Help Picking a ThinkPad

I've been bouncing around laptops and just don't know what to pick anymore.

I came to the ThinkPad brand for quality and reliability.

I'm in college and want a laptop that is portable. Originally, that brought me to the X230 but I feel that that is just too small of a screen for me. Then I jumped up to the W530, but I think that will be too heavy to be considered portable. Finally, I arrived at the T430s and it seemed great for me...then I found out that it has a pretty bad screen. Screen quality and resolution is important for me because I use my laptop to watch a lot of TV shows and movies.

I'm honestly getting frustrated at this point trying to find a good laptop. Is it that I would need to turn to consumer-made products like a Macbook Pro or HP Envy? I thought about maybe buying the X230 and getting a monitor for my dorm...but I think the X230 screen is too small for use when I'm at the library, for example.


Edit: Wow I just noticed I misspelled ThinkPad in the title...honest mistake haha.

 

There is a lot of ground between X220 to T/W530. But if the extremes aren't good, and a decent screen is important, you either have to wait until 14" X1 Carbon (should be available soon, with a decent 1600x900 panel, but far from cheap), or turn to consumer stuff.

Or get the 430s for work, and some sub $300 10" Android tablet for watching the shows. Pretty much all have decent screens (if you can tolerate 10"). Total weight of 430s + the tablet will approach that of W530 though

 

I heard that the X1C has a ULV processor, am I correct? I am really not interested in less than a standard voltage.

What other laptops are at least somewhat near as reliable and well built as a ThinkPad, but more fit my needs?

 

Yes. There are speculations that once X1C start shipping, Lenovo could make the panel available for other 14" as option. Just speculations

I'd look at Sony Z. Not cheap, but well built and light, and they have light hi-res matte 13" now, and the keyboards are better than Asus-es.

Samsung have been trying to enter the business laptop category, with roll cage, spill-proof keyboard etc (and unlike Lenovo, Apple, Dell etc, they actually manufacture everything including LCDs, and not just order from Compal etc.). Haven't been following the exact models, perhaps there is something interesting in 13-14" there.

 

My honest opinion is that the X2_0 is a great laptop, and I think it would work really well for school. I just got my X220 and I can tell that this is going to be my primary machine for taking anywhere that I need something portable, you would be surprised how well the 12" IPS screen actually works, I find it just as functional as my T510 for doing my work... Now, this is MY opinion and some people may not agree and your results could very... Maybe you could find someone that could let you see one in your area, or see if someone at your school already has one...

If you REALLY need a bigger screen, the T5_0 series is pretty nice, the screen is higher quality than the T4_0 series and it won't be as bulky as the W5_0 .

 

Hi, I'm also a college student and I just purchased my T430 with the 16:9 HD+. If you're thinking about getting a monitor, why don't you get the T430 with the free HD+ display upgrade right now?

Also, I believe that if screen is really important to you, the T530 has the full HD display option but it was too pricey for me If you don't mind spending extra 200 dollars I would go for it.

 

T520 series and W520 are exactly the same. Only options and GPUs are different.

 

As the user of a T500 and X120e, I would definitely say a 15" laptop is too large for practical/comfortable portable usage. Lecture hall tables are tiny, and having your laptop sticking halfway off the desk is rather annoying.

Personally, I would recommend getting the X230 and an external mouse/keyboard and an external monitor for the desk. At least for me, the X120e screen is not too small even for hours of work in the lab or the library when I'm on campus.

 

@power7 if I were to drop that much money on a laptop, I think I'd just get a RMBP to be honest. the RMBP basically fills all my needs, but I want something that can "weather the storm" and always be reliable and upgradable. That's why I want a ThinkPad.

@icecream12345 I'm worried about the screen quality of the T430, which I have read is disappointing. The T430s sounds perfect except for that one major problem.

@MidnightSun and @nkull For the X230(t), I am worried that the screen will be too small for me. I am 6'4" and have heard that big people need bigger laptops. It sounds great for a lecture hall, but what about in the library? I can't bring an external monitor there (well I could get that ThinkPad display thing, but I don't know about that) and the X230 display would have to be sufficient enough. I am also worried that its resolution will be too low for me.

 

It's a 12" laptop, the resolution is completely adequate. The keyboard is full size too, go to a store and try looking at a 12" laptop then.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

 

I see no reason why that would be the case, since the X230 has a full-size keyboard. It's easy to see whether you can live with 1366x768; just go to any Best Buy or other computer store and chances are most 14"-15" laptops will have that resolution.

I've done a lot of Excel spreadsheet work and shuffling of a bunch of windows on my X120e. Sure, it's not ideal, but if it's a matter of library usage, I'm sure it'll be fine.

Alternatively, you could consider the X1C when it comes out later this summer. High-quality 14" HD+ screen, and weighs less than the X230. It'll be much more expensive, though.

 

That's not a good comparison, 1366x768 on a 12" is much different than seeing it on a 14"-15".

 

Hang on to that feeling of yours.

It is valid and can be practically verified by using a real notebook. Let no one persuade you. It is your money, time, enjoyment and productivity.

 

RMBP is about the same size as T/W530, and is just a pound lighter. If you need quad CPU and 15"+ screen when mobile then sure, but otherwise X230, Sony Z, MBA are in another league size and weight wise.

Yet another possibility is T520 with dual core, without discrete video and with 6 cell battery (rather than 9 cell). It's relatively portable, and does not require a huge power brick. When the warranty expires, can self-upgrade the screen to FHD (the panel does not cost anywhere near $250 Lenovo wants for upgrade).