Lenovo ThinkPad T400s
Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Thinkpad T Series)Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo SP9400
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500M
Display: 14.1 inch, 16:10, 1440x900 pixels
Weight: 1.4kg
Price: 1400 euro
Average of 17 scores (from 25 reviews)
Reviews for the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s
Source: ITNews Australia
Lenovo has been producing some excellent low-priced models in recent times. Part of the excellence is the traditional IBM keyboard, which provides for comfortable all-day computing.
At the very top-end of the market, Lenovo has also been producing top-notch machines, including the W700ds that took our Labs Winner and A-list awards in last issue's Ultimate Laptops group test. So we were keen to see how the mid-range T400s would perform.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/12/2009
Rating: Total score: 50% price: 50% performance: 50% features: 50%
Source: Star Techcentral
The Lenovo T400s Thinkpad is a sturdy business notebook for a high-flying executive or businessman that needs the protection and connectivity options that it offers. The most important thing in a computer is the data and the sturdy casing is capable of protecting this important asset. The video output and display controls will be handy during a presentation. And the varied connectivity options allows the user to stay connected to the Internet. The only grouse is, with the high price, it should have included a dedicated graphics chip. Overall, the Lenovo T400s Thinkpad is a tough machine and it excels at everything an executive would need of it.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/18/2009
Rating: price: 40% performance: 40% features: 80% mobility: 90% workmanship: 80%
Source: PC Mag
The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Multitouch) ($2,395 direct) incites lust among business users. It has the Lenovo ThinkPad X301's exquisitely thin dimensions, but offers a 14-inch LED widescreen. It's the lightest business laptop in its class—and that's with an internal optical drive. The latest edition (and bear in mind that this is not a convertible tablet) incorporates a multitouch screen that allows you to use one or several fingers to navigate the screen. The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Multitouch), a big-screen version of the ThinkPad X300 commands the same kind of awe, and now has multitouch capability.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/15/2009
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Notebookreview.com
The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s Touch is a very cool idea, bringing a touch interface to a standard notebook. It gives users the capability to interact with the computer on a much more natural level and has huge potential for CAD applications or even messing around while surfing the web. The only problem right now that I see is that it was added to an already expensive model, putting it well out of reach for most users. Adding it on the base T400, which starts $749, instead of the T400s which starts at $1,599 would have been the better choice. Besides some preproduction quirks we saw it was a good implementation that didn't even affect battery life. If you are looking at the T400s currently, and could expand the budget by $400, it might be worth adding to the notebook for future uses.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/15/2009
Rating: price: 40%
Source: Laptop Mag
This touch-enabled business notebook performs well, but it carries a hefty premium. The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s with touch packs the same groundbreaking performance as its nontouch sibling, and combines a responsive capacitive screen with simple but effective touch software. That said, we don’t think the significant increase in bulk and price are worth it for the average business user. If you plan to use a touch-specific app like SpaceClaim, it might make sense to pay the $400 premium and learn to live with the added weight and thickness. However, if you mostly use your notebook for Office apps and the Web, you’re better off with the original ThinkPad T400s.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/14/2009
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Computer Shopper
Not too long ago, we raved about the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s, the thinnest, lightest—and in our opinion, best—14.1-inch thin-and-light notebook on the market. Now Lenovo has followed up that model with the ThinkPad T400s Multi-Touch. Set to debut with the launch of Windows 7 in October, the T400s Multi-Touch adds a touch screen to take advantage of the new operating system’s native touch-computing abilities. Add in a handy touch-enabled utility by Lenovo, and the ThinkPad T400s Multi-Touch delivers everything we loved about the original, and then some. Mobile professionals, exult: Windows 7 and advanced touch-screen capabilities make the best business thin-and-light on the market even better.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/01/2009
Rating: Total score: 92%
Source: Hardware Central
Nobody does notebooks better. Most of the time Lenovo makes solidly capable systems, whether style-conscious consumer models like the IdeaPad Y450 or corporate fleet fodder like the ThinkPad T400 and T500. But every so often, Lenovo lets its engineers loose on a showpiece and we end up swooning like schoolgirls at a Jonas Brothers concert. Fourteen months ago, it was the 13.3-inch ThinkPad X300/X301, and we gushed, "Best notebook ever." Now it's the 14.1-inch ThinkPad T400s. Brace yourself. The s stands for swoon. All told, the T400s is simply another of the simply exceptional notebooks that Lenovo produces on a regular basis. The older, chunkier ThinkPad T400 is still available starting at $749, but if your company gives you one your boss is either on a tight budget or doesn't like you very much.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/28/2009
Rating: Total score: 87% price: 100% performance: 100% features: 100%
Source: Notebookreview.com
Overall I think Lenovo put a lot of time into thinking through the changes they made with the T400s so they wouldn't offend too many ThinkPad customers. The keyboard change is significant, but for all intents and purposes they stuck with the tried-and-true design. The keys feel the same, the core layout is the same, the only thing that changed were the function and media keys. Even though the keys look weird at first it takes about 3 seconds to adapt to the new layout. I think the super slim and lightweight design is excellent, moving to a layout that is easier to service by the end-user
Leistung 80, Mobilität 50, Verarbeitung 95
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/18/2009
Rating: performance: 80% mobility: 50% workmanship: 95%
Source: Small Business Computing
When a big company feels inclined to mess with a classic, it had better get it right—just ask Coca-Cola. Lenovo has introduced a new version of its iconic T-series, the best-selling business laptop series ever and the progenitor of the “thin-and-light” portable category.
