Difference between ThinkPads and IdeaPads?

[ir0n_ma1den]

I don't know the difference except when I see a thinkpad and an Ideapad in the same price range the ideapad has a MUCH larger hardrive, better proccesor, more ram, etc.

Also I will be buying a laptop in the future (2-8) months and am wondering if these Lenovo laptops have a good priceerformance ratio?

 

[Grentz]

Ideapads are a more consumer friendly version that come with fun software and have a nice modern design.

Thinkpads are still the rock solid business machines that will survive war and keep going.

I think they both have a great price/performance ratio. My T61 is a beast in the power department and rock solid in the build department.

 

[j-dawg]

If you're not doing heavy gaming, go for the Thinkpad.

I tell everyone that, but everyone would probably have better laptop ownership experiences if they just did it.

 

[ryuen]

Thinkpads are still the rock solid business machines that will survive war and keep going.

I used to repair those and while I can't that they'll survive a war I had machines brought in that still booted and suffered no data loss when a guy backed his SUV over it or it had lain, half submerged, in a ditch for a few days.
Those things are tough though I can't speak of the new ones.. I changed jobs before the Lenovo age.

 

[Frank Master Flash]

I have also been looking at the Ideapads as I plan to buy within the same time span you are. The only beef I have with the Ideapads are that they only have a WXGA (1200x800) extremely glossy screen and offer no options to a higher resolution, and a much weaker cpu (T5550) as compared to the Thinkpads which offer up to the T9500 The Ideapad is all consumer friendly. They have 4.1 channel sound built onto the laptop with a mini subwoofer on the bottom. They also pack a punch with the 8600GTS option. Now I'm not sure which video card exactly comes with the Ideapad because I've heard different sources say it's an 8600GS or 8600GT or according to Lenovo's site it's an 8600GTS, but all will offer soild gaming performance for a laptop.

Check out the review here:
Lenovo IdeaPad Y510

I would personally wait a couple months to see how the Montevina platform plays out with prices of the new Thinkpads coming out in a few months. The new thinkpads are supposed to be pretty awesome offering DDR3, LED screens, and better video.

 

[j-dawg]

I was at Micro Center today and played with an Ideapad U110. I was impressed by how small and light it was, but appalled by the keyboard and glossy-everything finish. I had heard bad things about the keyboard but really didn't understand until I typed on it. It is truly awful. It would wreck the entire ownership experience.

I was skeptical about the negative reviews about the U110 keyboard because the keyboards on the 3000s and Thinkpads were so good. Yet I have never used a keyboard worse than the U110's.

So, lessons learned:
1. Try before you buy.
2. Don't judge a laptop by its manufacturer.
3. Don't buy a U110.