Lenovo T410s leaks out, features not one but two ThinkLights
By Nilay Patel 
posted November 16th 2009 6:26PM
posted November 16th 2009 6:26PM
[Thanks, Adam]
posted November 16th 2009 6:26PM
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The T410 is my next laptop. I hope they incorporate some of the features of the s series into it, like that touchpad.
I love the trackpad on the T400s deeply. I wish every company (cough HP) would go in that direction.
I am liking all these CULV laptops, but they all seem to be deficient in some way. The HP has a terrible touchpad, and hte Acer has a crappy keyboard. Even the U350 seems to have issues, but I would like to see what happens with the U150.
So we can no longer rate the writer's comments? THAT is what are you changing the commenting system?
agreed . . . hp has been on such a decline for the last two years with its tracks, its amazing how it could happen. I mean they don't even market their wireless mice that much.
The problem with HP's touchpad is that there is too much drag on the pad. Just spread a thin coat of vegetable oil on the pad and you're good to go!
Thinklight?? Have they heard of backlit keyboards?
I would rather have a keyboard that doesnt have a ton of space between the keys.
Backlit keyboards do not require to have space between the keys. Just because Apple uses that design doesn't mean it is a requirement for backlighting. My Studio XPS 13 doesn't have spacing between the keys.
The backlit keyboards are way sexier, but the thinklight is more useful for getting stuff done.. ie, when the pager goes off in the middle of the night, you can use the thinklight to see your keyboard AND your securID token...
All the thinklight on my T400 does is blind me. Now there is going to be two?
Great...
I have the Latitude E6400, and I have no spacing between keys, nor large keys on my backlit keyboard. The same applies for my Logitech illuminated keyboard.
Apple introduced the first backlit keyboard on laptops back in 2006 when the Macbook Pros were not unibody and didn't have chicklet keys.
You can easily find where you put your stuff, like tiny SD card you pulled out from your DSLR, black iPhone turened over right next to your laptop, own hands and fingers, so on in darkness. Try looking for anything smaller than a paperback with lights from LCD and keyboard light and you easily understand what I mean.
ThinkLights AND backlit keyboards are only for boys and girls who can't type blindly.
In my opinion, people should learn this at school, since we live in the 21st century and almost everybody should be able to use a keyboard.
Anyway, this is gonna be a badass computer! I'm really looking forward to this! :)
Yeah...I'm never using a laptop without a backlit keyboard again. Apple seems to have figured it out, everyone else needs to get with the f-ing program.
i have the unibody alu macbook without the backlit keyboard and while it would be nice it's not exactly a necessity if you actually know how to type
Tell me why backlighting is better than the Thinklight.
Personally, I'll take either backlit or Thinklight, they both are equally good to me.
backlit is less distracting for people around you.
there.
One thing I dislike about my unibody vs. powerbook g4 is that the keys are black. I can't read them at night without the backlighting like I could with my powerbook using the light from the screen. I know I should be able to type without looking but when I'm laying in bed it's a bit different than sitting at a desk. Plus with the new keys being completely flat, and the spaces in between them I find it harder to type.
I don't exactly understand the need for the lights.. if I need to see stuff in the dark I just open a blank page or google...
So it lights up the keyboard withe the light coming down from the top of the screen? Wouldn't that interfere with viewing the screen? I don't know, I don't have a Lenovo, but I have a MBP (not a fanboy) and I 'm liking the backlit keyboard, but if this works as well, to each his own.
"Wouldn't that interfere with viewing the screen?"
No.
I have a business thinkpad (no camera, a light instead of it. Cameras not allowed at work). The light is absolutely useless.
Why don't they just backlight their keyboards? Something I have never understood is why Apple is the only company I know of that does that.
Cause Apple uses alien technology..... DUH..
Asus and Dell also have backlit keyboards.
Ummm Asus does that too if I remember correctly.
You should really google before you talk?
HP does it too, maybe if you looked outside of apple.com...
