The new ThinkPad T520 for fall 2011 offers a significant performance improvement over its predecessors, and that, without stating the obvious is down to the outstanding Intel Sandy Bridge Architecture.  Now that the Sandy Bridge processors have been updated for fall 2011, we thought it was time to take another look at this superb business notebook.

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The 15″ Display ThinkPad T Series have long been my personal favorites for the extra screen real estate they offer without going overboard weight wise.

Compared to the ThinkPad T420 the ThinkPad T520 weighs a little under 3/4 lb more, its 1 1/4″ wider but only a 1/10 of an inch thicker! Now that works for me because to my mind, the extra screen size is really worth it especially when I look at the gorgeous 15.6″ FHD Display running at 1920 x 1080 resolution  with 95% Gamut and 270 NITS

Now in every ThinkPad t520 review we have seen, those figures of 95% Gamut and 270 NITS have just been quoted ad hoc, and to be honest I don’t think there’s a reviewer out there who really understands exactly what they mean, so lets endeavor to put that straight

High Resolution ThinkPad Display

So, in simple terms what that means is that this is a stunning screen! Technically however, when we talk about gamut we mean the ability to display, represent or reproduce a range of colors. In the case of a display the color gamut is specified as the hue and saturation plane, so a high percentage gamut display means it can produce colors over a wide and intense range. On the other hand the nit can be described as a unit of visible light intensity, and is often used specifically to measure the brightness an LCD or LED display, so a 270 NITS display at 95% Gamut can produce, bright, highly defined colors across a wide range.

So this is an incredible screen if you can afford the option, and to be honest, if you’re going to own a ThinkPad T520 then it really does make economic sense to specify it to the hilt and future proof your investment for the next 4 to 5 years, because that’s how long this will last you.

In performance terms the ThinkPad T520 is streets ahead of the T510 and previous ThinkPad T Series.

New ThinkPad Sandy Bridge processors for fall 2011

Intel introduced the Sandy Bridge architecture early this year, 2011 and Lenovo was quick to implement this in the then new ThinkPad T ’20 Series. What Intel has done with the mobile Sandy Bridge chip set  has been to make a distinction between  the amount of Cores in the naming convection with ‘M’ as the mobile Dual Core,  QM as the Mobile Quad Core and XM as Extreme version of Sandy Bridge.

The Sandy Bridge processor family starts off with the new Core i3 processor, in the form of the 2.3  GHz i3 2350M with 3MB of L3 cache, the newer iteration of the Core i3  was released in Q3 2011 is a significant improvement on the first Core i3’s. The new Intel Mobile Core i3-2350M is a dual-core chip for medium power notebooks and of course is based on the now acclaimed and secure Sandy Bridge architecture.

With two cores, a GPU, Memory controller and PCI Express the i3-2350M runs at 2.3 GHz which is significant increase of 100 MHz over the 2330M, and a 200 MHz speed increase  over the  2310M. The GPU is HD-capable and in addition also supports 3D acceleration and Hyper-Threading so the new Core i3 offering is a great place to start if you’re looking for your ThinkPad T520 specification to be at the budget end of the spectrum

Going up the scale slightly we have the Core i5 2520M as a processor option which runs at 2.5GHz with 3MB of L3 cache and supports DDR3-1333. The Quad Core chips start at the Core i7 2720QM running at 2.2GHz with 6MB L3 cache, runs 12 threads  and  supports DDR3-1600. The new Sandy Bridge Mobile Processors top out at the Core i7 2920XM running at 2.5GHz, 8MB of L3 Cache and support for DDR3-1600

Right now you can option your new ThinkPad T520 with the Intel Core i7-2860QM Processor which runs at 2.50GHz with a staggering 8MB L3 Cache and a 1333MHz Front Side Bus, the full blown Core i7-2920XM Processor being reserved for the ThinkPad W520 Mobile Workstation.

All of the mobile Sandy Bridge chips have been built with two graphics cores on the silicon (12 EUs), so to be frank, unless you are a really high end high end gaming fanatic, you will probably eliminate the need for a separate Graphics chip. If you’re catching up with your World of Warcraft Guild after hours then you’ll be just fine!

Overall there is a pretty impressive enhancement in Graphics and GPU performance with this chip set so if you’ve bemoaned Intel HD graphics in the past we think you’ll love what the ThinkPad T520 is capable of.

All of the Sandy Bridge Chips will encompass Intel HD 3000 graphics, so it’s vital to be aware of the distinction relating to the Intel HD Graphics 3000 GPU and the old HD Graphics 2000. Sandy Bridge which integrates Intel  HD Graphics 3000 right across the range, combines 12eu’s (execution units) in contrast to HD Graphics 2000 having only 6eu’s. This means that the Intel HD 3000 GPU has twice the graphics processing capacity which indicates that HD Graphics 3000 will give you double the processing power when you’re gaming and running business programs with a heavy graphic’s load.

When you realize  that Intel has literally etched a quad-core CPU, graphics, cache, a memory controller plus a  PCI-Express connectivity controller all onto one piece of silicon you get colossal performance increases because of the elimination of most of the bottle necks.

Of course you may decide to opt for NVIDIA’s Optimus Graphics on your new T520, at which point you should see some outstanding graphics potential and maybe finally be able to do some really momentous gaming on your ThinkPad, along of course with some high level graphics work for business! The real advantage of the NVIDIA’s Optimus system is that you virtually have graphics on demand, without a massive drain on your battery.

So for the purpose of this ThinkPad T520 Review, we are going to take a look at our favorite ThinkPad T520 Specification, which spares no expense and loads up all the options. If you’re on a budget and the ThinkPad T520 price is an issue, then this may make your eyes water a little, but you can always option down a little, to bring the price more in line with your pocket.

It has long been our opinion that the more you can build into a notebook when you buy it, the more you future proof it and the initial higher cost now will pay off in the long run, in terms of a machine that will still be capable in 3, 4 and 5 years. We have ThinkPad’s in our offices that are 5 and 6 years old and still going strong.

ThinkPad T520 Specification – all the bells and whistles!

The base price of the current ThinkPad T520i with 15.6″ HD 1366 x 768 resolution  LED display, Intel HD Graphics 3000, 4 GB DDR3, plus a 320 GB 7200rpm Hard Disk Drive is a very reasonable $799, with the current Lenovo deals and relevant ThinkPad Coupon. Considering the outstanding build quality and excellent ergonomics, this is a great entry level ThinkPad T520.

We are aiming a lot higher however so with that in mind let’s look at our ultimate ThinkPad T520 Specification.

ThinkPad T520 – Intel Core i7-2860QM 2.50GHz Processor with 8MB L3 Cache and 1333MHz Front Side Bus, Windows 7 Professional 64, 15.6″ FHD 1920×1080 Resolution LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display  measured at 95% Gamut and 270 nits, NVIDIA NVS 4200M Graphics with Optimus Technology and 1GB DDR3 Memory, 8 GB PC3 DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM  Memory over 2 DIMM’s, Fingerprint reader, 720p High Definition Web Camera, 500 GB 7200rpm Hard Disk Drive, Express Card Slot & Smart Card Reader option, 9 cell Li-Ion Battery, Intel Centrino Advanced-N with WiMAX 6250, and we also add the 3Yr Base Warranty Extension, we are also adding on the ThinkPad 9 Cell Slice Battery (this is the ultimate T520 specification after all!), and an accessory we will just not do without, the ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus 170W Series 3.

And the price of this ultimate T Series? Well, it’s a little on the wild side at $2422.99, but with the current crop of ThinkPad T520 Coupon Codes and the forthcoming ThinkPad Black Friday deals, you can expect to reduce that considerably.

