As you may already know from my ultrabook editorial, I’m not entirely sold on them. There are disadvantages to being thin.

1. 22/02/2012 04:55
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Lenovo ThinkPad T420 Reviews
Lenovo ThinkPad T420 Reviews Of course, laptops have come a long way since then.
The ThinkPad T420 we received for review is a good
CloudTags: Lenovo , ThinkPad , T420 , Lenovo example of a mid-range model. Let’s look at the
batteries uk , lenovo laptop , Lenovo thinkpad t61 hardware specifications.
batteries
As you may already know from my ultrabook edi-
torial, I’m not entirely sold on them. There are di-
sadvantages to being thin.
According to Lenovo’s website, this configuration is
the second pre-configured option available. It can
And as if to remind me of it, a Lenovo ThinkPad be had for about $1000 after an eCoupon provided
http://blog.batteryfast.co.uk/lenovo-thinkpad-t420-reviews/
T420 suddenly appeared at my doorstep. Okay, that’s by Lenovo. All of the features above are standard,
exaggerating a bit – I did know it was coming – but even the 1600×900 display and Nvidia graphics. They
the timing of receiving an old-school laptop couldn’t are standard only for this model, however – some
have been better. Not only because I wanted to take less powerful versions are available at lower prices.
a closer look at a laptop purposely designed to not
be thin, but also because we haven’t had a ThinkPad The only option that came with our review unit was
T series for review in, well, forever. a 9-cell battery, which will set you back $50. We
received both the 6-cell and the 9-cell batteries, so
This is a return to form for me. I owned several we will be testing the laptop’s battery life with both.
ThinkPads during my late teens, my college days,
and the years just after college. My favorite was a
T42 with a 14-inch display.
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2. 22/02/2012 04:55
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Lenovo ThinkPad T420 Reviews
Design open 180 degrees. More importantly, these hinges
do not allow for any display wobble when typing.
At first glance, the T420 doesn’t seem much different
from the T42 I used about six years ago. The classic Connectivity includes VGA and DisplayPort, four USB
ThinkPad black matte construction remains present, 2.0 ports (one of which is an eSATA combo port), a
of course, and it does a good job of obscuring the card reader, a 34mm Express Card Slot and a combo
more subtle details of the chassis. headphone/microphone jack. This impressive array
is improved if you don’t have the discrete graphics
Not that there’s much to obscure. Besides the lap- option found on our laptop – the space freed by the
top’s ports and a display lid’s latch at the front of missing GPU allows for the addition of two more
the laptop, there’s nothing notable here. That’s the USB 2.0 ports. USB 3.0 is notably lacking.
point. A business laptop is supposed to be like a
business suit – handsome, but unobtrusive. Most of the ports are located near the middle or
rear of the chassis, and none are located on the
I don’t think everyone agrees with this philosophy, front, which means that connecting devices will
but this isn’t meant to be a debate about it. This T420 interfere less with your working space. The power
remains true to the core ThinkPad ideal of obsessive cable connects at the only proper spot – the rear
functionality. You either get it, or you don’t. If you of the laptop – keeping the cord and adapter out
do, then you’ll love how this laptop is built. of your way.
User Interface
http://blog.batteryfast.co.uk/lenovo-thinkpad-t420-reviews/
Durability is evident throughout the chassis. Picking
up the laptop from any edge results in no groans of
protest, nor is any flex evident when pressing upon
various surfaces of the laptop (the middle of the Like the design of the chassis itself, the keyboard
display lid is an exception – but almost all laptops on the T420 is a bit of a dinosaur. It has refused
show some minor flex there). The display is attached to change over the years, ignoring the trends to-
by two large metal hinges that make it possible to wards an island style keyboard layout. Even HP’s
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3. 22/02/2012 04:55
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Lenovo ThinkPad T420 Reviews
enterprise laptops have switched over to the more
modern design.
But modern doesn’t always mean best. As I pointed
out in our retrospective of the Acer Extensa 5420, an
old-fashioned laptop keyboard like the one found
here has strengths. The most noticeable is key feel.
When you press a key, it responds with significant
travel, and it doesn’t bottom out harshly. You can
easily tell when you’ve fully depressed a key without
looking at your display or the keyboard, resulting
in more confidence when typing at high speeds.
The layout is a bit fussy, as is often the case with
ThinkPad laptops. The FN (or function) key is where
the Ctrl key is supposed to be, and this will cause new
users to stumble. Lenovo also uses double-height Esc
and Delete keys which feel awkward at first, but are
probably more effective once you’ve learned them.
Below the keyboard is a small touchpad. It’s ade-
quate. If you buy the T420 you’ll need to love – or
learn to love – the trackpointer in the middle of the
keyboard. The ThinkPad implementation remains
the best, and once you become accustomed to it, you
may never want to go back to a touchpad.
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