Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 22:04 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 22:04
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
avatar
toocrispy
Joined: 07 Jul 2014
Last visit: 15 Jul 2015
Posts: 27
Own Kudos:
9
 [1]
Given Kudos: 6
Concentration: Finance
GMAT 1: 680 Q48 V35
GMAT 2: 750 Q50 V40
GPA: 3.3
WE:Asset Management (Other)
GMAT 2: 750 Q50 V40
Posts: 27
Kudos: 9
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
GMATSmudge
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Last visit: 16 Dec 2020
Posts: 62
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 8
Concentration: Technology, General Management
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
Posts: 62
Kudos: 3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
avatar
gcb09173
Joined: 23 Oct 2014
Last visit: 20 Oct 2015
Posts: 188
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 36
Concentration: Finance, Strategy
Posts: 188
Kudos: 74
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
GMATSmudge
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Last visit: 16 Dec 2020
Posts: 62
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 8
Concentration: Technology, General Management
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
Posts: 62
Kudos: 3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
gcb09173
GMATSmudge


I would recommend the Lenovo Thinkpad T450s. After spending more than a month doing my research, I think this is the best option for a business laptop.

https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptop ... kpad-t450s

Its actually just the updated version of the t440 so was already covered but I'll update it to T series as any of that family of laptop would be more than sufficient for BS. My only caveat on there is the weight - at ~4lbs its quite a bit heavier than those listed under ultrabooks, and some people will want something lighter as they hump it between classes and back and forth to school every day.

I agree that it's a little heavier than the Ultrabooks, but that's the trade-off for the various connectivity/storage options. The T450s is a little lighter at 3.5 lbs (without the touch screen, which I think is unnecessary :-D )

The Thinkpad X250 would be a much lighter alternative at 2.8 lbs. I am heading out later to try and get a feel of both these laptops. I will come back with an update if I find them in stores here.

Thanks.
avatar
cbsnyc17
Joined: 15 Apr 2014
Last visit: 17 Jan 2016
Posts: 7
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 1
Concentration: Strategy
Schools: CBS '17 (A)
GMAT 1: 730 Q47 V41
Schools: CBS '17 (A)
GMAT 1: 730 Q47 V41
Posts: 7
Kudos: 1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I've been debating between the Lenovo X1 Carbon (really great ultra portable that I currently use at work) and the new HP Spectre x360 (seems to be getting really good reviews, better than the Yoga as 2 in 1). My biggest question is whether I would really use the Spectre as a tablet to take notes in OneNote in class - from what I gather, OneNote seems like a great program to organize notes, but do students primarily use old school pen and paper in class?

Has anyone else considered the Spectre x360 or should I stick with the tried and true Lenovo?
User avatar
GMATSmudge
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Last visit: 16 Dec 2020
Posts: 62
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 8
Concentration: Technology, General Management
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
Posts: 62
Kudos: 3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
cbsnyc17
I've been debating between the Lenovo X1 Carbon (really great ultra portable that I currently use at work) and the new HP Spectre x360 (seems to be getting really good reviews, better than the Yoga as 2 in 1). My biggest question is whether I would really use the Spectre as a tablet to take notes in OneNote in class - from what I gather, OneNote seems like a great program to organize notes, but do students primarily use old school pen and paper in class?

Has anyone else considered the Spectre x360 or should I stick with the tried and true Lenovo?

How is the keyboard on the X1 Carbon? Are you using the 3rd gen? I'm leaning towards the X1 Carbon against the T450s, due to the weight issue. Have you noticed any issues while working on the X1 Carbon?

Thanks
avatar
gcb09173
Joined: 23 Oct 2014
Last visit: 20 Oct 2015
Posts: 188
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 36
Concentration: Finance, Strategy
Posts: 188
Kudos: 74
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
GMATSmudge
cbsnyc17
I've been debating between the Lenovo X1 Carbon (really great ultra portable that I currently use at work) and the new HP Spectre x360 (seems to be getting really good reviews, better than the Yoga as 2 in 1). My biggest question is whether I would really use the Spectre as a tablet to take notes in OneNote in class - from what I gather, OneNote seems like a great program to organize notes, but do students primarily use old school pen and paper in class?

Has anyone else considered the Spectre x360 or should I stick with the tried and true Lenovo?

How is the keyboard on the X1 Carbon? Are you using the 3rd gen? I'm leaning towards the X1 Carbon against the T450s, due to the weight issue. Have you noticed any issues while working on the X1 Carbon?

Thanks

IMO theres only 2 reasons to consider the T450 over the X1 - 1.) Price given there is quite a difference 2.) You need the optical drive If those aint an issue then i def think you should go for the X1.
User avatar
GMATSmudge
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Last visit: 16 Dec 2020
Posts: 62
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 8
Concentration: Technology, General Management
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
Posts: 62
Kudos: 3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
gcb09173
GMATSmudge
cbsnyc17
I've been debating between the Lenovo X1 Carbon (really great ultra portable that I currently use at work) and the new HP Spectre x360 (seems to be getting really good reviews, better than the Yoga as 2 in 1). My biggest question is whether I would really use the Spectre as a tablet to take notes in OneNote in class - from what I gather, OneNote seems like a great program to organize notes, but do students primarily use old school pen and paper in class?

