For a college student: size and other differences between R400 and T400?

Hello, I am struggling with buying R400 or T400. I am planning to buy a laptop for my daughter who is going to college this year.

I want something small, light, good performane, but practical and not too expensive. I am thinking about R400 or T400.

Is R400 a good choice in this situation?

I looked all over places for the comparison between the two systems. Based on my information, the two systems have the same size (height/width/depth), is this correct?

I made the same configuration on both systems, but T400 costs $100 more. So my question is: what benefits does T400 really bring?

Here is the config:

Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9400 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2)1
Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic12 (I will upgrade it myself to save cost)
14.1 WXGA+ TFT, w/ CCFL Backlight
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD w/ 1394
2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM) (going to upgrade it myself)
UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad)
160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm4
DVD Recordable 8x Max Ultrabay Enhanced (Serial ATA)5
No Bluetooth
Intel WiFi Link 5100 (AGN) with My WiFi Technology10
6 cell Li-Ion Battery60


Thanks so much for any input or suggestion!

Cheers!

 

T400 has rolling cage.

If it is only 100 difference, i would suggest you go for T400.

Rumors say T400s will be released around June sometime. If you are not in a big hurry, you may also consider to wait a little while, probably till August befeore semester starts.

I am also a college student, but doctoral level. So portability is my major concern. That's why i shifted from my T400 to X200s now.

 

Both the R400 and the T400 have a roll cage and from what I have heard there is very little to distinguish between the R400 and the T400 in terms of build. The only differences are with regards to the availability of the ATI graphics card in the T400 series(atleast true in the US) and the R400 doesnt seem to have the ultra-slim optical drive option. I would say get the R400 if its cheaper, it should work fine for school use.

 

Hello, thanks for your input!!!

>>T400 has rolling cage.

What do you mean exactly?

>>Rumors say T400s will be released around June sometime. If you are not in a big hurry, you may also consider to wait a little while, probably till August befeore semester starts.

What did you suggest T400s? A cheaper model?

>>If it is only 100 difference, i would suggest you go for T400.

I am interested in your suggestion. Any rational behind it?

Thanks!

 

Both machines have the same size, correct?

 

You would be hard pressed to tell the T400 and R400 apart standing next to them. The R400 is slightly thicker and heavier than the T400, but other than that, they're very close. The reason to go with the T400 is if you want some of the premium options like WWAN or the GPU.

If you're looking to save some money, go to the Outlet and look at both the R400 and R61. Sometimes there can be some good deals in there. I might suggest also as a cost saving measure dumping the T9400, and also getting the minimum hard drive and memory, then upgrading it yourself. Unless you've got a need to run CPU intensive apps 24/7, like Handbrake or crunching Access databases, the marginal value of the T9400 is very low if not zero. If you're going on the internet or typing up papers, you'll notice no difference between the P8600 and the T9400, plus the P8600 offers better battery life. It's usually cheaper to upgrade the memory and hard drive later as Lenovo overcharges for them and it's pretty easy to do. You can then sell the old drive to offset the cost. Or you can throw it in a case or the ultrabay for backups.

 

Yeah, almost the same size. Here's the official size comparison for the R400 and the T400 from lenovo's tabook...

R400
6-cell 14.1W" (WxDxH): 13.2" x 9.4" x 1.2–1.4"; 335.5 x 238mm x 31–35mm
Weight 6-cell: starting at 5.1 lb (2.3kg)

T400
6-cell 14.1W" (WxDxH): 13.2" x 10.6" x 1.1–1.3"; 335.5 x 270mm x 28–32mm
Weight 9-cell: starting at 5.4 lb (2.4kg) this will be lower if you choose the 6 or the 4 cell option.

 

ZaZ, thanks for your practical suggestions!

A quick question related to "The R400 is slightly thicker and heavier than the T400". I have a T500. Do you happen to know whether T400 and T500 has the same height? I would like to know how T400 relates to T500 in terms of height and thus I can develop a physical feel about what you meant by "The R400 is slightly thicker and heavier than the T400".