A brief explanation of some of the choices we have made with our build. We did opt for the Core i7-2860QM over the Core i7-2760QM, although in reality the performance gain is probably not significant unless you’re doing some real high level number crunching. We opted for the 500 GB Hard Drive when really the Intel 160 GB Solid State Drive would have been the real ‘ultimate’ choice, but we cannot rationalize the storage compromise that 160 GB entails.

What we really need is Lenovo’s promised Hybrid Drive Solution, which will piggy back a small SSD onto a conventional spinning drive, but the boffins at Think HQ in Raleigh NC, seem to be having challenges making this s truly seamless operation.

We also omitted Bluetooth 3 from our specification because to be honest we have never used it, but if you need it it’s a $20 upgrade.

We have chosen to add in the slice battery for the odd occasion that I may be on a long trip, and to be honest, really just to test out how practical this is as an option. The Mini Dock for me is a must. I love to close the lid on my ThinkPad when I leave the office, and undock leaving all my peripherals connected, and drop it into an exact duplicate set up at home.

So what if you want to make the ultimate ThinkPad T520 Specification a little less wallet bending where would we suggest that you cut back? Well opting for the Intel Core i7-2760QM over the Intel Core i7-2860QM will save you $200, and as we have stated above, the performance difference is not significant in every day terms.

German site Notebookcheck has run a recent extensive test on the updated Core i7 processors, and the difference in performance, so if you really want to get scientific, go check it out

You might want to drop down to 6 GB memory which saves a further $80 and forgoing the Slice battery and Mini dock will cut a further $430 off the price. All in all, by making a few adjustments you can lower that price by a total of $699 down to $1723.99, and still have the best business notebook in the known universe. And of course you’ll cut another 10/20% of that with a current ThinkPad T520 Coupon.

ThinkPad T520 Review, the Ultimate ThinkPad!

Our first ThinkPad T520 Review went back to the launch in early 2011. Now, in the fall of 2011, with the updated Sandy Bridge processors, the new Core i3 at the lower end for the budget conscious, but in particular, and the essence of this review, the updated Core i7 processors, really do entrench the ThinkPad T520 as the ultimate 15” business notebook. A superb offering from Lenovo

Fall 2011 ThinkPad T520 Review, New Core i7′s, Ultimate T520!ThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code

In fact the ThinkPad T420 will give you close to a claimed 15 hours of  battery life with the 9 cell installed, or an amazing 30 hours with the  ‘slice’ battery.

So let’s take a close look at the ThinkPad T420 line up for fall 2011. First  of the ThinkPad T420i gets a new Core i3 processor, in the form of the 2.3  GHz i3 2350M with 3MB of L3 cache. Slated for release in Q3 2011, Lenovo has been quick to get this new chip into the ThinkPad T Series range.

Intel Mobile Core i3-2350M is a dual-core chip for middle power notebooks and of course is based on the new established and stable Sandy Bridge architecture. With 2 cores, a GPU, Memory controller and PCI Express the i3-2350M runs at 2.3 GHz which is 100 MHz up on the 2330M, and 200 MHz quicker than the  2310M. The GPU is HD-capable and also supports 3D acceleration and   Hyper-Threading which should boost processor performance considerably.

Using Enhanced SpeedStep technology which lowers core voltage and should play a part in increased battery life over previous Core i3 offerings.

Processor upgrades for the ThinkPad T420i are limited to the Core i5 2430M running at 2.40GHz

Options include HD+ 1600 x 900 Resolution LED Display, up to 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz Memory across 2 DIMM’s, Finger Print Reader, up to  a 500 GB 7200rpm Hard Disk Drive or the sublime Intel 160 GB SSD Drive, you  can also specify the 9 cell Li-Ion Battery plus the usual host of WiFi and  broadband options. Intel HD 3000 Graphics, brings more than acceptable performance unless you’re a hard core gamer. A 720p HD Camera come as standard.

Overall the new incarnation of the ThinkPad T420i for fall 2011 is an excellent offering from Lenovo and a great choice if you’re looking to fit yourself out with a T Series on a budget!

Way out at the other end of the scale comes the ThinkPad T420 with the Core i7-2620M Chip running at 2.70GHz sporting 4MB L3 Cache. Fit this one out  with the NVIDIA NVS 4200M Graphics with Optimus Technology with 1GB DDR3  Memory onboard, upgrade your system memory to 8 GB DDR3 and you’ve got  yourself a real mobile powerhouse, that’s going to keep you working most of  the day.

Once you have the ThinkPad T420 fitted out with the specifications of your choice, you’re really going to have the pinnacle of business notebooks to  work with.

We fitted ours out as follows

ThinkPad T420 Specifications – Fall 2011

Intel Core i7-2620M 2.70GHz Processor with 4MB L3 Cache with Windows 7 Pro  64 installed so we can run 8GB memory – 1600 x 900 Resolution LED Backlit  Display with Anti-Glare 14″ with its Lenovo HD+ designation, NVIDIA NVS 4200M Optimus Graphics with 1GB DDR3 Memory – 8 GB PC3 DDR3 SDRAM  – Fingerprint reader – 720p High Definition Web cam – 500 GB 7200rpm Hard  Disk Drive – DVD Optical Drive – 4 in 1 Card and Smart Card Reader – 9 cell  Li-Ion Battery – Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205, and an accessories I won’t  personally do without, the ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 which runs at  170W to give increased power for higher end graphics cards.

Total price for this souped up T420 rig as of October 11th ’11 is a wallet  melting $2579, however, with the current online sale and the relevant  ThinkPad T420 Coupon, we can bring this down to a very respectable $$1682

The reason for choosing the 500GB drive over an SSD option is capacity. we have long had the promise from Lenovo of a real Hybrid drive solution,  with all the benefits of a spinning drive for capacity and a small MSata  drive piggybacked for Rapid Boot. This has been a promise since CES 2011, and again at CES 2011, but we are yet to see it. So what about it Lenovo?

The ThinkPad T420 though, like all T Series, goes beyond mere performance and iconic looks. the build quality is superb, the keyboard is simply  outstanding  and a great deal of thought has been put into the ergonomics and  features that make a corporate notebooks users life so much easier.

Features like ‘Instant Resume’ which keeps you connected as you roam and enhanced audio conferencing features with talk and type noise reduction function keys for when on a VIOP call.

So here we are in late 2011 and we ponder if this is a good time to buy a ThinkPad T420 with the advent of Ivy Bridge and the rumored release of the ThinkPad T430. One thing’s for sure, we won’t be seeing Ivy Bridge till at least April  2011, which probably means we will be seeing a new Ivy Bridge equipped T  Series and subsequently ThinkPad T430 around late April to early May.

Our opinion? Don’t wait. The current ThinkPad T420 and in fact the whole T Series range is outstanding and Lenovo have done an excellent job of bringing together all the features of the classic ThinkPad and engineering them into a remarkable range of notebooks.

Whilst it still retains all the features and subtleties that we love, the modern ThinkPad has suddenly become sleek, stylish, and dare we say sexy? It is difficult to comprehend sometimes that the ThinkPad X1 and the new Android ThinkPad Tablet come from the same lineage as the A Series and the legacy T Series like the T60!

Lenovo has done a remarkable job of defending the ThinkPad design legacy whilst bringing us a modern technology classic.

The purpose of this updated ThinkPad T420 Review is really to illustrate what a superb business notebook the T Series is. If you’re looking for a new notebook right now then the 2011/2012 ThinkPad T420 is the undisputed class leader.

ThinkPad T420 Video

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The much anticipated new 2011 ThinkPad T Series notebooks are here and we now have a release date. In this ThinkPad T420, ThinkPad T420s and ThinkPad T520 Review we are going to cover the new features in depth. Release date will be the first week in March!

