Thinking of buying a thinkpad quick question

[jduvall]

I had an old IBM thinkpad (t40 or t41 I forget which) Which I picked up second hand (or rather 3rd or 4th hand) that was beat to hell when I got it but ran like a champ till some chump stole it from my locker in AIT.

Being in the market for a new computer I came across the lenovo outlet and across the (new) t61s for like 530ish. Looking over the specs theres some room for improvement (ram/hdd) but my concern is quality/build. Has Lenovo maintained that same level of quailty that IBM had for its T series? Hows the customer service? Will buying it through the outlet include a warranty (that can be extended?) The dvd super multi is a dvd burner correct? I know its a silly question but I'm trying to make sure I have budgeted properly when the outlet comes back up.

Also since the computer comes with vista is it still able to be free upgraded to 7? Im sure thats long since expired but it never hurts to ask correct?

Jonathon

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the forum.
T61 machines don't have the best of reputation, where models with nVidia NVS 140M GPU are concerned.
Go for one with Intel GMA X3100 GPU if you don't need extra powerful graphics.

[jduvall]

Welcome to the forum.
T61 machines don't have the best of reputation, where models with nVidia NVS 140M GPU are concerned.
Go for one with Intel GMA X3100 GPU if you don't need extra powerful graphics.

Well its either the t61 for like 530 or wait maybe 2-4 weeks and order a t410i (with probably the i3 since thats all I need) and the x4500 (though the ideapads look nice I worry about their durability)

[goofyGAguy]

Will buying it through the outlet include a warranty (that can be extended?)

One year and that's it; no questions asked.

[ThinkRob]

Has Lenovo maintained that same level of quailty that IBM had for its T series?

For some machines, yes. For others, no. With the exception of the T400/T500 keyboards, I'd say that they're about on par overall (that's not to say than any given pair of an IBM and a Lenovo machine will be comparable though...)

Hows the customer service?

Pretty shoddy, to be honest. The pre-sales experience is marked by an incompetently-run web store. As far as warranty service is concerned: on-site is still quite solid, EZServ... not so much (sometimes its flawless, other times... well... there are plenty of horror stories).

Will buying it through the outlet include a warranty (that can be extended?)

Yes, one year. No options for extension unless you can sweet-talk a customer service rep into fudging things for you.

[jduvall]

Thanks for the replies all. I haven't seen to much bad about the t6x series (at least nothing alarming more than you see with any computer.) I'm going to keep looking around before I buy. The Edge is also in my budget (new new not outlet net) And a t410i with a coupon is at the outter reaches of it. So I have a few options and I just want to make sure I get the best machine for my dollar (doesn't everyone now a days)