Luddite needs to be told what Laptop to Buy

Couperin47 · Feb 1, 2014

Lenovo Thinkpad with at least an i5 Intel processor (NO AMD cpus). This will give you choice of both touchpad AND trackpoint control. At the low end the Edge E431/531 (14" or 15" screens) can be had for as little as $570, for better performance and more rugged build a Thinkpad T430/T530 is almost overkill at $1,200 with a really fast i7 cpu. In all cases these machines include an mSATA connector...add a 128 Gig mSATA ssd, make that your boot drive (several brands at $110 or less) and the thing will FLY.

CoRP · Feb 1, 2014

I paid $1499 for my Thinkpad X1 Carbon a few weeks ago at Nip's suggestion. I love it.

Comfortably Lomb · Feb 1, 2014

Couperin47 said:
Lenovo Thinkpad with at least an i5 Intel processor (NO AMD cpus). This will give you choice of both touchpad AND trackpoint control. At the low end the Edge E431/531 (14" or 15" screens) can be had for as little as $570, for better performance and more rugged build a Thinkpad T430/T530 is almost overkill at $1,200 with a really fast i7 cpu. In all cases these machines include an mSATA connector...add a 128 Gig mSATA ssd, make that your boot drive (several brands at $110 or less) and the thing will FLY.

As a starting point... someone posted the link to the Lenovo site in the other thread and the g500 seems like a great deal for someone who is not a power user: http://outlet.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/outlet_us/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:item.detail?hide_menu_area=true&GroupID=445&Code=CB26501032-59RF0698

There shouldn't be anything slow about that laptop and it's not like Bleedred's needs are demanding in any way.

Jnai · Feb 1, 2014

Picked up a Lenovo (new) this morning with an i3 / 4G / 500g for $240 (after tax).

Follow this thread, see page 10. YMMV:
http://slickdeals.net/f/6665108-new-staples-b-m-coupons-100-off-pc-purchase-15-off-entire-purchase-25-off-tablets-139-99-or-more-valid-til-2-1-14

(Only works until tomorrow).

jayhoz · Feb 1, 2014

Open box display model?

seageral · Feb 1, 2014

CoRP said:
I paid $1499 for my Thinkpad X1 Carbon a few weeks ago at Nip's suggestion. I love it.

have you ever used mac products? I need a new laptop and am trying to decide between macbook air/pro or thinkpad carbon. I like macbooks i guess... just wondering if there's something better.

CoRP · Feb 1, 2014

I'm a pretty heavy MSOffice user so Windows makes more sense for me.

Jnai · Feb 1, 2014

jayhoz said:
Open box display model?

Yes. Took the ~$700 tag down to $320, then there's a $100 off coupon.

jayhoz · Feb 1, 2014

just checked one store. No luck. Headed to another one. Thanks for the heads up.

Couperin47 · Feb 1, 2014

Comfortably Lomb said:
As a starting point... someone posted the link to the Lenovo site in the other thread and the g500 seems like a great deal for someone who is not a power user: http://outlet.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/outlet_us/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:item.detail?hide_menu_area=true&GroupID=445&Code=CB26501032-59RF0698

There shouldn't be anything slow about that laptop and it's not like Bleedred's needs are demanding in any way.

Well that's a Lenovo, but not a Thinkpad and, frankly, there are those who are critical of the Thinkpad Edge models as not being as rugged as "true" Thinkpads...a G500 would be fine for a casual user, it simply won't stand up to daily use in a serious business environment.

Couperin47 · Feb 1, 2014

CoRP said:
I paid $1499 for my Thinkpad X1 Carbon a few weeks ago at Nip's suggestion. I love it.

mhmm, that's the Thinkpad line which already includes a boot mSATA drive, makes all the difference in performance...

jayhoz · Feb 1, 2014

Snagged a Lenovo i5 open box for 300 bucks at Staples. Was hoping to spend a little less but I don't think I can do better elsewhere.

Brickowski · Feb 1, 2014

I love my Lenovo Yoga pro. Get an extra 4 gigs of RAM. And I believe the newer model has the i7 processor. Mine is older and has the i5, but it's still plenty fast.

saintnick912 · Feb 1, 2014

I know someone with the Yoga Pro 2 and have heard nothing but good (aside from the typical Windows 8 adjustment period). I believe they're coming out with a somewhat more rugged (and somewhat heavier) ThinkPad branded version that does the same tricks.

