About to buy ThinkPad T510. Would appreciate expert advice before the plunge!

What's WWAN Antenna in display? Do I need that? It's the same price is the one without WWAN!

What's this graphic option with "always on USB"? Is that good or bad?

I'm going for the HD+ (will have to wait 4 weeks for the shipment, but I just can't go as low as plain HD). Is the display quality as great as people say of the FHD but with lower resolution? Or is it a different display altogether?

I mostly work from home, hooked up to a keyboard and monitor. I could use a docking station, but I don't know which one I need. There are:

* ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 (US/Canada/LA) and
* ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 for Mobile Workstations (US/Canada/LA)

What are the differences between the two?

I know these are a lot of questions. Unfortunately, these newly introduced specs are not sufficiently explained on Lenovo's site.

So, thanks for reading this far and I have one last question in this post:

I'll buy with my Visa credit card and will use the Visa discount. Can I get additional discount on top of that using a coupon or something? I've tried a few days ago to apply some of the coupons I found online but they got declined.

If you're curious, here are my current configurations:

• Intel Core i5-540M Processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L3, 1066MHz FSB)
• Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64
• 15.6" HD+ Anti-Glare Display with LED Backlight
• Intel HD Graphics with Always On USB
• 4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
• Keyboard US English
• UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
• Camera, 2.0 MP
• 320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
• Multi Recorder Optical Drive (12.7mm)
• Express Card Slot & 5 in 1 Card Reader
• 9 cell 2.8Ah Li-Ion Battery - Dual Mode
• Bluetooth w/ antenna
• Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250
• No WWAN support
• ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 (US/Canada/LA)

Total: $1,402.09

Thanks a lot,

MK

 

If you ever install a wireless broadband card, this will be the antenna. I ordered that option for future proofing.

I thought always on USB was on all T and W 510 models. It is a USB port that keeps power available even if the computer is off. Used mostly for charging accessories. It can be turned off in the BIOS.

I have the HD+. It is a fine display. I haven't run it on full brightness at all. I've not seen the FHD, but the specs indicate that it is brighter still. I think you would describe is as a different display altogether.

Check these photos........
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=6040143#post6040143

The only difference is the power supply (90W vs 135W for the workstation model). The workstation one is for W510 which draws more power.

I agree.

Don't know about this.

I would go ahead and get the WWAN option without the GOBI card in case you want to add one later.

I'm getting 4-5 hours with a similar configuration (integrated graphics) and the 6 cell battery. So the 9 cell is only necessary if you need more than that. It adds weight and protrudes out the back of the computer.

When I ordered the 500GB drive was on like $30 more than the 320GB. I thought that was definitely worth it.

Great machine overall so far!

Cheers!

.

 

Yeah the HD+ screen is nice, but it is a totally different screen than the FHD. I've never seen the FHD in person so I can't comment on exactly how it differs, other than to note that the FHD has a 95% colour gamut, whereas the HD+ does not (it's lower--don't know the actual figure mind you). I really like mine and have no complaints about it (other than I think it will be a bit dim to use outdoors on a medium-to-bright-day even at the brightest setting). I think it's the perfect resolution for the screen size, but your milage may vary with your preferences and eyeballs.

I ordered the WWAN antenna too "just in case", since it's zero extra cost. My configuration is similar to your other than amount of RAM and HDD space, and I went with the Intel 6300 WiFi instead of the 6250 since I don't need WiMAX support.

I think everything else was really well described by pstrisik so I'll leave it at that.

 

Well I have the RGB LED with 100% gamut on the M17X-R2, and honestly, I don't find it to be that much better than a CCFL (non-led) screen. Though many people find it amazing.
Moreover, I don't think that the FHD is available yet. It's gonna be back in a few weeks, but if you need the system asap - go for it.

 

Docking station is only really useful if you unhook the laptop frequently and also use it with a monitor/keyboard. If the laptop spends most of it's time on your desk, then save the money and skip the docking station. It's not something you need for external monitor/keyboard, just a convenient way to connect/disconnect quickly.

 

It also keeps cables from sticking out of the side of your laptop.

.

 

Thanks a lot everyone for your help!

I tried to order online but Lenovo won't let me because even though I have a U.S. shipping address, my credit card is international. I ended up having to buy from a local store here in Dubai, and prices are much more expensive here

And I didn't find a T510, but I found a really comparable machine.

T410 (with integrated graphics I think). Here's the specs as reported by Lenovo's website:

i7-620M(2.66GHz), 4GB RAM, 250GB FDE HD, 14.1in 1440x900, 256MB nVIDIA NVS3100m, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11agn, WWAN upgradeable, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, Fingerprint rdr, Camera, 9c, Win7 Pro 64, 3 yr international warranty

I shelled out $1730 for this (no docking station. Will pay and get that later next week)!!!!

But I must say, this machine feels really, really good. Reminds me of the old, solid IBM ThinkPads, except this one is as thick as a brick. An old T40 I had was really thin.

Yeah, it's not necessary, but it's really convenient. I hope it would make me less attached to my desk and more willing to work outside. And if I don't buy it, I'll have to buy another monitor with HDMI or Display Port because I only got DVI and VGA. I don't wanna use VGA because my Xbox is hooked up to that.

 

The displayport is compatible with hdmi, which is compatible with DVI, so all you need is a cable or adapter to convert from displayport to dvi. Monoprice.com has them for about $10. I understand the convenience of the docking station, but wanted to give you another option.

 

Sorry about the price. Look on the bright side though, the 3 year warranty is included. Also yours has the exact same graphics card as the T510.