Product Notes: Lenovo ThinkPad T420s

April 18, 2011

In February 2011, Lenovo announced the ThinkPad T420s 14.0-inch notebook, which is based on Intel's Sandy Bridge notebook platform. The ThinkPad T420s supplants the ThinkPad T410s and is a significant update.

Design and Changes

The ThinkPad T420s is approximately the same size as the ThinkPad T410s it replaces (the T420s is slightly lighter and smaller) and retains much of the same basic design. Most of the changes are due to the move from a 14.1-inch 16:10 display to a 14.0-inch 16:9 display. The ThinkPad T420s weighs approximately 3.7 pounds with a travel weight (which includes power adapter) of about 4.6 pounds - extremely light for an enterprise-class 14-inch system.

The biggest single change for the ThinkPad T420s is the move to Intel's Sandy Bridge notebook platform, which includes Intel's notably improved HD 3000 integrated graphics. With and only with Sandy Bridge, Information Systems & Computing (ISC) has removed the requirement for a discrete video card from the mid-weight notebook recommendation.

Most noticeably, the T420s now has a 16:9 14.0-inch 1600 x 900 (HD+) LED backlit display yielding 131 pixels per inch. The T420s replaces the USB 2.0/eSATA "combo" port with a USB 3.0 port.

The T420s uses the same power supplies and docking solutions that the T410s used. These accessories are also used with the current-generation ThinkPad T420, T520, and X220 systems.

The ThinkPad T420s is EPEAT Gold-compliant and Energy Star 5.0-certified.

Ordering Notes

Several notes when ordering a ThinkPad T420s:

1. Having 4.0 GB RAM is essential for the optimal functionality of a modern mid-weight notebook.
2. Though 128 GB and 160 GB solid state drives are available, ISC does not believe that they are currently an appropriate choice for many mid-weight notebook users because the cost trade-offs are too great.
3. As with any mid-weight notebook, ISC suggests that LSPs consider purchasing an extra AC power adapter. Providers also may wish to consider Lenovo's range of peripheral accessories, such as port replicators and mini docks.
4. Connectivity options include various 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi cards, Gobi multi-vendor WWAN connectivity, and Bluetooth 3.0. ISC believes that Bluetooth is a relevant protocol for most notebook users and that WWAN connectivity is useful for many "road warriors".

See ISC's Notebook Purchasing Guide for more configuration guidelines. As of April 2011, configuring a ThinkPad T420s to the mid-weight notebook specification can be done for approximately $1,750. The University's Computer Connection has a T420s configuration available to order.

Analysis

ISC sees the ThinkPad T420s as one of the best mid-weight notebooks available in early 2011, with its full capability and class-leading weight.

ThinkPad T420s graphic courtesy of Lenovo

--John Mulhern III, Lead for Client Technologies, ISC Technology Support Services (April 18, 2011)