Thinkpads Forum

I want to get a T60 and I need a new laptop resonably urgently. I much prefer SXGA screens over XGA and the only T60 models in Australia at the moment have XGA (Or the T60P which I cannot afford).
Does anyone have any predictions when a suitable model will be availble (will it be days, weeks or months)
Cheers John

I hear ya, brother:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=20425

Not having SXGA+ models in Aus is driving me f*&king nuts. Especially when these models are on sale in the US. And people have the nerve to complain about squeaking palmrests...

I can only take guesses as to why they aren't available yet:
- Lenovo need to sell off backlog of T4x's (they recently put some on sale)
- Lenovo are focusing on transitioning corporate clients first (who mostly use XGA, I suspect)
- Lenovo are trying to sucker people into buying the $6599(!!!!!) T60p.
- Lenovo are just trying to piss (people like you and) me off...
The list goes on...

I am currently trying to buy a US model and have it shipped here, through bill(at)thinkpads(dot)com -- the owner of this site. [Bill, if you're reading please answer my mail! ]

Thanks for the sympathy
Let me know how you go buying from USA.
Cheers John

I spoke with Lenovo again this morning, just to try my luck.

The salesperson said that there have been requests for the higher-res T60s, however they had not heard anything about the release date.

I am just wondering if you have emailed/called Lenovo about this as there is obviously demand out there. I don't know if it will actually help (I wish I had pursued it further with them), but it does seem that they know about it.

I feel like calling them up every day and lodging my interest with a different salesperson.

Yes I sent them an e-mail a few days ago and I have not recieved a reply.
I have purchased a T42 and T43 before, but I need a laptop quickly and may be forced to buy another brand.
Cheers John

John, I've placed an order with www.euclidcomputers.com, following archer6's advice.

Unfortunately, I couldn't go through Bill this time.

I ordered the 2007-63U for US$2245 + US$145.49 shipping (FedEx).

Fingers crossed that these guys are as good as they say they are...

astro wrote:John, I've placed an order with www.euclidcomputers.com, following archer6's advice.

Unfortunately, I couldn't go through Bill this time.

I ordered the 2007-63U for US$2245 + US$145.49 shipping (FedEx).

Fingers crossed that these guys are as good as they say they are...

I bought a T41p with Euclid in the past, and overall, it was good experience in terms of customer service. I received my T41p very well cushioned with styrofoam balls and two external boxes, but the actual computer was disappointing. It had 3 dead pixels, a scratched screen, and some keyboard issues. This eventually drove me nuts, and I had to return it for a hefty 15% restocking fee..

From now on, I usually go back to Taiwan or perhaps Japan to see the actual laptop for myself. If I DO find a fault, I can always exchange it right on the spot until I find the 'perfect' one.

Really, it's a gamble...you might receive a jewel...or a lemon. If the latter, you'll have to either live with it or face the restocking fee. If it's still possible to cancel your order, I suggest you try to find a place where the restocking fee is around 5% or less.

Agreed.

The 15% "restocking" fee is quite hard to take -- so I specifically requested that Euclid open the box and verify that it is not DOA at the least. I don't think they'd go as far as to look for dead pixels, etc. That said, it is not easy finding a supplier that will ship to Australia. A quick search on Froogle lead me to about 6 vendors, none of which shipped internationally.

Quality is obviously dependent on the machine that Lenovo ship and it seems like most posters here are having minor issues more than anything seriously wrong with their T60s. People have had their machines for anything up to 7 weeks now. As far as I know, the machine will be covered under international warranty, so if a component fails then I would be looking to Lenovo Australia to fix it.

What's the customs charge like when bringing one of these in?
I'm seriously considering using Shopthestates.com to purchase the 200783U for the OMG!!! price of US$2,499.

I've e-mailed Lenovo about it, and also in the past, and they have no plans to introduce the SXGA+ screen models here. I think part of the reason is because they're not doing very well in sales in the AP region, and they can't afford to offer the range of models.

Wow, shopthestates.com is a good option and a great idea.

From what I've heard, there is no specific Customs charge, you just have to pay GST, which is 10% of the declared value of the item.

What's the customs charge like when bringing one of these in?

For a laptop it is straight 10% GST. If you use FedEx or the like, they will contact you when it clears Customs and you can pay the GST by CC.

The tax charged can be hit and miss though. I imported a Brenthaven bag from the States which should have incurred GST and some import duty and I got charged nothing - just showed up at the post office. This came via the US postal service though.

To find out exactly what duty you "should" be paying, just contact Australian Customs with the details.

Cheers,
Rob.

rjm1135 wrote:The tax charged can be hit and miss though. I imported a Brenthaven bag from the States which should have incurred GST and some import duty and I got charged nothing - just showed up at the post office. This came via the US postal service though.

This is most likely because it's under the limit of AU$1000 or whatever. I think they figure it's not worth the admin fee for anything less than that. It was only recently updated though (by that I mean last year or so)

astro wrote:John, I've placed an order with www.euclidcomputers.com, following archer6's advice.

Unfortunately, I couldn't go through Bill this time.

I ordered the 2007-63U for US$2245 + US$145.49 shipping (FedEx).

