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Pros ?Well built ?Easily upgradeable ?Quality, backlit Lenovo Thinkpad Keyboard (+Laptop Keyboard Cover ) and pointing options ?Capability to have a massive amount of storage with 3 drives installed Cons ?Weak screen / variability in manufacturers ?Weak battery life ?Cost premium over T430 ?Included bloatware (and clean installing Windows requires jumping through hoops) ?Lenovo Keyboard switched to chiclet-style OverviewThe T430s is the newest slim and light model in Lenovo's venerable workhorse business line, the ThinkPad T series. Released in June of 2012, the biggest changes between the T430s and its predecessor, the T420s , are that the T430s now comes with Intel's third-generation Ivy Bridge processors and Lenovo's new backlit chiclet or island style "Precision" keyboard. An updated discrete graphics option is available for i5 models as well - the NVIDIA NVS 5200M with Optimus Technology. The "s" at the end of the model name differentiates it from the similar but heftier T430. The starting price varies based on Lenovo?s promotions, but hovers around $1,000, though it can be found for less. This is around a $250 premium over the T430 . Build and Design The T430s is nearly identical to the T420s, maintaining the spartan, business look familiar in ThinkPad machines. At 13.50" x 9.05" x 0.83" - 1.02" (front to back), it feels thin, somewhat wide, and surprisingly light. According to Lenovo, the roll cage surrounding the key components is made of magnesium, and the chassis and lid are composed of "carbon fiber reinforced materials" to keep the weight in check, bringing the laptop to around 4 lbs. Like most ThinkPads, durability and fit and finish are impressive. No parts creak, and all joints align perfectly. The top of the lid is a "soft-touch" material with the Lenovo logo and ThinkPad logo on the left and right. The hinges attaching the lid to the body are metal and appropriately stiff, making a solid impression. Lenovo Thinkpad Keyboard and Touchpad Lenovo's decision to switch to a new, 6-row, chiclet keyboard rather than the traditional, 7-row keyboard was contentious among ThinkPad enthusiasts. The keyboard maintains the red trackpoint nub (which is slightly more recessed than in the past) in addition to the trackpad, but all blue accents are gone, even from the ThinkVantage button. The keyboard continues to be spill resistant, and there is now an option for backlighting (in addition to the ThinkLight pictured above), which can be turned on at two levels. Below, we have images of the backlit keyboard with the screen at its dimmest and the laptop keyboard backlight on dim (left image), and the backlight on bright (right image). The illumination is sufficient, but the corners are slightly dimmer than the center of the keyboard. The volume hotkeys are not illuminated, and the ThinkVantage button is now unlabeled and completely nondescript. Disappointingly, the CapsLock key has no indicator LED or other method of showing whether it is activated The feel of the keyboard is solid, but exhibits some flex in the top left corner when pushed with force. The keys themselves have nice travel and a slightly muted but satisfying sound when pushed. Immediately noticeable is that the sixth row is angled slightly more upward than the rest of the keyboard. The Fn key continues to be the left-most key on the bottom of the keyboard, with the Ctrl key to its right, which can be reversed in the BIOS. For more laptop reviews
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