I found this information about T400:

Dimensions
335.3x238x27.6x31.9mm (4/6-cell battery)
13.2x9.4x1.1 - 1.3"

Do you happen to know why its height varies? (27.6x31.9mm or 1.1 - 1.3'')

Thanks a lot!

 

The T500 is bigger and I think that's the important part. Any difference in thickness will not noticeable unless you're hyper-sensitive to these things. Though I probably should should be a Lenovo designer, I am not, but my guess would be it's thicker in the rear at least in part to accommodate the optical drive, which sits in the rear. It's also why the R400 is thicker because it uses a taller optical drive.

 

I would wait for the right sale, its possible to get a t400 for really cheap if there is a good coupon. Outlet also has a bunch of rather cheap t400s. I am a grad student myself and chose the t400 due to the option of having a switchable graphics, which are great.

 

This isn't exactly help with the R400 vs T400 question, but could save you money anyway.

You should look into what software the school provides. For example, my school provides XP SP3 for free, Vista Ultimate for $5, Office 2007 for free, Symantec Endpoint Protection V11 (enterprise-quality anti-virus), along with great discounts on specialty software like Photoshop, AutoCAD, and Matlab.

Also, check out Lenovo's Education store: http://www.lenovo.com/shop/deals/usstudents
I would also recommend the Outlet store, if you can catch a good deal.

 

zenit, what do you mean by a good coupon?

Go to www.fatwallet.com and see this 15% coupon plus 6% fatwallet cash back.

http://www.fatwallet.com/cash-back/Lenovo/

Isn't this deal REALLY good ENOUGH?

Cheers!

 

i've seen 20% off coupons. Right now I have a quote saved for a t400 in this config...which i might purchase later.
The price is $682

Its all about catching a deal and then saving the quote.

2764CT CONFIGURED SYSTEM
42X6336 SBB INT.CORE2DUOPROCP8600
42V8012 VBB MS WIN VISTA HOME BASIC
44C1269 SBB GEN WIN VIS HOBAS 32 US E
42X6317 SBB 14.1 WXGA +TFT
42X6315 SBB AMD M82XT HYBRID 256MB
42X6306 VBB 2GBPC3-8500 1067MHZ1DIMM
42X6355 SBB KYB US ENGLISH
42X6322 SBB ULTRNAV(TRACKP+TOUCHPAD)
42X6348 SBB 160GB HDD/5400RPM
42X6345 SBB DVDRECORD.8XMAXDUAL,ULTBAY
42X6312 VBB EXPR.CARDSLOTXN7-1M.CARDR.
44C8733 SBB THINKPAD B/G/N
42X6328 SBB INTG.WIR.WIDENET UPGRAD.
42V9338 SBB 6 CELL LI-ION BATERRY
39T6442 SBB COUNTRY PACK NORTH AMERICA
42X6388 SBB LPACK US ENGLISH

 

zenit, you are smart! that is about $200 less than what the best deal I can have.

then I have to wait

 

zenit, when you convert an order to a quote, you dont have to buy it, correct, which means you dont have any financial obligation on a quote, true?

thanks!

 

T400 and R400 are almost identical, except the fan, dvd drive and the bottom part of the case. They share same motherboard( same FRU), same top part of the body( screen, same FRU ) in fact R400 weight slight lighter if u put all the parts into a T400 case.

 

bfe130, thanks so much for your information!

regards.

 

i just ordered a t400 for my grandfather.

$763 after a 15% off coupon.

T8600 processor
2GB (1dimm)
160GB 5.4k HDD
Vista Business 32-bit
LED backlit display, no camera
Ultranav w/ fingerprint reader
Base trim CD/DVD-ROM
Bluetooth
Intel 5100 wireless card
6-cell battery

I thought that was a fair deal.

Your daughter is lucky getting a notebook like that for school.

Sure as hell beats a big box retailer notebook lots of grads go to school with!

 

Not bad, I got the same configuration with a WXGA LED Screen + Cam for $674. It'll be here next month.

Gonna upgrade it with another DIMM of 2 GB DDR3 Memory from newegg when I get it.