Help me choose a ThinkPad :)

Performance, hardware, software, general buying and gaming discussion..
Post Reply
Message
Author
nothsa
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 12:57 pm
Location: Canada

Help me choose a ThinkPad :)

#1 Post by nothsa » Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:31 pm

Hi,

I've been browsing through the specs of various thinkpad models (mainly Z and T series) and can't find one with everything I'm looking for. I was initially very excited by the T60/T60p until I found out that it had no S-Video out and no card reader. While I will barely ever use those 2 features, I'm sure I'll be very happy that I have them when the day comes that I need them.

Here's a list of what I would prefer:

14" / 14.1" display (to increase battery life)
Centrino Duo/Core Duo
FireGL (or another ATI solution)
S-Video out
Card reader (pref. with MS support)
WWAN (preferred, but not essential)
DVD Drive (cuts out the X-Series)


Can anyone tell me if any laptop would fulfill the list above, or which laptops come close. I want to make sure that I haven't overlooked anything.

BillMorrow
*Senior* Admin
*Senior* Admin
Posts: 7154
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 9:40 pm
Location: San Francisco -> Florida -> Georgia
Contact:

#2 Post by BillMorrow » Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:55 pm

get the TABOOK.pdf here:

ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pcinstitu ... tabook.pdf

it will have all the current thinkpad models..

as you say, it sucks that the T60 does not have an s-video out..
and a card reader..
but these are business laptops and i think the card reader is not a business need..
a PC card card reader will work just fine..

the S-video out is more something that they SHOULD have..

but again, a PC card would work for that, too..
for those times you need it..
and you can always get a mini-dock which will have, the S-video at least.. :)
Bill Morrow, kept by parrots :parrot: & cockatoos
Sysop - forum.thinkpads.com

*
She was not what you would call refined,
She was not what you would call unrefined,
She was the type of person who kept a parrot.
~~~Mark Twain~~~

nothsa
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 12:57 pm
Location: Canada

#3 Post by nothsa » Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:02 pm

BillMorrow wrote:...and you can always get a mini-dock which will have, the S-video at least.. :)
Unfortunately not :(. I checked the T60 docks and they add a DVI-D port, but not and S-Video port.

jjesusfreak01
Junior Member
Junior Member
Posts: 395
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:27 am
Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: Help me choose a ThinkPad :)

#4 Post by jjesusfreak01 » Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:08 pm

nothsa wrote:Hi,

I've been browsing through the specs of various thinkpad models (mainly Z and T series) and can't find one with everything I'm looking for. I was initially very excited by the T60/T60p until I found out that it had no S-Video out and no card reader. While I will barely ever use those 2 features, I'm sure I'll be very happy that I have them when the day comes that I need them.

Here's a list of what I would prefer:

14" / 14.1" display (to increase battery life)
Centrino Duo/Core Duo
FireGL (or another ATI solution)
S-Video out
Card reader (pref. with MS support)
WWAN (preferred, but not essential)
DVD Drive (cuts out the X-Series)


Can anyone tell me if any laptop would fulfill the list above, or which laptops come close. I want to make sure that I haven't overlooked anything.
The best Lenovo Thinkpad to fit your needs would be a Z61. The upside is that the better models come with card readers (MS included) and an SVideo port. They also have ATI cards, the P model has a FireGL 5200. Unfortunately, you will be stuck with a 15in screen if you go for one of the models with the graphics cards. That said, Thinkpads have really great battery life no matter what.
Lenovo X230 Tablet CTO modded with 128GB SSD and 8GB of RAM
Lenovo T60 2637-UN6 (Retired)

nothsa
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 12:57 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Help me choose a ThinkPad :)

#5 Post by nothsa » Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:25 pm

jjesusfreak01 wrote:That said, Thinkpads have really great battery life no matter what.
I was hoping to get 4 hours at least. Does anyone with Z61 (15" screen) experience have a rough idea of the battery life with the 6- and/or 9-cell options?

dsigma6
Senior ThinkPadder
Senior ThinkPadder
Posts: 2299
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:13 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Contact:

Re: Help me choose a ThinkPad :)

#6 Post by dsigma6 » Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:34 pm

nothsa wrote:Does anyone with Z61 (15" screen) experience have a rough idea of the battery life with the 6- and/or 9-cell options?
You'll get a much better response if you post that model specific question in the Z Series area.
[Current] [Dell Latitude D630] : [Past] [T43] [T40] [T23] [T20] [R40] [X22] [600E] [570] [765D]

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Thinkpad - General HARDWARE/SOFTWARE questions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests