We've played around with various pre-release versions of Windows 7 for a long time now, but the prize for being the first PC maker to actually ship us a street-ready system with Windows 7 pre-installed goes to Lenovo.
Even better, this new version of the ThinkPad T400s also includes a multi-touch display, with custom touch software to take advantage of Win 7's built-in touch support.
It can be argued that Lenovo's build quality and attention to detail are second to none, and the T400s feels like a solid, heavy-duty machine that will stand up to a lot of action. ThinkPad buyers (either small business individuals or corporate IT departments) know what they're looking for and don't mind paying premium for it. The touchscreen T400s starts at $1,999, and includes Lenovo's usual ThinkVantage suite of business and security-minded software and hardware.
Read the full review of the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Windows 7 Professional).
On Sale Now: $1,999.00
View the latest prices for Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Intel® Core™ 2 Duo SP9400, 2.40GHz, 120 GB HDD)
The T400s: it may not look exciting, but it sure feels nice to use.
(Credit: Lenovo)Although Lenovo has been reinventing itself as of late with its IdeaPad and Netbook lines, it's still a company known for boxy, business-end ThinkPads. There's no shame there: the ThinkPad was revolutionary in its time, and the iconic (if plain) design defined the modern business laptop. It also put Lenovo on the map after taking the brand over from IBM.
Despite having similar looks to its predecessor, the new 14-inch T400s is markedly thinner and lighter than the original T400, creating a highly portable machine that still packs a full-powered Core 2 Duo processor under the hood, unlike the ultrathin X301, which uses an ultralow-voltage (ULV) version.
Lenovo claims that the T400s can withstand a truck running over it (or so the company has advertised in some viral videos). While we haven't run over our test unit, we can say that it feels great in a backpack, is thinner than it looks, and if it weren't for its lack of discrete graphics, it could be one of the best all-around mainstream laptops we've encountered.
One major drawback, though, is price; starting at $1,599, it's about twice the price of other ThinkPads, and makes MacBooks seem like budget laptops by comparison: the $1,199 13-inch MacBook Pro has superior graphics and a few more ports for a lot less. Of course, the T400s does include Lenovo's suite of business and security-minded software and hardware--which is a must for many business buyers (and often rules out consumer-level laptops from consideration).
On Sale Now: $1,599.00
View the latest prices for Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Intel® Core™ 2 Duo SP9400, 2.40GHz, 120 GB HDD)
The new Lenovo ThinkPad T400s
(Credit: Lenovo)(For more hands-on impressions, make sure to check out our review of the T400s.)
ThinkPad laptops from Lenovo (formerly made by IBM) are among the most ubiquitous PCs found in offices around the world. Of course, most of those systems are boxy 14- and 15-inch models, which aren't usually the sharpest-looking machines in the coffee shop.
To keep up with the increasingly design-conscious consumer, Lenovo is taking some cues from its own popular X300 laptop --a slim, upscale 13-inch--and incorporating them into the new ThinkPad T400s, a reasonably svelte 14-inch mainstream business laptop that's 0.83 inches thick and starts at less than 4 pounds.
Helping keep the size and weight down are an LED display, solid-state hard drive, and carbon-reinforced fiber frame. Making it a viable choice for a wide range of business environments are configuration options that seem more flexible than what we're used to seeing in ultraslim systems (which are often limited to low-voltage CPUs and no optical drives). According to Lenovo, the new T400s will offer:
- Choices of Intel 2.4GHz and 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo processors (standard voltage)
- Choices of solid-state drive storage up to 128GB, or 250GB hard drive storage
- 9.5mm slim DVD burner or Blu-ray player
- Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and optional WiMAX3, WWAN, Bluetooth and ultrawideband connectivity
- 34mm Express Card slot or 5-in-1 multimedia card reader
- Support for Lenovo's ConstantConnect and Protect technology that allows users to maximize integration of their BlackBerry smartphone and ThinkPad laptop
- Nearly six hours of battery life
- Supports up to two monitors via a display port and VGA connector
- Meets the Energy Star 5.0 criteria for energy efficiency
- Built-in USB/eSATA port
A few other promising-sounding tweaks went into the T400's design. Lenovo claims internal studies have shown that the Esc and Del keys are the most used, at 700 hits each per week, so the company simply made those keys a little larger. Spaces between keys were minimized to keep food and debris out, and the touchpad is now flush with the wrist rest, delineated by a textured surface. For Webcasting and VoIP use, the onboard speakers are louder than the previous (nonslim) T400, and there's a physical mute button above the keyboard that can mute just the built-in mic.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s is available now, starting at $1,599.
On Sale Now: $1,599.00
View the latest prices for Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Intel® Core™ 2 Duo SP9400, 2.40GHz, 120 GB HDD)
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