Lenovo ThinkPad R51 user reviews

4.5 stars

"Once a ThinkPad, Always a ThinkPad" on March 25, 2005 by Fouad Bakht

Pros: Solid Build Quality, Good Display, Adequate Battery, Full-Featured

Cons: Should have been bundled with Microsoft Office OneNote 2003

Summary: Its an excellent notebook for both categories, novice and power users alike. Apart from features like Active Protection, Thinklight and Access IBM most prominently, the notebook sports many other features like bluetooth, S-Video Out, USB, IR, Firewire, RJ-11, RJ-45 etc which make it a complete notebook. Runs quiet and cool. Provides adequate if not outstanding battery performance but afterall 4 hours is expected from such a laptop. The build quality is marvellous, no creaking material, scratch resistant surface, specially like the extended design around the LCD which is helpful in two ways, firstly, when the lid is closed it acts as a protection around the LCD screen and prevents dust/foreign objects etc. Secondly it is helpful in the case working in bright sunlight, obscures it effectively. Well, theres lot to say, but CNET needs to give the notebook more points.

4.0 stars

"Well built with great features" on January 12, 2005

Pros: Large screen, amazing build quality -- the LCD hinges are solid metal! Keyboard light handy in low-light situations. The keyboard itself is very comfortable and having both a touchpad and eraserhead pointer is a nice touch. Great layout for external conn

Cons: A little pricier than other laptops with similar features.

1.5 stars

"Nothing But Trouble" on December 13, 2005 by tendonut

Pros: Good Price, decent upgradability

Cons: Extremely unreliable.

Summary: I am a computer technician for a school district. We've purchased hundreds of these machines for our wireless carts and wireless labs around the district, and honestly, every building-based technician has nothing but complaints about these machines. The biggest problem is the unreliability of the wireless technology. No matter what software you use (the Windows software or the IBM Access software just to name a few), there seems to be a 50/50 chance on weather or not it will pick up the wireless signal. And if it does, it sometimes does not even connect to the domain, which basically renders the machine useless to all domain users (everyone in the building except me, I am a local admin). This is not a network problem, because the R50's have never had a problem before. Only the R51's.
The reliability of the CD-RW/DVD-ROM drives are even worse. We've had the machines a little over a year now, and, in my building for example, only 5 drives out of 110 are working. Ran all the updates and everything. They justy don't last. And the students don't even USE them! The R50's on the other hand, perfect.
These machines also do not like hard disk images. If you do not have the latest BIOS update, forget it. We use Norton Ghost to image our machines, which consists of WinXP Pro, the most updated drivers, MS Antispyware, Avast Antivirus, and MS Office. Install the image (which can take HOURS because the CD-ROM's fail constantly, at random times during the 3-DVD image session, causing me to start ALL over again). Same disc manufacturer, same software (except the updates) on the R50, not a problem.
From a technician standpoint, these machines are a sad story when compared to the predecessor (the R50). We techs can't figure out what could have gone wrong between models, but at a few schools, they have just stuffed them all in a closet and threw away the keys. Then requested some R50's from the high school. Easy as that.

Buyers: Beware!

3.5 stars

"Good performer and lots of features for the money." on September 1, 2004

Pros: Good speed with an execelent display. Component features are arranged in a convenient layout. Componets appear to be high quality. Packed with features for the money.

Cons: Its not too pretty but appears to be all business. It is also a bit heaver than the cutting edge laptops.