Miss the old ThinkPads? Consider an Elitebook

[Redaktion]

Let's be real here: ThinkPads aren't what they used to be. As blasphemous as it may sound to some diehards fans, Lenovo's competitors are putting out arguably better business machines than the current ThinkPad lineup. While Dell's Latitudes are pretty great, HP's EliteBooks might be the best option for displaced fans.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Miss-the-old-ThinkPads-Consider-an-Elitebook.459705.0.html

[A]

I am on a zbook which is pretty much an elitebook and they are a great device, the longest laptop I have ever used. I really like the serviceability aspect and that it remains relatively cool.

I am also running linux on it.

While newer elitebooks are a step down from the older ones, they are still better than what the thinkpads. I just hope the dragonfly isn't the direction elitebooks are going in.

That said, the biggest drawback with elitebooks is they can get pretty darn expensive. They start out okay price but if you want any decent specs, the price skyrockets quickly. I normally buy laptops at around $1300 price but had to pay $2500 for mine which had similar specs to a $1300 laptop. But at the time, there wasn't much choice as poor quality glossy screens were the craze, and a near 100% srgb matte screen, decent touchpad and good keyboard made it pretty much the only choice.

[A]

Oh forgot to add, what difference does it make to have an extra barrel connector? I'd prefer an extra USB PD port instead. Actually a USB-PD on both sides of the laptop is the best so I have flexibility.

End of the day, the biggest thing I had with laptops is the power cord keeps ripping, they don't make them as durable as they used to. Not to mention since they tie the connection portion to the brick, when the cable connector gets damaged, I pretty much have to buy the whole thing.

With USB, all I gotta do is just replace the USB cable and not the brick.

[not a padawan]

It's very true that EliteBooks typically don't perform as well as the modern EliteBooks do

With the dGPU-equip models

Loki, please proofread, I beg of you.

(Also, for the point about redundant charging, it's worth noting that the Thinkpads can still charge through both the USB-C/TB3 port as well as the standard USB-C one). Other than that, another solid read.

[Steve Johnson]

HP offers more robust security software with their EliteBooks that outpace offerings from Lenovo and Dell.  Just a few of these security apps are:  HP SureSense, HP SureStart, HP SureRun, HP SureRecovery, and HP SureClick, not to mention HP SureView (1st display offering in this class of laptops).

[Steve Johnson]

I failed to mention, HP laptops are far more suitable for "laptop" use.  Lenovo's and Dells will fry your thighs!  HP also runs their CPUs at lower temperatures, thus prolonging CPU life.

[Loki Rautio]

It's very true that EliteBooks typically don't perform as well as the modern EliteBooks do

With the dGPU-equip models

Loki, please proofread, I beg of you.

(Also, for the point about redundant charging, it's worth noting that the Thinkpads can still charge through both the USB-C/TB3 port as well as the standard USB-C one). Other than that, another solid read.

Hi, thanks for the first note, I missed that during my review before publishing. I'm not sure what the issue would be with "dGPU-equip" though. Are you expecting it to be "dGPU-equipt"? I'm fairly sure both are correct.

[Loki Rautio]

Oh forgot to add, what difference does it make to have an extra barrel connector? I'd prefer an extra USB PD port instead. Actually a USB-PD on both sides of the laptop is the best so I have flexibility.

Hi,
The benefit of a barrel + USB-PD charging is redundancy, as mentioned. If the USB-PD charging circuitry fails in the laptop (which is possible), or the connector itself breaks, a barrel connector on an easily removable cable is a lot easier to service than resoldering a connector.
Basically, the main argument is for durability, not convenience.

Hope that helps

[anon123456]

I used to have the 840 G5 (120Hz 1080p privacy screen, RX 540, i7-8650u, ~$2900 NZD). I returned the first laptop over a cluster of dead pixels. The second laptop arrived with damaged LCD light distribution layer and a defective trackpad. Both have very noticeable coil whine. Needless to say the QC is garbage. The RX 540 throttles to 300-400MHz after reaching 65°C, making the performance worse than the iGPU. If the cooling fan activates, it won't slow down or turn off unless I place the laptop in sleep mode. I had to sell the laptop at a ~$1700 loss. I'm not a fan of the xx90/x1x series but if I have to choose between them and the EliteBooks I'm going with the former.

