The Thinkpad and Ideapad are two of Lenovo's best-selling models. This is not surprising, as both are competent laptops with a lot to offer. But for many people looking for a laptop, it can be very difficult to tell the difference between the two.
With Thinkpads being the backbone of the laptop world since the 90s, the IdeaPad range is a much newer design, and a little over a decade old. But as we all know, newer doesn't always mean better.
Lenovo Thinkpad vs Ideapad
To explain the difference between the two in simple terms, the Lenovo Thinkpad is designed with business users in mind, whereas the IdeaPad is made for the average everyday consumer.
Lenovo is one of the biggest selling brands in the world today. Chinese companies have grown stronger and stronger, taking on the American giants at Dell and HP.
With their two strongest laptop series, it can be difficult to know which one will suit your needs better. We'll start with the ever-popular Thinkpad.
Lenovo Thinkpad
The Lenovo Thinkpad is the laptop of choice for business people – ritually voted the best laptop for those looking for something to work with, and it's also one of the best-selling models.
It's not only popular in the business world – it's also used by universities around the world, as they offer great business deals for the education sector. This is one of the reasons I recommend looking for a refurbished Thinkpad if you're on a budget, because there are plenty of them!
Another interesting fact for young people is that Thinkpad was actually made by IBM, and became one of their bestsellers in the 90s! However, in 2005 Lenovo bought the production rights for the Thinkpad, and since then Lenovo has continued to climb. Anyway, let's talk about the laptop itself.
Thinkpad Design
The Thinkpad is meant to be a working laptop, with minimal focus on pretty design and unnecessary features. While tablets and other models have been made, most people think of the standard X or T series when considering the Thinkpad. This basic and streamlined design has proven popular with users, with many really appreciating its minimalism.
Thinkpad Performance
It's not all about design with a laptop – performance is the focus, especially for the Thinkpad series. With a very strong battery life, high quality RAM combined with Intel Processor, Thinkpad has been selected as one of the best laptop line because of its high performance too.
The majority of Thinkpads come with 8GB of RAM, but you can easily upgrade if you need to. That would be a good idea if you are looking for a laptop to last more than 5 years or more.
Thinkpad Processor
Thinkpads tend to use a variety of different processors in their devices, with the more expensive and higher-quality models using Intel processors. For example, the X1 Carbon uses a minimum of an Intel core i5 processor, but will most likely come with an i7 processor, which will make it more powerful.
But, they also use AMD processors in some of the more cost-effective models as well. One example is the Thinkpad T14, which comes with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U – it may sound cheaper, but it's still a powerful 8-core processor.
Thinkpad Screen
These laptops are known for their high-quality displays, with many high-end models coming with fully 4K displays. These models tend to come in 14 inches across most Thinkpad variations, as they manage to find the best spot between 13.3 inches and 15.6 inches. However, they also come in more traditional sizes.
Thinkpad models
There are several different Lenovo Thinkpad series, and it can be difficult to know which one to choose and what the differences are. Here's a quick guide on the basic differences between the two.
Lenovo Thinkpad X Series Today, when you talk about Thinkpads, most people will look to the X series. These are Thinkpads series of the highest quality, and while they are more expensive than most other models, they are usually worth it. They often go head-to-head with the Macbook Pro in the competition for the best laptop of the year.
The Thinkpad X1 Carbon is the newest and most popular model. It's been described as the lightest ultrabook, and is available with up to 16GB of RAM (the Extreme version can go up to 64GB of RAM, but 95% of people won't need it).
If you're looking for a laptop that has a lot going for it, you might want to consider the Thinkpad X1 Carbon. While this was historically meant to be a line of laptop business, it's great for almost anything. It's a true rival to Apple laptops and the XPS series.
These laptops are built with a high-quality display, and typically have a 14-inch screen. It will run Windows 10, and will likely have an Intel i5 or Intel Core i7 processor inside. As business laptops, they are perfect for meetings, as the built-in 720p camera provides a clear picture.
Its slim design makes it ideal for traveling, and it uses the latest Intel processors. However, what is perhaps most impressive about the X1 Carbon is its battery life, which can go over 15 hours. So, this is probably Lenovo's best Thinkpad available today.
Other Popular Thinkpad Series
It's not just the X series currently available by Lenovo – there are other Thinkpad series out there that you might want to consider.
- E Series: The E Series is made for those who don't have enough money to buy a premium laptop. While it still has the same Thinkpad design, it's not as powerful as other models out there. It is available in 14-inch or 15.6-inch models.
- L Series: The L Series are Lenovo's most energy efficient Thinkpads, and are an improvement over the E series, though not on the same level as the X series. They are affordable, and have enough power to match.