Fingers crossed that these guys are as good as they say they are...

I place and order through Euclid and got mine (2623-D3U) without any problems. Good point about Euclid is that it ships international. (I got mine in UAE). The prices in Euclid are a liitle bit better than the IBM/Lenovo website (I guess only express models are available)

But, for international orders you ahve to euther make a wire transfer or order with an American Express card only.

Hamid wrote:Good point about Euclid is that it ships international. (I got mine in UAE). The prices in Euclid are a liitle bit better than the IBM/Lenovo website (I guess only express models are available)

But, for international orders you ahve to euther make a wire transfer or order with an American Express card only.

Except that currently Lenovo US have got the 200763U for $1999 ($2245 on Euclid) and 200783U for $2499 ($2990 on Euclid). Plus IBM has free shipping within the contiguous states. Therefore if you use shopthestates.com it works out cheaper.

But you'd better get in there fast! The promo finishes 24 April...

I'm still wringing my hands over whether to get it or not... it's no small amount of money, but it IS a whole lotta laptop.

Maybe you guys have already figured this out, but I think it is relevant enough to post anyway.

I went to the warranty lookup page and found that the 2623### (TopSeller) models are not eligible for international warranty.

Thank god I ordered the 2007###...

Yeah, whenever there's some sort of "program" attached to the model name, e.g. Express, TopSeller, etc. the first thing that goes is usually some important aspect of the warranty...

astro wrote:John, I've placed an order with www.euclidcomputers.com, following archer6's advice.

Unfortunately, I couldn't go through Bill this time.

I ordered the 2007-63U for US$2245 + US$145.49 shipping (FedEx).

Fingers crossed that these guys are as good as they say they are...

Well, I waited a couple of days before writing so that I had time to fully check it out, but my T60 arrived on Monday. The order->delivery process went something like this:

Ordered: 20 Apr
Estimated: 5 May (to Euclid)
Delayed to: 25 May (to Euclid)
Arrived: 14 May (Euclid) subsequently FedEx'd to Australia (Internationational Priority)
Arrived Mascot, Sydney: 17 May (evening)
Cleared Customs and duties paid: 19 May
I picked it up: 22 May (from Canberra FedEx Depot)

You know what the best part was? I emailed Euclid asking them to open the box when it arrived and do a basic check that it was not DOA, as it would be very difficult for me to send back from Australia. They did not advise me that this check had been done, they just sent it to me. When I received it, sure enough, the box had been opened. They even included a printout which said:

Euclid wrote:Tested OK per customer request :
1. Entered Windows and checked all keyboard keys;
2. Audio CD checked in optical drive;
3. 802.11b wireless connection tested.

How's THAT for customer service?

How much did it cost?
Laptop purchase price: US$2245
FedEx shipping: US$145.49
Total base cost: AU$3256.80 (0.734 x-rate)

Customs Charges / Tax:
Declared value: US$2245 / Exchange rate (0.7713) = AU$2910.67
- T & I = AU$85.91 (I don't know what this is)
- GST = (Dec value + T&I) * 0.1 = (2910.67 + 85.91) * 0.1 = AU$299.65
- Import Dec N10 Air Charge: $40.20
- AQIS Entry charges air: $14.00
Total payable = AU$353.85
To pay this, FedEx will call you (from the states, interestingly enough) and you can pay it by giving your credit card # over the phone.

All in all, I couldn't fault the customer service from Euclid. They responded to all my questions promptly and honestly. There were some delays in Lenovo delivering the laptop which were to do with external forces (as mentioned in the shipping thread). And when the status changes to "Shipped" on the Euclid status page, it means that Euclid has shipped it, not Lenovo.

Hamid wrote:

astro wrote:John, I've placed an order with www.euclidcomputers.com, following archer6's advice.

Unfortunately, I couldn't go through Bill this time.

I ordered the 2007-63U for US$2245 + US$145.49 shipping (FedEx).

Fingers crossed that these guys are as good as they say they are...

I place and order through Euclid and got mine (2623-D3U) without any problems. Good point about Euclid is that it ships international. (I got mine in UAE). The prices in Euclid are a liitle bit better than the IBM/Lenovo website (I guess only express models are available)

But, for international orders you ahve to euther make a wire transfer or order with an American Express card only.

Astro & Hamid -

I'm very happy to hear that you gentleman got your new ThinkPads and enjoyed the same great service that I have from Euclid. These days it's very refreshing to do business with a professional company that does what they say they are doing to do!

Thamks for all the posts. I got tired of waiting and ordered from Euclid. I also would recomend them highly, I have already recieved my T60.