The ThinkPad T400s has a starting price of $1,599. That’s no budget entry, but given the standard features, the price is reasonable. If you travel frequently and want the thinnest, lightest no-compromises laptop available, the T400s is worth every penny.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/09/2009
Rating: price: 70% mobility: 80%
Source: PC Mag
The wheels were set in motion for the advent of the ThinkPad T400s ($1,995 direct) the minute Lenovo launched the ThinkPad X300 (and subsequently, the X301). A larger version of that highly sought-after 13-inch business ultraportable was the next logical step. At the same time, though, the flagship ThinkPad T400 desperately needed an update, so it's fitting their paths would intersect. Lenovo just added an "s" to the model name, but the system changes are dramatic. The ThinkPad T400s takes the X300's exquisitely thin dimensions and widens them with a 14-inch LED widescreen. The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s is a big-screen iteration of the ThinkPad X300 and commands the same kind of awe.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/06/2009
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Laptop Logic
The ThinkPad T400s delivers as well as, or in some cases better than, previous ThinkPads. It should also set the standard for 14-inch widescreen notebooks in the industry and show up most competitors, even if the pricing is not entirely comparable. Performance is snappy as ever and the T400s has nearly every feature in the book, even adding a few new ones that will hopefully become more common.
90, Leistung 40, Ausstattung 100, Mobilität 80
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/29/2009
Rating: Total score: 90% performance: 40% features: 100% mobility: 80%
Source: CNet
Although Lenovo has been reinventing itself as of late with its IdeaPad and Netbook lines, they're still a company known for boxy, business-end ThinkPads. There's no shame there: the ThinkPad was revolutionary in its time, and the iconic (if plain) design defined the modern business laptop. It also put Lenovo on the map after taking the brand over from IBM. The T400s is the lightest 14-inch ThinkPad yet from Lenovo--just be ready to pay for the convenience.
77, Leistung 80, Ausstattung 80, Mobilität 80
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/24/2009
Rating: Total score: 77% performance: 80% features: 80% mobility: 80%
Source: PC Advisor
The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (the "s" could stand for "small" or even "surprising") is an evolutionary step up from the ThinkPad T400, which is itself a good all-purpose business laptop. Thanks to sturdy construction and great performance packed inside a slim profile, the T400s is a winner, and great for the jet-setter who wants a little more out of their mobile machine.
90, Leistung 90, Verarbeitung 80
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/24/2009
Rating: Total score: 90% performance: 90% workmanship: 80%
Source: PC World
With the T400s laptop, Lenovo proves that size matters by heaping on features, cutting the girth, and building a lean, mean business machine. Starting at $1599, the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s can be a compelling little laptop. Of course, once you start adding all the bells and whistles, the price kicks up significantly (our model, as reviewed, sells for $2130). Still, thanks to sturdy construction and great performance packed inside a slim profile, the T400s is a winner, and great for the jet-setter who wants a little more out of their mobile machine.
72, Performance 84, Features 77
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/24/2009
Rating: Total score: 72% performance: 84% features: 77%
Source: Comp Reviews
Lenovo's new ThinkPad T400s business laptop is their smallest and lightest of the T series and borders on the territory of their ultraportable X series. Weighing just 3.9 pounds and less than an inch thick, this is a system that can be taken just about anywhere. With its wide range of networking options, strong performance and excellent durability, it makes a superb laptop for the business traveler who doesn't want to sacrifice features with an ultraportable. About the only drawbacks are the fairly high $1599 starting price and the lack of a dedicated graphics.
100
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/23/2009
Rating: Total score: 100%
Source: Geek.com
Overall, Lenovo did a great job of getting the best selling ThinkPad, the T400, and refining the design while shaving off some weight. Some ThinkPad purists will have complaints, but we should take notice that the red LED light is gone from the lid (it was very unThinkPad) and all the design changes are in line with what businesses expect from a T series notebook (for example, no titanium lid). Buyers will have to consider the lack of discrete graphics and limited options with the processor, as well as the use of a 1.8-inch disk, but you still have the optical drive, a great keyboard, and very nice build quality. For that person that needs a T series, but travels a lot or just wants to save some weight, the T400s will be an excellent option.
Mobilität 80, Verarbeitung 90
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/23/2009
Rating: mobility: 80% workmanship: 90%
Source: Hot Hardware
Realizing business users will also value wireless connectivity and VoIP communications, Lenovo well equipped this notebook with a two megapixel camera for better quality images, better, louder speakers than were found on the T400, and a range of wireless connectivity options. To help reduce ambient noise, Lenovo also added dual digital microphones as well as separate speaker and microphone mute buttons with LED lights to indicate which button is on.
