Is the 15" Display worth the $$$

[College2873]

I'm trying to decide between the 14.1" T60 and the 15" flexview version. The larger screen model is about 33% more expensive than a comparable model with a 14.1" screen. I'm going to be using this laptop for business school. It is killing me that I can't compare the screens in person (the office depots near me don't stock both models). Any wise words of advice from those who have owned the different models before I pull the trigger? Thanks for the help!

[RonS]

There are most posts on this topic than probably any other.

Here's the short of it: If your Thinkpad will spent a large part of its life sitting on a desk, then you can't go wrong with the 15" screen. It's definitely superior to the 14" in terms of picture quality.

But if you'll be on-the-go a lot with your Thinkpad, you can't beat the 14" for portability.

I'm a developer and my T60p spends most of its life on a desk, either in my office, in a hotel, or at a cleint's facility. So the 15" version is perfect for me.

If I were taking a Thinkpad to business school, it would probably be a 14".

[aarong]

as long as they're no dead or stuck pixels, it's well worth the money. that being said I don't know how much lighter the 14" model is; I just know my 15" is perfect

[ageyfman]

I travel with my 15" T60p, and it's very suitable for both the desk and the plane. it's a little big for the really tight planes, but it's unbeatable in terms of screen real estate, weight/performance ratio as well as that feeling of quality. However, if you get the 14" with the SXGA+ screen, it would still have a ton of screen space in a smaller package. I just love the 1600X1200 resolution, so that's the laptop for me.

[jvarszegi]

... because I knew from the outset that I wanted a 14" model, and they don't offer FlexView in the 14" as you know. I have seen the 15" FlexView and it is really awesome, though.

The only drawbacks of the FlexView:
- Increased battery drain. In my opinion, this is no big deal for most people, because Thinkpads already offer better-than-average battery life.
- Slower response times. My friend reports some slight smearing/ghosting when scrolling rapidly, etc. I didn't notice it when I was oohing and ahing at his laptop's screen. Some people seem to buy T60p's with the thought of gaming, and it may be an issue for them.
- Increased chance of bad pixels.

The drawbacks of the 14" TFT:
- Less brightness and contrast. This is not an issue unless you are in really bright light, like outdoors. I would say if you will be using your laptop outdoors, though, you really should give extra weight to the FlexView. You can tweak the display settings to make the 14" more readable in sunlight, but it's not perfect.
- Reduced viewing angle. Personally, I think this is a non-issue. The viewing angle on my screen is pretty good, and I would rarely need to share it with anyone. For someone doing presentations right on the laptop, this could be much more important.

[jvarszegi]

I have had a laptop with a 15" UXGA screen (a Dell Inspiron 8200 with an UltraSharp glossy screen), and wound up deciding never to get that resolution again due to issues with sizes of things on the screen. Not every application respects adjustments to font sizes, etc. I wound up being happiest with SXGA+ resolution in 14" and 15" normal-aspect screen sizes, and if I got a 15" FlexView would stick with SXGA+. In my opinion UXGA at that size is just asking for eye strain, even after you turn off things like ClearType which make it harder for your eye to scan text at small sizes.

This is always going to be a personal preference, but it's hard to know your preference before you've used it for a while. I would definitely take a trip to CompUSA etc. to play with different resolutions before buying if you're unsure on this.

[intelbrain]

If you take it with you everyday then 14" is best.
If you leave it at home a lot like me, 15" 1600X1200 IPS is the best. I love it so far. Text is not that small

[Army Chief]

I currently own and use T Series machines with 14.1" and 15" screens, and both are in identical SXGA+ resolutions.

While all of the comments noted here are valid, I won't be going back to 14.1" in the future. These panels are simply not on par with their contemporaries elsewhere in the market, and appear especially dim and washed-out when compared to the Flexview. Unless extreme portability is of absolute paramount importance to you, the only reason to choose a 14.1" machine is price.

It has been my experience that, by every measureable standard of useability and display quality, the 15" Flexview is far superior. That said, you will quickly get acclimated to whatever you decide to purchase, so it would be silly to say there is a right or wrong answer to your question.

Chief

[syhead]

here's my option:

A 14" TP plus a 19" external LCD sitting on my desk.

on the go: portability
at home: two screens!!!!! Can't beat that.

You could by the external LCD for $300-$400... how much would you save buying the 14" TP? Maybe that would justify this option

[archer6]

I'm trying to decide between the 14.1" T60 and the 15" flexview version.
Any wise words of advice from those who have owned the different models before I pull the trigger? Thanks for the help!

I have both computers, configured the same. Here are the exact dimensions and weights:

T60 14.1" (WxDxH): 12.4" x 10.0" x 1.0-1.2" 5.3 lbs.
T60 15.0" (WxDxH): 13.2" x 10.6" x 1.2-1.4” 5.9 lbs.

After years of using ThinkPads I decided to buy one of each for comparison and give one away to my wife.

It is also important to note that I spend a tremendous amount of time in front of the computer each day, and I only use a laptop. I travel everyday for business and find the smalll difference in size and weight of the 15" unnoticeable. There is quite a difference in the amount of data displayed on the larger screen. I really enjoy less scrolling and the exceptional brilliance of the IPS Flexview technology which not only enhances viewing angle, but much better color depth and clarity.