STOP PRESS: March 18th ’11 The ThinkPad T420 and ThinkPad T520 with Intel HD 3000 Integrated Graphics are now available on the Lenovo site. With the new Sandy Bridge Architecture with the 12EUs Graphics cores, the Intel 3000 HD Graphics option is going to do a great job of handling most business applications.

Visit Lenovo to configure your superb new ThinkPad T420 and T520

Let’s start with the super slim, ThinkPad T420s which must be on every T Series fans most wanted list! Coming in at  under 4lbs and equipped with the second generation Intel® Core™ i3-2310M (2.10 GHz Sandy Bridge Processor as the base option and going up to the Intel® Core™ i7-2620M (2.7 GHz, up to 8MB Ram and NVIDIA NVS Optimus Graphics, this baby is going to fly.

Equipped with Dolby Home Theater Audio (yes, in a ThinkPad!), the combination of Graphics capabilities and raw processing power, we have a really serious laptop for both work and entertainment!

ThinkPad T420s Specifications

Video – Display Port + VGA, 3 USB ports consisting of one USB 2.0, one USB Always-On and a USB 3.0 port – 34mm Express Card and 4 in 1 SD Card – Dual Array Digital Microphones with a 720p HD Camera – the option of NVIDIA Optimus NVS 4200M with 1GB VRAM – up to Intel® Centrino® Ultimate-N 6300 3×3 AGN – a choice of Wireless including Gobi 3000 – Ericsson HSPA+ WWAN Minicard – LeadCore TD-SCDMA WWAN Minicard or the Huawei EV-DO WWAN Minicard

Hard Drives start at 160GB 7200rpm – to 320GB 7200rpm with the option of Rapid Drive incorporating the Intel® 80GB Micro SSD.

There is also an option for a 4GB SSD, plus SSD configurations from 128GB SSD up to 160GB SSD

The T420s will also now standardize on the ThinkPad Series 3 Port Replicator’s and Mini Docks, allowing up to 3 active displays at once!

The ThinkPad T420 starts with the Intel® Core™ i3-2310M Processor and goes up to the Intel® Core™ i7-2620M 2.70GHz, whilst the ThinkPad T520 goes all the way to Intel  Core™ i7-2820QM 2.30GHz. Now, this isn’t the most powerful of the new Sandy Bridge chips, but its pretty close. It is only about 90% short of the ‘Extreme’ versions of the new processor line up, and is really designed for use in high end multimedia notebooks, so this is going to be some powerful ThinkPad T520.

So with the new 12EUs Graphics cores in the 2nd generation iCore processors, and the NVIDIA® NVS 4200M Discrete Graphics with 1GB Video RAM, we are going to see some pretty staggering performance. Initial benchmarks suggest that your building is going to have to be on some  good foundations when you fire the new ThinkPad T520 up!

Of course Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0 will be incorporated in all of the new models and ‘Rapid Drive’ technology will be an option. Rapid Drive incorporates all the advantages of the storage capacity of large spin drives, with the fast data access time of an SSD for super fast load times.

The tiny little Intel SSD drive that makes all this possible is 1/8 the size of a normal 2.5-inch SSD. The Intel SSD 310 is under a ¼” (5mm) thick with  80GB capacity. Performance is also pretty impressive with Intel claiming that the SSD 310 provides the same performance as its X25 drives. The 80GB Micro Drive is strapped on (metaphorically) to the conventional drive, to form a performance and storage hybrid!

The ‘Thinking’ ThinkPad

Lenovo have achieved amazing battery life benchmarks with the new T Series. The ThinkPad T420 gets up to 30 hours with the 9 cell plus 9 cell ‘clip on’ slice battery.

All of the new T Series Laptops are ‘self-aware’, which  together with adaptive technologies senses where power is needed the most. This not only ensures priority is given to components that need power for improved overall performance but those that don’t, whilst you may be watching a movie for instance or surfing the web, are powered down.

With Lenovo Turbo Boost Plus, which Lenovo has worked with Intel to develop your new ThinkPad will increase processor speed during performance intensive tasks such as video editing, number crunching and using 3D rendering software, whilst at the same time keeping temperatures down.

So by reducing power to hardware that doesn’t need it, the notebook will achieve up to 30% greater battery life, which means you can work and play longer whilst your traveling.

The All Day ThinkPad

With its standard 9-cell battery, the ThinkPad T420 delivers up to 15 hours of battery life with an amazing 30 hours with the clip on 9 cell slice. The T420s achieves up to 10 hours with its combined 6-cell and optional snap on 6-cell slice battery.

Calling all ThinkPad’s!

When it was first introduced, the ThinkPad T400s and the subsequent ThinkPad T410s were big on enhanced VIOP functions. This has been a priority with the premium ‘s’ T410 and the new sleek ThinkPad T420s carries on that tradition.

The ThinkPad Engineers have built in a number of technologies to enhance the video and voice conferencing experience. You can switch between Private Chat and Conference Call microphone modes with single mouse When you’re in Private chat mode you use noise canceling technology to focus on yours and the other parties voice, whereas Conference Call mode includes everybody  in the room, and the sound is ‘cast’, so that everybody around the conference table can hear.

Keyboard noise suppression software will eliminate noise from a  keyboard if you or anybody else in the room is typing during your Conference. Ever made a conference call boob, and said something you shouldn’t have over an open mike? I know I have and it was a very embarrassing moment! The ThinkPad T410s has an LED-lit microphone mute key which tells you when the microphone is transmitting audio so you know to switch it off before you say anything you shouldn’t!

The Secure ThinkPad

The new ThinkPad T Series range offers both 2nd generation Intel® Core™ and Core™ vPro™ processors  giving corporate level IT departments a high level of reliability ease of  deployment and a high level of manageability.

The new ThinkPad T420s, ThinkPad T420 and T520 will also share the Series 3 Docking Station with the new ThinkPad W520, the L Series and the upcoming new ThinkPad X220. Another feature that will please corporate IT Managers is the fact that all 14” and 15” ThinkPad’s will now share the same batteries, another big cost saver in the IT Stock room!

Of course the biggest headache for the corporate IT Director is security, and of  that extends down to the SMB and Soloprenuer level. All of the new ThinkPad’s present you with various options to overlay several layers of security all the way through the hardware, software, BIOS. The  options include encrypted hard drives and remote management support with an integrated fingerprint reader with one touch swipe for power on and authentication, a feature which was first introduced in the T400. This includes yellow ‘wrong swipe’ LED’s which light up on the left or right of the finger print reader to indicate which way your finger is leaning!

Statistics show the in US Airports alone 12,000 laptops are stolen every week and one laptop is stolen every 53 seconds! This of course is a nightmare with all the personal information that we carry on our laptops but for anybody that has a work notebook stolen with a hard drive full of sensitive information this is an absolute horror story! With vPro Intel has incorporated Anti-Theft 2.0 which uses software and hardware technology to remotely disable your ThinkPad and lock access to your precious and sensitive data if your ThinkPad is lost or stolen.

This can be done remotely with a simple call to your help desk at Comuputrace LowJack or the service from Symantec. Intel have a really good video that illustrates the type of thing that can happen when the service is activated using  Intel® Anti-Theft Technology (Intel® AT)

The always on ThinkPad

With the new ThinkPad T Series Lenovo has introduced an Instant Resume feature which keeps your ThinkPad connected to your wireless or VPN access point during sleep mode for brief periods of time. This does away with the need to login and reconnect if your moving from meeting to meeting or around the building.

