Lenovo T400s Review

As with other ThinkPad systems, the T400s uses an internal magnesium-alloy roll cage to protect the 14.1-inch display. I expect that the durability I’ve seen in other ThinkPad models will be preserved using this engineering design, even given the thinness of the T400s form factor.

Cool Running

This is one of the coolest running ThinkPads I’ve used, which is no small feat given the dual-core processors, and is largely thanks to the SSD and the 25-watt processors. There were no “hot palm” problems that I’ve experienced with almost every other laptop I’ve tested. I was able to use the system for up to 30 minutes before it became uncomfortably warm.

The T400s includes an integrated fingerprint reader and a built-in Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip. These security tools are well-established in the ThinkPad line and worked as expected in my tests.

The system I tested had one side-mounted USB 2.0 port and a slot for either an Express Card or a five-in-one media reader card. Along the rear of the system you’ll find a second USB 2.0 port, a Display Port, an eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port, a powered USB 2.0 port, an RJ45 network jack and a VGA port. The powered USB port provides additional power to run peripheral devices such as a mobile printer, scanner or barcode reader, making this ThinkPad a serviceable companion for mobile users. IT managers will like the fact that it is possible to use BIOS settings to disable any port that can move data off the T400s.

So in the newest laptop in its ThinkPad line, the T400s, Lenovo has made some nice enhancements that improve usability. There aren’t many firsts in the dual-core system, but it should go to the top of any organisation’s evaluation shortlist.

Cameron Sturdevant is technical director at eWeek.