Lenovo Thinkpad or looking elsewhere?
Thread poster: Maksimoff
Maksimoff
Maksimoff  Identity Verified
Lithuania
Local time: 01:28
English to Russian
+ ...
Jul 12, 2016

I am thinking of a laptop upgrade (due to the age of the machine). I love Thinkpads, but my budget is somewhat limited (in ideal world not exceeding 1K).
Should I look at Thinkpads with Intel i5 or i6 which are falling within the budget range or would I get anything comparable from somewhere else (Dell, Asus Zenbook) etc?


 
Jo Macdonald
Jo Macdonald  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:28
Member (2005)
Italian to English
+ ...
i5 and you're good to go Jul 12, 2016

Hi Maksimoff,
I just got an E560 directly from Lenovo to replace my Hp Probook as the display had started peeling open like a banana.

So far I'm happy with the Thinkpad. I switched the fn and ctrl keys in Bios and it only took me a day to get the system up and running more or less like the old one (without the banana effect).

I configured it with the best IPS high res display which is great btw, no flickering when dimming. Might need to update the Intel graphics d
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Hi Maksimoff,
I just got an E560 directly from Lenovo to replace my Hp Probook as the display had started peeling open like a banana.

So far I'm happy with the Thinkpad. I switched the fn and ctrl keys in Bios and it only took me a day to get the system up and running more or less like the old one (without the banana effect).

I configured it with the best IPS high res display which is great btw, no flickering when dimming. Might need to update the Intel graphics driver as I'm getting occasional black screen with Studio, but it only lasts for a few seconds and happens once every few days.

I got one stick of 8GB RAM so I can chuck another 8 GB in if needed but probably not, and an i5 as for what we do there's really no performance gains with an i7 and on average i7 will give you about 1 hour less battery life than i5 on anything but idle.

The Thinkpad cost me just under €700 (before VAT) so I got a 500 GB SSD, Samsung EVO for another €165 (VAT included) with an enclosure, cloned the drives and use the original HD as a new backup. The cloning process went really smooth once I'd downloaded the latest version of the data migration software from the Samsung web site. The CD that came in the box didn't like Windows 10.

Like this the system is fast, runs silents, no fan or heat to speak of, and the battery is supposed to last about 8/9 hours although I haven't tried it yet.

Allow about 2/3 weeks for the Thinkpad to arrive as they build them to order in Singapore then ship them with UPS.

Let me know if you need to know anything else.


[Edited at 2016-07-12 17:01 GMT]
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Anton Konashenok
Anton Konashenok  Identity Verified
Czech Republic
Local time: 00:28
French to English
+ ...
Thinkpad all the way Jul 12, 2016

Very few brands will compare to Thinkpads in terms of reliability and resistance to physical abuse. In fact, if the price is the same, a used Thinkpad will in most cases be better than a new Dell or Asus. There are plenty of places in Europe or the USA selling refurbished Thinkpads coming from corporate leasing programs for a very reasonable price.

 
Maksimoff
Maksimoff  Identity Verified
Lithuania
Local time: 01:28
English to Russian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Prices seem to nearly the same Jul 12, 2016

Anton Konashenok wrote:

Very few brands will compare to Thinkpads in terms of reliability and resistance to physical abuse. In fact, if the price is the same, a used Thinkpad will in most cases be better than a new Dell or Asus. There are plenty of places in Europe or the USA selling refurbished Thinkpads coming from corporate leasing programs for a very reasonable price.


Yes, I was researching online and figured out that price is somewhat similar. I still want to go for a new machine, so what model would be your advice for Thinkpad below 1K?


 
Maksimoff
Maksimoff  Identity Verified
Lithuania
Local time: 01:28
English to Russian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
i5 - sounds good Jul 12, 2016

Jo Macdonald wrote:

Let me know if you need to know anything else.


[Edited at 2016-07-12 17:01 GMT]


I saw someone on the forum strongly advising not to buy any new machine with anything below i7, so I was somehow concentrating on that. And also looking more into T-series, but the price is above my range.
Otherwise I am planning to have a setup quite close to yours, and thank so much for timing reminder, I better hurry up with delivery times in mind!


 
Merab Dekano
Merab Dekano  Identity Verified
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
ASUS Jul 13, 2016

Never used Thinkpad. Always relied upon ASUS (more specifically, my current machine is a 17"/i7/8GB ASUS F751L).

If you use external keyboard and large screen, your laptop mostly stays closed. Therefore, "physical abuse" becomes irrelevant. In any case, why should you abuse your laptop in the first place?

