Thinkpads Forum

Things have come to a point where I'm now trying to choose a notebook to use for a primary computer. I haven't really used a desktop in over five years, ever since I purchased my first ThinkPad, a T21. At this moment in time, I have a T60p, an X61s, and a Dell XPS M1730 that I use regularly.

I need a system that can be a 'go everywhere, do everything' workhorse, something I can take with me to work and school, watch movies and do some light gaming on(I'll leave the heavier gaming for console systems and the XPS), as well as do schoolwork, Internet, email, and writing. The XPS is already out of the running due to a hefty 17lb weight and huge footprint... think W700 territory as far as size for that one. However, I'm wanting to set up a dock at home with three external displays so I can use an extended desktop for multitasking and general use at home. I have seen USB to DVI adapters that look like they will work for me, since I'm not trying to game or watch movies on any external displays.

This leaves me trying to decide between the T60p and the X61s. Both of these are excellent systems but I've been on the fence as to which one I should use as my primary computer. Regardless of which one I choose I'm keeping the other, so this isn't a choice of which one to get rid of.

The T60p is a 15" UXGA Flexview with a T7200, FireGL V5250 video, 320GB 7200RPM HDD, and 4GB of RAM(physically; I know about the chipset limitation). The X61s has a L7700(fastest X61s processor), Intel X3100 video, 160GB 5400RPM HDD, and 2GB of RAM. As far as mobility goes, I have an 8-cell battery for the X61s, and a 6-cell, two 9-cells, and an Ultrabay battery for the T60p.

Here's what I'm seeing as far as pros and cons:

T60p pros:
Powerful, graphics good for light/moderate gaming, great keyboard, can work all day with all the batteries, great screen quality and resolution, great port selection(I have an Expresscard flash drive I use often), can take two HDDs with Ultrabay adapter.

T60p concerns:
Heavy(esp. w/extra batteries), large footprint, changing out batteries can be a pain, runs a little too hot for comfort sometimes, can be a little noisy, RAM limit of 3GB.

X61s pros:
Small footprint, light weight, powerful enough for light gaming, decent keyboard(I prefer the T60p's however), decent battery life, runs cool, Firewire and SD card reader onboard, can take up to 8GB RAM.

X61s concerns:
Integrated GPU performance isn't great, main battery might be dying(only getting 5.5hrs out of an 8-cell), XGA resolution display a little small, A couple recessed keys on the keyboard need to be addressed, no DVI-out even with the Ultrabase.

Right now, I'm completely on the fence. Both of these notebooks are great in their own way, but it boils down to if I want the greater mobility of the X or the better horsepower of the T. Most of my computer usage includes Office apps and Net browsing, although I do game a bit and watch the occasional movie. I also need quite a bit of storage space, and I do admit decking the T60p out with two 640GB HDDs is very tempting. I hardly use an optical drive anymore so I'm not worried about losing that functionality. If I decided on the X61s I could definitely get by with a single 640GB drive, but having 1.2TB of storage on a notebook is something I find very appealing.

I apologize for the lengthy post, but I welcome any ideas. Thanks in advance!

LegendaryKA8 wrote:Most of my computer usage includes Office apps and Net browsing

I would tend toward what I do most. Sell all your notebooks and get a T400.

LegendaryKA8, neither the T60p nor the X61s is ideal for what you want to achieve. The former is a desktop replacement that's too big and too heavy, whereas the latter is so stripped down that it lacks certain functions that you need. If you want to stick with Thinkpads, the T400 sounds like the best solution. A 4:3 T61 with 1400x1050 isn't a bad idea either -- swap out the optical drive for a travel bezel and it will probably become light enough to lug around.

Excellent... thanks for the quick replies. I have been checking out the T400. While the size is pretty decent, I'm not sure if I can fit one into the budget just yet. I can't really give up any of my current Thinkpads at the moment(that and I'm not sure that my Frankenpads will have that much resale value) as I do need a more portable system than my XPS. A T400 would be a pretty sweet system, although I kinda wish they came with a bit more resolution and a bit more powerful GPU. I can definitely make do, however.

I'll definitely consider that route, but a no vote from the fiance' might put the damper on a newer notebook for a while.

I like my T400.

As far as a light and somewhat tiny laptop this does the job. I take it with me to class and it's as light as my Geology book(paperback)- and about the same thickness.

Get a 1440X900 WXGA+ LED. I heard the CCFL wasn't cutting it. I have the former and on max brightness it blinds you in a darkened room- make sure you wear sunglasses at night

or turn the brightness down three notches at least!

Graphics I have the Integrated Intel. I don't have the switchable but that's okay. I'm not expecting to play Borderlands or anything demanding on it. Truth is I haven't been gaming as much as I used to. I'm waiting for FFXIII and then I'll try and figure out how I'm going to get the $$$ for a console and the game!

I'm not too sure about the T6X series. I have an R51e that is a 15" and that is a lot more bulky compared to the T400. The X6x series I'm not too sure about either. I think they are nice and the specs seem very good. I'd take one of the X6x series over a netbook anyday! The thing is the screen would be too small for me!

Have a good time finding your comp

+1 for pianowizard's T61 suggestion.
However, that's a very rare bird...

I wanted to post a quick update and express my thanks for all the suggestions. I ended up picking up a switchable GPU T400 that just arrived today. This is definitely a sweet machine, even if it doesn't have the Flexview display of the T60p. The T400 seems to present the best of both worlds with the switchable GPU, and is also somewhat more powerful than the T60p's V5250, to boot.

I think I made a great decision by switching to this system, and I thank all of you for helping me out. All the cons I've heard about this machine really aren't that big of a deal, either... definitely well worth the $600 I practically stole it for.

May I ask where you purchased it for that price?

zhenya wrote:May I ask where you purchased it for that price?

To be honest, it was a lucky break off an Ebay auction. If you're patient you can snag a good deal, but in my experience only deal with members who have impeccable feedback ratings. I was originally looking at the Outlet, but the T400 models in the config that I wanted ran around $1K... plus the one I bought still has a year and a half of factory warranty remaining.

So, all in all you have to be a bit patient and cautious when finding a new notebook on Ebay.

That's certainly the case when buying anything on ebay! Seeing the current prices at lenovo.com, I was wondering if there were stores that were having good blowout prices like the T400s we saw a couple of weeks ago.