- Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
-
15 out of 16 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"A College Student's Opinion"
Pros: Keyboard, Screen resolution, Price, Portability
Cons: Reflective screen, Battery sticks out the back, Battery life
Summary: First of all, the Lenovo T61 is a great laptop for college students looking for a notebook that is easy on the eyes (literally and figuratively), portable (~5.4 pounds), and very capable.
I've heard about shipping problems with this laptop, but my highly configured laptop arrived in just 5 days! I ordered it on June 21 and received it on June 26. Although this may have been someone else's laptop that was canceled before it arrived, so don't expect your's to arrive so quickly.
I picked the T61 over competitors such as HP and Sony because of the sheer array of options, performance and otherwise, offered by Lenovo. I liked that I was able to upgrade my screen from WXGA (1280 x 800) to WXGA+ (1440 x 900), have a fingerprint reader so I don't have to remember pesky passwords, and have a 7200 rpm hard drive so that web searching on my notebook is similar to that on my desktop. With a 2.2 GHz processor, a 100 GB 7200 rpm hard drive, the new integrated Intel X3100 graphics, a 14.1 inch Wide screen, and a four year warranty, the price with student discount came to be almost exactly $2000 dollars (Good enough for my dad to call it a worthwhile investment)
There are some drawbacks though, if you want to actually use your laptop without the AC (light as it is), you're gonna need to get at least the 6-cell battery, which isn't a problem price wise except for the fact that it very unsexily sticks out the back of the laptop by 13/16 of an inch! Not only that, but unless you're on powersave mode the battery will last about an hour under normal usage! My solution is to just carry around the lightweight AC adapter wherever I go. Oh yea, avoid the sun with this laptop because the reflection is bad even at the highest screen brightness level. There doesn't seem to be a lot of bloatware, but for some reason, memory usage on my idle laptop averages 1.01 GB compared to 265 MB on my desktop! I'm very thankful I ordered the 2 GB memory.
I found Vista to be fairly crappy because of the popups and strangely placed everything, but they say it is the future so I got it... There is the option for XP so if you really hate Vista you can just choose that. Also, there is some password manager thing which I avoid because it seems kinda dumb (along with some popup that is constantly asking you to verify everything that you do...you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it). The options for a classic look on the start menu and other sections should be exercised.
Performance wise the CPU hardly sweats (~25% capacity) when I'm watching videos on MTV and Youtube. Internet speed is almost as fast as my same network desktop which is a relief after using my dad's 4200 rpm X-series one week on vacation.
I suggest not ordering any MS office through Lenovo and instead ordering the relatively cheap Office Home and Student through your school or like Fry's Electronics ($139.99). Although I didn't order a security wire, I probably will get a Kensignton or whatever because there is cool port on the side of the notebook for it (among other reasons such as safety and security as well).
Bottom Line: The T61 is the best student laptop for those who are looking for a laptop that is both portable and usable as a primary computing device. The keyboard is regarded as the best in the business and I agree. Just don't leave it on battery for too long!
I'll try to respond to any questions.
David
UC Berkeley '11
- 3 replies to this review
-
quick question for anyone with some helpful information: i bought my t61 may 2008. I hate the fact of the battery sticking out, and since i dont require the computer to do much work unplugged, which battery can i get that does not stick out of the back? I called lenovo customer service before and actually paid for a battery they said would sit flush, however when i tried putting it in, it didnt even fit at all! O therwise, this is my second thinkpad, love them, but the battery issue drives me a little crazy.
Any help/suggestions? -
Hi David,
I am a bit struggeling with your conclusion:
You say that the T61 is for someone looking for a portable device, but say at the same time that the battery life is poor (I can confirm that!). I do travel a lot and you don't always have a power source available at airports or on an airplane. So I find this very annoying. Especially, when I think about my Dell with 9 cell battery that doesn't stick out and lasts 4-5 hours in normal usage....
So clearly this is not a very portable laptop in the classic sense of power independent working.... -
First the "popups" in Vista are a part of the OS's security options, however they are annoying and can be easily turned off. (In the Control Pannel, select your user account then uncheck the box next to the "User Account Control" reboot and you're set.
I agree that this laptop is a great machine for college students. My university requires all 3rd year business students to purchase this machine, and while some feel this policy is limiting, the T61 is really a good choice. It is reliable, strong, lightweight, and while its not as flashy as a MacBook or the new HP's the flat black case offers a professional look and feel.
I whole heartly agrree the T61 is a solid machine that I would highly recomend to any college student.
Tyde Sirk
University of Idaho '10