- random T480 owner

[02nz]

Typing this on a ProBook 430 G6. Your review of this model noted the similarity to EliteBooks. I know some enterprise features (e.g., vPro) are reserved for EliteBooks, but is there a significant difference in build quality? I've been very happy with the ProBook's port selection, build quality, serviceability/upgradability, and how quiet and cool it runs. It could stand to be a few ounces lighter, but other than that it's just about perfect for a business laptop. And the pricing is hard to beat - I got this last year for around $400 after various discounts with a quad-core and IPS panel, although other specs like RAM and storage were bare minimum so that I could do upgrades myself.

[A]

Oh forgot to add, what difference does it make to have an extra barrel connector? I'd prefer an extra USB PD port instead. Actually a USB-PD on both sides of the laptop is the best so I have flexibility.

Hi,
The benefit of a barrel + USB-PD charging is redundancy, as mentioned. If the USB-PD charging circuitry fails in the laptop (which is possible), or the connector itself breaks, a barrel connector on an easily removable cable is a lot easier to service than resoldering a connector.
Basically, the main argument is for durability, not convenience.

Hope that helps

I get that, but what is the advantage of say simply having multiple USB-PD?

Aka, is 2X USB-PD any less redundant than USB-PD + Barrel?

If anything, it is less redundant. If I am on a trip and my USB port breaks, I can use another USB port. But if my redundant connector is a barrel, I'm still out of luck unless I happen to bring along a universal charger which does barrel and usb-c.

If you are saying the barrel connector is more durable than a usb port, I would disagree, that would depend on how it is implemented. Sure USB ports are smaller than barrel ports, so they are easier to break, but that is a design issue. Nothing is stopping them from making larger soldered ports that are more durable.

Not to mention, what I learned from years of micro-usb is magnetic cables are awesome! The reason why most ports are damaged is due to strain put onto the port when the wire is pulled. With magnetic usb cables, it limits the amount of strain, so not only is the port taking less stress, the cable is also much less likely to break. And there are magnetic 100W USB-PD cables.

[Loki Rautio]

Oh forgot to add, what difference does it make to have an extra barrel connector? I'd prefer an extra USB PD port instead. Actually a USB-PD on both sides of the laptop is the best so I have flexibility.

Hi,
The benefit of a barrel + USB-PD charging is redundancy, as mentioned. If the USB-PD charging circuitry fails in the laptop (which is possible), or the connector itself breaks, a barrel connector on an easily removable cable is a lot easier to service than resoldering a connector.
Basically, the main argument is for durability, not convenience.

Hope that helps

If anything, it is less redundant. If I am on a trip and my USB port breaks, I can use another USB port. But if my redundant connector is a barrel, I'm still out of luck unless I happen to bring along a universal charger which does barrel and usb-c.

If you are saying the barrel connector is more durable than a usb port, I would disagree, that would depend on how it is implemented. Sure USB ports are smaller than barrel ports, so they are easier to break, but that is a design issue. Nothing is stopping them from making larger soldered ports that are more durable.

Hi,

Again, the main point isn't that the barrel ITSELF is more durable. Arguably it is since it's a more simple design, but that's a whole rabbit hole. Regardless, the point is that it increases the device's longevity and overall durability having two entire different charging circuits and methods. Plus, as mentioned, barrel charging connectors are often on socketed cables, not soldered. If the barrel connector becomes damaged, it's a cheap repair.

So yeah, main point is that your device will be more repairable, and as a result it'll have a longer potential lifespan and be more "durable."

[S.Yu]

I don't even know what a "slim-tip charger" is but this has gotten me worried about my current XPS13 with only 2 C ports, the thing is they don't spin like the barrels, and the barrels often leave some wriggle room, unlike the C ports which are completely solid. That and the fact that C ports have far more contacts than the barrel and far more complex control circuitry certainly makes them prone to breaking.
BTW, anybody who needs all the ports in the world can consider VAIO, though their QC is also somewhat questionable and customer service is pure s***, at least in the US.

