Lenovo's ThinkPad T400s in the wild, still waiting on an official debut
By Paul Miller 
posted June 11th 2009 11:00AM
posted June 11th 2009 11:00AM
posted June 11th 2009 11:00AM
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Talk about timeless design...
Some things just never grow old - and the ThinkPad design is one of them :-)
Classic thinkpad, robust, reliable solid.
I love the red dot, more function less gimmic.
This design is timeless, no need to try and re-invent a wrench...
i know, right? you see one of these things expecting some windows 3.1 ancientness, then you get blasted with hi def adobe cs4 shizzle and you feel like you're in some reverse dimension. thats the feeling i get when i see some of these nowadays... scary
I have the X300 and a T61, this might very well be the best of both worlds. Probably a little heavier than the X300/301 but still less than 4lbs.
Awesome!
Too bad they went cheap on the keyboards starting with the T400s. My t400 keyboard definitely isn't as good as my previous Thinkpads. It's still good but now has flex.
There was a period of time where they would send a free replacement keyboard to anyone who complained- the newest production runs of the T400/T500/W500 have either the old keyboard or a redesigned support structure. I'd get in touch with Lenovo to get it fixed.
I read that they switched back to the thicker/sturdier backplate after getting complaints about the issue. Maybe you should try calling them, they might send you a new keyboard/plate to install.
Shh ... I picked up on your sarcasm (I won't tell).
The guys at Engadget would give you anything for a shiny piece of plastic, just as indigenous people do. That tells you a lot about the development state of their brain.
not anymore...
Totally agree with you, one of the best classic design I ever saw, I just love the feeling of using it and the performance is superior, I am so happy they added SSD, yay =D
Their slogan should be:
LENOVO, Forever Ugly.
Function key on the left of the Left-Ctrl key :(
Why can't laptop manufacturers decide on a standard to place the Fn key?
I'm pretty sure that's where they have been on Thinkpads for quite a while.
UK/European Keyboard, you can tell by the placement of the @ symbol and the inclusion of the Euro symbol on the number 4 key. I really want a ThinkPad.
@MatthewJ
I've got a US keyboard and the function key is placed in the same spot, to the left of the CTRL key.
That said, I still find it odd that they've placed that key under the left shift. Although Lenovo preserves the usual order of the keys (Ctrl - Win - Alt), years of conditioning on a standard keyboard layout makes reaching for the CTRL key on their layout rather awkward.
WafflesWaffles:
The solution is to remap the keys so that your CapsLock is now Ctrl.
Exactly, the function key is best easily found, and caps lock shouldn't exist in the first place. Everything works out just fine with a little remapping.
That's where it's been since at least as far back as the T40, which is six years old now. It works fine. If you want something to complain about, ask if you can order a keyboard without the Windows key.
They are perfect utilitarian machines. The attention to detail and usability is excellent.
Are they still designed in Japan?
I believe the design and manufacturing is now done in China
The Thinkpads have always been designed by the Raleigh division and this group was acquired by Lenovo when they purchased IBM, so design still occurs in the States. I'm sure it's manufactured in China, just like every other computer now
http://lenovoblogs.com/yamato/?page_id=3&language=en
The big question for me is the graphics options. If there's 9400M available I'm (almost) sold!
Thinkpads have a history of going with ATI, so I'm a little skeptical. That being said, the 9400M has made quite the splash, so who knows what'll happen.
If you even bothered to click the read link, you'd see that it only comes with integrated graphics.
Ya got me. I did not bother to read the article. Woops!
Last time they went nVidia, they got burned. (Then again, the W700 does still use nVidia chips, but the T series went nVidia exactly ONCE, with the T61/p.)
And, last time they went for a non-Intel chipset, they got burned. (The R51e. Oh god, does the ATI Radeon Xpress 200M suck. They didn't even get the IDE controller right.)
omfg i cannot wait. brought back the red lines on the touchpad and its lighter than my current T400.
guess i'll be giving this away to my brother.
Or you suck at sarcasm...
sorry. comment system failure.
Lenovo has the shitiest designs and style I have ever seen. This is not bad if you don't care and want a somewhat rugged machine. However, most people - want something that looks as good as it performs. Something that does not look like a construction worker carries around.
Dude, seriously? I guess that's a pretty typical elitist attitude; my stuff looks nicer, so it's better then yours. But you know, most business-minded/professionals care more about functionality over style.
For the record, I love and will always love the styling of IBM/Lenovo over that of glossy laptops that try to sacrifice function for form. Then charge extra for said form when the function is terrible.
as said in the first comment, this is a timeless design. you may hate it but there are many who appreciate and love the design.
I haven't owned a Thinkpad since they were owned by IBM, but those have to be some of the best laptops ever built. In particular the T and X series were tough, light and extremely functional.
Didn't you know? Utilitarian is the new sexy.
with a comment like that...it makes it pretty obvious that you're not in the corporate world, and probably just some kid that trolls around endgadget. The thinkpads are about as a tried and true of a design as there is...if it ain't broke, don't f*ck with it.
Really? When I see someone with a Lenovo I know they mean business.
Apparently that's something I have in common with the majority of the corporate world.
Lenovo makes the BEST looking laptops period: all black, no fingerprint prone materials. To me, all other laptops look shitty in comparison.
@Al
We have been a IBM/Lenovo shop for a long time now. I was worried about the IBM to Lenovo move, but I must say that nothing has changed. They are the same rock solid laptops they were when under the IBM umbrella. I have been so impressed with them that I have sold them on a few family and friends and they love them.
Well, to each his own, but this is a true example of form following function. These laptops are awesome looking and have been since the 90's. The MacBook Pro and the Thinkpads are the pinnacle of laptop design, and are far better looking than any of the crap made by Dell or HP that looks like it was designed by the same person that designed the Pontiac Sunfire.
