Lenovo's
ThinkPad SL510 is just one of
many new lappies hitting the market with
Windows 7 in tow, but unlike most of the consumer-oriented machines, this pup is aimed squarely at that fellow over there looking mighty uncomfortable in the suit. Their test version, which included a 2.53GHz CPU, 3GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD and a $1,024 price tag, was found to be a real champion in terms of performance. The machine itself starts at just $520, and while the upgrades here definitely had an impact, they were also pleased with the multitouch trackpad, overall typing experience and bundled business tools. The only knocks? The "bulky, staid design" and low screen resolution, but something tells us a few of you won't see the former as a negative. Hit the read link for the full skinny.
posted Oct 25th 2009 4:35AM
tits!
The SL series are not true ThinkPads. Lenovo continues to sully the name.
that's true!
Racist!
God i love Lenovo Laptops. Had a T41, X60 and now im using a T60p and they are wonderful. Sturdy, powerful, and they have a track point. I wish they were cheaper but you get what you pay for with these.
Sturdy? Maybe back when IBM was making them... I have a t400 from work, and it's anything but sturdy! The extended battery jiggles (mind you this is a brand new laptop). The piece of plastic (bridge) that is over the PCMCIA slots is very weak. If you press hard enough you'll probably break it... Now i will say, that it's silent, fast, and has it's share of business perks...
I guess mine are all IBM branded.
I wish they had these in college, instead of those low-end rm portables.
This one's a winner in my books though, just for the ample keyboard & buffed graphics (discrete 4570). Not to mention the 520$ price tag!
Working in IT, I love lenovo's business laptops and their "bulky, staid design" keeps them looking great for years trooping through the worst of it. Lenovo does a great job supporting them (except for the big wtf when it comes to switcheable GPUs and windows 7 drivers that I just got myself into). Might be purchasing some of these if I cannot get a batch of older T500's preinstalled with windows 7.
By 'bulky and staid' what they mean is 'immune to anything short of a nuclear strike'.
Loose the colored keys and bullets and that fugly logo and i bet their sales would go up 50%.
I love these Thinkpads as well but my god are they ugly :'(
The coloured enter key is there for usability. Much like you have coloured buttons on a remote control.
I really fail to see how these are ugly. They are functional and practical, but also have their own distinctive style which while it may not be to everyones taste is not ugly.
Colored enter key for usability? I'm pretty sure everyone doesn't need to look at the keyboard to identify where this key is. It just looks weird now.
More info here on colour and how the keyboards on Thinkpads are designed, if your interested:
http://lenovoblogs.com/designmatters/?p=219
http://lenovoblogs.com/designmatters/?p=1565
Design Matters is one of the better company blogs, David Hill writes about interesting areas of design and sources of inspiration. Feedback from users is actively sought through polls and comments etc.
It's more than just a crude attempt at selling.
What makes this a "business" laptop versus another laptop? I've never really understood what makes a laptop a "business" laptop? Sounds like a marketing gimmick to me.
NO media controls, NO build in Webcam, Better Build quality(because business people travel allot). Possibility to DOCK the laptop.... all those things normal consumers don't need/Want !
In addition to what Finnschi wrote, business laptops are also optimized for total cost of ownership and ease of repair/upgrade, since they are usually bought by businesses for their employees and thus must deliver maximum value.
How do you optimize for total cost of ownership and ease of repair/upgrade on a business laptop? How is a "business" laptop easier to repair/upgrade than a laptop that isn't marketed as "business"? I really want to know why people think this way.
I have a new Dell Inspiron 1750. It costs me $500. It's just as easy to repair or upgrade as any "business" laptop but it isn't marketed as "business" even though I'm using it for the time being for my business and my school. So does that mean I can't use it as a "business" laptop cuz it isn't labled as a "business" laptop?
My point is that marketing terms like this are a ruse, a farce. There's plenty of well built laptops that aren't labeled as "business" yet "business" people use them.
BTW, Thinkpads do have media controls and built-in webcams. The main difference is better durability features, better thermal design, less weight, and modular components for longer life, mobility, and ease of repair/upgrade. The tradeoff being less sexiness and higher prices for more exotic materials/more challenging design.
