3000 series vs Thinkpad

Do anyone know how Lenovo's 3000 family notebooks compare to Thinkpads?
They're a lot cheaper, and Thinkpad is practically synonymous with quality (or at least, were when IBM was in charge)

So do anyone have any experience with both families to say if there's a difference in the quality?

 

a small comparison here ==> http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...-category-id=653343E0DE54435882FABC3CE1BC569A

 

The Thinkpads will have far superior build quality.

 

Yeah, I've been looking at that. But what I'm after is what the actual quality is like, and I doubt I'm going to find anywhere on Lenovo's website where they say "Our 3000 notebooks suck, and will fall apart in a month", or, for that matter "Every bit as high quality as Thinkpad, so you might as well save 50% of the price and buy these instead".

That's why I'm asking here. Do anyone have first-hand experience with them? Exactly how bad are they? Are they "great, but not quite up there with Thinkpad", or "don't bother, it's a piece of junk"?

 

Ive only used the N100 so I cant speak for the others.

The main two differences i saw is that the N100 is bulkier then a thinkpad and it looks a lot more plasticy. If you have an office depot around you give them a call since Ive seen a few there.

 

They feature a glossy screen, something thinkpads have yet to offer.

 

I would suggest looking at the multitude of excellent reviews on this site and other sites for the 3000 series and the Thinkpad model you're considering just like you might with any other comparison between two brands. It'll probably be more helpful if you can find a two reviews (one for each) written by the same person so that their opinions and expectations are kept relatively consistent.

I do know that they share some of the same underlying components as well as Lenovos use some of the same factory installed utilities and software found on Thinkpads in the Thinkvantage center, but they go by a different name and may have some more business-oriented featured 'neutered'.

I'm sure the quality is not on par, nor is the chassis or case material or suspension system - that's all quite a bit of stuff to do with the durability and reliability of the laptop and hardware within. How much of a difference I can't say.

In general you can be assured that you will get what you pay for when it comes to laptops - especially when it comes to the same company selling two different 'lineups'. The question is - is the 'extra' that you get for paying a premium worth the difference to you, or not?

I bought a Thinkpad T60 because I need a laptop that is extremely reliable. If my laptop dies on me, despite having backups, it can seriously hinder my ability to get my IT consulting work done... meaning basically having a more reliable laptop makes me more money. Not to mention if it died on me at the wrong time at home or in the school semester it could be a pretty big blow, too.

 

Quality wise I didn't think the 3000 was bad, but they are less expensive. It is a trade-off.