Oh forgot to add, what difference does it make to have an extra barrel connector? I'd prefer an extra USB PD port instead. Actually a USB-PD on both sides of the laptop is the best so I have flexibility.

Hi,
The benefit of a barrel + USB-PD charging is redundancy, as mentioned. If the USB-PD charging circuitry fails in the laptop (which is possible), or the connector itself breaks, a barrel connector on an easily removable cable is a lot easier to service than resoldering a connector.
Basically, the main argument is for durability, not convenience.

Hope that helps

I get that, but what is the advantage of say simply having multiple USB-PD?

Aka, is 2X USB-PD any less redundant than USB-PD + Barrel?

If anything, it is less redundant. If I am on a trip and my USB port breaks, I can use another USB port. But if my redundant connector is a barrel, I'm still out of luck unless I happen to bring along a universal charger which does barrel and usb-c.

If you are saying the barrel connector is more durable than a usb port, I would disagree, that would depend on how it is implemented. Sure USB ports are smaller than barrel ports, so they are easier to break, but that is a design issue. Nothing is stopping them from making larger soldered ports that are more durable.

Not to mention, what I learned from years of micro-usb is magnetic cables are awesome! The reason why most ports are damaged is due to strain put onto the port when the wire is pulled. With magnetic usb cables, it limits the amount of strain, so not only is the port taking less stress, the cable is also much less likely to break. And there are magnetic 100W USB-PD cables.

I use two types of magnetic cables too but I'm not aware of 100W PD cables, maybe they no longer transmit data?

[A]

I use two types of magnetic cables too but I'm not aware of 100W PD cables, maybe they no longer transmit data?

They do, both data and power. Though not all of them would say support thunderbolt 3, so you gotta pay attention to the amount of pins. Full USB would be 20 pin, Thunderbolt would be 24 pin.

Also, I should add it might make sense to get a 100W USB-PD magnetic adapter over a whole cable. As those can often times be cheaper and you can reuse the USB-C cable/charger that came with the laptop rather then letting it collect dust.

[yfnew]

First of all, the title of this article is misleading. It should have "Opinion:" in its title, as most parts of this article are based on the author's opinion. I think the title should also be "Considering an alternative to modern ThinkPads? Try Elitebook" instead of what it has right now, as the article itself does not compare modern Elitebook with classic ThinkPad at all. The entire article compares a modern ThinkPad with a modern Elitebook. I was quite excited when I read the title because Notebookcheck had some great articles regarding old ThinkPads, but I have to say I am disappointed with this one.

Then it comes to the discussion of charging ports. This is the first and only article I have seen that prefers a dedicated DC charging port than USB PD, with the only reason that USB-C charging port is more likely to fail. While the USB-C issue with recent ThinkPad is real, there is no evidence that USB-C charging ports in general are more likely to fail than DC charging port. The USB-C issue with recent ThinkPad is from a mal-functioning firmware, and the same firmware issue can happen to a DC charging port as well since some modern laptops use programmable circuits to manage charging. DC charging ports aren't magically more reliable than USB-C ports. My MacBook Pro had a faulty MagSafe 2 charging port after a year of normal usage. I don't want to sound like "I don't have this issue so it doesn't exist", but none of my USB-C equipped ThinkPad (X1 Carbon 5th, X1 Yoga 3rd, T25 Anniversary, P1, T495) had any issue with USB-C or Thunderbolt.

Other sections in this article do not show how Elitebook is "better" than a modern ThinkPad, with the only exception that Elitebook still has 2 RAM slots and upgradable M.2 slot for WiFi. Mostly, the article only shows that an Elitebook is a valid alternative option. Still, as I said in the first paragraph, nowhere in the article did the author compare a modern Elitebook with an "old" ThinkPad, which the title suggests. It doesn't show whether the Elitebook has drain holes like the classic thick ThinkPad, whether it supports battery hot-swap like classic ThinkPad, or whether it has comparable keyboard with a classic ThinkPad (not a modern one as we all know that classic ThinkPad has much longer key travel and taller TrackPoint).