The tablet/tent modes of it are useful if you watch Netflix/Hulu etc.

Couperin47 · Feb 1, 2014

Bleedred said:
Awesome advice. Thanks Coup

Does "adding a 128 mSATA ssd as my boot drive" mean something external? i.e. doesn't "come built into" the laptop?

The best mSATA drive is probably this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G15W1840, as it uses the stable Marvel controller. This article on the T520 would explain how you install, the T530 line is identical in this respect. Installing this in the mSATA slot allows you to keep the main hard drive for added storage/backup: http://www.storagereview.com/lenovo_thinkpad_t520_upgrade_guide. Lenovo documentation also explains how to 'get to' this slot under the keyboard.

This thread covers adding mSATA to pretty much all Lenovos that support them, including all the Thinkpads: http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/574993-msata-faq-basic-primer.html

aaand: here's a vid of someone installing an mSATA in an Edge 430: http://laptopreviewscomputer.com/Msata-128~4sZtykRYl2c&~Thinkpad%20E430%20Install%20Msata%20Ssd.html

AlNipper49 · Feb 1, 2014

saintnick912 said:
I know someone with the Yoga Pro 2 and have heard nothing but good (aside from the typical Windows 8 adjustment period). I believe they're coming out with a somewhat more rugged (and somewhat heavier) ThinkPad branded version that does the same tricks.

The tablet/tent modes of it are useful if you watch Netflix/Hulu etc.

I haven't played with a Yoga but haven't heard a single negative thing

Jnai · Feb 1, 2014

jayhoz said:
Snagged a Lenovo i5 open box for 300 bucks at Staples. Was hoping to spend a little less but I don't think I can do better elsewhere.

Just an FYI to check the specs if you bought a floor model. Sometimes, the tag in front of them says i5, but it's actually an i3 inside.

mauf · Feb 2, 2014

I'm in a similar position to Blacken, but I'm perhaps a bit more budget conscious than he. Isn't the correct approach to get whatever Dell unit I can get for $400 or so with my IT group's corporate discount, then plan on repeating the process 2-3 years from now?

Put another way, for light users like Blacken and me, are all the bells and whistles really worth the extra money? And for the same money, isn't the ability to treat the device as more or less disposable (there's nothing like a new computer) worth more than buying a nicer rig that we'll feel bad about replacing after just two years?

Couperin47 · Feb 2, 2014

maufman said:
I'm in a similar position to Blacken, but I'm perhaps a bit more budget conscious than he. Isn't the correct approach to get whatever Dell unit I can get for $400 or so with my IT group's corporate discount, then plan on repeating the process 2-3 years from now?

Put another way, for light users like Blacken and me, are all the bells and whistles really worth the extra money? And for the same money, isn't the ability to treat the device as more or less disposable (there's nothing like a new computer) worth more than buying a nicer rig that we'll feel bad about replacing after just two years?

That's an absolutely valid strategy, many do it. Just some contrary reasons:

1. Some of the bells and whistles affect every minute you interact with the puter: Those of us who find touchpads less than optimal love the option of the trackpoint control. A laptop with an ssd boot is ready to use in 12 secs without resorting to hibernate or sleep or other strategies that often introduce instability. Saving even $100 on an underpowered cpu or not increasing memory to 8 Gig over only 2 years of use means you penalized yourself watching the clunker churn away to have saved 14 cents each day...

2. A cheap machine rarely makes things simple by just dying completely...instead the keyboard starts to go wonky, the ethernet or wifi starts to have issues.. whatever, especially if used for business many of us prefer to try and avoid those situations where we have to decide "Is it time to replace ? Can I live without it for 2 weeks while I get it repaired ?" etc.

3. You can find tons of last generation machines right now that don't include a USB 3 port. That makes backup of your boot image or absolutely everything on the machine fast and trivial to another puter or external drive, generally in like 15 mins, so you do it often. Absent that port, it's a much greater pain, often takes hours and most won't even bother...that's a really false economy in a business environment.

4. A Thinkpad Edge zonked up with 8 Gig ram AND a 128 Gig ssd can be done, brand new for around $725 if you shop carefully and even less if one shows up at the Lenovo Outlet. That gives you pretty much every option anyone would want without getting anywhere near a grand. Looking today I see E530 and E531s with i5 Intel cpus for $407 to $450 at the Outlet (both refurb and scartch/dent new), I can add memory and ssd to those and have it all for under $550.