Now, we haven’t heard this yet, but we can’t wait because the  ThinkPad T420s is the first ever notebook to feature Dolby Home Theater v4, Dolby’s hottest new audio technology which gives virtualized surround sound and dialog enhancement technology for crystal clear  sound tracks in movies, music and during video calls.  This is a completely new direction for the usually staid corporate image of ThinkPad’s of old, but according to Russ Compton the ThinkPad T Series Marketing Manager, as users, we are demanding more ‘after hours’ features on our ThinkPad’s

So we have a ThinkPad T420 and ThinkPad T420s or a ThinkPad T520 with great audio, raw power and game playable graphics! Wonderful!

The “I want one” ThinkPad!

There is no doubt that the ThinkPad Engineers have stepped up the game yet again with the new 2011 ThinkPad T Series. The ThinkPad T420s elevate the meaning of portable power to a new level and take the premium ‘s’ machine up another couple of notches. This was always a near perfect companion for the fast moving power user, but the ThinkPad T420s is almost beyond superlatives

The ThinkPad T420, T420s and ThinkPad T520 with the wonderful keyboard, immense durability and superb ergonomics and enterprise level features support again raise the bench mark for business notebooks. Its now almost impossible to envisage any other manufacturer equaling what the 2011 T Series achieves.

Combine that with the sheer power of the new Intel Sandy Bridge Architecture, the NVIDIA Optimus Graphics and the outstanding battery life, and the new 2011 T Series ThinkPad’s are a real game changer

So the waiting is over! The ThinkPad T420s and T420 together with the ThinkPad T520 will be on sale from we believe the 1st  March. The pricing in the USA will start at $1399 for the ThinkPad T420s, and $1029 and $999 for the new ThinkPad T420 and ThinkPad T520. There has never been a better time to buy a new ThinkPad!

ThinkPad T420s Review

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New 2011 ThinkPad T510 Review. The new ThinkPad T510 demonstrates how it should be done with outstanding performance and peerless build quality. Lenovo has spent the last couple of years updating and enhancing its line of laptops and some of the most important changes came to the ThinkPad T Series.

<– Redeem the latest ThinkPad T510 offers on the ThinkPad Coupon Code page Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate.

On the list of machines with upgrades for 2011 is the ThinkPad T510, which boasts a few new processor options, (with Sandy Bridge on the way!) a couple of new hard drive choices, and most notably, the NVIDIA Optimus auto-switching graphics card. The price hasn’t changed, but you can’t do much better than a $900 starting price for one of the most solid mobile workstations on the market.

The base model of the ThinkPad T510 now comes with an Intel Core i5-560M processor, which itself is no small thing. However, if you really want to enjoy the T510 to its fullest then you’ll want to upgrade to the Core i7-620M, which features the same speed, but which is more attuned to working with software packages that are optimized for multi-core processors.

Sandy Bridge on the way!

And what about Sandy Bridge I hear you ask? Well, the ThinkPad rumor mill tells us that we should be seeing The ThinkPad T410 and ThinkPad T410s together with ThinkPad T510 arriving with the new Sandy Bridge silicon around the end of Q1 2011. You can rest assured that we will keep our ear to the ground and let you know as the news breaks.

In terms of memory, the standard version of the ThinkPad T510 still comes with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, but you’ll likely want to upgrade to something a bit meatier if you’re planning on doing anything beyond Web surfing and word processing. If you want to stick with the 32-bit operating system then 4GB is the maximum that you can get, but you can choose the PC3-8500 1067MHz RAM if you want to save a little money or you can go with the PC3-10600 1333MHz if you want maximum performance. If you really want to shoot for the moon, you can go with 8GB of RAM, but then you’d have to move up to the 64-bit system.

Optimus Graphics

The biggest change in this year’s Lenovo ThinkPad T510 is the graphics card, which powers the beautiful 15-inch high-definition Anti-Glare display with LED backlight. The brain behind the beauty is NVIDIA’s NVS 3100M Optimus graphics card, which features 512MB of DDR3 graphics memory.

In days of yore, if you had a switchable graphics card, you had to know when you wanted to save power and had to manually adjust your graphics card to low power. Now, though, the Optimus does that for you. When you’re playing graphically intense high-definition video or playing a particularly graphics-rich video game, the Optimus kicks into high gear, providing you with all of the power you need. However, when you’re not doing things that are so graphically demanding, the card recognizes that and adjusts the power consumption accordingly. That’s a pretty big deal for those regular travelers who need to get the most out of a battery.

Legendary Keyboard

The keyboard on the ThinkPad T510 is of course outstanding, as is the standard with the legendary ThinkPad keyboard. The flush multi-touch TouchPad which first appeared the T400 and became standard on the ThinkPad T410s, is 27% larger than previous T Series with wider left and right mouse buttons and you can zoom, rotate and scroll using two finger gestures.

The new ThinkPad T510 has plenty of storage options, whatever your needs. The base model comes equipped with a 250GB 5,400RPM hard drive, but if you need more space you can get as much as 500GB. If you really want a fast machine, then your best option would be the 160GB solid-state drive. It may not have the capacity of the disc drives, but what it lacks in space it makes up for in transfer rates, which will open, close and switch between programs faster than you can blink your eyes.

The ThinkPad T510 comes with four USB ports – one of which doubles as an eSATA port – a 5-in-1 media card reader, an ExpressCard/34 slot, modem jack, Ethernet port, a VGA output, a FireWire port and audio jacks.

Other options include a 2.0MP webcam, a Multi Recorder optical drive, Bluetooth, an Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 wireless card, and mobile broadband with GPS capability (non-GPS broadband is standard equipment), and of course one of our favorite features, the ‘smart’ fingerprint reader with left/right LED’s for a bad swipe and the coolest feature of all, ‘wake from swipe’. Whether you ThinkPad is completely off, in hibernate, or in sleep mode, one swipe, and your ThinkPad T510 will power on!

Also, like the updated ThinkPad T410, the new ThinkPad T510 comes with easily accessible expansion bays, which allow you to add memory or complete basic internal changes without tearing the whole machine apart. That’ll be a welcome change if you’re a tinkerer.

The ThinkPad T510 has been at the pinnacle of enterprise level mobile notebooks since it hit the market in January 2010 and Lenovo’s updates to the 2011 version ensure that it will remain the benchmark to aim for throughout 2011.

Disclosure: ThinkPadToday is a Compensated Affiliate with a material relationship with Lenovo. ThinkpadToday has an Affiliate relationship with Lenovo and will be financially compensated should you purchase a product via this link. For full disclosure Statement please see our Disclosure Page.

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Updated! Lenovo ThinkPad T410 2011 Review. New in the 2011 Lenovo ThinkPad T410 is something wonderful for graphics addicts: the NVIDIA NVS 3100M Optimus graphics card. That alone should be enough to encourage you to buy the ThinkPad T410, but just in case it isn’t, Lenovo gives you a wide variety of customization options.

<— Check the latest ThinkPad Offers on our ThinkPad Coupon Code page

Best of all, the base ThinkPad T410 price still starts at $749 Intel Core i3-370M Processor model.

The NVIDIA Optimus Graphics equipped Intel Core i5-560M ThinkPad T410 starts at $979 and goes up as you add the Core i7 and other upgrade options

The updated ThinkPad T410 hasn’t changed much on the outside, but there are plenty of changes to the inside, including the option to run Intel’s Core i7-620M processor, which offers a max speed of 2.66GHz. That’s certainly enough to power just about any software package you could think of. If that’s more than you need, you can save a little money by opting for the Core i5 version.

For optimized multi-tasking, the ThinkPad T410 comes with up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, 2GB being the standard. If you want to maintain a 32-bit operating system then you’ll be stuck with a max of 4GB, but if you’re willing to switch to the 64-bit system, then you can go for all 8GB.

