Sunday, April 1, 2012

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420s Notebook Review

The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420s delivers a more affordable ThinkPad experience to small business users without cutting corners on reliability and looks. On the contrary, this luscious looking business notebook combines chrome accents with extras like Dolby Home Theater v4 to deliver a notebook worth asking for by name.

Specifications:
  • 14-inch "edge to edge" glossy display (1366x768 resolution)
  • Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
  • Intel Core i5-2410M dual-core processor (2.3~2.9GHz Turbo Boost, 3MB cache, 35W TDP)
  • Intel HM65 chipset
  • Integrated Intel HD graphics
  • 4GB DDR3-1333 RAM (1x 4GB, supports up to 8GB - 2x 4GB)
  • 320GB 7200RPM Seagate hard drive (ST320LT000, 7mm height)
  • Intel WiFi Link 1000 BGN wireless network adapter
  • No internal Bluetooth
  • Integrated 720p webcam
  • Slot-load DVD burner (HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GS30N)
  • Integrated biometric fingerprint reader
  • Internal non-removable Li-polymer 48.8Whr battery
  • Weight: 4.14 lbs.
  • Dimensions: 13.7 x 9.3 x 0.9~1.2 inches

Lenovo Thinkpad E420S price is mid-ranged. Given the set of specs, the Lenovo Thinkpad price in India is placed at attractive point. The Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E420s adapter have been suggesting that it is a business laptop. Both stylish and subtle, it is capable of eliciting screen without being obnoxious about it. The Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E420S review tells that this sophisticated styled device is a perfect piece for small business.

Advanced technology and built-in conveniences boost your productivity and streamline your workday. The Edge Series offers innovative solutions and productivity-enhancing technology in a versatile, reliable, easy-to-use laptop.

The ThinkPad Edge E420s features a spill-resistant, island-style keyboard that provides the same legendary quality and responsiveness we've come to expect from Lenovo business notebooks. With curved, "smile-shaped" keys that make it easy to avoid adjacent-key errors, a comfy rubberized palm rest that cradles your wrists, and a heavy dose of tactile feedback, the Edge E420s allowed us to achieve a high rate of 86 words per minute on the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, 8 percent above our typical score. Too bad the keyboard isn't backlit, like the new HP ProBook 5330m.

You will find 4GB of RAM and 320GB of hard drive space included on this laptop computer. We were surprised to see such a large amount of memory and storage space for this basic computer; you'll have plenty of room for storing all your important data.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420 is priced at Rs 38,725. You can easily get a better spec’d laptop at this price, but this one does not want to beat the competition in terms of specs; it wants to beat them in terms of functionality and durability. At this price, the Edge E420 is targeted more towards SMBs and professionals wanting a laptop with all their business functionality preloaded onto it. If you’re a professional wanting the experience of a ThinkPad and you have a limited budget, then the Edge E420 is a good buy.

You should expect a battery life of about five hours for average daily use, which is very good for a 14-inch laptop. It should also be noticed that the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420s battery is integrated in the housing, people from Lenovo resorting to this trick to reduce the size and weight of the laptop. This mean that the battery will not be easy to change, and those who tend to remove the battery from the notebook when using it plugged cannot do so.

The Edge E420s may be slim, but it doesn't skimp on power. It's equipped with a second-generation Intel Core processor, the 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, and 4GB of RAM. If this setup doesn't make the laptop as powerful as a mobile workstation, it has plenty of power for most business software. In PCMark Vantage, our general-performance benchmark test, the Edge E420s scored 6,688 points; this puts it ahead of SMB laptops with previous-iteration CPUs, such as the Asus B43J-A1B ($700 street, 3.5 stars), which scored 6,310 points with its Core i5-560M. And though the E420s is fast in regular use, it's a hair slower than our previous (and still-available) Editors' Choice, the Lenovo ThinkPad X220 ($1,299 direct, 4 stars): In our CineBench R11.5 processor test the Edge E420s scored 2.5 to the X220's 2.82.

The E420's soft-touch black lid, with gently rounded corners and a silver-colored edge, adds a subtly classy note to the traditional ThinkPad aesthetics. With the lid open, you can see that the soft-touch finish repeats on the surface below the keyboard, which (as usual) is one of the best reasons to consider any ThinkPad. Here, the keys are gently curved, contoured, and separated, making touch typing a delight.

We read out the minimum Dell WHXY3 battery life with the tool, BatteryEater Classic Test. Among other things, an Open GL calculation is executed and the maximum display brightness, the WLAN module and the dedicated AMD graphics are enabled. The whole capacity is used up after short 72 minutes and a power outlet shouldn't be too far away. The contrasting assessment, with minimum display brightness, disabled WLAN and enabled processor graphics, is given by the Reader's Test of our benchmark program. The runtime of 7 hours and 42 minutes is acceptable, whereas a lot more would be possible with the new Sandy Bridge CPUs.

