Should I wait until the holidays to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop?

[apairofpcs]

I've just about finalized my configuration of a Lenovo Thinkpad T530 laptop, to serve as a playmate for my Toshiba Satellite A505-S6965 unit (bought in August 2009). I'm watching the price go up and down in an unpredictable manner, every few days. I'm not familiar with the pricing trend of laptops throughout the year, specifically during the holiday season starting after Thanksgiving and extending past XMAS. Can I get some advice from those of you who have been in the pc business for many years, as to whether I should wait for the holidays for a drop in price, or buy now?

Keep in mind that I'm registered on the Barnes and Noble Gold website for discounted pricing, and that my Toshiba laptop is working flawlessly. I'm in no rush to buy now, even though the current price is an attractive $858.09. Per a Lenovo sales rep., the T530 was released in June 2012 and no replacement model will be released until next summer. This will prevent prices from dropping, based on the need to sell old stock to make room for new stock. Therefore, prices should follow the business model of supply and demand.

I created a screen capture from the page of my configuration, and attached it to this post. Please click on the thumbnail image to properly view the configuration. I added a few missing items from the configuration.....
> 720p HD Camera with Microphone
> Keyboard Backlit
> Express Card Slot & 4-in-1 Card Reader & Bezel
> 90W AC Adapter (2-pin)

What are your thoughts on this laptop, for the price of $858.09?

Thank you all.

 

[Mercutio]

You should also register directly with Lenovo to see its discounts, and if you own at least one share of stock you can get its Shareholder/Employee discounts as well. They change pricing rapidly, sometimes several times a week. It's about shopping for the discount that you want. My particular favorite is to wait for a serious discount to warranty upgrades, since that's a pretty big cost on the machine in the first place. I got a total of around 33% discounts direct from Lenovo in the week just after Thanksgiving, so I'm going to go ahead and say waiting at this point is not going to hurt you.

 

[apairofpcs]

You should also register directly with Lenovo to see its discounts, and if you own at least one share of stock you can get its Shareholder/Employee discounts as well. They change pricing rapidly, sometimes several times a week. It's about shopping for the discount that you want. My particular favorite is to wait for a serious discount to warranty upgrades, since that's a pretty big cost on the machine in the first place. I got a total of around 33% discounts direct from Lenovo in the week just after Thanksgiving, so I'm going to go ahead and say waiting at this point is not going to hurt you.

Hello Mercutio,

Long time no reply by me to your post below. I'm thinking of how to address your Seppuku recommendation for WD executives, etc.
( http://www.storageforum.net/forum/s...tting-disabled?p=167469&viewfull=1#post167469 )

The Lenovo EPP site has the same exact discount starting price, etc. as the Barnes and Noble site. A birdy told me this! I'm already on Lenovo's email list.

I agree, the warranty upgrade that makes the most sense to me adds $178,89 to the $623.20 base price. The $178.89 price is the lowest I've seen in roughly 3 months. But a few days ago it was $215. Three days before that it was $178.89. I don't know what price makes sense to me enough to place an order. Regarding the public site vs. the Barnes and Noble site, the greatest price difference for the same configuration has been as high as $179 and as low as $54. Today it's $136.

Your previous experience with Lenovo during the holidays is the kind of information I need. I can surely wait another 20 plus days to evaluate the price and buy the unit. By the way, I went through the trouble of capturing the Lenovo cart to show forum members what I can get and how much it will cost. I would appreciate some comments regarding whether the price is good for my configuration.

 

[Handruin]

I put the same spec machine together through my corp discount and it's not that much better than yours, but a little. I can PM you the discount code to see if it works for you. I doubt you can get both mine an the B&N discount, but if so, that would be great.

Edit: The code I have ends in 3 days...

 

[apairofpcs]

I put the same spec machine together through my corp discount and it's not that much better than yours, but a little. I can PM you the discount code to see if it works for you. I doubt you can get both mine an the B&N discount, but if so, that would be great.

Edit: The code I have ends in 3 days...

View attachment 538

Thank you. I've used the pm'd code daily from the time it was posted. The price is still $858.09. Check for a pm I sent you, detailing the steps I've been taking to configure a laptop. The procedure I've been using has been the same for 3 months.

My apparent stubbornness with waiting, is due to my firm belief that all manufacturers want to entice people to spend and buy presents "for everybody and their brother" during the holiday season. I'm sure that somebody here will give me the green light to place an order, when he/she believes that the price is as low as it will ever go. I will obey!

