Lenovo ThinkPad T500 review

Lenovo's T500 is a smart business laptop, and the first we've seen to have a built-in GPS receiver.

The bundled software will give you a precise fix in latitude and longitude. However, its integration with Google Maps is limited to showing you a map of the area, with no precise indication of where you are.

The T500 has a classic ThinkPad design - matt-black plastic and square, bevelled edges. Open it up, though, and the area beneath the keyboard is cleverly and subtly shaped. It tapers down towards the desk at the bottom to make a more comfortable wrist rest, and does the same at the top, so it's easier to press the bottom row of keys.

ThinkPad laptops are renowned for their keyboards, and the T500 doesn't disappoint. The keys are firm and give plenty of feedback. Lenovo is one of the few manufacturers to include touch sticks on its laptops, and we find they are more precise than touch pads.

The touch stick's buttons leave little room for the touch pad, which is small but accurate. A system tray utility lets you choose which pointing device you want to use, and it's best to turn the touch pad off if you are going to use the stick, otherwise you may accidentally hit the touch pad when pressing the stick's buttons.

The 15.4in display has a matt finish, which is ideal for working under the strip lights found in offices. Colours are a bit faded as a result, though, and the colour temperature is on the cold side, with whites looking decidedly dull. Contrast was good, however, with text appearing crisp.

The T500 has a built-in 3G broadband modem, and Lenovo has partnered with Vodafone to offer a 30-day mobile broadband trial. Although it's possible to access the SIM card in the battery bay, it's not a click-in slot. Instead, there's a fiddly plastic ribbon that guides the SIM card into place. The installed connection software will work only with the Vodafone network, so you'll need to install and configure alternative software if you want to use a competitor's network.

The T500 is more than capable of taking on the kind of office applications it's been designed for. However, its score in our PCMark Vantage benchmark only equals that of many laptops costing around £300 less. It doesn't have a dedicated graphics card and isn't designed for playing 3D games. Its three-and-a-half hours battery life make it suitable for use on the road, though.

Lenovo's three-year warranty adds peace of mind to the T500's already sturdy design. The built-in mobile broadband saves you from having a 3G dongle trailing from your laptop, though the software integration of the built-in GPS needs improving. It's a well-designed laptop, but it's expensive.