Here’s Why Professionals Prefer ThinkPads

This will not be unbiased reporting. This will instead be a report on one of the most popular laptop computer lines on the market today, which has been popular for the past decade, in addition to some of the things that make these machines so well-liked by the business crowd. 

The Lenovo ThinkPad has been a very popular machine among professionals for some time even though some people call them boxy and plain looking. There seems to be something about the unsexy utilitarian look of the ThinkPad that makes its users view consider it a badge of honor, especially when compared to Apple products. This is truly putting function over form.

The MacBook Pro looks great.  It sports curves and colors, and with an interesting design that some might think gives the Apple an edge when comparing these laptops.  The reality is that the black and boxy design of the ThinkPad might be the same basic design they have had for over a decade, but that is because it works. The keyboard, ports, screen, controls—everything—is optimally arranged. Real laptop computer users—those who need the laptop to get work accomplished whether on the road, at home, or in the office—love the design of the ThinkPad. 

People with work to do recognize that their ThinkPad might look like the ThinkPad they owned a decade ago (albeit much thinner and more flexible), whereas the MacBook Pro has curves, clear casing so you can see the wires, and different colors, but it doesn’t work as intuitively or as well as the ThinkPad when it comes to business.  The ThinkPad may look like an older, boxy BMW, but it still “drives” better than fancier looking cars.

The Wirecutter.com website evaluated many different laptops and tablets and ultimately decided that the best business laptop is the Lenovo ThinkPad. These machines are recommended for work because they offer a good level of durability, they have easy to use ports, the screen is very functional, the machine is easy to service if necessary, and it is easy to upgrade.

One example of a popular laptop for business use is the Lenovo ThinkPad T460.  In a basic model, this computer may cost just a bit over $650, in many business configurations, the machine can be decked out and ready to work for about $1,000 (when bought refurbished, this price can go much lower).  This machine, as a basic example of working laptop, is decked out with a Core i5-6300 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and 1920×1080 display.

Another reason that many people like this laptop is that it is more durable than many other laptops – including being chip resistant.  Sometimes the weight of the machine is seen as a detriment, but it is the weight that makes it strong.

The T460 also has ports that the common kid doing homework may not need, but which may be important for a business setting.  There are ports for: Ethernet,HDMI, And Mini DisplayPort.

This model, the T460, also has a fingerprint scanner, a TPM chip, hardware encryption, and a SmartCard reader.  It is not uncommon for these safety features to be required by companies for those times when an employee takes their laptop home to work, then bring it back to work.  Many businesses that use the Bring Your Own Device method of technology prefer employees to use ThinkPads because they are easier to protect from problems that could be brought in from the outside.

Thinkpads also tend to have a great deal of RAM potential. These machines can have up to 32 GB which is about twice what most laptops are able to have. There are also two batteries, one of which you can change while the machine is still running and have been known to run over 10 hours and some reports of more than 15 hours, giving the user a lot of work time without having to shut the computer down.

ThinkPads come in all sizes (but the same general style) so that people who need less battery life, but perhaps need a lighter machine might consider a ThinkPad X1 Yoga or a P40 Yoga.  People who need to spend a lot of time typing and want to avoid carpel tunnel syndrome might consider the ThinkPad 13 which has an easy-to-use and responsive keyboard.  Not too mushy, not likely to have stuck keys, and it doesn’t require a person to try to punch their way to China to get the keyboard to respond.

The thing about ThnkPads is there are many options to help a user find the right machine for their needs.  What they all generally have in common is memory and power, a durable design, and a similar design from one to another. 

Does your business use ThinkPads? We offer all of the above models in various condition levels from new & discontinued, to refurbished. Contact us to learn more.