One more question that I forgot to ask. If I place an order with Win 7, I the backlit keyboard adds $40. If I order with Win 8, there is no price increase for the backlit keyboard. If I order Win 7 and want to upgrade to Win 8 before the end of Feb. 2013, the upgrade will cost me $14.99. I don't like to use an OS right when it's been released. None of us do! I don't mind using Win 7 for now, and studying the reviews of Win 8 for the next 3 months.

Note:
I am not making a business purchase. I am buying for personal use. Therefore, I don't get a business discount on top of the EPP price, as do you. But this is OK. Anytime I don't have to pay retail, I'm a happy camper.

 

[Mercutio]

A couple times a year, Lenovo does half off on warranties. Since the quality of service is a big part of the reason I'm willing to buy Lenovo in the first place, that's what I wait for. You're never going to get to do HUGE coupon stacking like you can with Dell sometimes, but the last couple laptops I bought for myself, I did enough to stack three small discounts on top of a sale price and my laptop was completely reasonable.

 

[LunarMist]

Buy what you need now.

 

[apairofpcs]

A couple times a year, Lenovo does half off on warranties. Since the quality of service is a big part of the reason I'm willing to buy Lenovo in the first place, that's what I wait for. You're never going to get to do HUGE coupon stacking like you can with Dell sometimes, but the last couple laptops I bought for myself, I did enough to stack three small discounts on top of a sale price and my laptop was completely reasonable.

Thank you. I'll be looking for either an $89 reduction from their $178 warranty upgrade price, or $107.50 off from when it's $215. But won't they raise the price of some other feature at the same time? I've seen this done, not necessarily with the warranty portion of a configuration. Sneaky move!

An eCoupon was sent to me via email, and they stated that IT cannot be combined with other eCoupons. I just polished my eyeballs to get a better view of their price manipulations. I have learned that steep discounts are not possible from Lenovo. I will act accordingly, because I want my next laptop to be one of theirs.

 

[apairofpcs]

Buy what you need now.

Good point. I need nothing NOW. I want something SOON. If it wasn't for the holiday season approaching, I would have placed an order by now. I've seen the $858,09 price before. Does anybody have any comments about my configuration selections? It's best I hear your opinions now, and not when I'm ready to pull the trigger.....

 

[Handruin]

When I opted for my T500 a few years back, I made the choice to select the top of the line CPU at the time which was an Intel T9600. I paid a little premium for it but my rationalization at the time was that the CPU in a notebook is likely one of the harder items to upgrade compared to disk and memory. I knew I was spending a decent amount on the laptop and I wanted the machine to stay usable for a long time because upgrades are limited and I didn't want to be buying a new laptop every two years. I chose the base memory size (2GB) and smallest hard drive (160GB 7200RPM). I'm nearing 4 years later and I've bumped the memory to 8GB (the max) (for about $34) and added a Crucial M4 256GB SSD and I feel like I have a new laptop again (mainly because of the SSD). The CPU still feels perky and more than strong enough to do just about everything except play the latest and greatest games.

My long-winded opinion is to not consider the bottom option for CPU if your budget/wallet can allow for it. I'm not suggesting in this case to get the most expensive CPU, but consider the price/$ of each option and see if it makes sense to move up a notch or two. Chose the lowest memory and hard drive and upgrade those yourself down the road (or even now).

 

[LunarMist]

Good point. I need nothing NOW. I want something SOON. If it wasn't for the holiday season approaching, I would have placed an order by now. I've seen the $858,09 price before. Does anybody have any comments about my configuration selections? It's best I hear your opinions now, and not when I'm ready to pull the trigger.....

I would add more RAM after purchase, and an SSD if budget allows. The SSD makes a huge difference over a hard drive.

 

[Mercutio]

You don't buy either those things from Lenovo in any case.

Anyway yeah, the 1600x900 screen and i5 CPU are perfectly good options for most people. There's not much subjective difference between the mobile i5 and the mobile i7, so you're probably better off.

 

[apairofpcs]

When I opted for my T500 a few years back, I made the choice to select the top of the line CPU at the time, which was an Intel T9600. I paid a little premium for it, but my rationalization at the time was that the CPU in a notebook is likely one of the harder items to upgrade compared to disk and memory. I knew I was spending a decent amount on the laptop, and I wanted the machine to stay usable for a long time because upgrades are limited and I didn't want to be buying a new laptop every two years. I chose the base memory size (2GB) and smallest hard drive (160GB 7200RPM). I'm nearing 4 years later, and I've bumped the memory to 8GB (the max) (for about $34) and added a Crucial M4 256GB SSD and I feel like I have a new laptop again (mainly because of the SSD). The CPU still feels perky and more than strong enough to do just about everything, except play the latest and greatest games.

