Lenovo offers sneak peak video of new ThinkPad T400s

Today Lenovo put out a sneak peak video of the new ThinkPad T400s on YouTube, with the designer David Hill explaining why they made some of the new changes to its design. The primary discussion in the video goes over the new keyboard, which includes larger Delete and Escape keys, tighter key tolerances to prevent crumbs from getting under the keys, and new mute buttons for both speakers and the microphone.

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Stay tuned to NotebookReview.com for more coverage on this new and exciting ThinkPad from Lenovo.

 

So I use the escape key more often than the 'e' key? Definitely not.

The T400s looks nice: thin, centered screen, the red stripes are back, but if they use the T400 display it's again no good (personal opinion).

 

Thanks for the news, Kevin.

The video's pretty interesting. As long as there's no flex in the keyboard, I don't really mind the changes that they made - it's still a very nice 7 row keyboard, and I do indeed use the Esc and Delete keys the most, out of the keys in the top 2 rows.

I also like the addition of the mike mute button, that would be useful. The lit-up buttons are also nice, but I don't like the fact that they removed a bunch of indicator lights along the bottom of the screen bezel in doing so.

And to David Hill: I don't eat while I'm working on my Thinkpad!

 

How about a backlit keyboard?

I know some thinkpads have those lights up on the top bezel of the display, but backlit would be nice.

 

nope, gotta stick to the tradition. that's what makes a thinkpad a thinkpad.

 

It's really unnecessary to be honest. Who needs to look at the keyboard to type?

 

For whatever reason, I laughed when he said, "Do you know how many times you use the delete button? We do."

 

When it's pitch black, you at least need to find your place, and every time you take your hands off they keyboard, you have to find it again.

As I'm typing now I'm using the thinkpad keyboard light of my X300, and it many ways it's even better than a backlit keyboard - it even works as a mini flashlight if you want to read a piece of paper or something

 

Very cool new design, however I have to say, I've never used the delete button once since I've owned my T61 (about a year and a half) lol. I've used the escape key a bunch of times, however, I just NEVER use the delete key.
Oh well, I can't wait for this laptop to hit the market !!

 

Not really...
As long as I can feel the F and J keys, which have the little thing on top the keys, then my fingers can move without problems again.

Back on topic. Even though the design seems nice, I really don't like the thinness they try to put in it. My R50 is thicker than many newer thinkpads, yet it has survived being beaten up for the last 6 years.

 

I don't really care about thinness myself, but the point about it being thin (to me) is that it's typically lighter as a result, and at 3.9 pounds (?), this is definitely one of the lightest 14" laptops around.

However I don't plan to switch to the T400s any time soon. Being spoiled with my current Thinkpad, I'd be very careful to "downgrade" to extra weight, etc. unless there are some huge benefits. In this case the faster CPU and slightly improved keyboard really isn't enough though for me, but if I had to do more heavy work on my laptop, this is probably what I'd choose, and I think that's what they're aiming for.

The next best option in this hard-to-define area of ultraportability+power would be the MacBook Air which obviously is far lighter and actually quite fast, but the low res screen and inferior human interface functionality make it more of a multimedia machine than a business class notebook, which doesn't work for me, so I'm glad to see the T400s as an option anyway.

 

What type of CPU/GPU upgrades are we seeing on these new models, any news?

 

The T400s will likely be using low-voltage CPUs and Intel integrated graphics - discrete graphics would create too much heat.

 

HM interesting, because i know there was a low end dedicated GPU option. I guess they erased that

 

If Apple can put a full featured 2.16Ghz CPU in the MacBook Air (AND a GeForce 9400m), don't you think the T400s could have at least have a good CPU? Here are specs I found, although probably not official:

Although I haven't been keeping up on Intel model numbers, 2.53GHz sounds pretty good to me.

http://laptoplogic.com/news/lenovo-thinkpad-t400s-ready-to-be-released-95714

The 4500 isn't that bad. Of course there are better, but in my view of laptops, you're not gonna be able to really play games and do high end processing anyway - that's why I have a desktop with a GTX 285. I would like to see a GeForce 9400m in here at some point though.

The major issue with Intel integrated is driver support is not so great (but it seems to be getting better), so it makes it difficult to use certain apps.

 

I think 9400M isn't going to happend. Thinkpad T (and X) series (since T30) have always used only Intel chipsets. Why change something that has worked fine for so long...considering there are rarely hardware problems with Intel's chipsets.

 

The only time I need to look at the keyboard is sometimes for numbers and Fn keys and stuff, which I do use a lot. But the ThinkLight is the way to go. And I actually don't use the Esc key that much.

Me too.

 

I'm sure it would require a lot of thorough testing, but from the user's point of view this is no excuse. No matter the chipset, what matters is results. You can always say it's risky to make a change of any kind, just like Apple's move to Intel CPUs, but in the long term you have to make these kinds of decisions at some point to keep ahead.

Not that it's a huge issue in any case. Like I said the T400s as it is now is a perfect laptop option for me if I ever need extra CPU power without sacrificing portability, good screen resolution, and the Thinkpad keyboard/mouse/durability/etc.