- T Series: The T Series is another step forward, and is one of the newest series to be released. This laptop is designed to last, and has great battery life like many other Lenovo models.
- P Series: For the everyday user, the P series would be a serious overkill. It's made for designers and architects who need a more powerful laptop, and it's very expensive. If you need something really powerful, then this option might be a good fit.
- Yoga Series : Although treated as a separate series, the Yoga Thinkpad series is a combination of the Thinkpad and Yoga series. They are convertible 2-in-1 laptops that can also be easily used as tablets.
Overall, the Lenovo Thinkpad is probably the best business laptop in the world today. If you are looking for something for work or study and you prefer to use Windows OS over MacOS, this is the first place you should look.
Lenovo Ideapad
While the Thinkpad series has taken a lot of the limelight, the Ideapad is a great laptop series in its own right. Where the Thinkpad is more targeted at business users, the Ideapad is more targeted at consumers. This makes it more similar to the Acer Aspire, which is another consumer-focused laptop.
In general, the Ideapad is much cheaper than most Thinkpad models. This is because it is not really aimed at the same target audience. It's still a fantastic laptop in its own right.
Ideapad Design
It's easy to see the difference between Thinkpad and Ideapad just by looking at the two models. While the Thinkpad sacrifices beauty for strength, the Ideapad is a much better laptop. It's sleek, sleek, and light enough to carry around all day without feeling like a chore.
Ideapad . Performance
While the IdeaPad is lighter and more aesthetically pleasing, it is not as powerful as the Thinkpad and usually comes with less RAM. While this might sound like a bad thing, it's still powerful enough for 80% of people to use without any problems. Only when using larger files you may experience some issues with Ideapad.
Ideapad Processor
The Ideapad range uses a mix of Intel and AMD processors across the board, with the AMD Ryzen 5 being the most used in cheaper budget laptops. The price of these laptops can reach only a few hundred, so it is not surprising that they are very cheap.
Ideapad Screen And Audio
The display of the Lenovo Ideapad is generally pretty good, but not as bright as the Thinkpad lineup, and likely has a lower contrast ratio as well. The quality isn't bad at all, but it's clear when compared to the premium Thinkpad range, they're not in the same league.
Most of the IdeaPad range uses Lenovo's connection with Dolby to connect it to built-in Dolby quality speakers, which is much better than many other budget laptops on the market.
Ideapad models
Lenovo Ideapad S Series The Ideapad S series has been around for more than a decade, and that's what many people think of when they imagine what an Ideapad is. The Ideapad series is generally designed to be lightweight, with the S series being the best example. They manage to combine decent battery life and specs with an impressively modern and lightweight design.
I have to say that the S Series (and the IdeaPad in general) are aimed at more casual users, and usually won't be as powerful as Thinkpads. So if you're looking for something for everyday use, or you're a student just typing a lot of documents, then the Ideapad series might be for you.
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 Series Something relatively new to the Ideapad line of laptops is the Ideapad Gaming 3 (fully announced in April 2020). It was only a matter of time before Lenovo wanted to enter the gaming market, with the HP Omen series and ASUS TUF series so popular.
While Lenovo has made many high-quality laptops over the years, this series of gaming laptops is targeted at those looking for a more cost-effective solution. This is especially true when compared to brands like Alienware, which have the most expensive laptops for gamers on the market.
Although relatively cheap, the Gaming 3 series still comes with a high-quality i7 processor and an Nvidia GTX graphics card. It's too early to say how successful it will be, but we'll keep an eye on it to see how well it performs.
Other Popular Ideapad Series
- C Series B: The C Series launched in 2019 with the C340, which quickly became a success for Lenovo. It combines the good qualities of the S series with the ability to be used as a tablet, so it's a convertible laptop. We're still waiting to see what else Lenovo releases in the C series lineup.
- L Series: The L Series is designed to be a mid-priced range of laptops, launching with the L340 in 2019 as well. This laptop has high RAM capabilities, and was designed with avid gamers in mind.
Conclusion
Overall, both the Lenovo Thinkpad and Ideapad offer great user experiences – that's the reason why they contribute to Lenovo's growing market share. For those looking for one of these models at a great price, you can check out my list of £500 laptops that talk about the Thinkpad and Ideapad in more detail.
While the Lenovo Thinkpad is definitely the better choice for business and work use, many casual users find it powerful enough for their needs as well. Compared to this, the IdeaPad is better for everyday users who don't need everything that Thinkpad has to offer. If you just want to browse online, then the cheaper Ideapad would be a better choice.