There's a time and place to act a fool, like at a Ludacris concert for example, or when entertaining your in-laws during a holiday function in which you're trying to encourage a hasty departure. Likewise, there are situations where showboating simply isn't appropriate. Wondering what this has to do with a laptop review? Well, the same concept applies to PCs. Think about it -- if your main goal is to pack as much horsepower underneath the hood as humanly possible, regardless of weight or battery life, then you're looking for a desktop replacement. And the flashier, the better, presumably because you'll be toting it around to LAN parties in between trips to the chiropractor. On the other hand, if you spend most of your time in board rooms and pitching PowerPoint presentations to co-workers and clients, a flashy system with an LED light show sends the wrong message. This is where the ThinkPad Edge 420s comes in.

The ThinkPad Edge E420s’ keyboard is easily one of the best in the business with chiclet style keys. The keys are slightly concave which makes typing a much nicer affair. The tactile feedback is extremely good; there was zero flex from the keyboard deck while typing. The plush palmrest further enhances the typing experience on the device. This Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420s like its predecessors is a remarkable device to type on.

The ThinkPad Edge E420s’ keyboard is easily one of the best in the business with chiclet style keys. The keys are slightly concave which makes typing a much nicer affair. The tactile feedback is extremely good; there was zero flex from the keyboard deck while typing. The plush palmrest further enhances the typing experience on the device. This Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420s like its predecessors is a remarkable device to type on.

Considering the fact that that isn’t the widest chassis on analyze typing on the keyboard is comparatively comfy, yet you have to learn to avoid unintentionally knocking the particular trackpoint if you don’t want your cursor scooting off with annoying times.

Our review unit had a second-generation 2.30Ghz Intel Core i5, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Intel HD3000 graphics, 320GB of storage and Windows 7 Professional. With this, the notebook scored a 3.8 in the Windows Experience Index, a score mainly because of integrated graphics. For a business machine, the integrated graphics are more than enough, however Lenovo has made the provision for those who want a more powerful machine with optional AMD Radeon HD6630M graphics. Lenovo's RapidDrive technology is also present using which boot and shutdown times have been drastically cut to about 15 seconds.

This laptop was rated by reviewers as rather noisy. In quiet environments such as libraries, lecture halls and the like, the laptop will make itself noticed. The noise of this laptop will challenge noise sensitive users, particularly in quiet environments.

Given that it isn’t the widest chassis on test typing on the keyboard is relatively comfortable, but you need to learn to avoid accidentally knocking the trackpoint if you don’t want your cursor scooting off at inconvenient moments.

The 14.0” 1366 x 768 Edge E420 screen is definitely not going to provide any wow factor, it’s very average. Average level brightness, average viewing angles, average screen resolution and average color depth. This is what you expect in this price range laptop. The good thing is that the screen is matte instead of glossy, I personally find glossy screens a strain on the eyes after several hours of viewing. The Edge E420s has an infinity screen that is a somewhat glossy finish, so if you really hate screen reflection the cheaper Edge E420 might actually be preferable for you.

Pros:
- Simple & beautiful appearance
- Excellent keyboard feedback
- Powerful enough for most tasks
- More durable than most consumer laptops (however, not as durable as traditional ThinkPad)
- Solid build quality
- Up to 5 hours on 'balanced

Cons:
- Weight above 2 kg (E220s or E420s recommended for mobile users)
- Missing roll cage (feature of traditional ThinkPad)

The given Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E420s battery runtimes can be understood with a look at the consumption rates. The system consumes between 6.4 and 10.9 watts without load and is thus on a very efficient level. The consumption during load is also acceptable with a maximum of 50.3 watts and is within limits. There aren't any problems seen in the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420s AC adapter facility because it can provide a capacity of 90 watts and therefore still has reserves.

The 14-inch display is covered with edge-to-edge glass, and the 1,366-by-768 resolution gives you the ability to watch videos in crisp 720p HD. Set in the bezel just above the screen is a high-definition webcam (also 720p), which features low-light sensitivity so you can Skype without turning on all the lights.

The E420s has an ample array of ports including HDMI v1.4, a USB/eSATA combo port, and a slot-load DVD burner. The inclusion of a DVD burner is notable given the thinness of the chassis; many notebooks are coming without them these days. The E420s lacks USB 3.0, a docking station port, and an ExpressCard slot. Something strange about this notebook is the lack of status lights; at the very least, a hard drive status light should have been included. All picture descriptions are left to right.

For lack of a better term, we'll resort to calling the E420s a 'sleek and sexy' laptop, an oft-used phrase to describe just about any black notebook that catches the eye. Lenovo modernized the design by avoiding plastic on everything but the buttons and speaker grill. One thing we're not as keen on as Lenovo is the 14-inch infinity glass display. We don't have any problem with the 1366x768 (16:9) native resolution for a laptop this size, but the thick bezel, while certainly replicating the TV-screen aesthetic that Lenovo touts, looks a bit odd on a laptop and results in wasted real-estate.

Once you get past the glossy display and lack of a backlit keyboard it’s hard to find things not to like about the Edge E420s. The keyboard offers an amazing typing experience, the Dell WHXY3 battery lasts long enough to get most users through the day and the processor isn’t a slouch. Combine this with the ThinkPad build quality and matte black finish, and you have a business notebook that can take on higher priced competitors.

All in all, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420 shapes up as an attractive general-use laptop if gaming and processor-intensive tasks--or superlong battery life--aren't of major concern. It's good looking, easy to type on, and equipped with a useful array of features and software. None of its minor flaws should be deal-breakers for its intended audience of budget-minded users.

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