Mô tả sản phẩm: Lenovo Thinkpad T430S (Intel Core i7-3520M 2.9GHz, 8GB RAM, 180GB SSD, VGA Intel HD Graphics 4000, 14 inch, Window 7 Professional 64 bit)
Lenovo ThinkPad T430s
Case
The encompassing matte design and style of the ThinkPad T Series change very little year-to-year and the 2012 models continue the trend. In fact, not much has changed from the previous Sandy Bridge T420s in terms of construction work. The secure latches, smooth magnesium alloy base, gray hinges, thick lid and black tones are all signature qualities of the ThinkPad and are all present in full force. The base is quite good at hiding fingerprints, though grease on the lid and keyboard are more visible and harder to clean off. Thickness upfront appears thinner than the thickness from the rear, but this is mostly due to the more elevated rubber footing on the back. Regardless, the T430s officially averages 23.6 mm in thickness compared to the 29.9 mm thick T430 -- a very noticeable difference. This also directly influences the weight: 1.79 kg vs. 2.166 kg. Users, especially constant travelers, will absolutely feel the weight discrepancies.
The thinner profile may worry some users about reduced robustness, but we can safely say that the T430s is about as resilient as any standard-sized T model. Side-to-side twisting of the base is negligible and the lid only minimal. The center of the lid and keyboard are very resistant to pressure as expected from a ThinkPad unit and vibrations from typing or high volume are almost non-existent. The hinges appear somewhat weak at first glance due to their small size, but they are stable nonetheless all the way up to the 180 degree angle. There is, however, slight visible warping when pressure is applied to the palm rest areas of the base and at certain areas underneath where the chassis can feel somewhat thinner. Though only very minor complaints, the T430s is in general slightly less stiff than its larger and loftier variant.
Connectivity
Downsizing a notebooks often results in reduced connectivity features, but the T430s fortunately offers all the features of the beefier T430 minus one port – a USB 2.0 port. Aside from this small exclusion, the notebook still offers 3x USB ports, a modular Ultrabay, an optional Smart Card Reader and even a full-size VGA port for older external monitors. The Ultrabay can accept specialized optical drives, secondary batteries and hard drives on the fly for added versatility. We don’t miss the fourth USB port at all.
Only two ports are located on the left hand side while the rest are about evenly spaced on the rear. This means that while cables certainly won’t be a hindrance, the rear ports can be a bit difficult to reach if the user does not remember the positioning by heart.
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Communication
For wireless connectivity, standard WLAN is provided by an Intel Centrino 6205 (2x2) with support for both Bluetooth 4.0 and WiDi. WiMAX and WWAN are available options as well with the WiMAX 6250 (Kilmer Peak) and Ericsson HSPA+ H5321gw or Gobi 4k LTE, respectively. A SIM card slot is safely hidden behind the battery compartment if needed, so users under major cell phone carriers in the U.S. should feel right at home with the T430s. Because of the location of the slot, the primary battery must first be removed every time physical access to the SIM slot is needed.
Accessories
ThinkPads usually have several first-party accessories, especially the T models. Thankfully, the T430s preserves its dock connector for mini docks as does the larger T430 and previous T420s, meaning it should be compatible with the same docking stations such as the Mini Dock and Mini Dock Plus with additional USB 3.0 and monitor ports for up to four simultaneous monitors when in conjunction with Optimus. As stated above, the Ultrabay adds another layer of customizability depending on the need of the user. The 430s has a handful of options whether on the desk or on-the-go, which is something we expect no less from a core ThinkPad.
Warranty
Warranty for ThinkPads is as extensive as their accessories with multiple levels and options. The usual 1-year basic coverage applies to all new orders, but users can expand it to include accidental damage protection with onsite next business day tech assistance or extend it up to 4 years. A battery replacement plan is also available should a replacement be desired. Because of the number of options, warranty can range from $60 to over $300 for the complete package.
Input Devices
Keyboard
Perhaps the most noticeable change to the recent ThinkPads is the switch to Lenovo’s Chiclet AccuType layout instead of the more traditional beveled layout that may be more familiar to previous ThinkPad owners. Indeed, the keyboard on the T430s has changed drastically from its T420s predecessor.
The AccuType keyboard (28.75 cm x 11 cm) is quickly becoming standard amongst Lenovo notebooks and offers some advantages over the older style. Keys feel less cramped and more evenly spaced while allowing the all-important backlight functionality. Construction quality has fortunately not suffered from the jump to the new layout, but typing quality will certainly feel different. The keys are a bit softer this time around with less of a solid feedback and in turn are noticeably quieter while typing compared to the previous model. We’ll admit that visually the new layout can seem a bit generic especially when up against the instantly recognizable bevel layout of old, but functionally we found no major problems during regular use.
Touchpad
In contrast to the keyboard, the touchpad has remained relatively unscathed as only the concave style of the upper click keys has been altered. The textured surface is still quite small (7.5 cm x 4.5 cm), so certain multi-touch gestures like pinch-to-zoom are a bit more difficult to perform. Otherwise, the touchpad provides the same reliable and smooth gliding properties for mouse control. Note that users cannot push down on the touchpad to click, though the surface is surrounded by enough quiet-but-firm click keys that this should not be an issue. Quality is excellent compared to most notebooks (and even Ultrabooks) that typically a thinner (and cheaper) plastic construction for their touchpads.
