Had a T42, then a Dell D630, then a Macbook Pro - T410 next?

[paul_1011]

Just sold my MacBook Pro 13" on ebay. I enjoyed the experience of owning a Mac for a while but ultimatley found that I was much less productive when using it. I found the keyboard to be an annoyance and the screen resolution restrictive, although the screen itself was fantastic.

So once again I am looking at a new Thinkpad, I used a T42 for a number of years and that was really a great laptop that I worked really hard and it never let me down. One thing that always let it down was the poor screen and it sounds as though things have no improved much, not a massive problem as I will use an external screen most of the time anyway.

Looking at this one:

http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/Sea ... CatId=3589

Any thoughts on this specification or other things I should be looking out for? What appealed about this model is that the screen resolution is not quite so widescreen and you get a bit more vertical viewing space.

Any advice much appreciated, quite looking forward to getting back to owning a thinkpad.

[Colonel O'Neill]

The screen quality with T410's seems to be a luck of the draw thing. Some people get good panels, others mediocre ones. If you want to be sure you get a good panel, go for a T510 and HD+ display.

The one you linked has discrete graphics, but doesn't say if it's Optimus equipped or not. Lenovo only began shipping out Optimus models on October 6th. Optimus would greatly enhance battery life, although similar results can be achieved on discrete only models by underclocking the GPU while on battery power.

The keyboard on MacBook Pros are quite mushy and awkward to type on. The recent T410 and T510 keyboards are awesome, although slight flex may or may not be present (depending on how well torqued the screws are). Nonetheless, there exists many interim solutions to flex issues as can be found on Youtube or other forums.

[paul_1011]

I would like a T510, but I think it will be just a touch too big for me. I need it to be able to fit in my hand luggage while travelling easily and I don't think the laptop pouch on my bag will fit a 15" comfortably. But I will check out the dimensions now. The Lenovo website does not seem to make it clear what HD+ is, what resolution it runs at, or infact any information - unless I am missing something?

I have just read up on Optimus and it seems a worthwhile thing to have if it is available now. Is this stated in the technical details when purchasing normally?

[dr_st]

HD+ stands for 1600x900 resolution. HD is 1366x768. FHD is 1920x1080.

[Colonel O'Neill]

When ordering on Lenovo now, the graphics is labelled as Optimus. Something like NVidia NVS3100M Optimus or something on the configurator.

The T510 is a smidge bulky, so the T410 is probably your best bet. As long as you don't need the screen for professional photo editing, you should be fine. Although you might (but doubt it; they're probably out of Samsung panels) get one of these: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 61#p589261

[paul_1011]

Well, I think I am just going to go for it.

Going to get the laptop, a Dell 24" Ultrasharp monitor, a Microsoft bluetooth keyboard and mouse and a docking station of some description.

I would like to make sure I get the Optimus Prime, but ordering through the Lenovo UK site is very expensive compared to the normal channels.

hmm, will see what I can find over the next couple of days.

[paul_1011]

So I just ordered the laptop via the Lenovo UK website. It actually worked out cheaper from there with the 10% discount code I used. Plus I was also able to downgrade the battery to a 6-Cell which is something that I wanted. Ended up going for this specification:

- Intel Core i7-620M Processor (2.66GHz, 4MB L3, 1066MHz FSB)
- Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64
- 14.1 WXGA+ TFT, w/ LED Backlight (WWAN antenna)
- NVIDIA NVS 3100m Optimus Graphics 512MB DDR3 with AMT
- 4 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM) at 1066MHz
- UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
- 500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
- DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
- 6 cell 2.6Ah Li-Ion Battery - Dual Mode
- Bluetooth w/ antenna
- Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (3x3 AGN)
- Integrated Wireless Wide Area Network upgradable
- 2516: 1 Year Depot Warranty - TopSeller

One Question - is it possible for me to upgrade to a 3 year warranty next year before my 1 year standard warranty runs out?

[Harryc]

Nice machine Paul. Yes you can upgrade during the year. Just don't forget because I believe the cost would be higher if the warranty has lapsed.

[ThinkRob]

One Question - is it possible for me to upgrade to a 3 year warranty next year before my 1 year standard warranty runs out?

Yes, but you can't add accidental damage coverage later (I think you have a 90-day window in which to do so, but if I were you I'd call to double check.)

[Colonel O'Neill]

I thought it was 30 days?

[paul_1011]

I am not too fussed about accidental cover damage, I have that cover in another insurance policy.

I have the machine now and I am very happy with it. I was even going to post a photo of my setup becaue I thought it looked so smart and then came to the conclusion that is something people do with cars, not laptops!

It's very quick compared to my core 2 duo PC.

[ThinkRob]

I thought it was 30 days?

That may well be. I can't remember when the cut-off is -- but it's definitely <= 90 days.