5 ms·

I appreciate the lower weight and size (and presumably cost) of devices, and I don't need to swap the battery often enough to justify batteries that can be repl

I appreciate the lower weight and size (and presumably cost) of devices, and I don't need to swap the battery often enough to justify batteries that can be replaced without tools. Battery replacement is a once-in-a-few-years operation and it's OK for it to take 5 minutes.

waheoo 5y ago
Spoken like someone that should probably be using a desktop. Personally, having backup batteries is a requirement for the places I work.
- gambiting 5y ago
  Yes, that's why USB-C powerbanks exist. I can charge my laptop from one and it's nicer than lugging around laptop batteries, plus the laptop can be thinner.
  - waheoo 5y ago
    Such a bizzare way to respond. Laptop being thinner is a trade off you're willing to make, I am not. Charging a battery with another battery is extremely inefficient. Lugging around laptop batteries is exactly the same thing as lugging around power banks, except laptop batteries don't require a dongle and a cable to tether you to a table. Laptop batteries mean you laptop can continue to in fact work from your lap.
    - alpaca128 5y ago
      I am a big fan of removable batteries but even I can see the huge advantage of USB-C Powerbanks. An additional ThinkPad battery can cost ~$100 iirc. And this battery will only ever work with this specific laptop model. A powerbank for the same price will probably have a higher capacity, and be able to charge any USB-C device. All this is not a reason for integrated batteries, but Powerbanks using a universal interface are clearly more practical.
      - waheoo 5y ago
        It depends on your use case. Some people don't want a huge honking power bank permanently tied to their laptop. That's the biggest issue with this theory. If I need a laptop with more battery, why do manufacturers keep getting rid of the option in the name of thinness. I used to get a full 8 hour day in on an extended ThinkPad battery. Now you're lucky to get two hours.
alpaca128 5y ago
> I appreciate the lower weight and size (and presumably cost) of devices The newest T14 is more expensive than my Thinkpad from the same series was - as extra thin, hard to repair notebooks usually are. It is a bit slimmer, but in the display part, not the base with the battery. It is a bit lighter, I'm guessing because of a plastic case? I'm not sure, but the case material is noticeably absent from marketing material and the datasheet, while in the case of mine both mentioned the magnesium case and internal metal cage. Of course that's just a surface-level comparison. But after my really bad time with the Surface Pro I am absolutely not going to buy a laptop with integrated battery as long as I can avoid it. It's just not worth the pain if something goes wrong.
- type0 5y ago
  >... I am absolutely not going to buy a laptop with integrated battery as long as I can avoid it. Unfortunately it's becoming more and more difficult to find removable battery equipped laptops, what current model lines do have that still?
emerongi 5y ago
I have the T470 (with swappable battery) and the T14 (newest T-line Thinkpad without external battery). Weight difference is minimal, size difference is minimal. Yes, there is a difference, but I don't notice it really. And I'm someone who actually lugs the laptop around, on buses and trains and while riding a bike. Most people don't even really carry their laptops, maybe from car to office and that's it. As a person who actually carries their laptop around, I appreciate the swappable battery. Train rides are much less anxious, no need to find a seat with a plug nearby, because I know I have an extra battery. The T14 is definitely less portable. There's less ports as well, which is quite annoying. The only downside of the T470 is the screen - I like to work outside and a higher brightness screen is crucial. If I could have the T470 with a better screen and AMD CPU, I wouldn't bother buying a new Thinkpad. I don't know why they call ultraportables ultraportables. Are they marketed for people who sometimes lift their laptop off the table and who are bothered by the "extra weight"?
- fomine3 5y ago
  It's better to use T470 in your situation because T14 is just a cheaper T line product. Its design is less cared to be lightweight. Comparing T470 vs X1 Carbon would be better to compare portability by using embedded battery.
- fpoling 5y ago
  These days one can use an external battery over USB-C if the internal battery is not enough. And I can use it to charge all the devices plus there is no need to shutdown the laptop to change the batteries.

waheoo 5y ago

Spoken like someone that should probably be using a desktop. Personally, having backup batteries is a requirement for the places I work.

gambiting 5y ago
Yes, that's why USB-C powerbanks exist. I can charge my laptop from one and it's nicer than lugging around laptop batteries, plus the laptop can be thinner.
- waheoo 5y ago
  Such a bizzare way to respond. Laptop being thinner is a trade off you're willing to make, I am not. Charging a battery with another battery is extremely inefficient. Lugging around laptop batteries is exactly the same thing as lugging around power banks, except laptop batteries don't require a dongle and a cable to tether you to a table. Laptop batteries mean you laptop can continue to in fact work from your lap.
  - alpaca128 5y ago
    I am a big fan of removable batteries but even I can see the huge advantage of USB-C Powerbanks. An additional ThinkPad battery can cost ~$100 iirc. And this battery will only ever work with this specific laptop model. A powerbank for the same price will probably have a higher capacity, and be able to charge any USB-C device. All this is not a reason for integrated batteries, but Powerbanks using a universal interface are clearly more practical.
    - waheoo 5y ago
      It depends on your use case. Some people don't want a huge honking power bank permanently tied to their laptop. That's the biggest issue with this theory. If I need a laptop with more battery, why do manufacturers keep getting rid of the option in the name of thinness. I used to get a full 8 hour day in on an extended ThinkPad battery. Now you're lucky to get two hours.

alpaca128 5y ago

> I appreciate the lower weight and size (and presumably cost) of devices The newest T14 is more expensive than my Thinkpad from the same series was - as extra thin, hard to repair notebooks usually are. It is a bit slimmer, but in the display part, not the base with the battery. It is a bit lighter, I'm guessing because of a plastic case? I'm not sure, but the case material is noticeably absent from marketing material and the datasheet, while in the case of mine both mentioned the magnesium case and internal metal cage. Of course that's just a surface-level comparison. But after my really bad time with the Surface Pro I am absolutely not going to buy a laptop with integrated battery as long as I can avoid it. It's just not worth the pain if something goes wrong.

type0 5y ago
>... I am absolutely not going to buy a laptop with integrated battery as long as I can avoid it. Unfortunately it's becoming more and more difficult to find removable battery equipped laptops, what current model lines do have that still?

emerongi 5y ago

I have the T470 (with swappable battery) and the T14 (newest T-line Thinkpad without external battery). Weight difference is minimal, size difference is minimal. Yes, there is a difference, but I don't notice it really. And I'm someone who actually lugs the laptop around, on buses and trains and while riding a bike. Most people don't even really carry their laptops, maybe from car to office and that's it. As a person who actually carries their laptop around, I appreciate the swappable battery. Train rides are much less anxious, no need to find a seat with a plug nearby, because I know I have an extra battery. The T14 is definitely less portable. There's less ports as well, which is quite annoying. The only downside of the T470 is the screen - I like to work outside and a higher brightness screen is crucial. If I could have the T470 with a better screen and AMD CPU, I wouldn't bother buying a new Thinkpad. I don't know why they call ultraportables ultraportables. Are they marketed for people who sometimes lift their laptop off the table and who are bothered by the "extra weight"?

fomine3 5y ago
It's better to use T470 in your situation because T14 is just a cheaper T line product. Its design is less cared to be lightweight. Comparing T470 vs X1 Carbon would be better to compare portability by using embedded battery.
fpoling 5y ago
These days one can use an external battery over USB-C if the internal battery is not enough. And I can use it to charge all the devices plus there is no need to shutdown the laptop to change the batteries.