Lenovo ThinkPad T420 Review: The Best Business Laptop? Discussion

The 14-inch ThinkPad T420 business notebook has an excellent screen, keyboard, and battery life. We explain why this "business rugged" notebook is a great choice for hard-working customers.

Read the full content of this Article: Lenovo ThinkPad T420 Review: The Best Business Laptop?

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the battery life is pretty awesome. I remember back in the days my T43 got about 4 hours and that was considered very good as most other notebooks at the time got 2-3! and here we got one going for 10 hours!!! (with a 9 cell). Also back in the days we had very few ports on our thinkpads, and this one got most of the ones we need!

as for the new chiclet keyboard on some of the other thinkpad lines, I actually like it alot, if not better than the traditional ones. blasphemy yes.. but its quite nice!

 

I'm kind of surprised I don't have a ThinkPad since I am a keyboard layout junkie. I might jump ship since I am not a fan of this latest generation of EliteBooks.

But overall this T420 ... great machine. I'd probably spend a bit extra and go for the T420s.

 

I like the feel of the keycaps, especially compared to other chiclets. They just need to work on the action and layout, though I haven't tried the X1.

 

I deployed a Thinkpad T420s to one of our users at work and that is one light laptop. Now I just need to save up to buy one.

 

Not quite sure that I agree with your comment on the T420 having a great screen, but it's decent, especially when you compare it with other 14" models. Other than that, the T420 is definitely an excellent notebook overall.

 

I praised the screen for its anti-glare coating and 900p resolution, only referring to the actual quality of the screen once or twice. I didn't praise the picture quality.

 

Too bad it went 16:9. The T410 looked fantastic but the bezel on the T420 makes it look pretty bad.

 

I recently helped my girlfriend configure a new T420; it was a great deal with an i5 CPU and HD+ screen at ~$650. Very solid machine with a great keyboard (I love the new-style volume/mute buttons) and fantastic port selection.

Things I didn't like: fan noise is audible, body is noticeably thicker than the T400, ridiculously thick bottom screen bezel, lack of additional indicator lights.

Well, the screen is higher resolution, and I would argue that 1440 --> 1600 horizontal pixels is very significant, as it makes side-by-side document viewing very practical.

The bottom bezel is very thick, though... personally I would prefer a smaller trackpad and maybe the loss of a USB port and Firewire, in return for a thinner bezel.

 

True, it does look somewhat disproportional. However, I prefer the change - as MidnightSun noted, the screen resolution increases to 1600x900, or 10% more space than the 1440x900 16:10 standard. 1440x900 > 1600x900 is the only instance where the 16:9 aspect ratio is a benefit.

 

Fair enough, but I'd rather have a good "quality" 720p panel (even if it's glossy) over a decent "quality" 900p panel with anti-glare coating. But maybe I'm part of the minority

 

You're not alone. I don't mind glossy screens and higher resolutions don't make or break a laptop for me. I'm sick of using so-so screens and would gladly pay for a nicer screen.

 

I'm exactly the opposite, I think. I'd rather take a relatively mediocre but high-resolution display over a higher quality low-resolution display, although obviously, I'd much prefer a display with the best of both worlds. The T400 actually presented this exact dilemma, as it offered a high-quality high-nit WXGA display and a mediocre WXGA+ display.

 

I'd take an average high-res panel over a good-quality low-res any day of the week.

My primary concern with computers is being productive. Low resolutions are the anti-productivity. 1366x768 = good luck multitasking with multiple windows, seeing more than half a MS Word document, or editing a high-res pic in Photoshop.

 

I'm blind and don't mind the bigger text of the lower resolution screen but if I need more room, there is always a second LCD monitor. Scaling fonts on a higher resolution screen never works out well for me.

 

Now if only they offered a 1080 screen and a quadcore option...

Oh and Im happy that alot of thinkpads still have the traditional keyboard. Its what keeps me on the lenovo team.

 

I'd love to see a 14" 1080p screen, as I really would like that resolution in my next laptop, but there just aren't any screens available... the only one is the Sony Vaio Z's 1080p 13" screen.

And as for quad core in the T420, Hearst successfully installed a SB quad core in his T420, so at least it's possible aftermarket

 

Wow thats pretty cool! Yeah I like the 1600x900 improvement but I think Ill have to get a 1080p so its looking like 15in is as small as Ill be able to get next time around.

 

Yep; found the links to the posts where shleepy and Hearst described their i7-2720QM installs in the T420. Temperatures seem fine although a 90W power brick will be necessary at load (on integrated graphics). Pleasantly surprising that the T420 BIOS does support quad cores, though!

 

"UltraNav" touchpad is something thats facinating. And I think it comes with a HD webcam.

 

Hi guys, new to the forum here.

Just read the review and was wondering when was the T420 released and when is the T430 expected? I'm looking for a relatively light notebook for work with a great battery life and keyboard.

I have looked around and the T420 seemed like the best option right now but since I am not in a rush (still using my wrist-cutting 2008 MacBook), I was wondering if it would not be better to wait for the T430. The next generation of Intel's CPU is said to be soon (June as I last read) and adding USB 3.0 and better screen to the future model would be a reasonable guess.

So, is waiting worth it or should I just look for the coupons on Lenovo and purchase the laptop outright?

I know for sure that the actual build would suffice my business needs for at least another couple of years but my inner geek always wants what's new and shiny...

Bill

 

Bill, welcome to the forums. The T420 was released early in 2011 (January or so) when the Sandy Bridge Intel lineup of processors was released. I would expect the T430 to be available around July, they'll likely announce at the very end of April or early May or so and then it usually takes a couple months to actually have them available and shipping.

