I've settled on the T500

I'll probably sleep on it for another day or two, but at this point it looks like I'll be ordering a T500 with the following specs:

ThinkPad T500 - 1 Yr Depot Warranty

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9400 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2)
• Operating system : Genuine Windows Vista Business 64
• Operating system language : Genuine Windows Vista Business 64 US English - Is this just additional info for the OS? Not sure why it's listed as a separate line item.
• Recovery DVD: Microsoft Windows XP Professional US English RDVD - I seriously doubt I'll ever use it, but it was free and may help resale value down the line. No reason not to get it, right?
• Display type: 15.4" WSXGA+ TFT, w/ CCFL Backlight - The LED display (well, and the portability) was what made me seriously consider the T400 (I wouldn't do WXGA on a 15" machine, so no LED option there). All of the spec sheets I looked at showed the same brightness (200 nit) and higher contrast ratio (500:1) on the WXSGA+ CCFL, though. Also, I can always make use of more desktop real estate.
• System graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 with 256MB
• Total memory: 2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM) - I will, of course, but adding another 2GB stick, myself.
• Pointing Device: UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
• Camera: 1.3 Megapixel Integrated Camera
• Hard Drive: 160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
• Optical device : DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
• Card Reader: 7 in 1 Media Card Reader
• System expansion slots : Express Card Slot & Smart Card Reader - I just couldn't think of any reason I would need a CardBus 32 slot, so I figured the Smart Card reader would provide a little more structural integrity to the palm rest if nothing else.
• Bluetooth: Integrated Bluetooth PAN
• Wireless card: Intel WiFi Link 5300 (AGN)
• Mobile Broadband: Integrated AT&T Mobile Broadband Card (3G) - $30 is dirt cheap for this option, even if all I ever use it for is GPS.
• Battery: 6 cell Li-Ion Battery - Hope I don't regret not choosing the 9-cell, but I'm not a big fan of protruding batteries and the added weight.

Accessories and options:

• 3 year depot 9x5 Next Business Day
• ThinkPad Serial ATA Hard Drive Bay Adapter II - Still trying to figure out how I might get some use out of the displaced DVD-R/W drive that doesn't require springing for a dock. HP has an external slim enclosure for that, but it doesn't look like Lenovo makes anything like that.

I saved a quote during the last big T-series sale a week or so ago, so as long as they still honor it, I'm looking at about $1322 the above build including sales tax.

I really wanted a more portable machine, to tell you the truth. I spent a couple of weeks trying to talk myself into an X301, x200 or even an X200t (I still love the added functionality and IPS screens on the X200 tablet), but in the end, what I really needed was a strong processor (I'll be running Microsoft Visual Studio and various server environment in virtual machines), a comfortable WXGA+ or better display format and the ability to add a second hard drive without sacrificing any of the performance of an internal solution. I'll also admit to giving in to my guilty pleasures (gaming) and opting for the machine with the better GPU in the Mobility Radeon 3650.

I just have a couple of final questions:

1. Will they only honor that quoted price if I order it as listed? I'm reconsidering my choice of the 6-cell battery. Will they let me substituted the 9-cell and just pay the current upsell difference?
2. As I understand it, the W500 is the exact same machine with a workstation GPU. Is that correct? The W500 didn't get as good a price break during that last sale, so the same build cost a little more. If I'm not a CAD or graphics design professional, is there any reason at all to even consider the W500 instead?

Thanks again to everyone who has been so helpful in my decision process to this point, and any further comments or suggestions before I pull the trigger on this would be appreciated. NBR continues to live up to its reputation as one of the most helpful and hospitable places on the web.

 

correct.   unless you're working in large 3D or extremely large 2D graphics files, the W500 wouldn't be of full benefit to you.   after that the W500 would only be a consideration if you need the WUXGA display.

the W500 may as well just be considered the T500p.

 

Hey Rich, ol' pal! Haven't ran into you in a while, good to see you! And glad to see that you figured out what you wanted. The sooner you decide and order, the sooner you can start enjoying it!

I don't think you'll regret not getting the 9-cell battery. You always have the option of getting the 3-cell UltraBay Battery, which would basically equall the run time of the 9-cell (when [paired with the 6-cell).

The bay battery is one of the most clever and appealing options that you can get on a ThinkPad. I wish Dell offered it for my E6400!

 

Looks like a good configuration - the processor is a higher TDP model than my P8700, though, so the battery lifetime I told you about would probably be a bit lower.

The language is just for clarity's sake I guess, no real reason why it's on another line.

