Lenovo ThinkPad SL500

The SL500 is a new 15" laptop model from Lenovo marketed towards smaller business that desire ThinkPad quality without the price tag often associated with it. Built to be fast and as full featured as the T Series, the SL500 is also based on the new Centrino 2 platform, using the new and improved Intel X4500 integrated graphics chip. However, to keep prices lower the SL series utilizes earlier generation Core 2 Duos and DDR2 ram. The SL500 also includes the option for a discrete graphics card, allowing for better 3D performance. Starting at 6.4 pounds with a battery life of 4.3 hours, the SL500 is an all around powerhouse performer on par with Lenovo's T offerings, without the over-engineered build and excess bells and whistles.

Where to Buy

Lenovo ThinkPad T500
MSRP $689.00
Release date July, 2008
Brand Lenovo
love it
want it
have it
tag it
Pros & Cons9
Reviews2
Details
Buy It6
Competitors
Comments
twitter

Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
2 reviews
62
negative
mixed
positive
1 positive
1 mixed
0 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
affordable - good price
+2agreedisagree

good all around laptop
+2agreedisagree

same high Lenovo build quality with lower cost
+1agreedisagree

option to use discrete graphics much like the T series
+1agreedisagree

option to upgrade to the higher than average 1440 x 900 resolution
+1agreedisagree

based on the centrino 2 platform - latest integrated graphics and support for the latest CPUs and RAM
+1agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
heavy - not the best for transportability or mobile computing
+2agreedisagree

uses DDR2 RAM, unlike the T-series which utilizes the newer DDR3
+2agreedisagree

few upgrades compared to other series by Lenovo
+1agreedisagree


2 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!

Details

Features

  • Platform: Centrino 2, Intel C2D
  • Graphics: 15.4" Widescreen (1280×800 or 1440x900) powered by the Intel X4500 (shared memory) or NVIDIA GeForce 9300M (256MB dedicated)
  • Network connectivity: ThinkPad 11b/a/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Express Adapter (Intel Wi-Fi Link 4965AGN optional) 1Gb Ethernet Card, Bluetooth optional, 3G WWAN optional
  • I/O & Expansion: 3 USB 2.0; DisplayPort; VGA; AC adapter; RJ-11, RJ-45; CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo 24X/24X/24X/8X Max, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA); audio: headphone/line-out/external microphone; 7-in-1 card reader
  • Battery: 6-cell or 9-cell

Submit a link

This report was started August 12, 2008 at 2:17 am by Yale
with the last edit occurring October 19, 2009 at 11:10 am by Yale
This page has been viewed 2127 times, with 17 edits by 2 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

Lenovo ThinkPad SL500 | 2.0 GHz

• TopSeller ThinkPad SL500 Core 2 Duo T5870 2.0GHz/3GB/250GB/DVD+RW/abgn/FR/WC/15.4" LED/VB-XPP

MPN: 2746EKU

Lenovo ThinkPad SL500 | 1.8 GHz

• ThinkPad SL500 Notebook

MPN: 274673U

Lenovo ThinkPad SL500

• Lenovo ThinkPad SL500 2746 - Core 2 Duo T5670 / 1.8 GHz - Centrino - RAM 2 GB - HDD 160 GB - DVD-Writer - GMA 4500MHD - wireless ready - Gigabit Ethernet - WLAN : 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft), Bluetooth 2.0 - TPM - fingerprint reader - Vista Business - 15.4" Widescreen TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ) - camera - Microsoft Office Ready

• ThinkPad SL500 Notebook

UPC: 884343032870

EAN: 0884343032870

MPN: 27463ZU

Lenovo ThinkPad SL500 | 2.1 GHz

• ThinkPad SL500 Notebook

UPC: 884343838793

MPN: 2746MNU

Competitors

There aren't any competitors listed here yet.

Suggest a new competitor to add to the list of competing products.
If the product hasn't yet been added to ProductWiki, submitting it here will also start the product report.

Comments

Some HTML is allowed. Your comments remain editable after you post..

Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

Yale

avatar
October 19, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
67
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
3 cons

Pros

  • affordable - good price
  • good all around laptop
  • same high Lenovo build quality with lower cost
  • option to use discrete graphics much like the T series
  • option to upgrade to the higher than average 1440 x 900 resolution
  • based on the centrino 2 platform - latest integrated graphics and support for the latest CPUs and RAM

Cons

  • heavy - not the best for transportability or mobile computing
  • uses DDR2 RAM, unlike the T-series which utilizes the newer DDR3
  • few upgrades compared to other series by Lenovo

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Erik

avatar
October 19, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
50
negative
mixed
positive
2 pros
2 cons

Pros

  • affordable - good price
  • good all around laptop

Cons

  • heavy - not the best for transportability or mobile computing
  • uses DDR2 RAM, unlike the T-series which utilizes the newer DDR3

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Twitter

- join or start the conversation

... Loading for latest tweets from search.twitter.com..

tweetie

sponsored by:
Price comparison information by:

This product is also known as:

SL, 500, SL500