Ok sorry I missed it, but I have never come across one. And as a matter of fact, my father has a HP elitebook with a 12.1 inch screen and is has the same light thing as the thinkpads, so it must not be standard on HPs.
Thinkpad keyboards are designed to be spill proof, there are channels and holes beneath the keys to guide the spilled liquid to get out without shorting the internals. (Only to some extent of course. If you pour so much liquid that the liquid flood to other area, you could still kill the laptop.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q9ugshAO58
Until someone figure out how to make a back-lit keyboard that is spill proof, I prefer a keyboard that is spill proof to one that is back-lit.
This is more subjective opinion: A family member of mine has a Macbook Pro. I like the track pad, but really hate how the keyboard types. Putting lights into the keyboard requires significant modification to the construction of the keyboard,and that would change the way each individual key's response when typed on. Most reviewers, if not all, agree that Thinkpad keyboards are the best among all laptops (in terms of comfort and response). I would rather have a keyboard that types great, than a keyboard that light up but sucks in terms of typing experience.
Yeah there's definitely a different feel using backlit keyboards, but I don't mind it. I guess it's all about the spill proof and durability factor.
alienware as well
Battery life?
HAHA! batterylife shouldn't be a concern with the T series. All you need to know is that it'll last you longer than you can stay awake. My thinkpad stayed 10 hours straight on medium-low once on a very busy day in college and i still had about half an hour left once i got home.
@khtse:
Correlation does not imply causation. I have my pre-unibody Macbook Pro and the keyboard types great. I agree the new keyboards are cheapish, but it's not caused by lights in the keyboard.
@Eli +1 I hate having to tilt my screen down to type in the dark, love Apple's backlit keyboards. To me the "ThinkLight" seems like they're doing it the hard way just to be different.
*cue Apple haters*
the hard way is one LED light?
Also the T20 came out with the Thinklight first, in 2000. The first Apple laptop with keyboard backlighting was the Powerbook G4 aluminum in 2003. So it appears to me Apple is doing it the hard way just to be different ;)
yeah, it's like the way some of those darned car makers started producing vehicles with automatic transmissions and electric starters. Just doing things the hard way, to be different.
But the FN key is still in the wrong place. I hit it at least 10 times a day by accident when trying to copy and paste.
I love having the FN key in the corner, it makes it easy to find the thinklight in the dark (bottom left to top right). It takes some time to get used to but it make sense.
You will be able to switch it: http://lenovoblogs.com/designmatters/?p=2885
Well, thinkpads have the best laptop keyboards out there, thats the word from a lot business experts, and a backlit keyboard would change the thinkpad feel to some extent
also, can you view an important paper under the light with a backlit keyboard? i doubt you can :)
not that i hate backlit keyboards they're nice, but as each to his own as haubey said.
Not anymore they don't and if you read reviews you will see that a lot of people have been unhappy with the latest Lenovo keyboards. In fact so many people we unhappy with the T400 keyboard that Lenovo had to offer a kit to fit a sheet under the keyboard to make it less bouncy. It helped but not much. I have a T43, T61, and a T400 at home. The T400 keyboard is noticeably not as good as the others and the build and materials quality is not as good.
Terry, from the pictures we can see that the keyboard is the same as the one from the T400s. The T400s keyboard got very good reviews. The new T410 keyboard should be very nice unless Lenovo changed it for the new model.
to each his own, yes
but for viewing papers, thinklight does get the job done
MS Paint?
Yes. Why? Because not everybody can afford Photoshop or wants to illegally download it.
Sure, there's still Gimp. But why bother if you can do some basic stuff in seconds with MS Paint?
Ok.
ThinkLight & backlit keyboards: let you see the keys.
ThinkLight but NOT backlit keyboards: give you an actual light!
Many times I've been in the dark, and the ThinkLight helped me see the keyboard. But I also had actual papers with me that I needed to deal with, and thanks to the ThinkLight I could see them fine.