As for operating systems, you can choose between 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 – Home, Professional, or Ultimate. As we said above, if you want to squeeze the most out of this beautiful machine it’s time to move on to bigger and better things and switch to 64-bits.

When storage space is important, Lenovo has you covered. The ThinkPad T410 comes equipped with any number of hard drive options, from the smallest – and least expensive – 250GB 5,400RPM drive, to the largest, the 500GB 7,200RPM drive. If you need security, there’s a 250GB encrypted drive and if you need the ultimate in speed, there are two solid-state drive options.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T410 keeps the same WXGA+ LED backlit display as the previous version. Colors are bright and images are crisp. One improvement on the updated ThinkPad T410 is the inclusion of NVIDIA’s new Optimus graphics card, which automatically adjusts power use according to your needs, which translates not only into high quality, seamless video when necessary, but also power preservation when you need to conserve on battery life.

If you want to stay in constant contact with colleagues, friends and family, there is an optional 2MP integrated webcam.

The updated ThinkPad T410 improves greatly on the previous version’s port situation. The new T410 has every port you’ll need to get the most out of this incredible machine. There are four USB ports – one powered – a FireWire port, a DisplayPort connection, a SmartCard slot, an SDHC media card reader, and an ExpressCard/34 port. And of course a TCG 1.2-compliant Trusted Platform Module, or TPM chip.

Not surprisingly, little has changed with the ThinkPad T410’s controls. The keyboard keys are a bit closer together and the button-push is a bit softer, but other than that, it’s the same keyboard that Lenovo users have come to love. There’s also an integrated multi-touch TouchPad to make zooming and scrolling easier.

Aside from the incorporation of numerous new ports, the design and build of the updated Lenovo ThinkPad T410 has changed in a couple of minor, but important ways. For starters, the screen has been centered within the display case, which eliminates the uneven bezels of the earlier version. Also important is the elimination of a two-piece palm rest in favor of a one-piece palm rest that provides for greater structural support. Finally, there is now a user-access panel on the bottom, which will allow you to add RAM or change your wireless card without unscrewing everything or bringing it to a repair shop.

If you’re in the market for a new all-round laptop in 2011 with plenty of power, a good-sized screen, and wonderful battery life, then the ThinkPad T410 is the machine for you – it’s as simple as that.

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ThinkPad Head to Head: ThinkPad X201 vs the ThinkPad T410s. If your professional career or personal life tends towards a combination of office based and travel, then you’ve probably taken a look at Lenovo’s ThinkPad ultraportable notebooks, the ThinkPad X201 and the ThinkPad T410s. The question is inevitable: which is best?

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Well, let’s first narrow down the contestants. 18 months ago, the choice was a simple one, the ThinkPad X200 Ultraportable was the ultimate travel companion. That was before the introduction of the ThinkPad T400s in June 09 and the updated ThinkPad T410s in January ’10.

So now we see the battle lines being drawn between Lenovo’s ThinkPad T410s and the company’s ThinkPad X201. Just explore one of many message boards or forums and you’ll see that these two machines, despite their outward differences, are frequently the final two machines in a buyer’s tossup as the ultimate traveling companion.

In fact Wired Magazine recently called the ThinkPad T410s “a near perfect machine”

The ThinkPad X201 is part of Lenovo’s ultraportable line of computers and is often marketed as the traveler’s ultimate notebook. It’s also reasonably low in the ThinkPad price range, starting at just $879 for the Intel Core i3 equipped ThinkPad X201i or $999 for the Intel Core i5-560M notebook. This laptop is a favorite of business people and professionals that travel a lot, but who don’t need a full portable workstation. It has a 12-inch display and the latest version incorporates an optional TouchPad.

The T410s has already established an almost cult following amongst professionals, and has a special place in the hearts of anyone with a love for graphics and video on the move; that’s because the T410s has a beautiful 14-inch display and the option of a high-end graphics card – NVIDIA NVS Optimus Graphics with 512MB memory coupled with an Intel Core i5-560M Processor. The ThinkPad T410s has a starting price of about $1,299 and is billed by Lenovo as a “portable powerhouse.” The ThinkPad T410s is the ‘Thinest lightest’ T Series ever.

Let’s take a closer look at each and try to draw out the important distinctions. To draw a comparison, we gave both the ThinkPad X201 and the ThinkPad T410s similar specifications to try and get a ‘like for like’ reference.

ThinkPad X201 specification for the purposes of this illustration – Processor: Intel Core i5-540M – Memory: 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 – Graphics: Intel HD Graphics Card – Display: 12.1″ WXGA LED Panel – Hard Drive: 128 GB Solid State Drive

ThinkPad X201, Online Sale Price: $1379.00 (correct at 6th Dec, ’10)

The ThinkPad X201, though not usually billed as a powerful machine, offers a lot more than similarly sized and priced laptops on the market today. What really makes the ThinkPad X201 shine is the fact that it weighs less than three pounds and has a profile of less than 1.5-inches, making it a truly ultra-portable machine, ready for any user on the go.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X201 we tested sports an Intel Core i5-540M processor – the highest available in this model – that is easily capable of handling a variety of computing tasks, from multi-tasking and office computing to surfing the Web and streaming audio and video. This version received a bit of a boost from the 4GB of DDR3-8500 RAM, which is further upgradeable to 8GB.

The 12-inch display on Lenovo’s ThinkPad X201 is certainly crisp and sharp, and it features the Intel HD Graphics Card, but the lack of a high-end graphics card makes it difficult to really enjoy high-definition video and video games without lag. If you don’t have extreme graphic demands, the X201 is certainly suitable for basic games and video.

Lenovo updated the ThinkPad X201 this time around, offering an optional TouchPad. Previous versions of the X201 were TouchPad-free, forcing users to rely on the TrackPoint only. That, certainly, was one of the broad appeals to space-conscious X201 users, but Lenovo decided that it was best to give the option. Of course, the TouchPad is very well designed and fits within the confines of the palm rests, making it as unobtrusive as possible.

Generally, the ThinkPad X201 is THE go-to machine for anyone who wants a lightweight and compact, but still powerful laptop. Now, there are a couple more options we would add to the specifications, as an instance, no ThinkPad X201 is complete without an Ultrabase, and we would certainley want the TrackPoint with Fingerprint Reader and TouchPad. So that is going to add to the price a bit

Now for comparison lets take a look at a similar specification ThinkPad T410s

ThinkPad T410s, Online Sale Price: – $1699.00 (correct at 6th Dec, ’10)

Processor: Intel Core i5-540M -
Memory: 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 -
Graphics:NVIDIA NVS Optimus Graphics 512MB -
Display: 14.1” WXGA+ TFT with LED Backlight -
Hard Drive: 128 GB Solid State Drive

One of the first models in what Lenovo markets as its portable powerhouse line of laptops, the ThinkPad T410s lives up to that billing. For the purposes of this comparison, we equipped the T410s with a mid-range processor and 4GB of RAM. This configuration is priced at $1879.00, making it a bit more expensive than the X201, but you’ll see why in a moment.

The processor and RAM combination, ably handles operation of multiple simultaneous programs and is agile in switching from one task to another.

There’s also a 128GB solid-state hard drive in the T410s, which is also present in the X201, that allows for very quick access of data. You immediately notice the speed of these drives when opening large files or transferring files to and from the drive. Take my word for it, solid-state is the future of data storage. And as take up accellerates, they will get bigger, and cheaper.

Where the ThinkPad T410s really shines, however, is in its display capabilities. The NVIDIA NVS Optimus Graphics Card features 512MB of graphics memory. Not only can you save battery power without losing processor quality, but you can also enjoy the extra graphics memory, which plays seamless high-definition video and even 3D computer games, albeit at lower frame rates for some of the higher end games.

