Lenovo’s ThinkPad T470 Continues Durable T-series Tradition

The T470 includes a feature called Power Bridge, which charges the internal battery first and then charges the battery attached to the lower rear. Discharge starts with that rear battery, but when that battery is exhausted, the computer switches to the internal battery, allowing you to hot swap batteries.

Lenovo calls the T470 an ultrabook, which it is, even though it’s somewhat thicker than some other ultrabooks at 0.79 inches. The computer weighs just under 3.5 pounds with the standard battery. The 14-inch screen means that the device is slightly over 13 inches wide and slightly over 9 inches deep.

Because the T470 is somewhat thicker than most ultrabooks, there’s room for a collection of real ports along the sides without requiring dongles. For example, there’s a full-sized Ethernet port on the right side, along with two USB 3.0 ports, a full size HDMI port, a four-way SD card reader along with a headphone jack and an attachment for a security cable.

Lenovo T470 Review

On the left side of the machine are another USB 3.0 port, a USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 port along with the DC power connector. You can power this computer with either the standard power supply or through the USB Type C port. There’s also space for an optional smart card reader.

The T470 maintains the T-series tradition of ruggedness with a magnesium alloy top cover and a glass fiber reinforced bottom cover. The computer meets or exceeds the military’s MIL-STD 810G including 12 mil-spec certifications for vibration, shock, sand and temperature.

The most important test for most users is how the T470 feels to use on a daily basis. This laptop is a delight to use. The excellent keyboard goes a long way in making it pleasant, but so does the extremely fast operation, the clear screen, and the thoughtful design of the computer. There are no awkward key placements. The touch screen is highly responsive without being twitchy. The embedded pointing devices work well and are responsive.

The slightly thicker profile of the T470 actually improves the typing, allowing your hands to reach the keys at a natural angle and the area in front of the keyboard works as a palm rest.

Your IT service team will appreciate the new design of the ThinkPad chassis, which provides improved accessibility, easier servicing and a much less complex procedure for removing the keyboard to access the components beneath it.

The T470 is by far the best business laptop that I’ve looked at over the past year. While it may not be as sexy as the ultra-thin ThinkPad X1 Yoga or the recently tested Toshiba Portégé X20W-D it’s far more practical for everyday use, and for travel.

Originally published on eWeek