Tailored to office work. Lenovo ThinkBook 14 – 3 times YES, 3 times NO
Lenovo ThinkBook laptops have already proved to be cheaper, and not much worse devices than business Thinkpads. Recently, I had the opportunity to check the 14-inch variant of the laptop and there are three things that I really liked, and three that could be improved.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 immediately catches the eye as a laptop aimed at either typically office work, or study at school or university.
Aesthetically, it has a lot of Thinkpad DNA. Although instead of company black we have different shades of gray here, both series share the same unobtrusive elegance. On the one hand, ThinkBook 14 is not conspicuous, and on the other it is not a shame to remove it at the meeting.
The 14-inch size is also a perfect compromise between mobility and convenience of work. The laptop weighs barely 1.5 kg, is well made and works on one charge for over 8 hours. Perfect for business travel or lecture day.
There should also be no shortage of productivity in office work. My test copy worked under the control of the Intel Core i5-101010U processor, supported by 8 GB and 256 GB SSD. This is more than the minimum necessary to smoothly use an office suite or web browser.
The whole also costs very reasonable money – 3500 PLN should fit in the budget of both a korpo employee as well as a student or lecturer.
And since we already know who this equipment is for, let’s look at three reasons why it is worth buying it and three that may lead us away from it.
First YES: fantastic keyboard.
As befits a Lenovo business laptop, the keyboard in ThinkBook 14 is sensational. This is one of the best keyboards not only "for a laptop of this class", but simply one of the best keyboards.
Typing long emails, reports or writing a thesis will be really enjoyable. The keys have a perfect pitch, are stable, backlit and I can’t say a bad word about them.
Similarly, I can not complain about the trackpad, which usually in laptops from this price range barely falls in the "decent" category. The trackpad is really good here; it easily supports gestures and you don’t have to fight it so that it points the cursor where you want it.
Second YES: ports from thunder.
Do you remember the time when laptops could be connected to accessories without using five different adapters? It’s easy to forget about them when looking at most laptops on the market.
Fortunately, the ThinkBook 14 doesn’t disappoint. We have USB-C, USB-A 3.0 ports here, but also an SD card port, a full-size HDMI connector and even an Ethernet socket, cleverly hidden under the hinged flap, so as not to take up too much space in the housing.
Speaking of clever hiding, the Lenovo ThinkBook has one more secret: on the right under the flap you will find a hidden USB 2.0 port.
This is a great way to hide a small device that you always need to have connected, e.g. a wireless mouse transmitter or security key to your firmware. Great idea.
Third YES: safety first.
Thinkpad in the business environment is synonymous with security and it is no different with ThinkBook.
I have already mentioned the security key compartment, but there are other security methods.
First of all, ThinkBook 14 works under the control of Windows 10 Pro, not Windows 10 Home. Of course, it is also encrypted using TPM.
Physical access to the computer is protected by a fingerprint reader hidden in the start button. There is also Lenovo proprietary protection on board – the ThinkShutter camera cover. It’s just a sliding piece of plastic that protects access to your webcam when you don’t use it.
First NIE: a screen for office use only.
The ThinkBook 14 display will be more than enough to work with Office. The 14-inch IPS panel with Full HD resolution is bright enough and has good enough viewing angles to work in all conditions. It is also matte, so it looks less tired and we see what is on it, not the reflection of our own face.
The panel, however, is not even the least suitable for even basic work with color. It also lacks contrast; the colors are a bit faded and unsaturated, so even when watching series we have nothing to count on visual fireworks.
Second, NO: speakers … are.
And that is all you can say about them. They are loud, they play clean and do very well in video calls. However, they are so detailed and sound so dry that it is better to put on headphones immediately for any kind of listening to music or watching the series.
Third, NO: this is not a laptop for those seeking peace and quiet.
In the library, they can look at us every now and then and turn their heads off ostentatiously. Lenovo ThinkBook 14, although it works quietly and coolly most of the time, is able to spin the fans without warning at the least expected moment.
The windmills never stop silent, but when they spin up (e.g. when we turn on YouTube video or an Excel file with a lot of data), they get loud, and above all their tone is unpleasant to the ear. They also need at least several dozen seconds to calm down after such a leap, which in practice means that every now and then our ears (and ears of everyone nearby) reach a burst of windmills.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 – is it worth it?
Despite several disadvantages, the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 is a great choice if you are looking for a laptop for office work or for school. It is clear that from start to finish it has been tailored to the specific type of users and those for whom this equipment was designed will be satisfied with it.
It offers a fantastic price-quality ratio, great workmanship, performance sufficient for any office task and – which will be most important for many people – the level of security we expect from a business laptop.
For around PLN 3,500 it is difficult to find better equipment for office and school use.
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Tailored to office work. Lenovo ThinkBook 14 – 3 times YES, 3 times NO
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