This machine will fall within your budget. In fact, you'll probably get a 16GB version (which you don't really need anyway).


 
Anton Konashenok
Anton Konashenok  Identity Verified
Czech Republic
Local time: 00:28
French to English
+ ...
To Maksimoff and Merab Jul 13, 2016

Not sure about the prices you can find, but the most rugged among Thinkpads are the series T (full-size), X (compact) and W (full-size or larger with extra features). And don't get fixated on i7 vs. i5 vs. i3 alone - the numbers after that designation are equally important. To check performance of a specific CPU, look e.g. at http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

As to abuse, this
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Not sure about the prices you can find, but the most rugged among Thinkpads are the series T (full-size), X (compact) and W (full-size or larger with extra features). And don't get fixated on i7 vs. i5 vs. i3 alone - the numbers after that designation are equally important. To check performance of a specific CPU, look e.g. at http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

As to abuse, this is never intentional. And this is not just spilling coffee on the keyboard (Thinkpads do have liquid-proof keyboards, by the way), but also e.g. vibrations and shocks while travelling by car or train - no matter how small, they tend to reduce the life of our devices - or abrasive dust borne by the wind, or many other factors. Of course, if you only use your laptop at home and with an external monitor and keyboard, the abuse is minimized, but why would one then need a laptop in the first place? On the other hand, if you travel a lot and often work on the road, having a rugged machine is a must.
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Elizabeth Faracini
Elizabeth Faracini  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 19:28
Member (2010)
Italian to English
+ ...
Thinkpad T series Jul 13, 2016

I highly recommend the Thinkpad T series. I have had a T530 with an i5 processor for almost 4 years.

I agree with Anton that they are rugged and I always bring mine with me when I travel. I purchased mine from Lenovo with the specs I wanted for around usd 850.

For me, the price is well worth it, and I personally wouldn't consider buying a different brand.


 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:28
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
W-series Thinkpads are robust Jul 13, 2016

Elizabeth Faracini wrote:
I agree with Anton that they are rugged and I always bring mine with me when I travel.

I have had a W520 for about 5 years that has stood up to the travel well, including a couple of hefty knocks. It's fast and capable and the 15" screen is decent. The downside is that it is heavy and the power supply is huge. If I were to buy another Thinkpad I would go for one of the X-series.

I have used Thinkpads exclusively for "work" laptops over the past decade or so, but I am quite interested by the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 now that the teething problems seem to have been resolved. The question is whether I can deal with a 12" screen - and the expense.

Dan


 
Jo Macdonald
Jo Macdonald  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:28
Member (2005)
Italian to English
+ ...
Power packs Jul 13, 2016

The power packs that came with the E560 are tiny, and the 12V one only cost €55.
The computer is only supposed to use 45W methinks.

I had a look at the new T series but it looked like they have 2 batteries for international flights, etc, no CD, and are quite a bit more expensive than the E series. Also if you have a look on the forums there are quite a few complaints about the high res screens on the new T series being affected by PWM flicker when dimming and I don't want an
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The power packs that came with the E560 are tiny, and the 12V one only cost €55.
The computer is only supposed to use 45W methinks.

I had a look at the new T series but it looked like they have 2 batteries for international flights, etc, no CD, and are quite a bit more expensive than the E series. Also if you have a look on the forums there are quite a few complaints about the high res screens on the new T series being affected by PWM flicker when dimming and I don't want anything that will kill my eyes if I'm looking at it all day. Apparently the cheapo E series has a better screen that the T and other more expensive offerings for some reason, at least from what people who bought these flagships (and are sending them back) are saying online.

[Edited at 2016-07-13 15:39 GMT]
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Angela Dickson (X)
Angela Dickson (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:28
French to English
+ ...
9 years and counting Jul 14, 2016

I'm still using a 9-year-old 15" Thinkpad T60 and based on that I would certainly recommend the line, though it was expensive at the time! All it has needed in that time is some more RAM, installation of an SSD and a new battery, so although the outlay at the time was eye-watering, the cost of ownership has been pretty low. It's never been my main machine but it has been a solid reliable laptop for work at home and on the road.

I have heard that newer ones aren't so reliable, though
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I'm still using a 9-year-old 15" Thinkpad T60 and based on that I would certainly recommend the line, though it was expensive at the time! All it has needed in that time is some more RAM, installation of an SSD and a new battery, so although the outlay at the time was eye-watering, the cost of ownership has been pretty low. It's never been my main machine but it has been a solid reliable laptop for work at home and on the road.

I have heard that newer ones aren't so reliable, though, so if I were you I'd have a careful look at some reviews before deciding to buy another.
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