The XP recovery DVDs that Lenovo provides are free, unlike many OEMs, so no reason not to get it.

Smart cards are pretty much only used by governmental organizations and some other organizations/corporations for security purposes, it's pretty much useless for the end user. I would choose the base ExpressCard/PCMCIA combo. Here's an excerpt from my unfinished review regarding structural integrity:

Note that if you do consider the UltraBay battery, that with the current drivers, the UltraBay battery is completely drained before the main battery is used - this ends up being really harsh on the UltraBay battery, and shortens its lifespan.

I don't think Lenovo will honor the price except for the exact same configuration, down to every last part, but maybe some negotiation over the phone can help.

For your purposes, I do not think the W500 would be a better choice than the T500 - there have been reports that the WUXGA screen on the W500 is dimmer than the WSXGA+ on the T500, and you do not need the workstation GPU.

Other than that, it looks like you have a great build! Congratulations on your decision

 

The UltraBay will pretty much always house a second hard drive. I think if I can get 4 hours out of the 6, I'll be satisfied. I'm just not sure if I'll be able to get that with a second HDD, even if the primary gets upgraded to a SSD.

 

Does it have switchable graphics like the T400?

 

That's it. Rub it in. They're not offering the P8700 these days.

I'm assuming that the machine will be licensed for both XP Pro *and* Vista Business 64, and that I could theoretically switch back and forth as desired?

Just curious, it looks like one spring-loaded door that covers both slots. That leads me to believe that there is one slot that, when populated, props the door open, exposing the other slot as well. It looks like an ExpressCard adapter, which is probably the only one of the two I would ever use, is the one that opens up both slots when in use. Is that correct? Maybe it's a bit of a nit, but I'm picky that way.

Couldn't hurt. Maybe the difference between selling me a machine and my hanging up to see if I can get what I want elsewhere will be enough to sway them.

Yeah, WUXGA on a 15" machine would be just too much for my tastes. I was surprised that the next step down on the W500 was WXGA, not even WXGA+.


Other than that, it looks like you have a great build! Congratulations on your decision [/QUOTE]

 

The T500 DOES have switchable graphics.

You should be able to get 4 hours with the 6 cell as long as you use battery saver settings (reduce brightness, let the processor downclock, and use the Intel GPU).

I wouldn't worry about battery life with an HDD in the bay. If the SSD contains the OS, the hard drive shoul operate at a low standby (or may even turn all the way off) most of the time and use very little power (<0.5 Watts).

I'd probably opt for the P series processor (P8600 or P8700) due to the lower TDP, but the T9400 is fine.

I can't think of any reason you would need the Smart Card slot, so I would probably opt for the PCMCIA (can use to add extra USB, card readers, sound cards, and other devices) instead.

I believe there is some kind of USB adapter for Ultrabay slim devices. However, it wasn't a proper enclosure so I don't think it would work too well (most enclosures are for 12mm drives as opposed to Lenovo's 9.5mm drives).

I believe you get a license for both Vista and XP, however you probably aren't supposed to run them in parallel (e.g. run XP from a VM inside of Vista). But it definitely is possible to change back and forth between them by using the recovery discs.

Other than that, your config looks solid. Enjoy.

 

Hmm. Doesn't look like the W500 does.

 

I really think it does, but you would need to find someone with the W500 to verify.

 

I thought about the P8600 (they aren't offering the P8700 right now), but I can put the extra processor speed and double L2 cache to good use with what I do.

 

I just checked the tabook, and yes, the W500 also offers switchable graphics.

 

I still think the greatest difference between P- and T-series processsors with like specs is simply the marketing spin! I've compared battery life and performance stats with other E6400 users who have the T9400 and there's no measurable difference compared to my P9500 (both 2.53GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 6mb L2 cache). I've heard a few similar reports with the T9550 and P9600...but the P-series costs significantly more. Note- I bought my E6400 with P9500 from the Dell Outlet, but was planning to get the T9400.

 

Haha - I think it was a typo on their website, which they happily honored. The T9400 should be good though, and when downclocked (on battery) would be for all purposes nearly identical to the P8700 power-wise.

Yes, I believe that is the case, but don't forget to burn your own Vista Recovery DVDs.

Actually, the ExpressCard is on top, so if you put in an ExpressCard module that sticks out, the flap will be half open, still blocking the PCMCIA slot. If a PCMCIA card is put in, yes, it will prop open both slots.

And the W500 does indeed have switchable graphics.

 

Bah. I really thought it was the other way around. Wish I'd known that when I created my quote. This and reconsideration of the 9-cell battery might be enough to warrant the $100-ish more I'd have to pay to get it the way I want it.

