The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
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"*** CNET? where are you on this one?" on by ebonytyger
Pros: SIMPLY THE BEST
Cons: not reviewed anywhere... not even cnet
Summary: this is truly a powerhouse. it's got all of the bells and whistles plus a little extra. combine all that with thinkpad quality and you've definitely got something worth mentioning (aham! cnet)
Updated
the worst thing you could come up with was 'the baseline warranty'? and that warrants a 7.8? i'm sorry, but i vote to fire michelle thatcher! this is just ridiculous. anyone who's looked at just about any other reviewed laptop with a higher score would know what i'm talking about. she basically said the product was almost perfect... but it deserves a 7.8 out of 10. she could've at least explained why... cnet is off my list dependable and accurate review sites. -
"Great hardware once you reload OS." on by a101010
Pros: fast hardware, solid construction
Cons: 32-bit XP only (at the time I ordered it), no eSATA, bloatware.
Summary: Got the new one with the T9300 (Penryn) and 9-cell batt.
First off, I have to say that this is my first IBM/Lenovo notebook. Purely subjective here, I know, but....
I love the keyboard, and overall feel. All my previous Dell notebooks feel like toys (other than the old i5000). I've got several HP notebooks in the company and this (so far) is right up there in quality and performance.
For the fluff factor, I like the white LED in the lid (not a backlit keyboard, but still handy). Oh, and I admit that I am now a fan of the Blue Button (yes, back to normal even on Vista-64). The fingerprint scanner is faster and less prone to "try again" than my old HP. Not THAT important, as this is just a "nice to have" feature says I.
Other than the bloatware, which is a Lenovo problem, not a hardware issue, my only complaints are a) no 64-bit XP option or support. b) 3Gb SATA controller, but a 1.5Gb SATA drive?
After slicking the hard drive of 32-bit XP, and reloading 64-bit Vista Business, this thing SCREAMS. I don't chalk that up to Vista, but instead to the 64-bit OS, and the lack of bloatware.
Anyway, nothing I did to this thing in the last week got the heat above comfortably warm. Gaming, CAD, multiple VMs, etc.
Ran it for just over 4 hours on Friday on with wired network doing SSH sessions the whole time. On Saturday got 3.5 hours of wireless web and email. Got through Lawrence of Arabia on DVD on one battery charge today (not doing anything else, and wifi off.)
I opted for the 1650x1020 screen. I was a little nervous after reading some reviews that slammed the high-resolution screens. I've been on the 1440x900 mode for a couple years now. After getting this, I can't go back. Docking at work sets me back to 1440x900 and it's annoying. My screen is plenty bright too. Sucks in direct sunlight, but so what (my opinion).
Suggestion to Lenovo: Built-in eSATA would be nice as an option.
Lastly, IMO, this notebook is LIGHTER than it looks.
So comparison-wise I prefer my Macbook Pro 15" over this one for the most part. But, outside the Macbook Pro, this is a great notebook. So why did I get the Lenovo?
a) no camera
b) dedicated hardware wireless switch
[can ya guess why now?]
But I got this particular model due to the CPU, quality build ratings, and screen resolution. HP couldn't match my specs at the same or better price at the time. -
"Powerhouse A Plenty" on by at2099
Pros: Processing speed and power, sound (!), construction and durability
Cons: Screen could be better?
Summary: I'm guessing that if you are reading the reviews for this ThinkPad, you are looking for something powerful with alot of options and maybe even considering the MacBook Pro... I did, and as a long time ThinkPad fangirl, I'm a shamed!
But I stuck to my guns and ordered the ThinkPad in a panic on the last day Lenovo was offering the 25% off holiday promotion. I was also able to stack a 15% off corporate discount on top of it - take that, Apple!! Anyhow, the price was beyond right (I got my upgraded T61p for under $1,300!), and it arrived the day after Christmas.
The goods: The processing speed and capabilities are pretty sweet. I can run my Adobe CS2 package as quickly as I can on an Apple G5. I'll start doing some render work soon to test out how that compares, but I'm guessing it'll be pretty comperable to a MacBook Pro. The screen is a nice resolution (I didn't opt for the 1080 b/c I'll be hooking this laptit up to an external screen), and the colors are vibrant for a non-glossy. The Xbrites are nice, but the reflecting glossiness really wears out my eyes. The speakers on this ThinkPad blew my mind, but then again, I upgraded from a four year old X32... Everything else is satifsactory ThinkPad. It has a great sturdy feel and construction.
The Bads: The screen isn't the best screen I've seen. It's not as bright as I would like it to be, but I didn't upgrade it to the 1080, so perhaps that's better? Also, the Turbo Memory is incompatible with WinXP, but I found this out after I chose that combo. I guess I can always upgrade to Vista in the future. Lastly, I think the machine is pretty heavy, but that's switching from a 12" laptop.
Overall, I love my purchase. I don't regret sticking with the trusty ThinkPad as opposed to paying almost double for a shiny Mac. -
"Solid Laptop with Bellow Average LCD." on by Lucem
Pros: Solid Performance, Solid Built with Minimalistic but functional look, Great features, XP support.
Cons: Really bad LCD, No DVI or HDMI, Odd Firewire port location.
Summary: Great Solid Notebook for serious users.
Price was also very attractive in a Christmas '07 sale. It has a nifty light that illuminates the keyboard when you turn it on.
What kills this Laptop is the poor WSXGA+ LCD. Yes is that BAD.
I could not believe how bad it is. Bad Dynamic Range, so colors are washed out, huge light leak at the bottom, LCD Grid is visible, Screen lacks brightess so is hard to see outdoors.
At first I thought My screen was defective but it turns out that this low quality is "normal". Lots of users have complained about the same LCD issues.
Graphic Professionals should look elsewhere. -
"POWER USERS SEE THIS FORUM" on by Engineer_T
Pros: Good on paper in terms of hardware
Cons: Doesn't deliver for power users
Summary: Please see this message board. It will save you a lot of time and hassle! I spoke directly with Lenovo tech support, and the tech confirmed with me that this laptop has hardware conflict issues with Windows Vista and with its graphics card.
See this forum for details. Don't make the same mistake that I did. Know what you're getting into!
Link is below. Otherwise just search for "thinkpad T61p BSOD" and this forum should pop up. BUYER BEWARE!
http://forum.lenovo.com/lnv/board/message?board.id=T_Series_Thinkpads&thread.id=55
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