Has anyone else considered the Spectre x360 or should I stick with the tried and true Lenovo?

How is the keyboard on the X1 Carbon? Are you using the 3rd gen? I'm leaning towards the X1 Carbon against the T450s, due to the weight issue. Have you noticed any issues while working on the X1 Carbon?

Thanks

IMO theres only 2 reasons to consider the T450 over the X1 - 1.) Price given there is quite a difference 2.) You need the optical drive If those aint an issue then i def think you should go for the X1.

Well I was thinking of ordering the T450s with a base configuration and then upgrading the memory and storage myself. There's a saving of about $400 if you do it that way.
User avatar
GMATSmudge
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Last visit: 16 Dec 2020
Posts: 62
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 8
Concentration: Technology, General Management
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
Posts: 62
Kudos: 3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
gcb09173
GMATSmudge
cbsnyc17
I've been debating between the Lenovo X1 Carbon (really great ultra portable that I currently use at work) and the new HP Spectre x360 (seems to be getting really good reviews, better than the Yoga as 2 in 1). My biggest question is whether I would really use the Spectre as a tablet to take notes in OneNote in class - from what I gather, OneNote seems like a great program to organize notes, but do students primarily use old school pen and paper in class?

Has anyone else considered the Spectre x360 or should I stick with the tried and true Lenovo?

How is the keyboard on the X1 Carbon? Are you using the 3rd gen? I'm leaning towards the X1 Carbon against the T450s, due to the weight issue. Have you noticed any issues while working on the X1 Carbon?

Thanks

IMO theres only 2 reasons to consider the T450 over the X1 - 1.) Price given there is quite a difference 2.) You need the optical drive If those aint an issue then i def think you should go for the X1.

For the configuration that I'm looking at, the X1C3 is $1450 and the T450s is $1060, so there's about $400 between them. But I'm planning on adding RAM and an SSD to the T450s, which might be bring it a little closer to the X1C3 but with more RAM and storage! I'm really confused :?
User avatar
dtse86
User avatar
Retired Moderator
Joined: 03 Feb 2014
Last visit: 15 May 2023
Posts: 575
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 158
Status:And so it ends...
Concentration: Strategy, Other
Schools: Johnson (Cornell) - Class of 2017
GMAT 1: 730 Q49 V40
GPA: 2.48
WE:Engineering (Other)
Products:
Schools: Johnson (Cornell) - Class of 2017
GMAT 1: 730 Q49 V40
Posts: 575
Kudos: 264
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I opted for a regular Thinkpad with a slim profile over the X1 simply because the X1 was so expensive!

I think the T440s that I got (guess they're now onto the T450s) was still fairly light and slim. Not exactly "ultra-book" dimensions but very close and still ultra-portable. It's got the upside of being extremely durable (I've accidentally dropped and stepped on mine a few times and nothing!) still. Got the SSD as well and it was totally worth it. I don't think I can ever go back to a spinning drive now.
avatar
gcb09173
Joined: 23 Oct 2014
Last visit: 20 Oct 2015
Posts: 188
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 36
Concentration: Finance, Strategy
Posts: 188
Kudos: 74
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
cbsnyc17
I've been debating between the Lenovo X1 Carbon (really great ultra portable that I currently use at work) and the new HP Spectre x360 (seems to be getting really good reviews, better than the Yoga as 2 in 1). My biggest question is whether I would really use the Spectre as a tablet to take notes in OneNote in class - from what I gather, OneNote seems like a great program to organize notes, but do students primarily use old school pen and paper in class?

Has anyone else considered the Spectre x360 or should I stick with the tried and true Lenovo?

The HP Spectre would probably do a job but having had a quick look I still think the x1 carbon would be a better bet.

Ive always been a pad and pen person so note isn't as important for me.
User avatar
GMATSmudge
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Last visit: 16 Dec 2020
Posts: 62
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 8
Concentration: Technology, General Management
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
Posts: 62
Kudos: 3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
gcb09173
cbsnyc17
I've been debating between the Lenovo X1 Carbon (really great ultra portable that I currently use at work) and the new HP Spectre x360 (seems to be getting really good reviews, better than the Yoga as 2 in 1). My biggest question is whether I would really use the Spectre as a tablet to take notes in OneNote in class - from what I gather, OneNote seems like a great program to organize notes, but do students primarily use old school pen and paper in class?

Has anyone else considered the Spectre x360 or should I stick with the tried and true Lenovo?

