content just entered a whole new dimension for me. How decadent...the 2nd pull-out screen, huh? hahhah...Life is good.

Cheers!

[ajkula66]

Crunch wrote

It doesn't hurt that this is a special version of IPS (Super duper "AFFS" IPS lol), which is noticeably better than even regular IPS.

Sorry to burst your bubble but every Hydis used on a 15" T60p is AFFS...

[SkiBunny]

Sorry to burst your bubble but every Hydis used on a 15" T60p is AFFS...

However, was every 15" T60p a BOE Hydis? (at least in UXGA)

[SkiBunny]

Check out this http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_ ... -9320-9876 illuminating feature.

They lose credibility in comparing the T60 screen with the others by stating something obviously very inacurate about it:

"the T60 could be configured with a 14.1 inch, 1400 x 1050 pixel, matte-surface FlexView display"

[Crunch]

However, was every 15" T60p a BOE Hydis? (at least in UXGA)

No, only T60p's, two X series models, and Hydis (they dropped the BOE when they were acquired in 2007) was manufacturing them for 3 months so far as I know. And yes, UXGA only!