Lenovo ThinkPad for BSchool

Question

Hey GMAT Clubbers. So I've got a question out there for all you business professionals that have been slanging around a ThinkPad for the past couple years. What do people think about this brand of computer for Business School? What series, what size, what features, etc... They are obviously the standard for the "business professional" computer, but are they the standard for BSchool?

I see that there is also a pretty different look between the X series and T series, anyone seen both?

Interested what people think...

I see that there is also a pretty different look between the X series and T series, anyone seen both?

Interested what people think...

scorpionz · Answer

I was actually researching this a while back and based on all parameters in consideration, I thought that the Lenovo Thinkpad X220 laptop was the best laptop for b-school across all brands. Lenovo has since launched the Thinkpad X1 and that seems to be a great model as well..

I held on to buying a laptop because I wanted to see if my school was offering good deals on any laptop. Also, several schools are "Apple friendly" and have bulk deals on 13.3" Apple Macbook Pros. For me it is eventually going to boil down to one of the three - Thinkpad X220, X1 or 13.3" Apple MBP.

P.S. I use a Thinkpad T420 on a daily basis at work. While it's good, I would personally never purchase it for b-school. I find the X series to be far better...

GMATLA · Answer

I'm considering the t420s over the x1 for the fact that it will be a personal and student computer. What makes you say that the X series is "far better"?

They seem relatively the same, although the 420s seems to have more computing power along with it being a little larger, less battery life, old style design... I plan on docking the computer at home with a full monitor and keyboard, so the smaller form factor of the x1 is tantalizing. I just don't want to be left with something too small, or not powerful enough to run the at-home setup. Any other insight you'd care to share? Thanks!

method · Answer

I have a X201 tablet, and the tablet feature is phenomenal combined with Microsoft One Note.

scorpionz · Answer

To me the comparison was largely based on performance, battery life, portability and entertainment features in that order. 1. Performance - Speed is the key for me as I absolutely abhor slow machines. The X series gives you the option of a fast SSD in place of the traditional HDD. Only one model in T series has an SSD but it is quite expensive. An extra gig or 2 of RAM won't add to your performance as much as an SSD will add over an HDD..Besides, I don't envision doing any kind of heavy duty video editing work at b-school which would warrant a processor better than the ones already on the X series. (btw, the X series is perfectly capable of video-editing, just not as fast as a machine with a dedicated GPU and the latest processor) 2. Battery life - The X series (specifically 220) is a no brainer here. It can go at least 8-10 hours in real world usage. If you add the optional battery sheet, you can easily get around 22 hours. Basically, I wouldn't have to lug the power adapter with me all day long.. 3. Portability - The 12.5" screen was ideal for me. I also like the 13.3 on X1 but that's as far as I'll go. The T series has a larger footprint at 14" 4. Entertainment features - I personally like the X220 display more than the T series. Colors on T-series are washed out and the viewing angles are not great. The only area where T beats X is in terms of optical drive. I already have a portable optical drive and can use that whenever I want so that was not a deal breaker for me... Since you are planning to dock it anyway at home, the X series is totally the way to go in my opinion!!

GMATLA · Answer

Thanks for all the advice! This is definitely going to be a little tougher decision then I was expecting. Luckily I have a while to figure it out... I really think I'm going to need to see all three of these laptops in person and see them. There is something about a larger laptop that I like for ease of use, but obviously battery life and portability suffer. Since I will be docking the computer, it makes me feel that the large screen is not as necessary. But I'm sure there will be times when I want to work in the living room, or at school, when a 12 or 13" just might not do it for me. The portability would be great though... argggggg

Haha, but thanks for all the advice! If anyone else has any ideas or comments, plz share!

Haha, but thanks for all the advice! If anyone else has any ideas or comments, plz share!

Consulting2Finance · Answer

I use a T420 for my work computer and its very solid. No complaints at all.

KelloggBud · Answer

As someone who bought a DOS based laptop and did it that way (T420 btw)

I would go for the T420s. You get the better portability, but still a 14in to use for personal computing.

1. As far as an SSD goes...pop open your laptop and put one in? If you want to windows boot from SSD, it might not be as easy as that...but I assume since you're asking these questions you should be able to figure out how to install Windows ok. And then put in another 2-4 gigs of ram because the slot is right next to the ssd slot.

