r/SuggestALaptop•14 yr. ago

Thinking about pulling trigger on Lenovo ThinkPad T430 for $680. If anyone objects, speak now or forever hold your peace.

I'm a CS/engineering student and I'd like to get a decent laptop for getting shit done while at school. I have a nice desktop at my apartment, so I don't care much about gaming on the laptop. I really don't want to spend more than $700. Screen size is important for coding/reading textbooks. Portability is important as well (less than 5 lbs). Here are the specs for what I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on. I'm open to getting a lower end system if it's a better deal.

My questions are:

Anything else I should check out that might be a better deal before I go with this model?
I was thinking of buying now because of a free display upgrade ($50 savings)... Do you reckon I'll get much better of a deal by waiting till August?

Posted Jun 19, 2012, 1:46 AM UTC

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edit1754QuickPicks Updater Dude•14 yr. ago

Are you buying through the Barnes and Noble Gold discount?

Follow this link: http://shoplenovo.i2.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/na/StdAffinityPortal/en_US/Lenovo:EnterStdAffinity?affinity=barnesnoblegold
Create a free account, then login.
Follow this link to the T-Series page. Pick a model, then pick a base configuration. http://shoplenovo.i2.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/barnesnoblegold/StdAffinityPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=19C791A03AF24034A0011B825513BCED
Select the HD+ (1600x900) display upgrade.
After configuring, copy+paste the coupon code before proceeding to the cart. Then, once in the cart, paste it in the appropriate box.

Notes:

If you like the keyboard of the previous-generation T420 better, then there is no shame in buying the T420 instead of the T430, as the keyboard and processor selection are the primary differences. The T430 has an island-style keyboard and offers a backlit keyboard upgrade, and the T420 has a traditional-style keyboard but does not offer a backlit keyboard upgrade.
You should always select the HD+ (1600x900) display upgrade, even if the free upgrade deal passes, unless you require the larger text of the stock HD (1366x768) display for eyesight-related reasons. 1366x768 resolution is a significant limiting factor for multitasking because it makes for a small onscreen workspace.
Both display options available will have rather poor image quality due to low contrast. However, at the sacrifice of portability, the T520/T530's 1600x900 and 1920x1080 display options will provide much better contrast.

jsuthOP•14 yr. ago

This Barnes and Noble thing is about $50 cheaper - thanks mate.

chisoxaddict•14 yr. ago

I'm really curious about this, too. Seems like a great deal - I haven't seen it for less than 800 elsewhere. Is the barnes & noble deal edit1754 described the one you're using? How long does the deal last?

Side question - they seem to be charging $30 for bluetooth (which is 4.0). Never used bluetooth in the past. Is there anything besides mouse, speaker, mobile phone connection that it would be useful for that I'm missing?

[deleted]•14 yr. ago

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