The HP Spectre would probably do a job but having had a quick look I still think the x1 carbon would be a better bet.

Ive always been a pad and pen person so note isn't as important for me.

I think so too. I do not see myself taking notes electronically. Will probably go with the T450s over the X1C3 for the keyboard.

Thanks.
User avatar
GMATSmudge
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Last visit: 16 Dec 2020
Posts: 62
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 8
Concentration: Technology, General Management
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
Posts: 62
Kudos: 3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
GMATSmudge
gcb09173
cbsnyc17
I've been debating between the Lenovo X1 Carbon (really great ultra portable that I currently use at work) and the new HP Spectre x360 (seems to be getting really good reviews, better than the Yoga as 2 in 1). My biggest question is whether I would really use the Spectre as a tablet to take notes in OneNote in class - from what I gather, OneNote seems like a great program to organize notes, but do students primarily use old school pen and paper in class?

Has anyone else considered the Spectre x360 or should I stick with the tried and true Lenovo?

The HP Spectre would probably do a job but having had a quick look I still think the x1 carbon would be a better bet.

Ive always been a pad and pen person so note isn't as important for me.

I think so too. I do not see myself taking notes electronically. Will probably go with the T450s over the X1C3 for the keyboard.

Thanks.

I've configured both the T450s and X1C3 with the i5-5200u and 256 GB SSD - and they are both around $1500 - the only difference is that I get 12GB RAM on the T450s while it's only 8GB on the X1C3. Which one is a better option now?? :?
avatar
universehk
Joined: 06 May 2015
Last visit: 17 Mar 2016
Posts: 19
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 8
Schools: CUHK '16
GMAT 1: 590 Q47 V24
GMAT 2: 680 Q50 V31
Schools: CUHK '16
GMAT 2: 680 Q50 V31
Posts: 19
Kudos: 5
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I think if I can buy one regardless of my budget, I will consider ASUS Transformer Book series, mainly because I can detach the keyboard when needed. I can use it as a tablet or laptop whenever I like.

But if it is not a need, I think HP Probook Series is fine. I have been using HP Probook 430 for 2 years. Everything is fine until now, and I do not have any intention to let it retired.
User avatar
GMATSmudge
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Last visit: 16 Dec 2020
Posts: 62
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 8
Concentration: Technology, General Management
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
Posts: 62
Kudos: 3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
GMATSmudge

I've configured both the T450s and X1C3 with the i5-5200u and 256 GB SSD - and they are both around $1500 - the only difference is that I get 12GB RAM on the T450s while it's only 8GB on the X1C3. Which one is a better option now?? :?

Just thought that I'd give an update!
I ordered the T450s with a base configuration and I've added 8 GB of RAM and swapped the HDD for an SSD. The machine is just great!! :-D
avatar
ca662
Joined: 29 Jun 2015
Last visit: 06 Aug 2015
Posts: 80
Own Kudos:
Posts: 80
Kudos: 22
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Here's my take on the laptop situation...

I'm not a PC person so I can't really recommend a particular model. Most people who have PC's in my program have Lenovo and ASUS.

I am a Mac person and will always be. Over half the people in my program have Mac, so it's not uncommon at all. We do have to partition our hard drive and install bootcamp to be able to access some of the software we use in our core classes. I will say something, when we ran RISK Palisade simulations (on the windows side of my Mac), my computer was way faster than any PC, including the professors'.

So my final advice is, if you are used to PC, get a PC. If you are a Mac person, don't be afraid of having a Mac in business school.

P.S. Tablets are useless for class. If you want a tablet in addition to your laptop just for the sole purpose of downloading e-books and textbooks, be my guest - however it does not replace a laptop in any way.

Also, If you guys want some time to kill before enrolling your program and want to get a head start in your career search, check out pymetrics. It's an online neuroscience game-based career assessment platform that connects you to companies and jobs based on compatibility. Pretty awesome.

https://bit.ly/1JxEviS
avatar
mbaadmit2017
Joined: 03 Apr 2017
Last visit: 26 Mar 2018
Posts: 8
Own Kudos:
Products:
Posts: 8
Kudos: 2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Please do not buy a Dell computer. I purchased the XPS 13 6 months ago and it has crashed 3 times already. Each time I had to
reinstall the operating system, thereby deleting everything stored on my laptop - files, pictures -everything. I would have lost
it all if I did not have cloud storage. Technicians could not help me retrive backup files from the hard drive.
To make matters worse, they asked me to pay more money above the basic warranty which I had already paid for to "fix" the issue, which
they could not do successfully. The first time it happened I was told it was a one-off event. This is
the third time this has happened. I've spent countless hours on the phone over several days, trying an
inordinate number of steps to no avail. Dell refused to give me a refund, replacement or exchange despite my "premium"
warranty. To add insult to injury, they claimed they would send someone over to fix it in 2-3 days. Being
that technicians don't work on the weekend and they have no emergency response.
   1   2