Buzz
The Thinkpad E490 offers strong appeal to users, from its slim and lightweight design to its powerful and reliable performance, providing an excellent typing experience... In June 2019, Lenovo introduced a new version named Thinkpad E490S, purportedly thinner and lighter than the E490. So, between Thinkpad E490 and Thinkpad E490S, which laptop model should you choose? This article will compare these two products in detail to help you make an informed decision.
Design comparison
Overall, in terms of design, these two laptop models are almost indistinguishable. They both feature minimalist design language, squared edges, and elegant black color tones. These laptops boast robust frames meeting the US military standard STD-810G for durability.
Notably, the Thinkpad E490S is crafted with a Magnesium alloy that is both durable and helps reduce weight to only 1.63kg compared to the 1.75kg of the Thinkpad E490. Additionally, the overall design of the E490S is more compact, measuring 329mm x 232mm x 17.9mm compared to the dimensions of 329 x 242 x 19.9mm of the E490.
Comparison of Keyboard and Touchpad
Overall, the keyboard design on both laptop models is quite similar. The keyboards provide a smooth typing experience, sensible layout, deep travel, and responsive feedback. They also feature dedicated numeric keypads and backlit keys to aid typing in low-light conditions.
The touchpads on the ThinkPad E490S and E490 are both generously sized, offering smooth gliding sensations. Particularly, the left and right click buttons on the touchpad provide a comfortable clicking experience. There is also a clickable middle button for use with the trackpoint.
Both the ThinkPad E490 and E490S are equipped with 14-inch IPS displays with Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The displays feature Anti-Glare technology to combat glare, coupled with a brightness of up to 320 nits, allowing convenient viewing in bright light conditions. However, the color coverage of the screen is not particularly high, reaching 49% aRGB and 65% sRGB.
Performance Comparison
Each model of Thinkpad E490 and E490S comes with different configuration options. These include Intel Core i5-8265U or Intel Core i7-8565U processors paired with Intel Graphics HD 620. With these configurations, you can smoothly handle office tasks or even work on Adobe After Effects and Adobe Photoshop without worrying about laptop lag.
Battery Life Comparison
The Thinkpad E490 utilizes the L17M3P52 battery standard with a capacity of 45Wh, while the Thinkpad E490S model is equipped with the L18M3P51 battery with a capacity of 42Wh. This leads to a difference in battery life between the two laptops. The ThinkPad E490 offers up to 13 hours of usage, whereas the ThinkPad E490S can only last a maximum of 10 hours and 31 minutes.
Comparison of Security Features
Both Lenovo ThinkPad models integrate advanced enterprise-grade security features. Specifically, security vulnerabilities in the SMB protocol have been addressed. Additionally, the laptops come with biometric fingerprint sensors for enhanced data protection. Furthermore, hardware data is encrypted using the TPM 2.0 security platform, minimizing the risk of information theft.
So there you have it, this article has highlighted the similarities and differences between the Lenovo ThinkPad E490 and ThinkPad E490S laptops. If you prioritize having a compact laptop with powerful performance, then the ThinkPad E490S is the perfect choice for you. However, if you value battery life and affordability, then you should consider using the ThinkPad E490.