@ Wayne
For example, it is very easy to take apart a Thinkpad and strip it down to its bare components (even the different types of screws used are clearly marked on the chassis, and the instructions are super detailed). It is also easy to access the main components such as RAM (1 or 2 screws), HDD (1 screw),CD Drive (it is modular, you can remove it replace it with a battery also), battery (two locks), etc. Your Dell can probably be taken apart easily too, but many media laptops can't. Apple computers come to mind.
What the Dell probably doesn't have is a magnesium or carbon fiber chassis, drain holes, "owl" fan, as advanced of a cooling system, as much durability testing, gyroscope to disable the hard drive, etc. All this is for total cost of ownership. Other features perhaps unique or desired by business users would be: security software that comes standard, remote disabling option, great keyboard feel, lower weight, lots of ports, great support and warranty.
i've owned a t60 but now own a ideapad (went cheap). the difference between lenovo's thinkpad(business) models and ideapads are apparent. the keyboard on the thinkpad are known to be the best on any laptop. they have a much sturdier feel. some of the newer ones even include titianium roll cages. the matted covering makes keeps it fingerprint free and professional looking. video cards includes with thinkpads are usually spartan with money spent on other areas... like modular bays and docking station ready.
i think the main reason for the business moniker is because for the price, you actually get a pretty sturdy no-nonsense laptop. of course, you can use any laptop for business, but the thinkpad just makes it more convient in certain areas.
In addition to the above you usually get better support with a business laptop (even when you have a $500 business laptop vs a $2000 consumer laptop the business laptop owner usually gets treated like a king, while they couldn't care less about the consumer laptop owner), you get a matte display, etc. The choice of hardware also may differ, e.g. you usually get integrated graphics, or if they use discrete chips, then (usually) the workstation models... FireGL, Quadro, ...
Basically business laptops have better support, are sturdier and are focused on usability rather than design. -> They are meant to be used. The design is also less flashy, more corporate.
In short: Business laptops rock, wouldn't get anything else. Esp. since some of them are not more expensive than consumer laptops, and if you get a T series Lenovo there is a good reason why you pay more.
Hows that a business laptop?
arent the SLs lenovos consumer thinkpads?
I'd rahter have a X or T series
Exactly! The SL line is geared more for the home user. Real Thinkpads are the T-Series and X-Series and the workstation W-series. I'll take a T400[s] over any monoblock aluminum or monoblock translucent polycarbonate overly heated bottomed one mouse button having lappy any day!
LazyLittleBoy, I agree. I hope Lenovo don't go in the way of Asus (with eee) and dilute the Thinkpad line.
What a great looking laptop. Really. Simple, clean lines AND NO F**KING GLOSSY/PIANO SURFACE ANYWHERE IN SIGHT, not in the case, not in the screen!
I simply cannot understand the glossy/piano finish mania. Piano finish makes everything look just plain cheap (and disgusting after a while) and glossy renders displays unusable.
Thank god for Lenovo and other business laptop makers.
Well, I think glossy (can) looks great when new. That being said I love the matte finish on my Dell Vostro... It is scratch free, after 1 1/2 years and travelling all over the world. It basically looks new (except for the keyboard and the touchpad, which is glossy now...), try that with a glossy notebook which will scratch as soon as you look at it.
Oh, and matte displays are awesome, though I want a Pixel Qi display.
Word, I can't understand the gloss finish either. I remember shopping around for laptops 6 months ago, and every laptop bestbuy had was glossy and crappy looking...wtf.
Kenji buy this laptop you know you want to. oxoxoxoxoxo
This comment has been left by me
::waiting for the T510:::
Dude, it is butt ugly. Always has been and probably always will be but I guess beauty's in the eye of the user. No. Scratch that. It is ass ugly.
OK, which joker came up with the 1024 (2^10) price tag :)
As others have said, that's not a real Thinkpad. Besides, a top of the line T400 can be had for less than $1k and that'll blow the socks off this thing.
The beauty is that 4 or 5 years later, people will be impressed that you didn't have the less problem, that you're battery is quiet ok and that the performance are the almost the same that the first day.
I got a friend who got a thinkpad, damn I was thinking it was two years old: it was for! I was just reminding of the 4 years old laptops (which aare still working) that I have seen recently and I have understood why lenovo are so good...
your use of language is more problem. as battery okay quiet that the first day i read this. maybe do for crystal meth less.
True, but I have a four year old Acer (trust me, it has been abused a LOT), and the only thing I changed was the LCD's casing, which cracked because it fell during a flight.