Lenovo Thinkpad or 13 inch MacBook Pro.

[ColdCase]

Actually yes, because the build quality is high, priced lower then the MBP and are very good laptops. They don't have a fruit logo on the back so that will turn off some people, but as a laptop to get work done, they are very good alternative to a MBP. They also don't have the same aluminum fit and finish of a MBP but over all its build quality is what you want and Lenovo has that (even compared to the MBPs).

Granted you're using windows, and that may or may not be something that some people want, especially here at MacRumors.

My daughter was forced to buy a $1400 Lenovo Yoga Student S100 Ultra book (8GB RAM, i5) for her college and she avoids it as much as she can. Its so so slow. She rather use a 5 year old macbook..... and her classmates are seeing a 15% failure rate... Now there are some useful features like using the touch screen with notes, but also so so aggravating and undependable. Came with three years of warranty and accidental damage protection. IT always stacks dozens of spares in the back during exams and most of them get used. The business/pro class may be different, but the OP is asking about ~ $1500 laptops.

 

[cube]

My daughter was forced to buy a stink pad for her college and she avoids it as much as she can. Its so so slow. She rather use a 5 year old macbook.....

If it's one with a U processor, of course it's not going to be fast, and you should replace the hard drive with a hybrid at least in any case.

 

[Badrottie]

Lenovo is for professional business users
rMacBook Pro belongs to creative professional artists

 

[BJonson]

I have many thinkpads and many macbooks. Here is my experience.


Build quality does not matter with a lenovo. That said the quality is very good. I have 6 thinkpads and have never gotten one with bad pixels or scratches or any problems. I have had many issues with bad screens on macbooks.

If you get a macbook and it gets a problem like you dent it or the screen goes bad etc it is costly to repair and most likely an apple store has to do it. If you have an issue with a thinkpad it is super cheap. One of my thinkpads has the hi res screen, which is gorgeous, but the text is too small. I was able to purchase brand new samsung screens to replace it at a cost of $49. Swapping them out was a few screws and unclipping the connector. No problem. Can't do that with a macbook.

My thinkpads have msata slots and I put one in there for the boot drive. That leaves me with an open hard drive slot for a 2tb spinner and I can add another in the drive bay by replacing the dvd drive. I can also add a bluray drive for around $60 which I have on one.

The thinkpads are built solid, they are easily fixable, the run very fast and quiet and have tons of upgrade options like removable batteries and docking stations. I would say its the best overall rounded laptop today.

Now that said. Its big. Windows sucks. Getting the proper drivers installed is difficult as lenovo is a mess. If you try to get something fixed under warranty don't bother as they are a joke and will make your computer even worse.

So for the hardware and repair ability and upgrade ability Lenovo. For the ease of use and least amount of hassle Apple.

So in summary:

Lenovo Hardware > Apple hardware
Windows OS < Apple OS

 

[Bankaimadness]

Lenovo is for professional business users
rMacBook Pro belongs to creative professional artists

How good is the MBP for digital art?

Planning to use my parent's ipad air as a drawing tablet. Would an ipad air make for a good drawing tablet?

 

[maflynn]

Lenovo is for professional business users
rMacBook Pro belongs to creative professional artists

I disagree, many business man and scientists use the Macs. I work for an organization where the scientists use Macs and not windows laptops. Its true that Lenovo's main focus is business but that doesn't mean Macs cannot be or are not used in that capacity.

 

[TechGod]

Lenovo is for professional business users
rMacBook Pro belongs to creative professional artists

What a load of bull.

 

[Badrottie]

How good is the MBP for digital art?

Planning to use my parent's ipad air as a drawing tablet. Would an ipad air make for a good drawing tablet?

I don't know. I have an iPad Air but never tried it as drawing tablet I use a Wacom Intuos tablet.

----------

I disagree, many business man and scientists use the Macs. I work for an organization where the scientists use Macs and not windows laptops. Its true that Lenovo's main focus is business but that doesn't mean Macs cannot be or are not used in that capacity.

Ok if you say, so then how come so many state, city, and federal governments are not using Macs? I am sure they think Macs are not as powerful as all windows notebook.

----------

What a load of bull.

you don't have to believe me anyway.