5. If you use a puter with a ton of installed software that you have setup to work perfectly for you (not to mention a gazillion tweaks to the OS), migrating all that to a new laptop, which almost always has very different hardware, can be done successfully most of the time with software (Acronis, which I don't like these days; Paragon and Easeus, which I think are better, a few others), but unless you have a boot image to work with it's the joy of scaring up all your original software disks, the serials, and then reconfiguring everything and migrating the data... a ton of time and effort. The computer equivalent of a root canal.

If you don't use a puter that way, if your OS is still pretty much 'stock' 2 years after you bought it... it makes sense to treat the laptop the way you treat a rental car.

Couperin47 · Feb 2, 2014

Bleedred said:
Thanks - but "having to install" something violates the core principle of my original post!

So don't install it and just have the performance of any other laptop that doesn't have an ssd boot drive...it was just a suggestion to get awe inspiring performance...

JakeRae · Feb 2, 2014

If I were buying a computer today with a $1500 budget, I'd get a Lenovo T440s. I spent awhile going cheap on computers and the frustration, reduced performance, and increased failure rate make it not worth it.

The T-series keyboard remains the best available, by all accounts, and the upgraded screen removes one of the main reasons to buy something else. I'd make sure to go FHD on the display for an IPS panel and put an SSD in it. I would not upgrade to an i7 as, for my use case, that is just wasted money.

But, full disclosure, I am currently using a Macbook Air and am very happy with it.

jayhoz · Feb 2, 2014

Jnai said:
Just an FYI to check the specs if you bought a floor model. Sometimes, the tag in front of them says i5, but it's actually an i3 inside.

Thanks. Looks like I got what I payed for. I5 dual core 2.5ghz. 8 Gigs ram, 750MB HDD.

teddykgb · Feb 3, 2014

I think the X1 Carbon would be a very sensible choice, given his constraints.

Unrelated to that recommendation, just don't get anything that doesn't have an SSD in it. You say you want fast and you don't want to look through 10 thousand spec sheets. If you get a machine with a SSD that is anywhere near the top end of this price range, you should find a machine that is very fast.

JakeRae · Feb 3, 2014

Why would people recommend the X1 over the updated T-series? It seems like you pay an awfully big premium right now to save half a pound of weight. Or, put differently, for the same price, you can get a T440s with a FHD IPS screen instead of a non-IPS 16x9 panel, a 256 gb ssd instead of 180, a larger battery, and a full powered processor.

You also add greater upgradability. While that isn't on bleedred's list, it might still be nice to be able to, say, upgrade ram down the road if he decides his computer isn't as fast as he'd like it to be but otherwise is still working great.

Are there genuine reasons for the X1 preference or is it just a bias toward what people are familiar with? I know it got reviewed better, but I mostly chalk that up to differences in release date.

Couperin47 · Feb 3, 2014

JakeRae said:
Why would people recommend the X1 over the updated T-series? It seems like you pay an awfully big premium right now to save half a pound of weight. Or, put differently, for the same price, you can get a T440s with a FHD IPS screen instead of a non-IPS 16x9 panel, a 256 gb ssd instead of 180, a larger battery, and a full powered processor.

You also add greater upgradability. While that isn't on bleedred's list, it might still be nice to be able to, say, upgrade ram down the road if he decides his computer isn't as fast as he'd like it to be but otherwise is still working great.

Are there genuine reasons for the X1 preference or is it just a bias toward what people are familiar with? I know it got reviewed better, but I mostly chalk that up to differences in release date.

The X1 makes sense if you want what an ultrabook offers and don't care about what it denies you. basically if all you want is really light and slim.... you can deal with the ultrrabook.

What you lose:

You're stuck with ONLY ssd storage locally, and let's examine what that means: If it's a 256 Gig ssd: First that means a real formatted 230 Gig tops. Now factor in that you should never fill an ssd above 80% of capacity or performance plummets off a cliff and we're down to 185 Gig. Now install Win 7 and a 'normal' suite of business apps and you have used c. 40 Gig... so you have a laptop with a 'massive' 145 Gig of storage locally. The last time I used a puter with that little storage I was running Windows for Workgroups.3.1.... No media, no large databases, I guess if all you keep locally are word and excel docs this is workable...

No ability to access a cd or dvd, so no media playback unless streaming.

That ultraslimness guarantees the keyboard feel cannot equal other Thinkpads, same for the screen quality and battery life.