The ThinkPad T410s is the perfect middle-of-the-road laptop. Not only is it portable, but it’s also very powerful. It’s energy efficient and also high performance. If we had to pick the most versatile ThinkPad, the T410s would probably be it.

ThinkPad X201 vs the ThinkPad T410s: Conclusion

The price gap between the ThinkPad X201 and the ThinkPad T410s may not be massive, but it’s not small either. Also, there are very important distinctions in the abilities of each machine, which, when you see all of the available options, only become clearer. In a sense, comparing the T410s and the X201 is like comparing apples to oranges.

However, since this is a comparison article, and budget constraints apart, I believe that the T410s is the best choice. While the ThinkPad X201 is a wonderful machine and still the ideal choice for those in search of a lightweight laptop with sufficient power, its lack of a more powerful graphics card and its small form factor, make it less than ideal as an all-around mobile computer.

The ThinkPad T410s, however, is a “just right” laptop, bridging the gap between the higher end ThinkPad T510 and the ultra-portable X-series.

Our recommendation? If you are looking for the ultimate in portability in a small form factor then go for the ThinkPad x201. It’s an incredible notebook that is well deserving of its Ultraportable crown. If however you wallet will stretch, and you really do want the near perfect combination of portability and power, then the ThinkPad T410s is for you.

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ThinkPad T510 vs. the ThinkPad W510? One of the biggest dilemmas facing you as a ThinkPad buyer if you are looking at a 15″ ThinkPad is which one to buy? The ThinkPad T510 or ThinkPad W510?

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What’s the better choice? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? More importantly, will my wallet stretch to a W510! When you’re shopping for a new high end ThinkPad, you’ll definitely want to know the answers and be clear on which ThinkPad is right for you.

For years the ultimate mobile workstation in the Lenovo stables had been the ThinkPad T61p, a 15-inch laptop with high-end graphics, a wide range of dual-core processors, up to 4GB of memory, and plenty of connectivity options, ports, and battery life. The ThinkPad T61p – which offered a tremendous array of options – spanned a very wide gap between the average mobile business user and the ultimate on-the-go professional. Lenovo broke up the T61p’s monopoly a year ago with the release of two new machines: the T500 and the W500.

New class of notebook workstation

The new ThinkPad W Series took over the mantle of the portable ThinkPad workstation. The ThinkPad W510 effectively replaced the ThinkPad T61p whilst the ThinkPad W701 and W710ds successfully created a new class of notebook workstation.

Now, two different lines of laptops cover different ends of the spectrum and in some ways meet in the middle. Both the ThinkPad T510 and the ThinkPad W510 – as shown – are 15-inch laptops that occupy the higher ground in Lenovo’s mobile enterprise computer offerings. Both machines are marketed toward mobile business and professional users and are designed to be versatile high end notebooks with a high level of build quality and ergonomics.

At the entry level of the T Series with 15″ display the T510 base model features Intel’s Core i5 processors, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB 2700RPM hard drive.

However, the W510 offers a much higher degree of scalability, with hardware options that can put the price well over a wallet numbing $4,000. In fact, the base level W510 is pretty similar to the fully equipped T510.

Degrees of Separation

So what separates the two? Let’s check out two similarly equipped models.

ThinkPad T510 (Priced as of September 2010 without a ThinkPad T Series Coupon Code)

Price: $1434.00

Processor: Intel Core i7-620M

Memory: 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3

Graphics: NVIDIA NVS 3100M (512MB Graphics Memory)

Display: 15.6″ High Definition with LED Backlight

The Lenovo ThinkPad T510 used for this comparison has nearly all options available, including the Core i7 processor – the standard is an Intel Core i5 – and 4GB of RAM – standard is 2GB of RAM. The total price for this outfitting, which also includes a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive and all of the standard ports and connectivity options, is $1434.00.

The Intel Core i7-620M processor in this version of the ThinkPad T510, combined with the 4GB of RAM, provides all the power you really need to complete most business tasks, from organizing/scheduling and document management to on-the-go communications. You’ll notice very little lag with most programs and multi-tasking functions.

There’s enough memory in the 500 GB hard drive to store any necessary data while you’re away from the office and there are many security features – like the hard disk password protection – that ensure your data’s safety. The 7200RPM disk drive also helps keep your machine operating smoothly and quickly.

The ThinkPad T510 has a beautiful 15.6-inch high definition display that looks great in a multitude of lighting situations thanks to the LED backlight. The display is powered by an NVIDIA NVS 3100M graphics card, which features 512MB of graphics memory and allows you to watch high-definition video and displays images well for presentations.

The NVIDIA NVS 3100M graphics card is not a gaming solution and is optimized for business applications rather than games like Crysis, but it will handle most modern games at lower frame rates and play reasonably well and if you play World of Warcraft on your ThinkPad like we do then you’ll do just fine!

The T510 also features an integrated webcam, wireless and Ethernet – a must-have for business travelers that need to be in constant contact with colleagues.

The ThinkPad T510 is solidly built. It features a strong black case supported by an aluminum “roll-cage,” that can withstand the everyday stress of travel. There are other built-in safeguards as well, including the famous ThinkPad spill-proof keyboard.

The ThinkPad T510 is a great machine towers above the majority of the consumer and business laptops on the market today, the ThinkPad T510 is a great choice that will handle any business task that you can reasonably throw at it.

ThinkPad W510 (Priced as of September 2010 without a ThinkPad W Series Coupon Code)

Price: $1724.00

Processor: Intel Core i7-720M

Memory: 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3

Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M (1GB Graphics Memory)

Display: 15.6″ FHD with LED Backlight

The ThinkPad W510 occupies the pricier extreme of the business and professional portable workstation range, but that price is definitely justified. What really separates the ThinkPad W510 from the ThinkPad T510 is its dedication to graphics and all that that entails.

For starters, the base model of the ThinkPad W510 comes with an Intel Core i7-720M, one step up from even the fully equipped T510. That means that the W510 will edge out the T510 in most computing tasks, especially when outfitted with additional RAM, and up to 16gb can be optioned. The ThinkPad W510 can easily run multiple programs and is capable of also handling some of the more advanced graphics editing software packages out there.

It also comes fully ISV certified.

Not surprisingly – since the W510 is designed for high end graphics work – the display on the ThinkPad W510 is different than that of the T510. Not only does the integrated NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M graphics card provide 1900×1200 resolution, but its 1GB of graphics memory allows it to provide seamless high definition video and animation playback. That’s an incredible feature if you’re giving a presentation that includes a lot of images and video.

It’s also great that the ThinkPad W510, although it isn’t included in this setup, has the option to upgrade to a multi-touch screen.

Virtually everything else – ports, connectivity, outputs, build, etc. – about the ThinkPad W510 is the same as the ThinkPad T510, though there are many more upgrades available to the W-series.

ThinkPad T510 vs. ThinkPad W510

At first look and on the face of it there isn’t much that separates these two notebooks except of course the video card and of the ability to option the higher end Intel Core i7-920XM Processor Extreme Edition, but when you’re running in the software application big leagues, those things matter. Dig a little deeper however and you have the choice of Pantone Color Sensor, 95% Gamut, 270nit Displays with a Multi Touch option, and of course USB 3.0 in the W510.

All things considered, the ThinkPad T510 is a wonderful choice if you’re looking for a machine with all the fundamental equipment and capabilities we have come to expect from the ThinkPad brand, it’s a T Series thru and thru. It is absolutely capable of running an entire suite of office productivity software; it has the ability to network effectively and efficiently; and it’s portable enough to be a comfortable traveling companion on long trips.

