CHUNKY TEN THUMBS SERIES

There’s also a 2.8-by-1.6-inch touchpad for users accustomed to using the pointing stick. Lenovo’s comfortable, textured TrackPoint pointing stick continues to be the gold standard, delivering accurate navigation. We scored 55 words per minute with a 1 percent error rate on the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, higher than our usual 50 wpm/1 percent error rate. Similar to other ThinkPads, the T520’s keyboard features oversized ESC and Delete keys. Keyboard and TouchpadĬlick to EnlargeThe T520’s classic, spill-resistant keyboard has large keys with firm, springy feedback.

CHUNKY TEN THUMBS SERIES

For example, the HP Envy 15 weighs 5.8 pounds and measures 14.9-by-9.6-by-1.1 inches, while the 5-pound Samsung Series 7 Chronos has a 0.9-inch profile. The extended battery felt slightly loose, though.Ĭlick to EnlargeEven though 15-inch systems aren’t meant to be carried around extensively, the 6.2-pound, 14.7-by-9.7-by-1.3-1.4-inch T520 is on the chunky side compared to other machines we’ve recently reviewed with this size display. An internal magnesium alloy frame, backed up by strong ABS plastic on the outside, means this notebook should stand up to a fair amount of abuse and resist flexing. A raised panel above the function keys houses buttons for mute, volume, microphone mute, the ThinkVantage toolbox and Power.Ī black latch along the right front lip of the notebook releases the lid, which is held up by two rock-solid metal hinges. The telltale blue Enter key and the bright red TrackPoint located between the G and H keys are also on board. Following the ThinkPad aesthetic, the deck features the traditional all-black interior with the keyboard nestled between two speakers. Its black matte rubberized lid is highly resistant to fingerprints and smudges, and is only accented by a chrome Lenovo emblem and a ThinkPad logo. A sturdy chassis, excellent keyboard, and built-in fingerprint reader further sweeten the pot, but is it enough to keep the T520 at the top of the business heap? DesignĬlick to EnlargeAs with other ThinkPads, the T520 is as buttoned-down as they come. Thanks to a Core i5 processor and Nvidia graphics, this 15-inch $1,299 system can handle just about any task.

In the business notebook category, Lenovo continues to be the company to beat, and it looks to continue its dominance with the ThinkPad T520.

Chunky ten thumbs