The X1 is about 2.9 pounds, a 440s gets you a real hard drive for storage and far better screen and is around 3.5 pounds and an L series which gets you an optical drive too is a whopping 5.5 lbs. I think I'll retire when I can't hack that extra 2 pounds...

teddykgb · Feb 3, 2014

Well at least we know where you stand on the topic.

I'd recommend the X1 because he's talking about a work computer and it appears he's a lawyer. He's probably moving around a lot. The small and light package is likely worth the trade offs, even if the difference isn't that substantial. In a world of cloud storage, if he's not playing games and taking 3 trillion photos of his dog, he's not likely to be impacted by that hard drive size.

There's really no particular issue with the more rugged 440, but I think those old thinkpads are things that some of us techies look upon fondly while it is just a bit of a block for everyone else. It'd be a fine choice, but the portability of the X1 is probably why I'd recommend

The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa · Feb 3, 2014

What the hell did Lenovo do to the keyboard of the New Thinkpad X1 Carbon?

My default recommendations in situations like this have been to suggest either the Thinkpad T series, or X series if you really need to shed as much weight as possible. But I do not like direction Lenovo has been heading in, they've been straying further and further from the core Thinkpad design and making it feel more like the mass market regular Lenovo line.

zenter · Feb 3, 2014

saintnick912 said:
I know someone with the Yoga Pro 2 and have heard nothing but good (aside from the typical Windows 8 adjustment period). I believe they're coming out with a somewhat more rugged (and somewhat heavier) ThinkPad branded version that does the same tricks.

The tablet/tent modes of it are useful if you watch Netflix/Hulu etc.

I have the Yoga 2 Pro and my Mac-loving friends drool at its excellent execution of hardware, and wish their Macbooks were more like it. It's very natural to sometimes interact with the screen, and sometimes with a keyboard/mouse. This is the best example of a device that capitalizes on all of Win8's features. It feels very futuristic.

AlNipper49 said:
I haven't played with a Yoga but haven't heard a single negative thing

One downside to the Y2P is that the resolution is too high (3200 x 1800) for a few programs, including certain Win8 features. Not a huge deal, but it's a known concern that MS is working on as more and more makers come out with ultra-high-res displays. This is to say: there are some weird little issues with resolution that most people ignore or can live with. For older programs (Office 2007), it means things popup windows are tiny.

You can get the silver i7, 8GB RAM, 256 GB SSD at Best Buy for 1199, which is ~200 cheaper than Lenovo. I ended up going that route despite really wanting the orange. Wallet trumps color preference in this case.

For mauf, I don't know what to recommend, as I've been lusting after (and saving for) the Yoga since the original came out. I do know that Dell and Acer are pretty much the worst, though.

Couperin47 · Feb 3, 2014

teddykgb said:
Well at least we know where you stand on the topic.

I'd recommend the X1 because he's talking about a work computer and it appears he's a lawyer. He's probably moving around a lot. The small and light package is likely worth the trade offs, even if the difference isn't that substantial. In a world of cloud storage, if he's not playing games and taking 3 trillion photos of his dog, he's not likely to be impacted by that hard drive size.

There's really no particular issue with the more rugged 440, but I think those old thinkpads are things that some of us techies look upon fondly while it is just a bit of a block for everyone else. It'd be a fine choice, but the portability of the X1 is probably why I'd recommend

I'm a lawyer too and in my 60's , I guess I'm simply less sensitive to the difference between 3 and 6 lbs...and I willingly confess as a greying techie I bridle at the trend towards 'appliances' as opposed to more general purpose and versatile puters. Finally, while I know many corporate environments make it impossible to avoid, but there's no way my files reside in the cloud... the assumptions that they are secure and that connectivity will always make them available when needed are both patently false.

saintnick912 · Feb 4, 2014

I believe they only have a 13" on the pro model, and a smaller 11" model somewhere.

Bigger than that I've used a Samsung 15" that was thin and well built, I forget if it was Series 7 or 9 but it was a nice machine and also in the low-to-mid-$1000s price range depending on options. And you can get any regular 15" tank of a machine if you don't mind weight, and probably save money to boot. But you'll be carrying a brick around with you.

Couperin47 · Feb 4, 2014

Bleedred said:
Is there an option for a larger screen on the Yoga2 or is 13" the max?