 

Just a quick correction, the W500 offers WSXGA+ or WUXGA only.

 

Right you are. Got my W's and T's confused.

Also, just worked it up again using the current 48-hour sale, and it's only about $80 difference, so I'll be taking some of the great advice here and changing it to ExpressCard/PC Card slot. That includes upgrading to the 9-cell battery and throwing in an extra packet of TrackPoint caps.

 

Hmm. I've just stumbled upon the switchable graphics driver issue on the Lenovo forums:

http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/board/message?board.id=T400_series_ThinkPads&thread.id=3704

This is a bit disconcerting. Granted, I won't be using a dock or external monitor, but I saw where people who don't have also experienced these problems.

Anyone heard any more about this?

 

Yeah, I've seen the thread too. I haven't had any of those problems yet, though. Hopefully, Lenovo will resolve these problems with the next graphics driver update.

 

I have had my T500 exclusively hooked up to my Samsung LCD HDTV over VGA for the past two weeks and have now had this laptop for a month. The ATI drivers have still yet to crash, although I did disable switchable graphics in the BIOS after the first week because I haven't needed them and the switchable graphics drivers take up additional memory. I run in discrete ATI mode all the time with Vista Aero enabled.

 

Not all the users are having those problems though it may be some kind of defect in the hardware.

 

Rich,
Here are my comments about your config. Overall it looks good.

1.) To answer your question #1, most likely Lenovo won't allow you to modfy your saved quote and add a 9 cell and pay more. They will most likly tell you to reorder. You can try getting one of their reps on the phone and they will do the same reorder over the phone, but I doubt they will keep the same price you got in the quote. You can try to ask though, if you want. But if you are certain of the config you want, my feeling is to involve as less people as possible and just order it over the web.

2.) If you don't want the option of the higher res screen(WUXGA) or the more powerful graphics(for CAD and games), then stay with the T500. If you think you might use it for these GPU intensive things or might want the higher res screen, go for the W500.

- In you config I would go for the cheapest harddrive you can and upgrade yourself.
- Go for a Express card instead of the smart card. Thats what I was advised when I bought my machine. The smart card is used for security in offices and such and the express card is used for many add on devices, which you might install at a later time.
- Also keep in mind that some credit cards add an extra year to the warranty that you are buying and others double your basic 1 year coverage to 2 years. You might want to look into that.

 

I'm pretty sure the OP is customizing a T500 Elite - with Lenovo's weird pricing, getting a 160 GB 7200rpm drive may be even cheaper than getting an 80GB 5400rpm, since that would require that he upgrade from the enhanced T500 model, I believe.

Definitely agree with you on the SmartCard suggestion (although the SmartCard option replaces the PCMCIA slot, not the ExpressCard slot, which is still there no matter what you choose).

I think Visa card has a program for that, which would be worth a look.

 

Oh, I didn't know he was looking for the Elite.

I see. This is something I didn't realise. Thanks for your reply. I have a better understanding of it now.

Yes, so does Mastercard and AMEX. AMEX being the best. Wearetheborg has a nice guide on this. But it depends which card you have, not all cards from these companies carry the same benefits.

 

I LOVE my T500(elite), incredible keyboard, great screen, rock solid build, this notebook should get the hype the 15" macbook pro gets, imo

 

I was able to add the finger scanner to my quote no problem. That was at 15% though.

 

What do you mean "that was at 15% though"?

 

Very true.

 

Man, I wish I knew what the next T500 sale around the corner is going to be and when. I am ready to order *right now*, but hate paying more today than I might have to tomorrow. Yeah, I know, I could always cancel today's order and re-order, but then you have to deal with the money being tied up for who knows how long while they credit your first order.

Then there is the 21-day price protection, but that has to be on the *exact* same configuration, as I understand it. I could see just enough changing on the available configuration to rule that out as an option. That would be my luck. Anyone been able to take advantage of that in the past?

This would have been so much easier had I been ready to buy just a few weeks ago. Curse my aversion to impulse buys!

 

Ahh, so the spring-loaded door swings down, rather than up? Odd design choice, but ok.

Would it be worth it or even a good idea (or would it even be compatible) to try and order the ExpressCard slot blank for those occasions when I may ever use a PC Card adapter by itself? I just have a problem with stuff like that left exposed.

 

Your original configuration ($1322 with tax) is currently $1256.01 before tax....that's with all discounts including the 10% coupon. Looks like a deal to me!