Overall, Lenovo’s new T400s offers many advantages over previous models. If a thin and light notebook is on your wish list, and extreme graphics performance isn’t a must-have feature, then the T400s is absolutely a worthy contender.Leistung 40, Mobilität 60, Emissionen 80
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/23/2009
Rating: price: 40% mobility: 60% emissions: 80%
Source: Hardware Zone
Retailing at a starting price of US$1500 (~S$2185) for the base models, the ThinkPad T400s is priced low enough to compete with the other similar portable business notebooks in the market. Bear in mind though, the higher end models (which is similar to our review unit's configuration) will definitely be priced much higher, especially when you factor in a sizable SSD drive. Overall, the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s is a well built and portable business notebook that can stand up to whatever duty calls for and as such we're giving this unit our Editor's Choice award. Just watch out for the possible excessive price tag if you want to match up to the specifications of our test notebook.
90
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/23/2009
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Slashgear
Of course, for many enterprise users it’s Windows or nothing, and as long as you’re not expecting to do any major video crunching the T400s should prove a highly capable machine. The extra screen space, more powerful processor and improved port selection above the T301 come with a relatively minor bulk and weight increase, which the sober casing hides well. We can’t help but wish that the 9-cell battery option of the T400 was available, but the ability to hot-swap the optical drive for a second battery (or a second hard-drive) goes a long way to making up for it.
Leistung 80, Display 80
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/22/2009
Rating: performance: 80% display: 80%
Source: Laptop Mag
No other 14-inch business notebook can beat this new ThinkPad’s combination of performance and portability. The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s is no bargain, but if you want an incredibly powerful business notebook in a remarkably thin design, it’s worth every penny. This system’s sleek looks, top-notch keyboard, blindingly fast performance, and durable chassis allow the T400s to earn an Editors’ Choice Award. This system would be even more compelling if it offered longer endurance without an extra battery, but most users will find its better-than-average runtime more than adequate.
80
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/18/2009
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Computer Shopper
As always with the ThinkPad family, the ThinkPad T400s is designed primarily with business users in mind. But savvy consumers who want the ultimate 14-inch thin-and-light should also take a close look, especially if you can keep the price closer to the $1,599 base. It is, quite simply, the most portable and all-around best mainstream laptop money can buy. Lenovo worked its magic on the company’s stalwart T-series, creating the lightest 14.1-inch laptop on the market. Business buyers and discriminating consumers will appreciate this thin-tech showcase.
91
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/01/2009
Rating: Total score: 91%
Foreign Reviews
Source: Notebookjournal
DE→ENonline available, Long, Date: 10/08/2009
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 70% performance: 90% features: 50% display: 50% mobility: 70% workmanship: 70% ergonomy: 80%
Source: Notebookcheck
DE→ENonline available, Long, Date: 09/25/2009
Rating: Total score: 88% performance: 78% display: 75% workmanship: 94% ergonomy: 90% emissions: 84%
Source: Chip.de
DE→ENonline available, Long, Date: 09/14/2009
Rating: Total score: 87% performance: 94% features: 96% display: 71% mobility: 69% ergonomy: 100%
Source: c't - 18/09
DE→EN, Medium, Date: 08/01/2009
Rating: performance: 60% features: 80% display: 80% mobility: 90% ergonomy: 90% emissions: 90%
Comment
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500M:
The graphics core of the Intel GL40 and GS40 chipset features a slower clocked GMA 4500MHD (400 versus 533 MHz). Because of the slower core speed, full Blu-Ray Logo support is not given and the gaming performance is a bit worse.
Lower end of Graphics Cards for users who want to play games. New games should run on these cards, but only with decreased details and mediocre resolution.
>> Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).
The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.
SP9400:
>> Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
14.1": 14 inch display size is a mixture between the small formats of subnotebooks and the 15 inch standard display. The reason why so many people like displays with medium size is, that this size is not exhausting for the eyes, does not need too much energy and the laptops can be kept quite compact.
>> To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.
1.4 kg: This subnotebook is one of the most lightweight of all notebooks and can be carried very easily. There exist only few sub-notebooks, which weight less. 10 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.
Lenovo: Lenovo Group Limited is China's largest and the world's fourth largest personal computer manufacturer. Lenovo produces desktops, laptops, servers, handheld computers, imaging equipment, and mobile phone handsets. Lenovo also provides information technology integration and support services, and its QDI unit offers contract manufacturing. Its executive headquarters are located in China and USA. It is incorporated in Hong Kong. Lenovo was formed in 1984 as a spin-off of the Chinese Academy of Sciences new technology unit. The company initially began as a reseller, distributor and later CM for foreign brands, including IBM, entering the Chinese market. In 1990, Lenovo started to manufacture its own PCs and by 1997 became the market leader in China. In 2004, Lenovo bought IBM’s PC business for $1.25billion. Market share regarding sales of personal computers in 2007 (market research IDC): HP 18.9 %, Dell 16.4 %, Acer 9.9 %, Lenovo 7.5 %, Apple 5.7 %
82.59%: This rating is to be considered as average, because the amount of notebooks with better ratings is about equal like the amount with worse ratings.
>> Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