My long-winded opinion is to not consider the bottom option for CPU if your budget/wallet can allow for it. I'm not suggesting in this case to get the most expensive CPU, but consider the price/$ of each option and see if it makes sense to move up a notch or two. Chose the lowest memory and hard drive, and upgrade those yourself down the road (or even now).

Nice testimony about your laptop. Your foresight worked out well for you. I almost bumped up the CPU to the Intel 3320, but a Lenovo rep. didn't convince me that I would see any increase in processing speed for the additional $55. So I'll be "suffering" with the Intel 3210 after all.

I agree that more memory and an additional HDD or SSD will be less costly if I buy them elsewhere. I'm planning on the memory upgrade for sure. I'm not sure about an SSD just yet. The UltraBay tray can be used for a 2nd HDD or SSD, instead of an optical drive. Nice feature.

I asked the Lenovo rep. if I could upgrade the Win 7 64 bit Home Premium Edition OS with Win 8 64 bit Ultimate OS, instead of their $14.99 Win 8 Home Premium Edition OS. She told me to contact Microsoft to be sure. Well, can I?

I asked the Lenovo rep. if the Intel 6205N 2 channel/2 antenna wireless adapter will have the ability to get me a good signal from my neighbor's Cablevision modem/Linksys E200 router setup that is 30 feet and 4 drywall based walls away from the laptop. She didn't know. I asked the same question about the Intel 6300 2 channel/3 antenna wireless adapter. She didn't know. My Toshiba's Intel Wi-Fi Link 5100 AGN wireless adapter has a hard time getting speeds above 2 download and 2 upload, even though her service provides 15 download and 2 upload. I confirmed her service with her laptop and mine, 8 feet from the router. Can anybody advise me if I will have better results with either Intel wireless adapter?

I asked the Lenovo rep. for the watt-hour, amp-hour, voltage and run time of the stock 6 cell TWL 70+ battery pack. She gave me 57 watt-hours, "up to 9.1 hr. run time"....and nothing else. She couldn't even tell me who manufactures the pack. With the watt-hour and voltage, I can calculate the amp-hour rating. The "up to 9.1 hr. runtime" spec. is useless to anybody. I guess if I stare at the desktop for 9.1 hr., the battery will be dead, huh? I've never been happy with Lenovo's inability to give me important specifications for all their components. Does anybody have the answers that Lenovo doesn't have?

 

[apairofpcs]

I would add more RAM after purchase, and an SSD if budget allows. The SSD makes a huge difference over a hard drive.

A memory upgrade for sure. Definitely not an HDD upgrade. An SSD upgrade later. Need more specs./answers from Lenovo.

 

[apairofpcs]

You don't buy either those things from Lenovo in any case.

Anyway yeah, the 1600x900 screen and i5 CPU are perfectly good options for most people. There's not much subjective difference between the mobile i5 and the mobile i7, so you're probably better off.

Although I want this laptop to excel above my Toshiba, I'm not willing to keep upgrading it to the heavens. This is why I've left most of it at it's stock condition.

Thank you.

 

[Mercutio]

I can tell you that with a nine cell battery and a fairly normal work pattern that involves moderate network activity, I can manage an entire working day without plugging in on a T520. I'd rather not do that, but I can get away with it. I have the extended battery pack as well, which pushes the system up to the high teens of hours of run time.

I also pulled the optical drive from my T520 for a SATA bay, more because I kept accidentally popping the drive open than any legitimate need for extra disk space. I added a single USB3 port via a generic Expresscard/34 I found on Ebay and I popped in an mSATA SSD.

If nothing else, that speaks to how ridiculously expandable the T-series guys are.

 

[apairofpcs]

I can tell you that with a nine cell battery and a fairly normal work pattern that involves moderate network activity, I can manage an entire working day without plugging in on a T520. I'd rather not do that, but I can get away with it. I have the extended battery pack as well, which pushes the system up to the high teens of hours of run time.

I also pulled the optical drive from my T520 for an SATA bay, more because I kept accidentally popping the drive open, than any legitimate need for extra disk space. I added a single USB3 port via a generic Expresscard/34 I found on eBay and I popped in an mSATA SSD.

If nothing else, that speaks to how ridiculously expandable the T-series guys are.

OK. There is a 6 cell pack, a 9 cell pack.....and an "extended" pack. How many cells is in the last one, what is the capacity in amp-hours, power rating in watt-hours, voltage and estimated run time of each pack?

I've always admired the versatility of the T530, not having looked at any other Thinkpad models before my 3 month shopping spree started. The choices are dizzying! I will surely report here any upgrades I make to the T530.

