Here is a comparison of the ThinkPad T450s and Latitude E7440 which are more or less in the same class of laptops being both 14” ultrabooks.
| **ThinkPad T450s** | **Dell Latitude E7440** |
| * **Superior build quality (MILSPEC):** The casing material of the Latitude E7440 is easily affected by smudges. The whole case feels slippery and dirty fast. The ThinkPad T450s' casing can resist smudges for a few weeks or even a month of 14h/day use. The ThinkPad T450s is also reinforced on the inside by a magnesium rollcage for extra strength. * **Great keyboard:** Dell's keyboard is quite slippery and creates smudges easily. It is very difficult to keep a tight grip on the TrackPoint. The ThinkPad keyboard takes 2 weeks of 14h/day use to have smudges on the keyboard or case while smudges are visible and feelable on the Latitude after one working day.Also with the Dell Latitude E7440, I seem to have problems using the volume controls. They are placed too close to the display, making them hard to press for people with normal sized fingers or bigger. Also the control of volume does not feel accurate at all. Same goes for the power button. The keyboard and palm rest need some serious reworking in the Latitude E7440 * **Speaker quality:** The speakers of the T450s play much louder and don't sound as dull as the speakers of the Latitude E7440. * **ThinkVantage System Update:** Install and update all your drivers with one click. * **Long term driver support:** ThinkPads are also known for their long term driver support. Hence, even the ThinkPad T61p still works with Windows 10. Do I need to say more? ThinkPads use quality parts, so does the T450s. * Keyboard is more ergonomical. * Case material is more scratch resistant and paint does not peel off due to a better material choice. * **USB ports pair:** The Latitude E7440 has all its USB ports placed separate from each other. This makes external hard drives that require an extra USB-port for power impossible to use on the Latitude E7440. * Better battery life! | * **Affordable:** Starts at a lower price. Better scalable. Hence, the lower starting price is noticeable in the build quality. * **Better webcam and microphone:** ThinkPads don't have a very good reputation in general for their microphones or webcams although the webcam is relatively colorful in well-lit environments in general. Even though the X1 Carbon series have the best webcam and microphone you could possibly find in a laptop. Most of the time I find the microphone to be a small complaint in ThinkPads, but the opposite side will still understand you very well regardless. But in a business environment you are most likely going to use a dedicated headset and not use a webcam anyway. A webcam doesn't really contribute to productivity unless you are a CEO or something similar. Screen sharing is more commonly used. * **Status LEDs** * **Dedicated volume controls** * **More RAM:** 16GB vs 12GB |