Be aware, there are Thinkpad Yoga 2 models and Ideapad Yoga 2 models..13" is the max screen on each. The Thinkpad models include the trackpoint control option and there are already several reviews that find the trackpads on the Yogas to be....too sensitive and hard to adjust to. Also Yogas include no Ethernet port so wireless becomes very important. The Intel 7260 wireless card used in most of these is not dual band n and it's reported it's slow for a modern card. Check the reviews here of the equivalent Thinkpad Yoga model: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313629&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&PageSize=10&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo.

Since you don't have a need for local storage, the Thinkpad X1 starts to make more sense.

Couperin47 · Feb 4, 2014

Bleedred said:
Coup, upthread you noted in regard to the T430 or T530 that "In all cases these machines include an mSATA connector...add a 128 Gig mSATA ssd, make that your boot drive (several brands at $110 or less) and the thing will FLY." What exactly does that mean. I buy a separate piece of hardware and connect it to the laptop via some cable? Given the WIFI issues with the Ideapad/Thinkpad Yogas, I'm worried about them, even though they have built in SSDs.

I gave you links to seeing what this means up above...an mSATA drive is a card about 2.5" x 1.8" that plugs into a socket on one edge, it's about as hard to install as a single stick of DDR3 memory, except you need to screw one tiny screw to hold the other end down after you plug it in. Where the socket is located depends on the Thinkpad model: On Edge laptops it's just under a cover on the bottom of the laptop (remove one screw, pop the cover off, install the mSATA, takes maybe 2 mins total) on T models it takes an extra 5 mins to remove a few screws, and slip off the whole keyboard assembly to find that socket. Both Lenovo and others have guides to do this, it takes about 10 mins and you only have to do this once, obviously. It's not a big deal and saves hundreds since the only way you can buy these models with a 128 Gig mSATA installed is to build a custom model at the Lenovo site and pay twice what you can buy the mSATA drive elsewhere, plus of course max list price on the Lenovo site for the laptop.

Couperin47 · Feb 4, 2014

saintnick912 said:
I believe they only have a 13" on the pro model, and a smaller 11" model somewhere.

Bigger than that I've used a Samsung 15" that was thin and well built, I forget if it was Series 7 or 9 but it was a nice machine and also in the low-to-mid-$1000s price range depending on options. And you can get any regular 15" tank of a machine if you don't mind weight, and probably save money to boot. But you'll be carrying a brick around with you.

Tank ? Brick ? I'm going to really show my age here... There was a time I brought my beloved Kaypro 10 to work..hell at least it had a handle, which was more than could be said for the Daisywriter 2000 that accompanied it...

otoh compared to the Wang processors we had, which were as large as my desk...

wade boggs chicken dinner · Feb 4, 2014

Bleedred said:
Apparently, the Yoga2 has signficant WIFI connectivity issues. Despite my best efforts, I'm beginning to get thoroughly confused as to which machine I should get.

T530
Yoga2
Thinkpad X1

On a side note, I feel for you. I did pretty much the same thing that you did last year - seems to me that the biggest problem MS has is too many OEMs and no way to differentiate the products without spending hours and hours comparing specs, reading reviews, and noting problems.

After spending what ended up being weeks - and almost giving up and buying a Mac - I ended up buying a MS Surface Pro. I'm very happy I did. You might want to check into a MS Surface Pro 2 with a docking station to get the bigger screen.

But I do feel for you.

mauf · Feb 4, 2014

zenter said:
For mauf, I don't know what to recommend, as I've been lusting after (and saving for) the Yoga since the original came out. I do know that Dell and Acer are pretty much the worst, though.

I was under the impression that PCs were commodities now, such that there was no real difference between two PCs with the same specs made by different brands, unless you prefer the style or form factor of one over the other. Is that not true?

Couperin47 · Feb 4, 2014

maufman said:
I was under the impression that PCs were commodities now, such that there was no real difference between two PCs with the same specs made by different brands, unless you prefer the style or form factor of one over the other. Is that not true?

Absolutely not true. Wild variations in quality of build, wild variations in the sensitivity and usability of the trackpads, pretty much only Thinkpads have the alternate trackpoint interface option, hard drives included range from 4200 rpm to 7200 rpm, for really modern performance you want a ssd boot drive which is doable in several ways on some laptops, totally impractical on others, quality and resolution of screens are all over the map as is battery life. As Bleedred is bemoaning, finding the exact appropriate mix of features that's perfect for your particular needs is a challenge.

wade boggs chicken dinner · Feb 4, 2014

Bleedred said:
I appreciate the sympathy Wade, but this is the f*cking worst. Every time I think I'm close to a decision, I get paralyzed becuase I don't know what the hell I'm doing and the reviews always mention something negative that seems significant, which closes me down.

