I have a 2006 Dell laptop I've been waiting to upgrade for for 9 years now. Finally it looks like I have found a winner with the T450s. Hopefully the 1080p display is IPS and reviews well.
There's no mention made of it being IPS, which considering all of the other ThinkPad spec sheets call out IPS displays makes me think it's a TN panel. I could be wrong, but don't get your hopes up. :(
Thanks for the additional info. Hopefully they will have a IPS spec option on the T450s since this would really upset the T440s owners. It would be a huge step backwards and I'd have to continue my nearly 9 year laptop search!
This is patently FALSE. I have seen with my own eyeballs numerous TN 1080P screens on laptops. To point, I have actually called Lenovo on this very issue for 2014's model, that didn't mention IPS, and they said, and I can almost quote verbatim, "If it doesn't say IPS, it isn't IPS".
I do too! Its a Dell D620 with 4GB of RAM, and a SSD. It runs amazing, and works very well. Although.....my battery just gave me the middle finger, and is starting the "I can't hold a charge" BS. So maybe its time to swap it out. lol
I don't see what's surprising about that - I find dell laptops easy to keep going as dell provide the service manuals for free, the interior layouts are usually logical and spare parts are easy to get a hold of for a reasonable cost.
Yup, 620m. Still going. I replaced the hard drive with an SSD two years ago and the battery around that time as well. While it works fine I'm ready for something faster with better battery life a better screen and lighter!
The new X1 Carbon appeared earlier in the week and E-series appeared on Thursday and both are available now, so I would imagine that the T and L series aren't too far behind at this rate.
I would almost say the E450 is a step up from the T450s because it has two SO-DIMM slots instead of one channel of soldered RAM. The dimensions are really close too.
I would hope these all implement dual channel RAM?
The T450s is not a good enough upgrade from the T440s. I can't believe that it only has 4GB soldered onboard when it should be 8GB to allow for 16GB max with upgrade slot. Also if the E450 can have dedicated graphics then the T450s should have dedicated graphics too. Maybe there is no room for dedicated graphics...well I say find a way even if it means making it a millimeter thicker. They already make the screen lid thicker for a touch screen option...well do the same for a dedicated graphics version.
Even better would be to see a W450s that has the missing features I've described. I like the W series but I think 15 Inch screen is too big. A W450s if it existed would be an incredible top seller.
No DisplayPort on the E-series. So I don't know why you would pick it over the L-series. T440s also has soldered DRAM. So it's basically the same machine when it comes to T440s/T450s.
"A W450s if it existed would be an incredible top seller." Meaning a 14" with 2 So-Dimm slots, IPS (over 900 pix). Plus finally have a Thunderbolt connector. Professional Audio today is flocking towards this connector because its lower latency and bandwidth, however Dell, HP and Lenovo have been very slow in adopting this. Maybe they need to collect a list of hardware and devices (and numbers sold) already utilizing Thunderbolt -and here is the important bit- with Windows drivers.
Just purchased a new T450 with 8GB and did not know why it came with a soldered module inside in the slot? Second slot has a 4GB stick. This is the first time I ran across soldered 1st slot RAM being soldered.
The memory limitation on T450s is just pathetic. Isn't Broadwell supposed to support 16GB DIMM? My 2-year-old T430s has 16GB of RAM. Well, guess I'll just wait for another 12-18 months before replacing my T430s.
Exactly, serviceable 2 slot SO-DIMMs are a condition for many pro users. Sandy Bridge will probably extend its life till 2016. Not the best news, but DDR4 and W10 add to the calcualtion... Were not Lenovo listening its customer base?
I'm a developer and bought the T550 for a job i did. It has a two core CPU, but i was mislead by the i7 5th Generation hype. You will find no review on Youtube on elsewhere claiming that it is desk top replacement. The reviews i have seen, will not even mention it's performance in relation to the McBook Pro or the Dell XPS 15.
Why did i buy it? The Hype. Lenovo Claims it is a high-end "Business Laptop". Desktop replacement? -- well i guess i've been duped.
