Lenovo ThinkPad T410: Built for Business
by Jarred Walton on March 26, 2010 4:00 AM ESTLCD Quality: Two Steps Forward…
...and two steps back. Wrapping up the performance and feature analysis for the T410, we have the LCD quality results. We definitely like the 1440x900 resolution and the matte surface, and we still scratch our heads and wonder why so many consumer laptops refuse to give customers a matte option—for the LCD or the chassis! The problem is that the contrast ratio on matte LCDs is slightly lower, and if you start with a low contrast LCD panel and then go with a matte surface, you end up with something like the panel in the T410.
The T410 unfortunately earns the dubious distinction of having the lowest contrast LCD panel that we've tested to date. One would think that with the higher price and quality construction, it would be easy for Lenovo to get a better panel into the mix. Then again, finding quality panels that don't cost an arm and a leg (i.e. the RGB LED backlit panels) appears to be difficult. Manufacturers are always seeking for ways to reduce BOM (Bill of Materials) costs, and with few laptops advertising contrast ratios it's an area where it's easy to cut corners. The LCD is still bright, but colors are definitely washed out compared to better LCDs.
Viewing angles on the T410 are about average for a TN panel—slightly better than some laptops that we've looked at, but nothing stellar. A straight-on view naturally provides the best result, but viewing from the side is also acceptable. For vertical angles, we found it slightly better to view from below rather than above if you've got the choice. Unfortunately, if you happen to be sitting on a cramped airline seat, you'll probably end up viewing the LCD from above, where things look very washed out.
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kimt - Monday, September 13, 2010 - link
@Belard, can you please share which install method you used to install osx86 ?Gholam - Friday, March 26, 2010 - link
Call me when Apple actually releases a docking station, or lets you hook up a VGA projector without daisy-chaining seventeen dongles.takumsawsherman - Thursday, April 1, 2010 - link
Ring..Ring...It only takes 1 dongle. It's called the Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter. In fact, since most decent laptops will not be shipping with VGA, you will need a "dongle" no matter what you buy. The nice thing about the Apple is that upon insertion of the Dongle it automatically detects everything and sets it up. You should try it.
anishannayya - Tuesday, April 6, 2010 - link
"Finally, while the LCD resolution and matte coating are great, the contrast ration is disappointing."Ratio is spelled wrong, just thought that you might want to correct that.
Growly - Thursday, April 22, 2010 - link
I'm an avid ThinkPad lover. I fell in love with the T43, so backtracked to a T23 (what I could afford at the time) and have owned and loved almost every generation of ThinkPad since (with even a few prior). To give you a better idea, I had up to 15 at one stage but decided to sell a couple of X60s before I could justify any more. I'm a little disappointed by the aesthetic design changes in the T410, preferring the T400, but I understand that Lenovo has to do something to make its laptops a little more modern to make up for the plain appearance. (It should go without saying that I absolutely adore the quietly powerful and functional form of the ThinkPad.)I used to stick to the T{x}p series laptops to harness the raw power on top of all the construction quality. Unfortunately, after using my 15.4" T61p for a few years (when Lenovo decided that smaller ~p models were unjustified), I got a little sick of the weight and size. It was a venerable powerhouse, but lugging it around just for web browsing, word processing, and laboratory work became a hassle. I decided that for the remainder of my studies I would be better off with a smaller alternative, like the T410.
So far it has proven to be delightful. So, while convincing myself to forgive Lenovo for the weak graphics card (it's really quite disappointing, if not unnecessary), and trying to convince myself that I wouldn't be better off with a W510, I'm enjoying the keyboard and solidity of the unit (which is better in some ways, not in others). It's so cute! Ah how I love ThinkPads!
topsecret - Sunday, April 25, 2010 - link
I was just wondering if it would be worth it to upgrade from an i5 (2.53) to the i7 (2.66). It seems kinda silly as the price is 150 more dollars for 110 mHz. Thanks in advance!cptcolo - Monday, February 14, 2011 - link
The monitor can be tweaked to a large degree to get rid of the faded look of the screen.1. Open Intel Control Center. (Start button, type "Control Center")
2. Click on "Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel"
3. Under display click on Color enhancement
4. Reduce the "Gamma" to 0.8, and increase the "Saturation" to 12
Blacks are still no very black, but pictures and videos look much better and the faded out look is largely gone.
actionjksn - Saturday, September 24, 2011 - link
I tried it and it worked great! I didn't realize how bad it looked until I adjusted it according to your specs.adamjems - Tuesday, August 7, 2018 - link
Lenovo Thinkpads is just wow. I am using a T410 with Core i5-540M and in my review the reliability of these laptops are unmatchable.For more - https://lenovosupport.org/lenovo-support-number/