Can somebody convince me?? Thinkpad or Asus?

Hi,
I can't decide between the two laptops (specs below). ANY FEEDBACK WELCOME. (the price of both are the same).

I'm wondering whether the added advantages of the newer Haswell CPU of the Asus will outweigh the fact that it has a lower GhZ.

What I need the laptop for: MAIN PRIORITY; Business/professional (it's my livelihood); lots of Word, opening/closing docs/revisions, lots of internet screens open at the same time, downloading pdfs (not huge ones though). SECOND PRIORITY: skype (difference in camera qualities here?), occasional Photoshop, occasional Youtubes etc. NO GAMING.

Also: I don't move the machine around alot. It'll be mostly at home and be used with an external monitor (except when skyping) and external keyboard.

Finally: I will be upgrading to SSD and to 8GB.
_______

ThinkPad T530 2392APU 15.6" LED Notebook - Intel Core i5 i5-3320M 2.60 GHz, Hard Drive RPM : 7200, Screen Resolution : 1600 x 900

ASUS K550LD-DB51-CA Notebook Intel Core i5 4200U (1.60GHz) 6GB Memory 750GB HDD NVIDIA GeForce GT 820M

 

if you are doing this for business there is no choice, lenovo 100% almost anywhere in the world they can get you next day onsite service.

 

I do like ASUS products as I use their desktop motherboards in my computer builds but I admit their support is lacking. When my mobo was killed no thanks to their buggy BIOS software they didn't seem to be interested and just left me in a lurch. Fortunately the place I bought it from was a bit sympathetic to my cause and was able to give me a replacement (actually an upgrade over the original mobo plus cashback - thanks eBuyer!) but the ordeal gave me a sour taste of ASUS support.

Lenovo's support should be a bit more accessible, though it does depend on where you are based to be honest. ThinkPad support is generally good in the US but elsewhere you may find yourself coming up against resistance over trivial matters. Personally I had mixed results with Lenovo's support where I live (UK which is handled by IBM). Some were good (overnight expedited replacement keyboard - great!) and some not so good (refusal of warranty work over hinge failure after 5 months - boo) so your mileage may vary.

 

If you are used to a ThinkPad (judging by the T530 in your signature), there are no substitutes. There are some competitors that meet ThinkPads maybe half way (Dell Latitude, etc), but once you've owned a ThinkPad, you don't really want to buy other products. Also knowing where you live in the world would help.

 

I rank Asus support last among Brands I've owned. ThinkPad in the top 2 .

 

Googled the ASUS, it has the exact same res screen as the one in my sig. I went from my 1080p desktop to the laptop and initially had a hard time adjusting, over time I'm okay with it now but if I had the option to pay more to get a better res I would so do it as webpages will look different from what you are used too. Even thought I really like my ASUS and I would recommend the brand to other people( not support-wise), between the two you gave, defiantly go for the thinkpad. It suits you better, great warranty for peace of mind at night, built like an ox, thinkpads look professional versus ASUS' macbook look on the inside with textured plastic lid looks funky to me (I do have mocha coloured metal around the keyboard on mine so I'm not one to talk), extra power won't matter much in what you do,
@Tsunade, searching the ASUS, I think they're looking for it in Canada.

 

I've owned many-a-thinkpads and a few Asus laptops. Although I never had any real problems with the Asus systems, they were nothing compared to the quality of a X or T series Thinkpad. For business/work stuff, the Thinkpad wins hands down and the keyboard is still the BEST out of any KB out there. Some of the older Thinkpad keyboards were better than the current models in my opinion, but its still better than anything any other manufacturer and produce. You would really only go the Asus route if there was some light gaming needed...

 

I agree with the recommendations so far (although you might have gotten some different answers from the Asus forum). My last computer was an Asus and my current is a Thinkpad. I like both systems, but the Thinkpad is built better, has a better screen, better keyboard, and better speakers. The Asus had a better touchpad, but the Thinkpad has the trackpoint, which I've found useful. I've dealt with support from both companies and neither are perfect.

In your case, the Asus uses a low voltage processor, which is going to be slower under load than the standard voltage processor in the Thinkpad. The Thinkpad is also going to be easier to upgrade. A number of the lower to midrange Asus systems use clips to hold them together, so you have to pry the case apart after removing screws to upgrade. With the Thinkpad, you just have to unscrew the screws and open a couple panels.

 

I would say the thinkpad if it is a T,W or X series. I can not stand their cheap consumer models personally, in which I would actually say the ASUS

the other options to a good thinkpad are the Dell Precision and HP Elitebook and Zbook lines. for global support I actually find I have better luck with the Precisions. Lenovos Support is very hit and miss in some countries as others have mentioned.

as for the t530 you are looking at, I find its 900 display pretty sub par to be honest.