I should have bought the XPS 15 which similiar to the Macbook Pro 15 has a 4 core i7-4712HQ (MBP has a similiar 4 core CPU I7-4870HQ)
The CPU is an i7 "4th Generation" CPU, but it is (in my opinion) faster than the 2-core i7-XXXXU "5th Generation" CPUs, sported by the T550. I am writing this because i had colleagues with the DELL MX4800 & DELL MX3800 laptops in the office, sporting similiar "4th Generation" 4-core CPUs (their machines were purchased in 2013 & 2014) Their compile times where at least twice as fast. And my T550 had serious problems dealing with extra monitors. The T550 has an i7-5600U CPU. These CPUs (i think he U stands for "Ultra" low energy), it use less energy and allows the user more battery life.
But if they do not perform, it like driving a 5th generation Vespa because you get more gas mileage and it is quieter, than on a 4th generation BMW motorcycle.
As a developer my laptop needs CPU muscle and no heat on top, allowing the wrists to remain near the keyboard the entire day. If the fan makes a bit of noise or if i have to plug it in every 3-4 hours, it is more than worth the compromise.
Even as i write the this review, my Internet Explorer has about 15 Tabs open and i have two sessions of Visual Studio running, skype, a couple PDFs open, Word is Open. And the mouse freezes on me. It is slow.
My MBP is also opened on my desk -- similiar load. It has no Problem. It makes some fan noise sometimes. So what. Better that it freezing up on me because of the load.
The function keys are also tiny and tinier than the previous X230T, W500, W400 lenovo models i had. This part of the T550 keyboard is definitely toy like buildt. Odd to use.
It makes working with the function keys (used in different contexts, by eg software developers when debugging and others) quite cumbersome.
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Hulk - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
I have a 2006 Dell laptop I've been waiting to upgrade for for 9 years now. Finally it looks like I have found a winner with the T450s. Hopefully the 1080p display is IPS and reviews well.JarredWalton - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
There's no mention made of it being IPS, which considering all of the other ThinkPad spec sheets call out IPS displays makes me think it's a TN panel. I could be wrong, but don't get your hopes up. :(Hulk - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
Thanks for the additional info. Hopefully they will have a IPS spec option on the T450s since this would really upset the T440s owners. It would be a huge step backwards and I'd have to continue my nearly 9 year laptop search!kspirit - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
AFAIK, there are no 1080p TN displays on laptops. 900p, sure, but every notebook with 1080p is IPS.nwarawa - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
"every notebook with 1080p is IPS"This is patently FALSE. I have seen with my own eyeballs numerous TN 1080P screens on laptops. To point, I have actually called Lenovo on this very issue for 2014's model, that didn't mention IPS, and they said, and I can almost quote verbatim, "If it doesn't say IPS, it isn't IPS".
Samus - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
You have a 2006-era Dell laptop that still works? Wow.dsraa - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
I do too! Its a Dell D620 with 4GB of RAM, and a SSD. It runs amazing, and works very well. Although.....my battery just gave me the middle finger, and is starting the "I can't hold a charge" BS. So maybe its time to swap it out. lolJohnmcl7 - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
I don't see what's surprising about that - I find dell laptops easy to keep going as dell provide the service manuals for free, the interior layouts are usually logical and spare parts are easy to get a hold of for a reasonable cost.Hulk - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
Yup, 620m. Still going. I replaced the hard drive with an SSD two years ago and the battery around that time as well. While it works fine I'm ready for something faster with better battery life a better screen and lighter!gobaers - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
Well, at least the trackpoint buttons are back. Wish they would just give in and bring back the old keyboards.thommo101 - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
Yes! I'm happy enough for the buttons to be back. The 'all in one' surface/button thing of the previous models were atrocious.thommo101 - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
Now I just need to wait the 9 months it seems to take for these to be available in Australia...douglasac10 - Friday, January 9, 2015 - link
The new X1 Carbon appeared earlier in the week and E-series appeared on Thursday and both are available now, so I would imagine that the T and L series aren't too far behind at this rate.lophiomys - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link
+1MadMan007 - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
I would almost say the E450 is a step up from the T450s because it has two SO-DIMM slots instead of one channel of soldered RAM. The dimensions are really close too.I would hope these all implement dual channel RAM?
galfert - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
The T450s is not a good enough upgrade from the T440s. I can't believe that it only has 4GB soldered onboard when it should be 8GB to allow for 16GB max with upgrade slot. Also if the E450 can have dedicated graphics then the T450s should have dedicated graphics too. Maybe there is no room for dedicated graphics...well I say find a way even if it means making it a millimeter thicker. They already make the screen lid thicker for a touch screen option...well do the same for a dedicated graphics version.Even better would be to see a W450s that has the missing features I've described. I like the W series but I think 15 Inch screen is too big. A W450s if it existed would be an incredible top seller.
