Config questions about T440s

So, if the Black Friday deal tomorrow is equal or better than the current 22% off with the B&N/coupon combo I might pull the plug on the T440s. I have two questions:

1) I have been following all the T440s and T440p forum threads as well as other Lenovo forums and threads over the years, but since this would be my first Lenovo laptop, I don't have a lot of T440s specific research time between now and tomorrow, so are there items that you would definitely upgrade when ordering that I am missing or you would change, and consider a no-brainer? I will be dual booting Windows and Linux. I know that I want at least the following

a) At least the i5 4300 processor because I will be doing some virtualization. I have a 4 core hyperthreaded i7 2.8 GHz desktop at home to do anything extreme, so the i7 at its price premium seems a bit much when I will be spending most of my time using it for web browsing on the go.
b) The Full HD IPS 14" screen. This is the #1 reason I am finally considering a Lenovo laptop for home (I have used them at work). #2 is the lightness compared to the regular and older T series.
c) The Intel AC version of the wifi card, just because it costs only a little more. I see that it works with the more current versions of Linux.
d) I have always ordered the pro versions of Windows because I would use some of the advanced features. Not sure this still holds true with Windows 8.1
e) I thought I came across issues with the lower wattage power supply, like it wouldn't charge with the laptop turned on or something similar. I guess the tradeoff is the weight?
f) 3 cell second battery to keep the weight down.
g) Warranty, not sure. I might just keep the basic warranty as I am already paying for a laptop that is supposed to be durable.
h) Display port to HDMI cable so I can hook it up to my large monitor.
i) I already have a usb keyboard, mouse and dvd burner that I share with my other desktop and raspberry pi single board computer.
j) No docking station as I would probably only use an external mouse when feasible.
k) I will order the cheapest mechanical hard drive and lowest ram amount. Later I will upgrade to a Samsung Pro or EVO (It is still up in the air whether the Pro model works properly with the T440s) and also fill up the remaining ram.

2) Once I get the laptop, are there things I should check right away to make sure that there are no issues that will require an immediate return, as it may sit dormant for a while? The things I will check or do are:

a) First make recovery and Clonezilla image backups.
b) Check for stuck pixels or pixels that will not turn on. Is there a program to do this? I can't imagine seeing this with the naked eye.
c) Make sure the backlight bleed isn't horrific.
d) Test basic operation of each piece of hardware.
e) Test basic operation of various Windows programs.

 

Pull the trigger or pull the plug?

Myself, I would pay the extra $85 for the 3 year depot warranty vs. the 1 year depot it comes with standard. You can't replace very much in a $1200-1500 laptop for $85.

FWIW, I'm trying to decide between the T440S and the HP Elitebook 840G1 "Smart Buy" config F2P20UT#ABA. The 20%+ discount makes the T440S fairly attractive in an add your own SSD / RAM sort of way. However the reports of the Samsung 840 Pro not working correctly and the bottom of the system being very hard to remove (needed to do those upgrades) are giving me pause. Additionally, I'm not real keen on the soldered 4GB of RAM instead of a 2nd SODIMM slot and the reports of backlight bleed.

 

Oops, I got tired of proofreading. I guess I kinda overdid it on the length of the post, but that's what happens when you are an engineer. Yes, you have a point about the warranty. I suspect the Samsung issue will be resolved, but I will wait until I am sure, worst case buying the EVO version if it doesn't. Hopefully someone comes up with a definitive way to remove the bottom without breaking any of the latches. I don't watch movies on laptops, so I am not too concerned about the backlight bleed, unless it is really bad and it effects basic viewability. I know that companies have both consumer and business models of their products, but over the last few years Dell, and to a lesser extent HP, have put a really bad taste in my mouth with regards to the reliability of their products. 99% of the time when someone asks me to take a look into fixing their computer it is a Dell. I wish building a laptop was as easy as building a desktop. For the last 20 years I have been building my own custom desktops, and every one of them are still running and are being used for something.