2. X220s will run you about 8 hours on regular battery. T420s will get you about 4

3. a T420 is a bit heavy. A T420s is sexy

4. Same TN screen for both. If you want an IPS screen, go for a X1. I have an optical drive, but I rarely use it. Would take it out if I wanted to shell out for an empty bay.

5. Since you mentioned personal computing, the X220 motherboard is known for throttling the CPU at around 800 MHZ (just google it). Furthermore, X220 has fan issues (google that as well). Those are the 2 main reasons I did not get an X220, as I do some casual gaming/HD movie watching on the side, and with a onboard CPU graphics processor, I did not want to deal with these issues.

GMATLA · Answer

Ya, it really turns out that this decision is much more challenging then I thought it would be. I definitely plan on upgrading to the SSD on either the x220 or t420s, and I'd get the upgraded screen on the x220. The debate I'm really having is over the size and a little on the weight. I will be docking the computer at home with 24" screen, full keyboard, etc... So the size of the 14" screen isn't as important. But there will also be times where I want to work on the couch, or the classroom, or in group projects where I think the 14" screen will be useful. I also want to be able to pop open the computer at work, and the smaller footprint of the 12.5" screen seems to be a little more inconspicouse. I won't be gaming, and really just using it for personal and work, and I'm not a heavy user of memory, ram, etc.

I'm not a computer expert, but I know my way around. I just don't think I'll be doing any of my own alteration of the hardware (aka adding RAM or SSD, removing optical drive, etc...) I think I might need to see the two in person, but that's easier said than done... I can make a strong argument for both

I'm not a computer expert, but I know my way around. I just don't think I'll be doing any of my own alteration of the hardware (aka adding RAM or SSD, removing optical drive, etc...) I think I might need to see the two in person, but that's easier said than done... I can make a strong argument for both

KelloggBud · Answer

If that's the case maybe a x220. pre-configured its probably better for you

SealTeamCeltics · Answer

Has anyone looked at the HP envy 15? At 15.6", it's a little bigger than others, but I've lugged around a laptop that size for years (at work) and it's never gotten to me. There's a model on newegg.com right now for $1,200 with an i7 quad core, 8GB memory, discrete graphics, big hard drive (that I would probably replace with an SSD), etc. It's basically a carbon copy of the 15" macbook pro, but over a thousand bucks cheaper.

method · Answer

I had that laptop for work, and it was the worst laptop I've ever used. The machine was so screaming hot that it made my palms sweat like a hot Texas day. I went through 3 cooling pads, and it was still borderline unusable from the heat. What made it literally unusable, however, was blue screening. My laptop blue screened once every hour, and this was about 7 days out of the box. I would recommend looking at other options lol.

alfrep · Answer

I have a Lenovo ThinkPad  Tablet  and I'm very happy with it. I would gladly answer any questions you have about it.

RamakantPareek · Answer

Lenovo's ThinkPad is the business user's ultimate Goldilocks notebook. At 14.1 inches and 4 pounds, the laptop is extremely light and portable, but it's large enough to provide a generous high-res screen, a powerful processor, and a full-sized keyboard and touchpad.

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1022lapog · Answer

I really like one cool thing with all these Lenovo laptops. They have light at the top of your screen focusing on your key board. While in the bed, you dont need a night lamp to see the key board.

novanative · Answer

I went ahead and got a MacBook Pro. VMware fusion is what helps me run my Windows applications.

jgonza8 · Answer

Someone mentioned taking a look at these in person to make a better comparison. Do Best Buy or Staples actually carry Lenovos? Every time I go there, I only see the more flashy machines (i.e. HPs, Dells, etc). Thoughts on where I can actually see?

travisz · Answer

I just got AD and will be starting my MBA in fall.

I switched from thinkpad to macbook pro last year and don't like it. Now I need to buy a thinkpad for mba life, I am thinking t430s but i find twist very interesting as well. Is the tablet very helpful? I may end up getting both.

OptimisticApplicant · Answer

I'm curious about this as well...

Any thoughts on X230 vs. T430s? I'm leaning towards the X230. Right now, it's on sale for ~$750 - is that a good deal?

Thanks!

travisz · Answer

X230 is pretty good. Although I want one with a little bigger screen and my eyes get tired easily with small fonts.

Some people were saying that tablet with writable screen and digitizer is quite useful, so I am thinking the Twist. I played with it at Staples and it is very cool.

Lenovo ThinkPad for BSchool

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