I also get sick of hearing people bitch about companies needing to change or update the design of the their laptops. A laptop is a slab with a keyboard and a screen in the lid. There are no other viable configurations. What are they supposed to do, add LEDs and gold spinners? Companies have trademark designs, even though the MacBook Pro is "all new" it is still very much the same overall minimalist design (aluminum slab). Likewise the Think Pads. Dell has their designed in the 80's by GM look, and IMO there attempt to create a laptop with "good design", the "Adamo", is a weak effort, when compared to the Apples and Lenovos, and even some stuff from MSI and Asus.
I don't disagree with what everyone said about its function and form. IBM's definitely got the quality. I wouldn't call it 'timeless' on the styling, but rather, economical. Though it's just a keyboard, trackpad, and couple extra keys but I almost wished they could do something minimal to the surface to give it that tiny bit of refreshing design. Every model seems to be almost identical makes the overall 'visual' impression to be a bit blend. IF they have a model design for designer (like w/ trackpad & battery the size of Apple's) I'll be all over it!
Despite what Apple may have convinced you ADD addled mind, minimalistic design does not equate to "Ohh, shiny!". The IBM/Lenovo are the best when it comes to both function and design in Windows based laptops. Thinkpads have always been, on the business end, both the design and build quality equivalent of the Macbook Pros, dating back to the PPC days of Apple. I just wish they would refrain from placing those stupid Intel/Windows stickers on their laptops.
You know, I said it is good if someone wants a rugged machine. However - MOST people want a machine that looks good as well as it performs. So what if it's "corporate" oriented. The majority of people are NOT corporate. They are home/end users. Every day people. Corporate people don't have a choice. I am sure if they did, they would pick something that also looked good.
Noticed I said the design/style is shit. I never said the machine itself was shit. These guys are very durable and can take a beating. Again, they lack in design and style. You CAN have both. I have seen it before and it exists today. For the people that mentioned Apple, go fuck yourselves. I am tired of hearing the back and forth banter and bullshit. I am a PC user. Not an Apple user. I love my windows. However, it doesn't matter.
The people who mostly post here are geeks and nerds. Most normal people do not. Also, who cares if your in the corporate world with your drab black laptop (Lenovo), your drab black phone (Blackberry) with your drab black car (BMW) with your drab black suite, shoes, socks and underwear. Who cares. Just because your stuck with a shit design doesn't mean everyone else should suffer. "It means business". Uh huh. It doesn't mean shit.
Anyways - I am getting off my soap box :)
If you all can't realize that I am not serious and this is all in jest - your more shallow than I thought, or are 12 :D
You said: " However - MOST people want a machine that looks good as well as it performs. So what if it's "corporate" oriented. The majority of people are NOT corporate. They are home/end users. Every day people. Corporate people don't have a choice. I am sure if they did, they would pick something that also looked good."
That's such a biased argument, it makes me want to send you back to school. Yeah we said it's a corporate-themed laptop line, but the fact that a design that has worked so well, and has been loved so dearly by it's users is evident that it works very well. Yes there are a lot of people who would prefer the shiny/glossy/(in my opinion shitty/cheap) laptop they can sit in a coffee shop with and be oogled over by other hipsters. But for, you know, adults who like subtle style, Thinkpads are elegant.
Most corporate poeple that I have met/friended/worked with care, and this is the god-honest truth here, more about function over form any day of the week. Looking good while getting the job done is such a after thought, it's almost not even a secondary objective. Get the job done, and done right is, and will always be, top priority.
Home users should look into the Ideapad line. Flashier colours, more multi-media friend controls/designs, and look, it's "puuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrttttttttttyyyyyyyyy." Seriously, if you want flashy laptops that get you invited to the next circle jerk at the coffee shop, don't look at thinkpads. Go buy your self an Apple, and you'll be the toast at the party if that's your sort of thing.
Dude, I dunno about you, but I'd rather have a plain (read: Lenovo industrial design) girlfriend that puts out (read: has some actual power and features) and actually contributes to the relationship (i.e. will stick around for years and years) than running after a Playmate (read: Apple aesthetic design) who's way out of my league (read: Apple tax) and (stereotypically speaking) will end up divorcing me (read: breaking on me) or cheating on me (read: run Windows instead of OS X, in which case, why are you buying a Mac in the first place?).
Lenovo > Apple.
I absolutely LOVE the Thinkpad design. It never looks old- unlike that shiny junk you can get at Best Buy. I'm not a business user but rather a student and could never imagine wanting anything else.
Well, the "Apple Tax" isn't that much.
I just configured a T500 on Lenovo's site, and a 15" MBP on Apple's site, and the equivalent configurations come out to $1554 for the Lenovo, and $1699 for the Mac. That's only about $150 more.
2.53 Ghz P series
4 GB RAM
Camera
LED backlit screen
250 GB 5400 RPM drive
Vista Ultimate.
The only feature the MBP doesn't have is the 7 in one reader slot, but the Lenovo doesn't have FW 800 (AFAIK) so I consider this a wash.
The Apple Tax is mostly mythical. Yes, Apples cost more, but it's not the twice as much or "thousands more" that people always spout from their pie holes, and frankly, the aluminum unibody case cost a lot more to produce than an injection molded plastic body.
I like both designs. I've had Think Pads and MBPs. In my personal experience both brands outlast Dells and HPs (Compaqs) by a 2 or 3 to 1margin. My MBPs and TPs have average life spans of 4 years. Dells I'm lucky if I can get 2, and I've had a LOT of Dells. the 5150 was the worst of the lot, I think...
@craigj
The tax is a bit less than that. There's really no comparing Intel integrated graphics to NVIDIA.