I think having a larger delete key is nice because I do use delete a lot, and most laptops have delete keys that are half the size of desktop keyboards to save space. Same with Esc, which I don't use a whole lot, but there were a few times I can remember I went to hit Esc and hit F1 by mistake. Whether or not you use it, it's still a welcome improvement I think.

 

According to the leaked roadmap, the T410 will have hybrid graphics, which might mean it will have the 9400M G if they use a discrete nVidia card. I'm not sure how hydrid will work if they stick with Intel and/or ATI (unless there is an AMD chipset). But I guess we'll see as more details emerge.

 

Sticking with Intel 4500MHD graphics is a smarter decision, I believe. The 4500MHD is capable of HD video playback and most non-gaming or non-CAD functions, which is what is required. Using an Nvidia 9400M would be pointless, as 99% of the people who buy the T400s would not be gaming anyway - in addition, the 9400M is not as energy efficient as Intel GMAs, so the battery life would take a hit.

 

tighter tolerance on keys also mean that once dust or crumbs do get in its harder to get out. Sounds gimmicky to me. I do like the light on the power on key. I also like the new buttons for volume and mute. Hopefully this keyboard doesnt flex.

 

David,

Do you know how many times people use their screens? I do. Every second for the life of the computer. So how about offering the best available screens. I know you are not ready to give away specific details at this point, but in addition to top quality screens, I look forward to seeing new GPU's.

"next-generation GPU lineup, adding the 40nm G210M, GT 230M, GT 240M and GTS 250M, with GDDR3 memory ranging from 512MB to 1GB, to its existing GTX 280M, GTX 260M and GTS 160M laptop graphics cards."

http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_gtx_gts_m_series.html#/overview/

 

Lenovo is really making a big fuss over things that don't really matter. Improving their crappy screens, durability of materials (no stupid chassis flexes) and providing better specifications (such as RAID hard drive options, better battery life, better integrated GPU, etc) are much more important than messing around with a keyboard that is perfectly fine. The Thinkpad brand is essentially over-marketed and over-commoditized.

 

Now please explain how chassis flex affects durability in a negative way.

 

QFSTT/Quoted For SOOO The Truth

 

Tough crowd, I'm fine with integrated graphics in a business notebook and prefer it for the better battery life. The screen issue debate goes around in circles, they're limited to what the suppliers can and will produce and doing anything that's "exotic" (IPS etc.) in terms of screens is near to impossible with the way suppliers dictate what's available. Unless you're willing to add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the cost of the laptop and accept it might take a few months for shipping due to inconsistent supply availability for those screens. I believe the Lenovo design team does the best they can given the constraints and budget that has to be met, David Hill is obsessed with his job and that's a good thing for all of us that love ThinkPads. I for one will be likely be buying the ThinkPad T400s as it fits my needs well, obviously it's not for everyone as we all have different wants and needs from a laptop.

 

I feel a bit that way as well, although I don't share some of your concerns.

Better battery life: not sure if you mean how long the battery will last without degradation, or whether you mean how long the laptop will last on a charge, but either way - short of implementing some of those Boston Power Sonata batteries that HP is offering, there's not much Lenovo can do to change things.

Better integrated GPU: Intel GMA graphics chipsets are the most power-efficient graphics chipsets currently available, and I believe, for the targeted market, it is the best choice of graphics chipset for most of the Thinkpad line. Switchable discrete graphics are available on some models if the user chooses to opt for it.

Chassis flex: frankly, I don't find the small amount of chassis flex present to be a negative aspect at all.

I'm actually rather happy that the Thinkpad design team does listen to the user base - the stripes on the TrackPoint buttons are back, the keyboard flex was addressed (although perhaps not in the most satisfactory way for everyone), etc.

 

well thats not entirely true. Lenovo competition such as Dell, Sony and apple manage to source some very good panels for their laptops. IPS technology for non-tablet laptops is dead and is probably going to stay dead, but adding some higher quality TN panels with RGB-LED options would be just fantastic. Some people do more things than just type word documents on their laptops.

 

RE: Andrew
"The screen issue debate goes around in circles, they're limited to what the suppliers can and will produce and doing anything that's "exotic" (IPS etc.) in terms of screens is near to impossible with the way suppliers dictate what's available. Unless you're willing to add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the cost of the laptop and accept it might take a few months for shipping due to inconsistent supply availability for those screens."

There is no excuse for not matching the competition. Furthermore ignoring a critical component, the screen, is something that adversely effects the usefulness of these products whether consumers know it or not. The screens in Lenovo notebooks with the exception of the W700, fall behind models from Sony and Dell, not to mention what Lenovo itself at one time offered. Exotic? Like a Macbook Pro Unibody, like the ThinkPad roll cage, like spill resistant keyboards, like TrackPoint, and yes what about IPS? These are all developments that have addressed shortcomings in notebooks that have contributed to designs that are more useful and reliable.