 

[Mercutio]

The extended pack is another 9 cells that is connected via the docking port. That's in addition to whatever standard battery is present.

 

[apairofpcs]

The extended pack is another 9 cells that is connected via the docking port. That's in addition to whatever standard battery is present.

Thank you for the explanation. I didn't think of the added abilities when using a docking station. So one could have a 9 cell attached to the laptop and another 9 cell attached to the docking station? That's a whole lot of attaching going on.

Can I make the statement based on arithmetic calculations, that a 6 cell pack will have a run time roughly 1/3 less than a 9 cell pack? Under what condition can a 9 cell pack deliver "up to 9.1 hours" of run time? Does anybody have the answers to my spec. questions about the 6 and 9 cell Lenovo packs?

 

[LunarMist]

I'm sure it is not heavy at all with the 9-cell pack and the big battery slice. :erm:

 

[apairofpcs]

I'm sure it is not heavy at all with the 9-cell pack and the big battery slice. :erm:

More confusion. What is a "slice battery pack?":erm: :erm: I have a 92 Wh 12 cell Toshiba pack that raises the back of the case by 1 inch due to it's extended shape. Is this pack a "slice" pack?

 

[Handruin]

OK. There is a 6 cell pack, a 9 cell pack.....and an "extended" pack. How many cells is in the last one, what is the capacity in amp-hours, power rating in watt-hours, voltage and estimated run time of each pack?

I've always admired the versatility of the T530, not having looked at any other Thinkpad models before my 3 month shopping spree started. The choices are dizzying! I will surely report here any upgrades I make to the T530.

On the back of my 6-cell battery's label it says NOM 10.8V 5.2AH 57WH, but this is for a T500 battery. There is more information on the T530 battery listed on Lenovo's part page here. The battery lists the same spec as my T500 battery for the T530 battery pack as follows:

6-Cell
Battery energy (Watt-hours): 57 Wh
Battery capacity (Amp-hours): 5.2 Ah
Output voltage: 10.8V dc (nominal)

9-Cell
Battery energy (Watt-hours): 94 Wh
Battery capacity (Amp-hour): 8.4 Ah
Output voltage: 11.1V dc (nominal)

 

[apairofpcs]

On the back of my 6-cell battery's label it says NOM 10.8V 5.2AH 57WH, but this is for a T500 battery. There is more information on the T530 battery listed on Lenovo's part page here. The battery lists the same spec as my T500 battery for the T530 battery pack as follows:

6-Cell
Battery energy (Watt-hours): 57 Wh
Battery capacity (Amp-hours): 5.2 Ah
Output voltage: 10.8V dc (nominal)

9-Cell
Battery energy (Watt-hours): 94 Wh
Battery capacity (Amp-hour): 8.4 Ah
Output voltage: 11.1V dc (nominal)

I thank you for the link. I must have lost my mind, though. I never thought of seeking data on the website, because I didn't intend on buying anything from them other than the laptop. I'm rarely this "oblivious" to what is within my grasp. "Almost" everything I need in data is posted there. There is not one reference to run time, not even an estimated minimum or maximum! People should know these, even more so than the watt-hour, amp-hour and voltage ratings.

Since the pack that comes with my T530 dream machine is the 6 cell version, I still don't know the estimated run time. No problem. I usually wear cargo shorts with numerous pockets. I can always fill the pockets with battery packs, and stay mobile "indefinitely."

 

[CityK]

More confusion. What is a "slice battery pack?":erm: :erm:

Slice batteries are those that connect via the docking port on the bottom of the unit.

 

[apairofpcs]

Slice batteries are those that connect via the docking port on the bottom of the unit.

Finally, some clarity. Thank you. Is there a fancy name for my Toshiba 12 cell bulging case battery pack, other than an "extended capacity pack?"

 

[CityK]

Is there a fancy name for my Toshiba 12 cell bulging case battery pack, other than an "extended capacity pack?"

I have no idea of what name Toshiba's marketing dept may have conjured up for it

 

[Mercutio]

I'm sure it is not heavy at all with the 9-cell pack and the big battery slice. :erm:

The extra battery adds about one pound to the weight of the unit. Making it six + a few ounces instead of five + a few ounces, or about the same as what most 15" laptops weigh in the first place. Anyway, I've only needed it a couple times.

The slice battery is installed in place of a docking station connection, not in addition to. It's an optional component. You buy it separately from the notebook. It costs about $150. Yes, it changes the profile of the notebook. So does the nine cell battery as compared to the six cell.