If you need all of the above, plus high-end graphics performance and number crunching then the ThinkPad W510 is your machine. There is absolutely nothing out there that compares with the either the ThinkPad T510 or the ThinkPad W510 in their respective class, it all depends of course on the job you’re going to do and at the end of the day the size of your wallet!

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Finally, the ThinkPad T410i is available with Intel’s Core i3 processor. For a comparatively low starting price of $849 you can own and use one of the most versatile compact laptops on the market. In fact, tack on some of the available ThinkPad T410i Coupon Codes and your price could be even lower!

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The Core i3 processor may be entry-level for Intel these days, but that doesn’t mean that you have to do without the processing power you require. The dual-core 2.13GHz chip, when paired with the minimum 2GB memory, makes for a package that is more than capable of handling everyday business computing tasks.

Granted, it’s not an animation machine, but you’ll likely want for nothing if you’re using it for general business use. If you’re looking for something to take on the road or to the home office, then the Lenovo T410i is what you’re after.

Equipped with a 14.1-inch WXGA display, the Lenovo T410i has plenty of visual real estate, whether you’re working or just enjoying some downtime with a movie. In situations where lighting is not optimal, the display comes with an LED backlight, and for times when you want or need to stay in touch there’s an integrated webcam.

The ergonomics of the ThinkPad T410i are superb; that’s because the 86-key keyboard is one of the largest on a 14-inch laptop. Not only that, but the center-mounted TrackPoint and the large TouchPad are exquisitely placed and make for effortless interaction and control. Nobody builds a keyboard as good as those that Lenovo puts on a ThinkPad.

Just because the Lenovo ThinkPad T410i is small doesn’t mean that it isn’t packed with features. For example, it’s one of the few laptops in its class that features a dual-layer DVD-R optical drive. That’s a great thing for people who deal in data – just burn the data to a disc and hand it to your customer.

Need to stay in touch? The Lenovo ThinkPad T410i has Ethernet and WWAN cards and also supports mobile broadband should you need a bit of extra speed while you’re on the road. Need to connect peripheral devices? There are four USB ports, a FireWire connection, a VGA output and a combo jack. There is even an optional 5-in-1 card reader.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T410i comes standard with a four-cell battery, but if you plan on traveling long distances without assured access to an outlet, you’ll likely want to upgrade to the six-cell or nine-cell options.

In terms of design, the Lenovo ThinkPad T410i doesn’t stray far from the classic ThinkPad styling, and it’s a good thing since so many companies today are sacrificing durability and strength in exchange for a more streamlined appearance. Meanwhile, the T410i has a strong metal frame covered in a nearly indestructible hard case.

The ThinkPad T410i has jumped to a new level in the laptop market with its long-awaited incorporation of the Intel Core i3 processor. If you’re a small business owner or just someone who wants an outstanding quality laptop at an affordable price, the ThinkPad T410i makes that possible. The portability, combined with the enhanced power and the incorporation of mobile broadband, make the T410i a real winner and represents outstanding value.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T410i gives you excellent ThinkPad build quality and design at a value price point.

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The brand new Lenovo ThinkPad T510 is set to take its place amongst the upper echelons of classic ThinkPad’s. Designed and engineered to an exacting standard, and not a price category, the ThinkPad T510 is, in our opinion, the only 15″ business notebook to consider if you want the best combination of build quality and performance.

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With up to Intel Core i7-620M 2.66GHz Processor, up to 8 GB DDR3 1333MHz Memory and NVIDIA NVS 3100m Graphics with 512MB DDR3 we have performance of stellar proportions.

One Potent Notebook!

Add to that the option of a 15.6” FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution 16:9 aspect ratio 280 nit screen with 95% color gamut and you have one pretty potent notebook!

Under the skin the ThinkPad T510 has been completely re engineered to incorporate the new Intel Calpella platform with its performance boosting and power reducing feature set. Reduced bottlenecks from the Core micro architecture deliver higher system speed and performance-per-watt.

The memory controller and graphics core are now integrated into the CPU to boost system and graphics performance though gamers and power intensive graphics users will still need a discrete graphics card for high-end performance.

Small but important features like adaptive Snoozing technology for energy saving and higher erformance per watt enable vastly improved battery life.

Adaptive Snoozing technology switches off the Wi-Fi to save power, reduce over-the-air interference and provide up to 80 percent power saving over the network interface.

Its new Intel technology like this that allow the ThinkPad engineers to squeeze up to 18 hours of battery life with the Slice 9-cell battery!

So how does it look?

So that’s the inside and an overview of the performance side of things but how has the ThinkPad T510 changed cosmetically? ThinkPad’s are also all about aesthetics and the traditional ThinkPad ‘classic’ look and feel.

So how does the new ThinkPad T510 compare? Well ThinkPad fans you’ll be pleased to know that the ThinkPad T510, whilst having a few important cosmetic updates, is everything a classic ThinkPad T Series should be.

That includes lid catches, which most notebooks don’t have these days, the extremely useful ThinkLight, the iconic red TrackPoint, and the trademark red accents on the left/right mouse button. And did we mention that of course being a classic ThinkPad, its black!

The new ThinkPad T Series keyboard is a joy to use without any of the flex issues that were inherent when the T400/T500 released. We have tested the new keyboard side by side with a ThinkPad Z60 which has the stiffest keyboard on the planet and the T510 keyboard compares really well. And the new design is comfortable to type on.

Key spacing has been minimized to reduce crumbs and dust getting under the keyboard. And so that you don’t commit the ultimate gaff and say something untoward whilst you’re on a conference call, separate microphone and speaker mute buttons with built in LED’s have been added to enable you to mute the mike individually.

Larger vertical delete and escape keys have been added as first introduced in the T400, the power on button has a built in LED, and the new VoIP function is controlled by the Fn+F6 combination. The CapsLk key also has a built in LED.

The new flush multi-touch TouchPad which carries over from the style adopted in the T400, is 27% larger with wider left and right mouse buttons and you can now zoom, rotate and scroll using two finger gestures.

We have been using our FingerPrint readers for years in the ThinkpadToday offices, and we just love the new ‘smart’ fingerprint reader on the ThinkPad T510.

LED’s light up, either left or right to tell you if you have a bad swipe’ and from which direction so that you can adjust, but the really cool feature in our opinion, is the power on from swipe. Either from completely off, hibernate, or in sleep mode, one swipe, and your ThinkPad T510 will power on!

About the only other real visual difference is that with the lid open, the ThinkPad T510, looks a lot more refined, the screen surround is a lot less bulky and the screen is now cantered, instead of offset to the right, and the hinges are wider.

There is a good array of ports around the leading edges, starting with a USB and Modem at the rear, the right edge holds the Express card Slot, Multimedia card reader, the Mic/Audio combo jack, 12.7mm optical drive and RJ45. On the left edge we have VGA and DisplayPort, 2 x USB 2.0, an eSATA/USB 2.0 combo and the Wireless On/Off switch. It’s disappointing that the T510 doesn’t have the powered ‘always on’ USB that the ThinkPad T410 features.

Green Machine!

For the Green Conscious the ThinkPad T510 is EPEAT Gold qualified and ENERGY STAR®-rated , has a mercury-free LED backlit display, uses less power than the previous models and they are now delivered in recycled and reusable packaging!

Without doubt, the ThinkPad T510 is a superb notebook and a lot of thought has gone into the redesign, right down to the low light 2-megapixel Web camera and Dual digital array microphone to optimize web conferencing and VoIP.

There is power to spare here, but the new found power that the Calpella platform offers, is served consuming less energy. ThinkPad designers and engineers have taken everything that the new Intel i5 and i7 processors have to offer and implemented the technology superbly. And because of the outstanding build quality, in 3 to 4 years, your ThinkPad T510 will still be going strong.