Understand completely, which I guess a lot of people are going to Apple, because you get what you get and you don't have to think about it.

I think the easiest thing to do is find someone with a laptop that you can trust and by that.

Here's some good news - I suspect that given the way you use your laptop, you'll be happy with pretty much anything you buy because the processors are so much faster than what you are used to. Assuming you are okay with Windows 8, and also guessing how you use it, so long as you buy something that's comparatively pretty light, has a Haswell processor, and has a screen size/resolution that you like, you will likely be quite happy with how fast the machine is and how much you can get done.

Couperin47 · Feb 5, 2014

Bleedred said:
OK - what do you all think:

ThinkPad T440 - $1,353.30

• 4th Gen Intel Core i5-4300U Processor (3MB Cache, up to 2.90GHz)
• Windows 8 64
• Windows 8 64 English
• T440 14.1HD+ WWAN
• Intel HD Graphics 4400 with docking connector
• 4GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600MHz SODIMM
• Keyboard Backlit - US English
• Fingerprint Reader
• 720p HD Camera
• 128 GB Solid State Drive, Serial ATA3
• ThinkPad Battery 3 cell Li-Polymer (23.2Whr)
• ThinkPad Battery 3 cell Li-Polymer (23.2Whr)
• 45W AC Adapter - US (2pin)
• ThinkPad Wireless 2 x 2 BGN with Bluetooth
• Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
• Publication - US English
• 1 Year Depot or Carry-in
• ThinkPad Business Topload Case

Just understand the following. You have listed WWAN as included, which is unlikely, that's the option for direct mobile broadband via your phone carrier. If that's installed it uses the mSATA slot. In this laptop the SSD has replaced the usual hard drive and is a 'full size' ssd. The spec also says "Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable" so I don't think you're really getting the WWAN card. I'd prefer a real HD in the usual place and the 128 Gig ssd in the mSATA slot, but that's me wanting increased flexibility and storage...Using the math, you have a 128 Gig ssd, formatted that's roughly 119 Gig. You should never fill past 80% to preserve performance, so we have a usable 95 Gig and Win 8 plus normal business software will take up c. 40 Gig, so this laptop will have a real 55 Gig of local storage available. Otherwise the only thing 'wrong' with that machine is it will perform significantly better with 8 Gig of ram.

Looking at the Lenovo Outlet today I see several T440s models with slightly slower i5 cpu, but 256 Gig ssd and in several cases 8 Gig of ram and in another 12 Gig of ram... both for $1,368 and they are listed as "New" not refurb or scratch/dent. I'd consider them better buys for your needs. In fact they have a whole bunch of new 440s laptops listed at that price:

http://outlet.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/outlet_us/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:expandcategory?current-catalog-id=A4A41B4CA13D4754AE2FBF7721EBF357&current-category-id=908B184AED4F29502E6EB3E1E76AFC13&menu-id=products&ref-id=products#/?page-index=1&facet-3=13&page-size=100

wade boggs chicken dinner · Feb 5, 2014

Couperin47 said:
so this laptop will have a real 55 Gig of local storage available. Otherwise the only thing 'wrong' with that machine is it will perform significantly better with 8 Gig of ram.

Looking at the Lenovo Outlet today I see several T440s models with slightly slower i5 cpu, but 256 Gig ssd and in several cases 8 Gig of ram and in another 12 Gig of ram... both for $1,368 and they are listed as "New" not refurb or scratch/dent. I'd consider them better buys for your needs. In fact they have a whole bunch of new 440s laptops listed at that price:

http://outlet.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/outlet_us/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:expandcategory?current-catalog-id=A4A41B4CA13D4754AE2FBF7721EBF357&current-category-id=908B184AED4F29502E6EB3E1E76AFC13&menu-id=products&ref-id=products#/?page-index=1&facet-3=13&page-size=100

I think the TP440 is a solid choice; agree with C47 that you want more storage and also agree that if you sort to "new" on the page to which C47 linked, you will find a machine you should purchase instead. For example, it looks like there are a couple with the i5-4200U processor but with 256 GB SSDs.

Luddite needs to be told what Laptop to Buy

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