Which budget Thinkpad is best?

[asindhidude]

I have bought two Thinkpads. One is to keep, the other is to give to a friend. I am a Student, and do not use it for games. Of the two, which is better for me to keep?

1) Thinkpad Edge E430. i5 3210. 8 gb pc 12800. 500 gb @ 5400 w/ 16 gb SSD cache. DVDRW. Win7Pro. Bluetooth/Camera

1) Thinkpad L430. i5 3210. 8 gb pc 12800. 320 gb @ 7200. DVDRW. Win7Pro. Fingerprint reader.

I paid the same for both, ~ 375 USD

 

[jaguarskx]

I would keep the ThinkPad L430 simply due to the fact that it has a 1600x900 resolution screen as opposed to the 1366x768 resolution screen found in the E430. It makes doing work much easier since you can see more things on the screen and it should offer better multi-tasking capabilities.

I have a laptop with a 1366x768 resolution screen and I can say that it really limits my ability to multitask. My next laptop will either have a 1600x900 or 1920x1080 resolution screen (14" / 15.6"). The next gen Haswell ThinkPad T series are supposedly coming out in November, but I am not sure I want to wait that long to purchase a replacement laptop.

 

[asindhidude]

I would keep the ThinkPad L430 simply due to the fact that it has a 1600x900 resolution screen as opposed to the 1366x768 resolution screen found in the E430. It makes doing work much easier since you can see more things on the screen and it should offer better multi-tasking capabilities.

I have a laptop with a 1366x768 resolution screen and I can say that it really limits my ability to multitask. My next laptop will either have a 1600x900 or 1920x1080 resolution screen (14" / 15.6"). The next gen Haswell ThinkPad T series are supposedly coming out in November, but I am not sure I want to wait that long to purchase a replacement laptop.

after looking at them both on my desk side by side for a few days, i decided the L is better than edge. while the edge case looks nicer, is smaller by a little, and lighter too, it has a little more flex than the L. also, while the edge is supposed to have the same keyboard as all thinkpads, it does not - the L keyboard is a little bit nicer. all in all, in spite of virtually identical spec, the L feels more conservative, but has a subjective expensive feel that is not there in the edge. also, as far as i can tell, the SSD cache in the E has no real advantage in day to day operation - i wouldnt know if it were missing.

a side note - despite the same spec, batter life is almost one hour longer on the L over edge - 6 vs 5 hrs.

 

[asindhidude]

After one week, I can say that the lack of an SSD makes the L series notably slower than the E on boot. After they are up and running though, the L feels a little bit snappier on day to day tasks. As noted before, the L also feels more "expensive" and overall nicer, in spite of lacking the drop hinge and other better LOOKING bits on the Edge.

I would keep the ThinkPad L430 simply due to the fact that it has a 1600x900 resolution screen as opposed to the 1366x768 resolution screen found in the E430. It makes doing work much easier since you can see more things on the screen and it should offer better multi-tasking capabilities.

I have a laptop with a 1366x768 resolution screen and I can say that it really limits my ability to multitask. My next laptop will either have a 1600x900 or 1920x1080 resolution screen (14" / 15.6"). The next gen Haswell ThinkPad T series are supposedly coming out in November, but I am not sure I want to wait that long to purchase a replacement laptop.

after looking at them both on my desk side by side for a few days, i decided the L is better than edge. while the edge case looks nicer, is smaller by a little, and lighter too, it has a little more flex than the L. also, while the edge is supposed to have the same keyboard as all thinkpads, it does not - the L keyboard is a little bit nicer. all in all, in spite of virtually identical spec, the L feels more conservative, but has a subjective expensive feel that is not there in the edge. also, as far as i can tell, the SSD cache in the E has no real advantage in day to day operation - i wouldnt know if it were missing.

a side note - despite the same spec, batter life is almost one hour longer on the L over edge - 6 vs 5 hrs.