> Date: Sat, 29 May 2010 10:40:57 -0700 > From: Mitchell Yee <[email protected]> > Subject: [Thinkpad] Thinkpad SL410 review > > I am typing this on my new (refurbished) SL410 and thought I share a > mini-comparison with my current TPad, an X61 with the high resolution > screen. Last Monday (May 24), the Lenovo outlet website blew out a > batch of SL410s at $399. At that price, I couldn't resist and > apparently some 350 other happy shoppers didn't either since the batch > sold out with an hour or so. > > The specs are: > Intel? Core?2 Duo T5870 NV (2.0GHz, 2MB L2, 800MHz FSB) > UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) > 4GB (2 X 2GB) PC3-8500 DDR3 1067MHz SDRAM SODIMM Memory > Hard Drive 320GB, 5400RPM Serial ATA 2.5" Hard Drive > 14.0? WXGA HD (1366 X 768) LED, W/ Camera > Intel? Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD > DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer > 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (Up to 4 Hours Run Time) > Intel? Wireless Wi-Fi Link 5100 (1x2 AGN) > > First impressions: > Wow, the LED display is obviously much brighter than my tablet's > display. I'm writing this in a bright and sunny room (don't ask me why > I'm stuck indoors on a day like today in sunny Sausalito). It makes > my "old" X61T screen feel old, tired and dim. However, the 14 inch > size seems to be the largest amount of display I care to schlep around > these days. My workplace recently gave me a gargantuan HP Elite book > with a 15.4 inch display which is going to just stay on my desk. The > only person that's going to move that beast are the two gorilla movers > that my company hires to move office furniture. > > Minor annoyance: I am using a Lenovo travel ac adapter with the 20v > adapter tip. However, the designers for the SL410 must have not tested > the case design with this ac adapter configuration since the tip falls > out of the socket if I glare at the adapter harshly. If I am going to > stick with this laptop, I'll have to bring the regular ac adapter. The > bright side - this is an "opportunity" to test battery life under my > usage conditions <that's sarcasm>. > > Speed: since both are running some form of Windows (XP and 7), it's > become much harder to gauge the speed experience. Both seem adequate > for me. > > Display: The LED display is amazingly bright, even in a sunny room. I > am enough of an old fuddy-duddy where I will admit to a visceral > reaction to widescreen displays. What a stupid format. The mass > adoption of widescreen displays (yeah yeah yeah, I know that the > display manufacturers have foisted this format onto the notebook > manufacturers) is, in my opinion, yet another sign of the decline of > civilization. > > Keyboard: I like the SL410 keyboard as it reminds me of some of the > older Thinkpads when their keyboards were the best reason to buy the > brand (besides the trackpoint). The X61T keyboard now feels a bit > cramped. > > Ultranav - The ubiquitous trackpoint is well placed and the next best > reason to buy TPads. I also automatically turn off the Ultra-navpad > since I despise those things. I note that the surface of the navpad > has is no longer a smooth surface but is instead has a finely textured > feel. It's interesting. > > Connectivity: There's an HDMI output jack on this - I suppose I now I > own a $399 DVD/blue ray player <that's more sarcasm>. On the other > hand, there's a nice expresscard socket where I can add something > cool, if I could think of it. The overall placement of the connections > seem well thought out. > > Crapware: For a retail machine, there doesn't seem to be a terrible > amount of crapware loaded. The most blatant piece was Symantec's > antivirus - you couldn't pay me to use it. The trial version of MS > Office 2007 might be a close second but I also use word and excel a > lot so I might consider buying it. Might... > > Anyway, if anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to chime > in. > > Mitchell > ps: who is now looking to score a 13" or 11" Tpad from the outlet site. >
Congrats Mitchell.... here's my findings on my SL400. I had to ditch Vista, it was driving me bugnuts on those occasions when I _had_ to run a Windows app I could not make work w/ PlayOnLinux in Ubuntu. Tried to install the drivers from the IBM website for my 2743-CTO, and there's a problem with XP (Pro, Spack3) and a) Intel's wireless configuration S/W which reports 'Driver not installed'. b) Hi Def audio despite installing them from LAN http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-69988 WLAN http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-70413 AUDIO http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-69970 Device Manager tells me the 'Audio Device on High Definition Audio Bus' failed to install properly. with Device Instance ID HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_8086&DEV_2802&SUBSYS_80860101&REV_1000\4&847CD8C&0&0201 Ditto for two ACPI devices, ACPI\LEN0014\5&36062500&0 and ACPI\ATK0101\1010100 (I disabled ACPI for the SATA hard drive to get XP to install in the first place). I need to get that HDMI audio and the Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software 13.1.1.0 control software fixed. Still don't have the Intel s/w for WiFi control (Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software 13.1.1.0) working, and neither is the digital audio over the HDMI port. I have tried every driver at http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/TPAD-MATRIX.html with no joy. FYI, found that .NET Framework 3 or 3.5 is required by the Ethernet and the Wireless basic driver. Install .NET 2 or 4 and it just laughs and laughs at the silly human. Your kind help would be truly appreciated. Request for help first posted 5/14, no answer yet. Also, I was surprised to find there was no friendly LED light to illuminate the keyboard at night. Guess something had to go to make a price point, and Marketing must have figured out I would not notice before buying. The original power supply plug, after 18 mos. of use, wobbles in its socket, and when I rest my palms on the bottom to touch type, the plastic creaks. Other than that, no prolems so far. Hardware works just dandy in Ubuntu, BTW. Ubuntu's lshw reports here's what's in my hardware, are there other drivers? How can I fix this and get on the air with XP? -- 73s/Best regards de John Bartley K7AAY CN85qj PDX USNG: 10T ER 3007628876 (NAD 83) _______________________________________________ Thinkpad mailing list [email protected] http://stderr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/thinkpad