 

Order placed:

ThinkPad T500 - 2081CTO
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9400 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2)
Operating system : Genuine Windows Vista Business 64
Recovery DVD: Microsoft Windows XP Professional US English RDVD
Display type: 15.4" WSXGA+ TFT, w/ CCFL Backlight
System graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 with 256MB
Total memory: 2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
Pointing Device: UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
Camera: 1.3 Megapixel Integrated Camera
Hard Drive: 160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Optical device : DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
Card Reader: 7 in 1 Media Card Reader
System expansion slots : Express Card Slot & PC Card Slot
Bluetooth: Integrated Bluetooth PAN
Wireless card: Intel WiFi Link 5300 (AGN)
Mobile Broadband: Integrated AT&T Mobile Broadband Card (3G)
Battery: 9 cell Li-Ion Battery 1

Accessories and options:
3 year depot 9x5 Next Business Day
ThinkPad TrackPoint Cap Collection
ThinkPad Serial ATA Hard Drive Bay Adapter II

...and the waiting begins.

 

Great laptop configuration, hope it comes soon

Almost done writing my T500 review, just need to add some more pictures and performance data. Unfortunately, I have a 10-page research paper due the next week, so it looks like it will have to wait.

 

Whats there not to like Hope you love it.

 

Aarrgh! The accessories shipped today. Now I'll have a set of TrackPoint caps sitting on my desk just taunting me. Oh well. I guess I can go ahead and mount my second hard drive in the UltraBay caddy and push it around the desk making vroom vroom noises, while I wait on the notebook to ship.

Why do you taunt me, Lenovo!!

 

lol. the accessories come seperately? i would expect for it to come in one box. well i guess you can just stare at the caps for couple days too. lol

its good you got a 9-cell. i would have recommended it if you havent purchased it yet. its worth the price. with Vista 64+15.4"+2.53ghz and a machine that powerful, you wont regret it.

oh ya and a good tip.... heard this around but dont drain the battery to bottom too often. this kills the life of the poor thing. they say keep it at around 70% and then charge. 100% is no good becasue not all cells have equal amount of capacity and while the smallest cap is full, largest cap. might be bursting fat. no good.

 

The OP ordered seperate accessories, which Lenovo tries to get shipped ASAP, which is often before the laptop.

Yes, draining the battery to empty or constantly charging up to 100% tends to decrease battery life. I have my thresholds set so that charging begins below 75% and stop at 95%.

 

What it the cap collection? Did you pay extra? Because mine came with three caps to choose from, even though I have never removed the one that came installed from Lenovo.

 

@Midnight sun: i see. ASAP seems to be the most important thing for Lenovo.

@w500: the red rubber joystick covering thing that comes in a little ziplock. nope it was included in my shipping but it just came with the laptop. but then again, i have a T60.

 

I'm just being nosy here, but what are you planning to put in the UltraBay Caddy?

 

I assume the OP just wanted to plan ahead and order some replacement caps. Mine too came with 2 alternate caps in addition to the one already on my T500.

 

Not nosy at all. I've ordered a WD Scorpio Black 320GB SATA-II HDD for it. Really wanted to go with an SSD (which would have replaced the primary drive, moving the 160GB 7200RPM drive to the UltraBay), but they're still just too expensive for my tastes.

I ordered an external slim DVD R/W drive to supplement the dual-HDD configuration (thanks Lenovo for not offering an external UltraBay drive cradle like HP).

 

Exactly. I'm pretty sure I'm going to prefer the type that comes pre-installed, and I just wanted to have a backup for when I need it down the road.

 

As far as just the accessories shipping and not the machine. There is an option when you order that says something to the effect ship all in one shot or ship as pieces of the order are fulfilled. If you choose the later then they ship what they are ready with.

 

Ahh. Didn't see that option. Doesn't really matter, I suppose. I'm guessing they want to ship out anything they can as soon as possible, to minimize any opportunity for a customer to have second thoughts and cancel their order.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Carpenter. If you cancel your order now, you will be charged a 15% restocking fee on the computer, as we have already shipped out your TrackPoint caps..."

By the way, I just got my second "Your order has shipped" email today. The only other order I'm expecting is the machine itself. Can't check to be sure, as my company's firewall appears to have some sort of problem with Lenovo's site certificate, but it looks like my ThinkPad has left the building.

 

Yeah, you will get it quickly. In my experience it is just best to order what you want online and just leave the order alone. Don't call anyone, or mess with the order in anyway and their system will take care of the rest and you will get what you ordered just fine.

Wait till you get the box that says Lenovo on the side and then have to go to work without having the time to open it. You will be dreaming about it all day

 

Should be here in under a week then