Worth the wait? Well, it's March and that's 3 - 4 months away, if you need something now and it could help you to be more productive and can find a good deal then I don't think the T430 will be earth shatteringly better. The USB 3.0 would be nice, I'd love to see a backlit keyboard option but won't hold by breathe on it. The battery life should be improved as that's the main advantage of Ivy Bridge, with a small performance boost and better graphics with the Intel HD 4000. If you can't find a good deal on a T420, then I'd buy it now, if not then wait and get the latest and greatest.

 

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for your reply, I think you made very good points. It is solely for work and I don't intend on putting much stress on the GPU anyway. As I was about to simply press the "Purchase Now" button, I decided to open up a thread in the "What Notebook Should I Buy?" section.

My main use for this laptop is going to type my reports on the go (up to 30-60 pages sometimes), read some of my previous analysis and use spreadsheets. I'll also be using Skype for teleconferences and emails for correspondence and coding when I find the time again...

The point is, I know this laptop would be sufficient for me. However, how long will it last me? They seem to be very well built machines and I know I love the keyboard (I tried a couple of them in the past and they are near perfection for me). But what about the screen for prolonged hours of use?

Now, I want to go with it but I can't remember being so insecure before buying a computer.... I mean, I built my own desktops for a while now and I always chose the components carefully and waited for the right prices. So, handing over the whole selection and build process to an external company might be the reason I am so reticent in purchasing...

Anyway, all this to say that it seems to be the best option for me right now. I will still wait a couple of days to see if anything else comes to my mind but will probably purchase this model.

Do you know if the eCoupons are frequent and if the % varies a lot? Having a discount for St-Patrick, I would assume there will be some for Easter as well then...

Thanks again for your reply, it was very informative.

Bill

 

The screen is matte, therefore won't strain the eyes after several hours of usage. However, it's not the greatest screen in terms of color reproduction if you're big into AV and movie watching you'll be disappointed. If you code and type documents + skype (work stuff), then whatever the screen is just fine for that.

There are always more coupons down the road. Generally 10 - 15% off is the max. I bet if you wait a week there will be another coupon equal or better than the current St. Patricks day coupon. After all, who gets excited about St. Patty's day sales, Lenovo works the marketing on big holidays and offers coupons then of course.

 

Hi Andrew,

Makes sense, I'll be waiting for another coupon and will settle with this model I think.

Thanks!

Bill

 

Hi Andrew,

Just waited another day and here's a coupon for 15%. Thanks for the tip

As for the configuration, I was wondering if the "Fingerprint Reader" was of any use?

Thanks,

 

Andrew is giving you great advice ... I 100% agree it is not worth waiting for the T430 to come out.

The T420 - you can add USB 3.0 via an ExpressCard expansion card if you wish. Alternatively just use the eSATA port.

The fingerprint reader is convenient, I have one on my laptop ... I swipe my finger to login to Windows. Would I necessarily pay for it had it not come standard, no.

 

For the X220 tablet, it might be of some uses, as it allows logins in convertible mode without having to resort to touch/pen.

For all other laptops, I still think it's kind of an unnecessary gimmick. A good password is more secure anyways.

 

I find the fingerprint reader to be incredibly useful, since I use a long passphrase and it's more convenient to swipe my finger than type it in.

I echo everyone here in saying that if you need it now, get it. If you're worried about the improved Ivy Bridge graphics, opt for the NVIDIA NVS 4200 on the T420. It may be overkill for what you'll be doing, but at least you'll have plenty of GPU power for the future. I use my T420 for CAD work, engineering apps, and Left 4 Dead 2, so it's adequate for my needs.

 

Hi Charles,

Thank you for your advice! I will have to hold on a little while longer though, unexpected expenses have just come to my attention. I still believe the 14" ThinkPad is the best fit for me.

My old MacBook still works for the moment and I was really looking at an option to improve my productivity and get a much better battery life (MB holds for at most an hour, with dimmed brightness...). Also, the 13.3" screen was a bit cramped so I ruled out the X220 because of the 12.5" screen, even though I believe it has a better battery life than the T420.

Once I'm done with my actual contracts, I might be able to revisit my purchase. If that just happens to lead me to the next gen, well, be it. However, I doubt I would be able to get the same prices.

Thanks again for your help!

Hi MidnightSun,

You are right, I couldn't think about any very practical use. Then again, I never had a fingerprint reader, so I wouldn't know

Though I did read something about screen calibration somewhere... Wonder if that applies with these laptops as well...

Thanks,

Hi formerglory,

Thanks for your advice, I think you are right, this laptop would greatly fit my needs.

However, I will have to wait a little bit longer that I had first anticipated. With all your inputs, I don't think the refreshed model would bring me anything more than a small bump in performance and a much higher retail price. If the T420 is still available when I'm ready to purchase my next laptop, I will definitely get this model.

Thanks guys,

 

Nope, the built-in screen calibrator is only in the W520, and although it's also palmrest-mounted, it is not part of the fingerprint reader. You can get one but not the other, I believe.

 

Aah, that makes sense... Must have fast read a section where both were mentioned.

Thanks for clarifying this point!

 

Is there any chance to read your review about the Lenovo ThinkPad T420?
I am interest in this Notebook and want to get a little bit more information about the usability, but the link in your post didn't work for me.
Would be nice if you can fix this! Because it is very cheap here http://www.noteboox.de and I want to buy it.

 

You can visit the NBR ThinkPad T420 Thread for press and user reviews as well as useful information on this model. There is a direct link of NBR's review of the T420 on there too.

 

Thank you, very nice!