The T400 runs Microsoft Windows Vista Business, has an Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 processor at 2.8 GHz, and comes with 2 GB of RAM. You get a 14.1 inch screen, driven by a ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 graphics card. The hard drive comes in at 160 GB and you also have a DVD burner and 802.11n wireless connectivity.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T400 laptop

I know Lenovo has always been criticized in some circles for leaving their ThinkPads black. Well, the truth is, despite the dull black color, Lenovo continues to make some of the best award-winning laptops imaginable. The ThinkPad T400 is clearly such a winner. Beneath that black 5.2 pound chassis, one will see top-notch parts, features and materials. Plus the T400 is one of the lightest 14-inch business laptops around. You also get the Intel Centrino 2 platform (the state-of-the-art) and a great typing and usage experience.

We first look at the design of the Lenovo ThinkPad T400. We have a conservative, all dull black chassis. However, do not be fooled. Beneath that hood are top-notch features and components. Admittedly, Lenovo does not update its business laptops to different colors and sleek designs, like in the HP EliteBook 6930p and the Dell Latitude E6400. However, the 'black look' has always worked for Lenovo, so why change it? The magnesium alloy frame on the T400 withstands scratches very well and passes military testing standards.

The T400 has a 14-inch widescreen display, which displays a brilliant 1,440-by-900 resolution. You'll find that the T400's screen is quite bright when dialed up all the way. I know that ThinkPads can be a little dim when the brightness dial is cranked up all the way - but not in the T400.

The keyboard on the Lenovo Thinkpad T400 is one of the best in its class, providing a top-notch typing experience. Compared to the competitors, I find Lenovo ThinkPad keyboards generally give great traction when you are typing away. You don't feel any discomfort when typing and the key depression just feel super natural.
 

The keyboard on the ThinkPad T400
 

One thing that sets the Lenovo ThinkPad T400 apart is its Centrino 2 feature called Switchable Graphics. What does this do? Well, the T400 has two different graphics cards installed - an ATI Mobility Radeon 3400 chipset and Centrino 2 integrated graphics. You can power down the ATI graphics to save energy - which is something other laptops cannot do.

Let's look at connectivity options. The Lenovo ThinkPad T400 has three USB ports, a FireWire port, a webcam, and a fingerprint reader. You also have a DVD burner that can be swapped out and replaced by a second hard drive. You can also get a Blu-ray burner to slot in, if that is what you fnancy. If you take lots of digital photos, you will also appreciate the 7-in-1 ExpressCard media card reader. 802.11n wireless connectivity is also built-in.

Looking at the battery life, the T400 lasted 4 hours 12 minutes with the ATI chipset. With the ATI graphics switched off, the T400 yielded 5 hours 20 minutes. We foresee that folks will definitely switch down the ATI graphics when they are running out of juice - the switch is easy to make since it only takes a left-click on the Lenovo battery icon.

Shortcomings? Very little - other than the tired looking black look, I really cannot think of anything that would deter a business user from choosing this excellent laptop. The price has been set just right ($1580), so we also cannot say that the unit is too expensive. On the whole, an excellent laptop.

The ThinkPad T400, with all its amazing features, has won a PC Magazine Editors' Choice award. Clearly, the folks there have made the right choice. At $1,580, the T400 is cheaper than its HP and Dell alternatives (the HP EliteBook 6930p and the Dell Latitude E6400 respectively). So on the whole, it would be very difficult to reject the Lenovo ThinkPad T400 in a corporate (or even personal) purchasing decision.