Lenovo ThinkPad T400s 14.1 is a thin-and-light business laptop, measuring in at 0.83 inches at its thinnest point and starting at 3.91 pounds. The laptop sports a new TinkPad keyboard and a 27% larger trackpad that supports multi-gesture input, a 2MP web camera, dual microphones, stereo speakers, optional Intel Turbo Memory for better system responsiveness, WiFi and Ethernet LAN, as well as optional WiMAX, mobile broadband, Bluetooth and ultrawideband connectivity. It’s interesting that the T400s supports up to two monitors via its Display Port and VGA connector. There are also an ExpressCard slot, a 5-in-1 media card reader, and three USB ports (one USB/eSATA combo).

CNET reviews the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s and writes, “The good: Excellent quality and construction; thoughtful keyboard layout; inventive touch-screen features. The bad: Expensive; touch-screen features have limited real-world usefulness for most. The bottom line: A revamped version of Lenovo’s slim ThinkPad T400s adds an innovative touch-screen package to the first Windows 7 laptop we’ve reviewed.”

Design: 8.0
Features: 8.0
Performance: 8.0
Battery life: 8.0
Service and support: 6.0
Overall score:7.8

CNET editors’ rating: 3.5 stars, Very good

NotebookReview has a review of the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s and writes, “Overall I think Lenovo put a lot of time into thinking through the changes they made with the T400s so they wouldn’t offend too many ThinkPad customers. The keyboard change is significant, but for all intents and purposes they stuck with the tried-and-true design. The keys feel the same, the core layout is the same, the only thing that changed were the function and media keys. Even though the keys look weird at first it takes about 3 seconds to adapt to the new layout. I think the super slim and lightweight design is excellent, moving to a layout that is easier to service by the end-user. The inclusion of eSATA and DisplayPort is something that should have come sooner, considering that the T400 doesn’t offer a digital video output without a docking station.

The only complaint I have is with the price, starting well above the standard T400, and the costly drive upgrade options since it is limited to 1.8″ models instead of the cheaper and more widely available 2.5″ size. If you are in the market for a new ThinkPad and don’t mind spending a bit extra for something thin and lightweight, the T400s is a great choice.”

Pros:
Excellent build quality
Good keyboard changes
Nice polished design
eSATA and DisplayPort … finally
Very fast even with integrated graphics

Cons:
Limited battery options
1.8″ storage drive
Different docking connector.

SlashGear reviews the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s and writes, “Of course, for many enterprise users it’s Windows or nothing, and as long as you’re not expecting to do any major video crunching the T400s should prove a highly capable machine. The extra screen space, more powerful processor and improved port selection above the T301 come with a relatively minor bulk and weight increase, which the sober casing hides well. We can’t help but wish that the 9-cell battery option of the T400 was available, but the ability to hot-swap the optical drive for a second battery (or a second hard-drive) goes a long way to making up for it. With prices starting from $1,599, the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s certainly isn’t a cheap machine, but if you want something with reasonable processing capability but in a near-ultraportable form-factor, it’s a definite contender.”

PCWorld reviews the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s and writes, “Starting at $1599, the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s can be a compelling little laptop. Of course, once you start adding all the bells and whistles, the price kicks up significantly. Still, thanks to sturdy construction and great performance packed inside a slim profile, the T400s is a winner, and great for the jet-setter who wants a little more out of their mobile machine.”

Pros:
Slender size and plenty of ports
Fantastic keyboard and touchpad
Cons:
No discrete graphics card

PCMag reviews the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s and writes, “The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Multitouch), a big-screen version of the ThinkPad X300 commands the same kind of awe, and now has multitouch capability.”

Pros:
Multitouch panel works well. Exquisitely thin. Modular optical drive included. Fast, energy-efficient processor. Nice resolution. Tough as nails. Phenomenal typing experience. Excellent green credentials.

Cons:
No FireWire or extra card slot. No extended batteries available.

LaptopMag reviews the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s and writes, “The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s with touch packs the same groundbreaking performance as its nontouch sibling, and combines a responsive capacitive screen with simple but effective touch software. That said, we don’t think the significant increase in bulk and price are worth it for the average business user. If you plan to use a touch-specific app like SpaceClaim, it might make sense to pay the $400 premium and learn to live with the added weight and thickness. However, if you mostly use your notebook for Office apps and the Web, you’re better off with the original ThinkPad T400s.”

Pros:
Blazing fast performance
Best-in-class keyboard
Intuitive Simple Tap interface

Cos:
Heavier than original T400s
High premium for touchscreen.