ThinkPad T510, best in class.

With its sleek new design, cleaner slimmer lines, new keyboard and touchpad the new Lenovo ThinkPad T510 has an elegant, modern look combined with prodigious power. The ThinkPad T510 is the best in class, 15″ enterprise level business notebook. You’ll love it.

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The wait is over! The Lenovo ThinkPad T410 and ThinkPad T410s have been much anticipated by ThinkPad fans and we can tell you, it has been worth the wait. Equipped with the new Intel Dual-core, Core i5 and Core i7 processors from the i5-529M 2.4GHz to the 2.66GHz i7-620M for the ThinkPad T410 and with a choice of i5-529M 2.4GHz or 2.53GHz i5-540M for the ThinkPad T410s, performance is outstanding.

<– Shop for your ThinkPad T410 and ThinkPad T410s Now!

With a base price of $999 for the ThinkPad T410 and $1399 for the ThinkPad T410s they are also priced lower than current models.

In addition the ThinkPad T410s has now been given the option of Nvidia switchable Discrete Graphics with 512 MB of VRAM to improve graphical performance, something was which was slightly lacking in the ThinkPad T400s.

Visually the new ThinkPad T410 and T410s are similar to the models they precede, the main difference of course being under the skin due to the Calpella architecture. And its the new architecture that has made such a discernable difference to the overall performance of the new T Series.

Design changes are subtle, keeping the ‘Classic’ ThinkPad look and feel and apply mainly to the keyboard, touchpad and function buttons. Both notebooks have the new ThinkPad style flush fitting multi-touch TouchPad. The keyboard is excellent and doesn’t display any of the flex associated with the launch of the T400/T500 in the summer of 2008.

Both the ThinkPad T410 and the T410s support up to 6 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 (4 GB 1333 MHz + 2 GB 1067 MHz), or up to 8 GB 1333 MHz DDR4 (4 GB 1333 MHz x 2) memory and Hard Drive options range from 80 to 128 GB SSD drives or 160 GB up to a 500 GB (7200 RPM) Hard Drive

There are plenty of connectivity options with 4 USB, 1 being powered so that you can charge your mp3 player, phone, or use any USB peripheral that needs power. The powered USB is color coded yellow and is ‘always on’, even when the machine is in hibernate or sleep mode.

You will also find 1 eSATA, IEEE 1394a, VGA, Display Port, Combo Jack, Express Card 34 mm and 5-in-1 MMC Reader, Optional Contact or Contact-less Smart Card Reader.

Screen options for the ThinkPad T410 include a 14.1″ WXGA 1280×800 16:10 aspect, 200Nit and a 14.1″ WXGA+ with a resolution of 1440 x 900 16:10 aspect, 200 Nit The ThinkPad T410s is equipped with a choice of WXGA+ 1440 x 900 or  WXGA+ 1440 x 900 MultiTouch. What is surely going to please a lot of people is that 16:10 aspect ratio stays on the 14.1” screens for now! It is going to 16:9 however on the T510 and W510. We can almost hear the howls of protest from here!

The ThinkPad design team have made a great effort to improve communications with the ThinkPad T410 and ThinkPad T410s with a new 2 megapixel webcam, and integrated VIOP function keys, and an LED indicator added to the mute button.

ThinkPad T410 and ThinkPad T410s Specifications

Processors – Optional range of i5 and i7 processors as specified above

Operating System – Windows 7 (32 & 64 bit), Windows Vista Ultimate 32, Windows XP Professional

Display Resolution – ThinkPad T410s/T410: LED, 14.1 WXGA (1280×800) 16:10 aspect, 200 nit; WXGA+ (1440×900) 16:10, 200 nit

Memory – Up to 6 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 (4 GB 1333 MHz + 2 GB 1067 MHz), up to 8 GB 1333 MHz DDR4 (4 GB 1333 MHz x 2)

Hard Drive Options – 80GB or 128 GB SSD, 160 GB (5400/7200 RPM), 250 GB (5400/7200 RPM), 320 GB (5400/7200 RPM), 500 GB (7200 RPM) HDD

System Graphics – Intel integrated graphics and Nvidia NVS3100m discrete graphics – Switchable

Optical Drive -  9.5 mm CD/DVD drive with BluRay option

Audio and Sound – Combo 3.5mm audio jack and separate microphone and audio mute button, integrated Dual Array digital mics with noise and echo cancellation

Integrated Comms – Qualcomm Gobi, 2000 WWAN, Bluetooth, Intel WiFi Link 6200 2×2, 6300 3×3, Intel 2×2 6250 with WiMAX, ThinkPad WLAN Realtek 1×2, Intel 1000 b/g/n, support for Constant Connect

Connectivity – Ports and Slots, 4 USB (1 powered), 1 eSATA, IEEE 1394a, VGA, Display Port, Combo Jack, Express Card 34 mm and 5-in-1 MMC Reader, Optional Contact or Contact-less Smart Card Reader

Cameran – 2.0 megapixel camera low light camera

Weight            – Starting at 4.9 pounds with 4-cell battery

Dimensions     13.1″ x 9.4″ x 1″ – 1.25″

ThinkPad Keyboard – Ergonomically designed keyboard and multitouch touchpad flush with palm rest with newly designed wider left and right mouse buttons, VoIP Fn + F6 hot key and optimized positions of LEDs

Battery Life – Up to 22 hours with optional 9 cell slice and 9 cell battery on T410

Software Suite – Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office Ready 2007, Microsoft Live Toolbar and Search, Roxio Creator, Intervideo WinDVD (DVD models only), Intervideo WinDVD Creator, McAfee Virus Scan Plus with 30 days virus definition updates, Creator Business Edition (combo models), Creator Business Edition with MYDVD (DVD Burner), PC Doctor diagnostics, Sun JRL, ThinkPad Utilities (Power Management and Presentation Director)

Traditional ThinkPad touches are all there with the red highlights on the left/right mouse keys, the Red TrackPoint, the incredibly versatile UltraBay, and of course the trade mark ThinkLight. If you’ve never experienced how useful this can be in low light conditions, you only have to use it once. I can’t count the number of times its drawn comments from fellow air travellers!

The new ThinkPad T410 and ThinkPad T410s are exactly what we expected on the outside, superb ThinkPad engineering, with a solid feel. They look and feel as if they have been machined out of a solid piece of black granite, with a few subtle design changes and improvements.

The real change however comes on the inside from the Calpella platform and the complete change in chip architecture which is designed to deliver energy savings thru lower power consumption which obviously delivers superior battery life. Calpella integrates the memory controller and PCI express controller giving enhanced performance and less bottlenecking,

Even the wireless chipset with adaptive snoozing automatically scales the radio down with a millisecond by millisecond power adjustment when data isn’t actively transmitting.

What does all this add up to for the new ThinkPad T410 and ThinkPad T410s? Superior performance, enhanced graphics capability, but perhaps the most important thing of all, greatly reduced power consumption. This of course means we can expect stellar battery life!

Combine the new 9 cell slice battery (bump battery) which sits underneath the 9 cell battery on the bottom of the notebook and the ThinkPad T410 will give you up to 22 hours without mains power!

There is no doubt that the ThinkPad T410 and ThinkPad T410s continue the long ThinkPad tradition of excellence in engineering, design and build quality.

What really stands out here is the way the Arrandale based mobile i5 and i7 processors and the promise of the new Calpella platform have been implemented and fully realized. Lenovo has done a superb job with the ThinkPad T410 and the ThinkPad T410s. If you want the best 14″ enterprise quality business laptop, depending on your budget, choose either and you won’t go wrong.

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