Quote:
I for sure would not get IdeaPad series because of glossy screen and non ThinkPad/Latitude keyboard layout.
|
+1 on that.
At work I use many different kind of laptops (I fix them), and the simple things such as a decent keyboard and decent screen are pretty important and often overlooked.
If you are planning on really using your laptop a lot for serious work, then these are two of the most important things IMO.
There are a few other advantages to a more expensive Thinkpad or Lattitude
Longer & better warranty and better customer support.
Better BIOS with more options, can be useful for turning off unneeded deviced to save power (Often not possible on cheaper laptops).
Sturdier design (Not all plastic)
I believe the newer Thinkpad T400/T500 series only come with either Intel or an ATI card.
If you really need dedicated graphics, then get that, it does come at the cost of lower battery life though.
Intel onboard cards are pretty fast nowadays, on my Thinkpad example UT runs pretty good with the Intel GMA965M.