Penti - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
No DisplayPort on the E-series. So I don't know why you would pick it over the L-series. T440s also has soldered DRAM. So it's basically the same machine when it comes to T440s/T450s.Nexing - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
"A W450s if it existed would be an incredible top seller." Meaning a 14" with 2 So-Dimm slots, IPS (over 900 pix).Plus finally have a Thunderbolt connector. Professional Audio today is flocking towards this connector because its lower latency and bandwidth, however Dell, HP and Lenovo have been very slow in adopting this. Maybe they need to collect a list of hardware and devices (and numbers sold) already utilizing Thunderbolt -and here is the important bit- with Windows drivers.
Nexing - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
I meant portability; A powerful 14" with the above features is yet to be found on the PC/Laptop supplyHarry_Wild - Saturday, September 26, 2015 - link
Just purchased a new T450 with 8GB and did not know why it came with a soldered module inside in the slot? Second slot has a 4GB stick. This is the first time I ran across soldered 1st slot RAM being soldered.dickeywang - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
The memory limitation on T450s is just pathetic. Isn't Broadwell supposed to support 16GB DIMM? My 2-year-old T430s has 16GB of RAM. Well, guess I'll just wait for another 12-18 months before replacing my T430s.Nexing - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
Exactly, serviceable 2 slot SO-DIMMs are a condition for many pro users.Sandy Bridge will probably extend its life till 2016. Not the best news, but DDR4 and W10 add to the calcualtion... Were not Lenovo listening its customer base?
Mumrik - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
They got rid of the worst touchpad solution in the world!Johnmcl7 - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
Agreed - I couldn't believe how bad the 'clickpad' was on the x240/t440.platinumjsi - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
I wonder how the discrete graphics perform with the CPU only having 4x PCI-E 2x lanes?gw74 - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
"U" processors again. nope again.cddragons - Tuesday, January 27, 2015 - link
sir could you please tell us the release date of the laptop of t450s and t550 in india.advented - Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - link
may i know about the price details.noitanon - Sunday, May 10, 2015 - link
I'm a developer and bought the T550 for a job i did.It has a two core CPU, but i was mislead by the i7 5th Generation hype.
You will find no review on Youtube on elsewhere claiming that it is desk top replacement. The reviews i have seen, will not even mention it's performance in relation to the McBook Pro or the Dell XPS 15.
Why did i buy it? The Hype. Lenovo Claims it is a high-end "Business Laptop". Desktop replacement? -- well i guess i've been duped.
I should have bought the XPS 15 which similiar to the Macbook Pro 15 has a 4 core i7-4712HQ (MBP has a similiar 4 core CPU I7-4870HQ)
The CPU is an i7 "4th Generation" CPU, but it is (in my opinion) faster than the 2-core i7-XXXXU "5th Generation" CPUs, sported by the T550. I am writing this because i had colleagues with the DELL MX4800 & DELL MX3800 laptops in the office, sporting similiar "4th Generation" 4-core CPUs (their machines were purchased in 2013 & 2014) Their compile times where at least twice as fast. And my T550 had serious problems dealing with extra monitors. The T550 has an i7-5600U CPU. These CPUs (i think he U stands for "Ultra" low energy), it use less energy and allows the user more battery life.
But if they do not perform, it like driving a 5th generation Vespa because you get more gas mileage and it is quieter, than on a 4th generation BMW motorcycle.
As a developer my laptop needs CPU muscle and no heat on top, allowing the wrists to remain near the keyboard the entire day. If the fan makes a bit of noise or if i have to plug it in every 3-4 hours, it is more than worth the compromise.
Even as i write the this review, my Internet Explorer has about 15 Tabs open and i have two sessions of Visual Studio running, skype, a couple PDFs open, Word is Open. And the mouse freezes on me. It is slow.
My MBP is also opened on my desk -- similiar load. It has no Problem. It makes some fan noise sometimes. So what. Better that it freezing up on me because of the load.
noitanon - Sunday, May 10, 2015 - link
The function keys are also tiny and tinier than the previous X230T, W500, W400 lenovo models i had. This part of the T550 keyboard is definitely toy like buildt. Odd to use.It makes working with the function keys (used in different contexts, by eg software developers when debugging and others) quite cumbersome.