Guys, I am about to finalize my new notebook purchase and have shortlisted a few machines with ThinkPad SL410 among them. The specs are - Intel C2D 5870 2.0 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD, Intel Integrated Graphics, No preloaded OS but full compatibility with 7, Vista and XP. The most attractive thing for me was ThinkPad build quality and the old school 14.1"(1280x800) resolution. Anyone having any experience with this machine?
No experience with this particular model but i've used nothing but Thinkpads for the last 10 years or so. I currently have a TP W500 which is great. I have yet to be dissapointed with any of my TP's. The only drawback i've found over the years is the price tag. That being said, you absolutley get what you pay for.
How has your experience been regarding heat-up of palm rests, Fan vent, chassis and most important - fan noise? Some models also have palm rest flex,which I really really despise. Build quality is of supreme importance to me.
Palm rest heat is minimal or at least doesnt cause any discomfort to me. Same goes for fan noise. Even under heavy load the fan doesnt get loud enough to be annoying. Chasis strength and overall build quality is solid and the palm rests seem to flex a lil more than older models but thats true of most notebooks nowadays. Compared to some other business class notebooks i've seen, this is hands down the best in terms of overall strength, durability, and quality. I suggested we switch to Thinkpads at work and we have had no issues whatsoever for the past 3or4 years.
i got my R61 two years ago, it runs almost 24/7 and never got heat-up, fun noise or such a thing, i think lenovo is built to last forever, my previous was ibm thinkpad R50 i bought it in 2004, i pretty messed aroud with it then gave it to my brother and then he gave it to my father, and guess what... but one very important thing you should know is the warranty, with R61, i got some problemes with dvd drive, called lenovo at around 4pm, received the new one in next morning and they email me a link for a video how to change it, pretty impressive. it's true they look like they came out of LADA car factory, but very reliable if it's that what you're looking for.
Looks like fresh SL410 are not available as of now in India. What are your thoughts about the new ThinkPad Edge line. Thinking about getting a 15.6" one, though I am not a 16:9 fan, but options are pretty less. A reviewer said the 13" version with AMD CPU heated up from the left palm rest side. Wonder if the same will happen with the Intel Versions in 15 inch.