laptop levono T400

The design of the T400 has changed a bit. The changes are subtle to the untrained eye, but they are there. The right side is now gently sloped similar to what can be found on the older T4x series, where the sides angle inward instead of dropping off flat. First clue about this is the optical drive bezel which sports a nice beveled edge. The rubber feet have also been slightly tweaked, now feeling softer, and you get an additional springy nub. Getting past the minor case design changes, the ThinkPad is every bit as boring as all of those preceding it. We have the same paint, same rubbery texture, and we still have our ThinkPad logo.

Build quality is very similar to the previous generation T61, with all of its strengths and weaknesses. Fit and finish are great with most parts, but you still have a good amount of battery wiggle in the back, as well as the cheaper feeling plastic LCD lid. The molded plastic panels throughout the notebook feel sturdy, with only mild flex near the card slots. On our particular configuration with the SD card reader taking the place of the PC-Card slot and we get a cheap plastic blank instead of a spring loaded flap. Without the plastic blank in place the palmrest does want to bend down at that location under stress. Another odd trait I noticed was additional flex on the right side of the keyboard, where my T60 is solid as a rock, but the T400 wants to give in just a bit. It is still very strong compared to other notebooks, but not as rock solid as the older model.