Lenovo Thinkpad T400 review

[softtower]

I bought this laptop 2 weeks ago. The specs are:
* 14" SXGA+ LED screen
* 128Gb SSD
* 2.53Gz CPU
* 4GB of RAM
* Intel 5300 WiFi
* ... and other stuff nearly identical to other laptops out there.

Warning: the review is highly negative. I am posting this only because I wish someone did this for me when I was researching it prior to purchase. I found all other reviews useless because "internals" of modern computers aren't interesting anymore, they're all using the same components. Laptop reviewers should only be focusing on three things only: keyboards, LCDs and battery performance, fully recognizing that everything else is utterly irrelevant.

Here is my Lenovo Thinkpad T400 review.

Cheers.

[bill bolton]

fully recognizing that everything else is utterly irrelevant.

What is relevant to any user is extremely contextual to what their need is for the system at hand.

[ZaZ]

I am only doing this in hopes of Google indexing the hell out of this text and hopefully making a small dent in Lenovo sales.

Why would want to be so bitter over a laptop? I got news for you, most laptops are this way nowadays. If you think you're going to get any better from Dell, HP, Acer, etc., you're mistaken.

[ssd_thinkpad]

I am in the same situation. For me the most important thing on a notebook is that I can turn it on: The battery life is important.

But next to that I want to use the computer. All computers are more than fast enough for my office needs. That's why the interface is the only important thing here for me: Keyboard, Mouse (Trackpoint), Display. Keyboard and Mouse are very nice on the Thinkpads where the Display on some of the most modern Lenovo products are worse even compared to 10 years of Lenovo Product History.

[dr_st]

Also things like case design, rigidity, ergonomics, heat/noise.

Benchmarks are still important, when you want to measure, for instance, the performance increase over past generations, or how different CPUs/GPUs compare, even within the same platform.

[Art Vandelay]

Sounds like an Apple troll to me, trying to get others to join his cult. Useless "review". Waste of bandwidth.

[Troels]

I guess your point with the review is clear (but of course narrow): The LCD. You're quite right. I don't get why people even defend the LCD of the T400, it's pure evil, if they are all like these, with a ~110:1 CR:

http://www.notebookcheck.com/Test-Lenov ... 631.0.html

A minimum black level of 1.96 nits is grey, not black. 0.30 nits and below is black. You don't even need to be an apple troll to see this. Pick any laptop you want from another company, and the contrast is higher (except one very cheap, flimsy Toshiba with a 80:1 CR). I still haven't seen a maintenance manual for one of HPs cheap consumer product which didn't spec the LCD as 200:1 or above, and that is what they get in tests AFAIK.

I love thinkpads, but Lenovo is really just not delivering the full product. As a company selling high-end notebooks, formerly having offered the finest LCDs in the market on their laptops, they should be very ashamed of themselves. This has nothing to do with IPS or TN, because they obviously can't do a thing about that (and that's ok, even if it's a pity) - it's about getting respectable contrast ratios, for example 300:1. I also said this in another thread: 100:1 was achieveable approx 14 years ago (or maybe only 12).

[beaker]

One year from now laptops with OLED screens should be available. What do you think Thinkpad screens will look like in comparison then? What do you think the resale value of the T400(s) will be then?

I REALLY wanted to buy a T400s if it had a SIGNIFICANTLY better screen than the X301. I don't believe things are ever going to get better. I should not have to buy a battery warranty to have a battery last more than one year. I'm sorry that does not represent value. 98:1 contrast ratio don't represent customer value either.

If anything they represent how little Lenovo values its customers.

[Bring_back_IPS]

I almost believed you since I am very picky about screens, but when the Windows bashing started - I lost interest in your review.

[jcvjcvjcvjcv]

Just a Apple hooligan

[asiafish]

Sounds like an Apple troll to me, trying to get others to join his cult. Useless "review". Waste of bandwidth.

Apple isn't a cult, its a company that sells computers. If you don't like them, don't buy one.

I love my ThinkPad T400, but am equally smitted with my MacBook Air. They are different products with different abilities that go beyond the hardware.

Want offline file sync, remote management and a high degree of customization, Windows on a ThinkPad is amazing. Want instant and reliable suspend/resume, nothing beats a Mac. Different tools for different roles.

[nxman]

Sorry but after reading your review i didn't understand whats wrong with your ThinkPad you say excellent build quality excellent keyboard whats your problem then!!!