 

[apairofpcs]

I have no idea of what name Toshiba's marketing dept may have conjured up for it

I see. I asked, because the name "slice" was developed to distinguish a pack that is directly attached to a laptop's case, from one attached to a docking station.

I don't recall the name, but I seem to recall a battery pack with an entirely different name than "standard", "extended capacity" and "slice." What would that be?

 

[Mercutio]

You can also get an ultrabay battery. They only add two cells though.

 

[apairofpcs]

You can also get an ultrabay battery. They only add two cells though.

No thanks, good buddy. I'm going to go with my aforementioned plan to fill the many pockets of my cargo shorts with spare packs.

 

[LunarMist]

No thanks, good buddy. I'm going to go with my aforementioned plan to fill the many pockets of my cargo shorts with spare packs.

Where do you need to run a computer for such a long time without power? Even when I am in a tented camp in Africa, there is some power available every day or two.

 

[apairofpcs]

I'm sure it is not heavy at all with the 9-cell pack and the big battery slice. :erm:

Your sarcasm tells me that one can use a laptop with a slice battery pack to build up your biceps!!!!

 

[apairofpcs]

The extra battery adds about one pound to the weight of the unit. Making it six + a few ounces instead of five + a few ounces, or about the same as what most 15" laptops weigh in the first place. Anyway, I've only needed it a couple times.

The slice battery is installed in place of a docking station connection, not in addition to. It's an optional component. You buy it separately from the notebook. It costs about $150. Yes, it changes the profile of the notebook. So does the nine cell battery as compared to the six cell.

My Toshiba 12 cell extended capacity pack (92 Wh, 8.5 Ah, 10.8V) gives me about 6 hours run time and weighs a lot, as you stated. It is a nice enhancement since the 6 cell standard pack has lost 29% of it's capacity in 3 years.

Is a slice pack different than my 12 cell pack? Maybe I'm dense in the brain after all???

 

[apairofpcs]

Where do you need to run a computer for such a long time without power? Even when I am in a tented camp in Africa, there is some power available every day or two.

I don't. I was exaggerating what one would need to stay mobile a long time. Indeed, our civilization provides us with AC power almost everywhere.

 

[LunarMist]

Your sarcasm tells me that one can use a laptop with a slice battery pack to build up your biceps!!!!

Not me, but maybe others that don't have orthopedic issues. Merc can tell us what his T520 weighs, but I bet it is 8lbs. with all the batteries. I'm a big fan of smaller and lighter being better. My Fujitsu can do a rated 14 hours with the bay battery that brings the weight to 3.5 lbs. However, I don't do hard/long work on a bare laptop. I use a docking station at work or a KVM at home.

I'd start with the battery that is included in the deal and perhaps add another one later.

 

[CityK]

Is a slice pack different than my 12 cell pack? Maybe I'm dense in the brain after all???

Here's an example of a slice being fitted onto an X220. Note that once the slice is in place, it precludes the ability to dock the laptop ... obviously not a concern when you are mobile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wYIHfjNA3A

 

[apairofpcs]

Not me, but maybe others who don't have orthopedic issues. Merc can tell us what his T520 weighs, but I bet it is 8 lbs. with all the batteries. I'm a big fan of smaller and lighter being better. My Fujitsu can do a rated 14 hours with the bay battery that brings the weight to 3.5 lbs. However, I don't do hard/long work on a bare laptop. I use a docking station at work or a KVM at home.

I'd start with the battery that is included in the deal and perhaps add another one later.

I see your dilemma, and the need for lightweight portability. I decided to configure with the standard pack, from the first time I configured a T530. We all know that we can get additional packs at a more "attractive" price.....elsewhere.

 

[apairofpcs]

Here's an example of a slice being fitted onto an X220. Note that once the slice is in place, it precludes the ability to dock the laptop ... obviously not a concern when you are mobile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wYIHfjNA3A

This video portrayed a brilliant piece of engineering. I love that "snap" sound when the laptop is mated with the "slice pack." Finally, I know what is a slice pack. Hey, it is truly a "slice" of power that is hardly noticeable. Therefore, the term for the pack that has a bunky case on one side is an "extended capacity pack." It's just a bigger standard pack, in size and in power.

We're done with battery packs, and I for one am glad.

 

[Mercutio]

Not me, but maybe others that don't have orthopedic issues. Merc can tell us what his T520 weighs, but I bet it is 8lbs. with all the batteries.

It's a little bit over 6lbs, actually.

 

[apairofpcs]

It's a little bit over 6 lbs, actually.

Aw, that's not heavy enough for bicep enhancing curls!