How about snow tires? Are those exotic? Many people don't need them, but for those that do, they are critical, and available at a reasonable cost. I think good snow tires are extremely functional and make the difference between whether or not you can use your car or not three months out of the year. Notebook screens and particularly ThinkPad screens do not deliver the basic requirements needed for image editing and other visual creative production.

ThinkPads have a heritage of innovation and leadership. There is an important need for a portable notebook (ie. smaller than 17 inch models), that can deliver on the requirements for visual content creators and everyone else who deserves better.

How about delivering what users need. Notebooks continue to be an extremely marginal tool for people whose work or very purpose for buying a computer depends on acceptable screen quality.

 

BUt it depends if they can secure supplies for those screens. pc companies are in the secondary to tertiary sector. they take technology that are researched and developed by other companies, put them into a box, hopefully a fancy one, and then sell for a premium of profit while hopefully providing good service to customers also. They are dictated by what part suppliers decide to develop and put into the market. If those companies collective move towards one direction and focusing on mass market rather than what niche markets may prefer then youre pretty much stuck with the screen options available.

for exmaple, the whole glossy screen scene was primarily because suppliers pushed towards that direction. Was it ever a thing that all customers wanted or something they were made to believe they wanted? Glossy may have its asthetic appearences at first, but over the long run it becomes a hastle and frankly very gimmicky and annoying in my opinion. its also not superior to matte screens in the generic sense, yet it is now fairly standard on many laptops.

 

I obviously wish Lenovo would place a higher priority on offering better screens. Still I want to say Thinkpads offer solid designs and features that if only they had the option to order them with the best available screens they would be outstanding. The W700 with its screen and color calibration is an example of what I hope will be an option in the W500 soon. By the way unlike Apple, Lenovo thankfully offers Thinkpads with non glare screens as the standard configuration. As someone in an earlier post mentioned the people at Lenovo do listen not only to user suggestions regarding features, but there are also individuals who support the Lenovo community on their own time, and make a real difference. I am sure there will be more improvements and upgrades than the ones Dave has mentioned so far.

 

"BUt it depends if they can secure supplies for those screens."

The point is other brands have the option to order better screens. They are available, and there are several different types from Apple's typical spin "60% higher gamut" but still I think a better matte WUXGA white LED (better than the W500 WUXGA), Dell dual lamp CCFL WUXGA, or Dell, Sony, and HP's RGB LED screens. It may be they all have higher volumes and therefore have a price advantage, I don't know. They are available, and I wish the best ones were available on more than just the W700 Thinkpads. Same with HP, the best screen option is only available in the 17 inch Elitebook. Regarding Apple's screens I am referring to the Macbook Pro 17 matte, the rest are low res glossy candy. The Macbook Pro 17 is an alternative to a 15 inch in terms of weight and size. Screen wise I have not seen a W700, but it has good reviews.

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-9320-9876

 

I think it was discussed before that theres a minimum amount of demand before its worthwhile for any pc maker to provide a certain part. cause they have to secure a deal with suppliers good enough for economies of scale so that its feasible to set a price point to sell to the consumers who will be the ones paying fo rit. they have to then store a certain % for spare parts for service life of the product which is say 4 years.

Also since most of the general public are dont care about a certain screen one way or another (thats why its niche for the more specialist high quality screens) and rather not pay extra, then they the manufacturers are forced to go more mainstream. whats wrong with their selection? I think the wxga+ led screens afre ok, although resolution is a little low for my liking also.

also theres the fact everyone seems to love glossy screens (i think its more related to people 'told' to like it cause everyone else seems to have it but in reality its very impractical imo). so manufacturers have been putting resources on making these glossy screens over matte screens. even if better matte screens exist that thinkpads arnt using and apple is, it could also be beause the apples are newer machines or maybe thinkpads just didnt see their market caring about those screens? although for their intended market of w700 i can see some that might care

 

I do like the bigger Del key, although my Vostro keyboard is great. I always hit the Esc key perfectly when I use it. But maybe the ThinkPad's Esc key was worse. Anyways, nice to see them putting thought into it.

Oh, and I never eat over my keyboard.

 

This excuse is getting old. The MacBook Pro comes with a TN screen - like all laptops now =( but it looks so much better (I'm talking about the non-gloss versions btw) than the lenovo TN screen. What the heck? I would pay $500 just to swap my T61 panel with something comparable to what the MBP ships with. No excuses on this one, lenovo is just plain dropping the ball here IMHO. The screens on the current fleet of thinkpads are the worst i've seen since the mid 90's passive matrix nightmares.

 

This is VERY VERY STUPID!!! "once upon a time" there was a great class of notebooks aimed by powerusers ... IBM had it all , keyboard, screens, construction quality... we all know!!! NOW LENOVO transformed Thinkpad lines in one more rubish chinese garbage... WHY NOT PUT "CTRL" KEY on the RIGHT PLACE FIRST!!!! PLEASE CHANGE THAT!! OLD School boys WILL THANK YOU!!!! Please look to Asus , Acer, Dell, Fujitsu... enterprise notebook versions they all have Ctrl on the right place!!