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    I want to buy a T400/500 as my first laptop, but I need clarification on some questions please

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by YYZ, Nov 22, 2008.

  1. YYZ

    YYZ Newbie

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    Hi, thanks for the great forum first of all, I recently discovered it while doing some research for a new laptop for school. I am pretty sure I want a Lenovo T series of some kind, but I need some answers on some questions before ordering.

    I need this laptop for a private college that I'll be attending. It is for running a software program for using a stenographic machine (typing in shorthand). I will be commuting over 90 minutes/day total to and from this school so I will also use it for basic computing AND watching videos (some 720p content as well). It will not be used for games since I play online games and I have a good desktop PC for that already, this is supposed to be for school and work anyway.

    I'm not sure if I need a 14.1" @ 1440x900 or 15.4" @ 1680x1050. Is this something I have to check in person?

    Also about the graphics card, I will opt for the integrated graphics, but I need to know if it plays 720p videos in various formats without any problems (including MKV)? Did any non-gamers here get the discrete graphics and found that they absolutely needed it for some applications that they didn't think of beforehand?

    Also about the hard drive, does 7200RPM make a big difference in load times and does it use more battery?

    If I order the Genuine Windows Vista Business downgrade to Windows XP Professional configuration, does it come with a Windows XP Pro disc? Do I still need to clean install? I'm not sure what this option actually does, on Lenovo's configuration page.

    The biggest memory hog that I run is Firefox 3.0 with a lot of tabs open, can take up to 500MB of RAM. Should I get 3GB anyway or just stick with 2GB? It is not that much more costly. The program I'm running for school/work is fairly basic, not memory or processor intensive.

    From the FAQ

    1) What is your budget?
    ~1500


    2) What size notebook would you prefer?

    Not sure, but at least 14".


    3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.

    Canada


    6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?

    Mostly desk, but also commuting.


    7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?

    No.


    8) How many hours of battery life do you need?

    ~6 is sufficient, but I will probably opt for the 9-cell and an extra battery.


    9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?

    No.


    10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

    Windows XP


    12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

    matte.


    13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

    no.


    14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

    At least 3 years, will probably buy a new model after I'm done school which is 2 years from now, if all goes according to plan.


    15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?

    120-160GB seems fine.


    16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?

    Only for installing the initial software, after that it may be replaced with a battery add-on.
     
  2. philosopherdog

    philosopherdog Notebook Consultant

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    I'll answer the XP question. It's a disk that just factory restores it to an XP Pro install with all of the driver. You will need to update everything because it's only SP2 and the drivers have been updated on their site, but you can just run Thinkvantage and that will update everything automatically. It's easy. Takes about 3 hours. I think it's wise to do the downgrade. You should be able to find a coupon for at least 10% off of Lenovo Canada. Vistaperks.ca also has a great deal if you buy it through a Visa card. Personally I think the 7200 HD is better, but that's personal. Mine shipped with a Seagate Momentus. Nice drive. Don't bother with 3 gb. If you can just get one stick of 2 gb. XP doesn't need 3 to run. 2 is ample. You can get the coupon codes, or do the Visaperks thing and still call Lenovo directly. They'll honor the coupons. I saved 10% and then found there was a sale the next week and they refunded another 10% after the fact on a price match. Personally I'm very happy with the T400 so far, but I got the Elite with the backlit LED and the switchable graphics card. I'm sure the lower end model is going to be plenty powerful for what you're doing.
     
  3. chen

    chen Notebook Deity

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    You are right that you are better off with integrated graphics, however if you don't mind paying more for dedicated graphics you could go with it since the dedicated option for T400/T500 is hybrid so you can always run ur integrated graphics. If you are traveling a lot, go with the T400 and you won't need to the power of the T500's dedicated graphic. For the integrated graphics, the Intel x4500HD supports up to 1080 content so it can play those videos if it can do wat it says it can. You will see better load time with the 7200rpm harddisk over 5400rpm harddisk if they are of the same capacity. Finally, it's better to go with more RAM as long as you are willing to pay for them. Your multitasking potential is better + a bit better battery life as u dun access HDD as much.
     
  4. YYZ

    YYZ Newbie

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    Thank you for the answers, I will check out some 14" and 15" (hopefully with WSXGA) laptops to see which one I would prefer.

    If I downgrade to XP and update all the drivers, will I still be able to switch between dedicated and integrated graphics? I thought I read somewhere that you need Vista to do that? Not sure.
     
  5. superduty

    superduty Notebook Consultant

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    With Vista you can switch graphics on the fly.

    with XP you must restart computer and go into BIOS to switch.
     
  6. canona95

    canona95 Newbie

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    I would say T400, the switchable display cards does make a lot of different... for battery you can switch it to integrated and for performance switch it to discreted... the only 3 things T400 lack are smart card reader, media card reader and HDMI... if u can survive without these 3... then will be a good deal to you... also the heat generated from T400 are good, you can actually lay it on your lap while working with it... T61P can't do this...
     
  7. jonlumpkin

    jonlumpkin NBR Transmogrifier

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    The T400 with integrated will work just fine for you. The x4500 MHD can easily handle XP (or even Vista Aero), video playback (including 720P .mkv files), and light gaming (Civ4 and other strategy type games).

    1680x1050 will give you more screen real estate for multi-tasking and increase the DPI (make text smaller). However, I think this is only available on the T500, and this is too heavy for your use.

    I would actually recommend you consider a slightly smaller laptop. You are computing daily and want the lightest weight possible. Any of the x200 variants (standard, 's' or 't') will work very well for you. The screen is only 12" (you said you wanted 14"), but it is ample. It uses the same integrated processor, keyboard, chipset, etc. as the T400 but is about 2 pounds lighter (very important for daily mobility).

    The primary reasons to buy a T400 over an x200 is the switchable graphics, integrated optical drive, and T series processors. You did not indicate needing any of these, and the extra 2 inches of screen is not enough of a reason.

    Any of the x200 variants will suit you well. They all use DDR3 RAM, 2.5" hard drives, and similar processors (Core 2 Duo, in either low voltage or medium voltage options) to the T400. If you can afford it, I would recommend either the x200s or x200 Tablet for the reduced weight and improved features respectively.

    The x200s is only 3.05 lbs with the 9 cell battery and is rated at 13.2 hours of life (compare to 5.4 lbs and 9.8 hours on the T400). The x200s also features a 1440x900 LED screen (same as T400, just a bit smaller with consequently higher DPI). However, this option does not offer a webcam or integrated WWAN (probably not important for you).

    The x200 Tablet is slightly bigger and heavier than the x200 (3.88 lbs with 8 cell battery and 10.2 hours of life), but it has a fantastic AFFS+ screen, and the tablet functionality is quite useful for note taking, document annotating, and reviewing (all important for students).

    I really think you should consider an x200 variant as the reduced weight will be appreciated, and you won't miss the minor step down in performance. Also, I would recommend you get 2GB in a single DIMM. If/when you need more RAM, it is trivial to upgrade it (a 64-bit OS is required to address 4GB+) and this will be cheaper than buying it upfront.