Glad yours arrived OK astro. I didnt want to email you as I know you will have been buisy sorting it out.
Thanks to everyone.
Cheers John

Lenovo Australia have released their first SXGA+ model this week:

200769M (~ equiv. US model 2007-68U)
TopSeller
Core Duo T2500 2.00 GHz
14.1" SXGA+ (1400x1050)
1GB RAM
100GB/7200RPM HD
Intel 3945 a/b/g
Bluetooth, Fingerprint
Sierra WWAN

Lenovo Web price* AU$6,049.00

Let's see -- I bought my 2007-63U (which has a 5400RPM drive and no WWAN) for... AU$3610.65 (incl. shipping from US & customs)

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

astro wrote:Lenovo Australia have released their first SXGA+ model this week:

200769M (~ equiv. US model 2007-68U)
TopSeller
Core Duo T2500 2.00 GHz
14.1" SXGA+ (1400x1050)
1GB RAM
100GB/7200RPM HD
Intel 3945 a/b/g
Bluetooth, Fingerprint
Sierra WWAN

Lenovo Web price* AU$6,049.00

Let's see -- I bought my 2007-63U (which has a 5400RPM drive and no WWAN) for... AU$3610.65 (incl. shipping from US & customs)

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I am truly shocked at the $6,049.00 price I understood that they were more expensive where you live, however I had no idea just how high the price is!

So glad to hear that you were able to purchase your ThinkPad for much less than that.

archer6 wrote:I am truly shocked at the $6,049.00 price I understood that they were more expensive where you live, however I had no idea just how high the price is!

Most here in the US have no idea just how cheap most things we purchase are compared to many other nations.

The UK and the EU in general are especially onerous.

Right now Lenovo US has a T43p (2687D5U) on sale for $1,999.00.

A similar unit (UC3F8UK) from Lenovo UK is on sale for £1,950.00.

Sounds like a similar price at first glance to many in the US, until you remember that £1 equals US$1.85. So that £1,950.00 UK laptop is ~US$3,620.00!

Our friends in NZ would have the thrill of paying NZ$6,331.97 for a similar system (2668H2M), which isn't as bad as it sounds at first as that's "only" US$4,007!

In the EU a similar T43p would run at least €3,280.00, or US$4,178.00, depending on where you reside.

Just thought I'd share that .

Regards,

James

JHEM wrote:

archer6 wrote:I am truly shocked at the $6,049.00 price I understood that they were more expensive where you live, however I had no idea just how high the price is!

Most here in the US have no idea just how cheap most things we purchase are compared to many other nations.

The UK and the EU in general are especially onerous.

Right now Lenovo US has a T43p (2687D5U) on sale for $1,999.00.

A similar unit (UC3F8UK) from Lenovo UK is on sale for £1,950.00.

Sounds like a similar price at first glance to many in the US, until you remember that £1 equals US$1.85. So that £1,950.00 UK laptop is ~US$3,620.00!

Our friends in NZ would have the thrill of paying NZ$6,331.97 for a similar system (2668H2M), which isn't as bad as it sounds at first as that's "only" US$4,007!

In the EU a similar T43p would run at least €3,280.00, or US$4,178.00, depending on where you reside.

Just thought I'd share that .

Regards,

James

Is there any real reason behind this? I can marginalize away some of that extra cost, but that still leaves alot to be accounted for. I have seen this happen with expensive memory sticks too. What gives?

I purchased my T60P in the USA

In France the same T60P cost 4200 euros !!

With 3 weeks delivery

christopher_wolf wrote:Is there any real reason behind this? I can marginalize away some of that extra cost, but that still leaves alot to be accounted for. I have seen this happen with expensive memory sticks too. What gives?

The pricing differential is primarily due to local duties and taxes (e.g. VAT) Chris.

It's often referred to as "protectionism", but we're not allowed to call it that. Too reactionary.

When I sell many of my Thinkpads, I have a tendency to offer them to folks overseas first, whether friends, family or just Forum members. Gives me a bit of a warm feeling to know that somebody is saving a great deal of money on a Thinkpad, even if they have to pay VAT.

I sold a two week old T42 to a forum member in EU. Even with a warranty upgrade, shipping and VAT, he saved almost half over purchasing the same system locally.

Regards,

James

JHEM wrote:
When I sell many of my Thinkpads, I have a tendency to offer them to folks overseas first, whether friends, family or just Forum members. Gives me a bit of a warm feeling to know that somebody is saving a great deal of money on a Thinkpad, even if they have to pay VAT.

I sold a two week old T42 to a forum member in EU. Even with a warranty upgrade, shipping and VAT, he saved almost half over purchasing the same system locally.

Regards,

James

This is a terrific idea, and a way to help a fellow member.

JHEM wrote:

christopher_wolf wrote:Is there any real reason behind this? I can marginalize away some of that extra cost, but that still leaves alot to be accounted for. I have seen this happen with expensive memory sticks too. What gives?

The pricing differential is primarily due to local duties and taxes (e.g. VAT) Chris.

It's often referred to as "protectionism", but we're not allowed to call it that. Too reactionary.

When I sell many of my Thinkpads, I have a tendency to offer them to folks overseas first, whether friends, family or just Forum members. Gives me a bit of a warm feeling to know that somebody is saving a great deal of money on a Thinkpad, even if they have to pay VAT.

I sold a two week old T42 to a forum member in EU. Even with a warranty upgrade, shipping and VAT, he saved almost half over purchasing the same system locally.

Regards,

James

Ahhh, OK; that is what I suspected. Duties I can understand, but those are some pretty high first-time taxes you get hit with when you buy the system.