 

[simonsi]

Ok if you say, so then how come so many state, city, and federal governments are not using Macs? I am sure they think Macs are not as powerful as all windows notebook.

Those organizations buy on price, Apple tend not to discount with the exception of the Edu discount to students.

Govt Purchasing managers always like to quote the reduction over RRP they achieve, that will certainly be less with Apple.

 

[macjunk(ie)]

I don't know...I have the worst luck with Apple laptops. My current lappy...a late 2011 15 MBP crashes quite frequently...out of the blue. The kernel panic logs indicate a graphic card problem. This is my second Apple laptop, the first one being the MBP with the famous Nvidia failure. Luckily, this one is still under AppleCare till sometime next year so I can get the logic board replaced probably. But from what I understand, this lappy is screwed cause the replaced logic board is just another ticking time bomb.

After paying close to 3 grand for these machines every time I bought them, it sucks when they die within 3 years. I would expect at least 5 years of reliable use out of them. My brother's crappy Dell also has the same issue...but he paid a grand total of 1100$ for it and he has used it for a little bit more than 3 years. So he is thinking of dumping that in the bin. I somehow can't get myself to do the same with mine though

To add insult to injury, the Apple service here in Singapore is handled by a franchise. I have to drop off my laptop in their service centre and be without a laptop for at least 5 days!

If I manage to sell my MBP at a decent price, I think my next laptop will be a Dell M4800. It seems a lot more customisable, at least a grand lesser than an MBP but a lot more powerful than the MBP. Dell also provides NBD onsite service. The only thing I got to do is somehow digest Windows 8. Don't like its design a lot but hey...it is not as expensive as the Apple ecosystem.

 

[ColdCase]

If it's one with a U processor, of course it's not going to be fast, and you should replace the hard drive with a hybrid at least in any case.

As I said its the i5... and they are not allowed to modify the POS as the school IT can only support one configuration. The reliability of this model for classroom use is extremely poor.

We have never had reliability or performance issues with any of our dozens of MAC laptops used in similar conditions, beside the swelling batteries in a couple models that a replacement battery corrected.

 

[cube]

As I said its the i5... and they are not allowed to modify the POS as the school IT can only support one configuration. The reliability of this model for classroom use is extremely poor.

We have never had reliability or performance issues with any of our dozens of MAC laptops used in similar conditions, beside the swelling batteries in a couple models that a replacement battery corrected.

You did not give details about the computer before.

There is ThinkPad Yoga on one side, and IdeaPad S100 on the other.

IdeaPad does not count. (And the S100 uses a slow Atom processor by the way).

The Yoga might be i5, but it's a U processor, so slow.

 

[gtanner00]

You did not give details about the computer before.

There is ThinkPad Yoga on one side, and IdeaPad S100 on the other.

IdeaPad does not count. (And the S100 uses a slow Atom processor by the way).

The Yoga might be i5, but it's a U processor, so slow.

many people forget that there are two separate tiers of U processors. There is the ULV 15 W version which is found on the MBA as well ad the common 1.6 GHZ 4200u found on most ultrabooks and thinkpads which usually pairs with HD4400 graphics.

the upper tier is the full voltage 28 W version found in the 13" MBP and a few Asus zenbooks. this is clocked at 2.4 GHZ and is eligible for Iris integrated graphics.

while both can potentially turbo boost to roughly the same level, the full voltage can remain at higher speeds for longer.

 

[SaSaSushi]

Build quality does not matter with a lenovo. That said the quality is very good. I have 6 thinkpads and have never gotten one with bad pixels or scratches or any problems. I have had many issues with bad screens on macbooks.

Just throwing in my 2 cents on Lenovo build quality, although my experience is with an ultrabook:

I recently picked up an X1 Carbon Thinkpad which I'm currently using full-time while my Late 2013 27" iMac is being sent back to Apple for an LCD smudge issue.

The X1's build quality is top notch. I've got no screen issues nor any other complaints to speak of. I wish my Apple keyboard had the tactile feel and action of the X1. It was also a heck of a lot lower in price than a similarly specd MBA. Yes, it runs Windows 7, not OS X, but that's not so bad.