The 15" has become my ThinkPad of choice. While the 14" is certainly a nice computer, it's no contest when you see them side by side and have the opportunity to use them both for awhile. My wife got the 14, then tried to "swipe" my 15". So she ended up with the 14 and some jewelry...

[jagged]

I'm interested in a 15" T60 w/ Flexview for my next T60 but I'm curious, how come its only offered either in T2300 w/ XGA screen and T2500 w/ SXGA ?

I would prefer a T2400 w/ SXGA for performance and price balance but its not available in the Lenovo site. Does Lenovo offer this setup and I should just visit the site from time to time?

[astro]

Item #1 in the FAQ, if you are buying from US.

I see you're from the Phillipines, so you if you are buying locally, you should probably call Lenovo and give them your requirements and see if they have a system for you. They don't always put all the models on the website.

[ThinkPad]

Personally I think the 14 is great for portability. If you want a larger screen, hook it up to an external screen.

[jagged]

Item #1 in the FAQ, if you are buying from US.

I see you're from the Phillipines, so you if you are buying locally, you should probably call Lenovo and give them your requirements and see if they have a system for you. They don't always put all the models on the website.

Yah, that would be ideal situation but laptops here are VERY expensive. I checked the local Lenovo T60 offers here and they only stock 2-3 versions of the T60 all with very low specs (e.g. T60 w/ T2300, 40GB HD, 256MB RAM, Intel950 for US$2500).

On my first T60, I bought it from a store in Hong Kong and I saved about US$1000 and a 2 month wait period compared to custom ordering it from the local IBM/Lenovo office here.

[astro]

Yah, that would be ideal situation but laptops here are VERY expensive. I checked the local Lenovo T60 offers here and they only stock 2-3 versions of the T60 all with very low specs (e.g. T60 w/ T2300, 40GB HD, 256MB RAM, Intel950 for US$2500).

On my first T60, I bought it from a store in Hong Kong and I saved about US$1000 and a 2 month wait period compared to custom ordering it from the local IBM/Lenovo office here.

Have you thought about ordering from www.euclidcomputers.com? I ordered mine through them and received excellent service. I don't think you'll have to wait 2 months.

I paid AU$3600 for a 2007-63U including shipping and all taxes. The equivalent Australian model (2007-69M) from Lenovo retails for AU$6050.

[yves]

same thing for me

I saved more than 1000 EUROS purchasing my T60P in the US

In France , I would get

- Bad technical support
- Long delivery time

- Low specs T60P

..And high prices !!

[ramian]

I was extremely tempted to get my T60 from the US as well. But, the fact that I couldn't check for bad/dead pixels or other defects made me change my mind. Moreover, if the particular model isn't available in your country, and if something were to happen to US-bought Thinkpad, you'll probably be adding 2 weeks to laptop service time while waiting for parts to get shipped from the US.

[beeblebrox]

I'm trying to decide between the 14.1" T60 and the 15" flexview version. The larger screen model is about 33% more expensive than a comparable model with a 14.1" screen. I'm going to be using this laptop for business school. It is killing me that I can't compare the screens in person (the office depots near me don't stock both models). Any wise words of advice from those who have owned the different models before I pull the trigger? Thanks for the help!

If you don't need the 14" screen, I certainly would suggest to get the lightest notebook as possible. For my business school studies I used the then brandnew 560x, which was 1.8kg and had a 12" display. Perfect, most students opted for the ultraportable. You will have to carry the notebook all the time between breakout study rooms, classes and your home. Leaving it in a locker due to weight is no option. I suggest to look out for a X-series model, maybe a used one with warranty . You don't need a superb screen, Powerpoint and Excel work perfectly on TN displays. Presentations are given through beamers anyway. If I were you, I would really opt for the X40 series, or maybe a T4x series. The Flexview would be a waste of money and, believe me, carrying a notebook (with AC adapter) along with all the study books etc will make you start saving on every gram.

Just my 2 cents from experience...

[jagged]

I guess I'm not alone trying to get laptops outside home

Just checked Euclid awhile ago and yup, I might make my purchase from them instead. Thanks for the suggestion

Yah, I understand the problem with not being able to check the computer first that's why I usually buy from retail stores in Hongkong (1.5hrs away by plane) where price is maybe just 5% more than the US. I think Singapore prices are very reasonable as well.

[yves]

Yes .

I agree that I took a risk

But I like dangerous thing

In my case: I saved 1500 euros, I have a perfectly good T60P
working 24h00 a day non stop..

Most of US supplier (Bill Morrow, etc,) are very honest . They care about their reputation. They do all they can for foreign customers

They are people you can trust. They will never sell you a laptop if there is a little malfuntion

[astro]

I was extremely tempted to get my T60 from the US as well. But, the fact that I couldn't check for bad/dead pixels or other defects made me change my mind. Moreover, if the particular model isn't available in your country, and if something were to happen to US-bought Thinkpad, you'll probably be adding 2 weeks to laptop service time while waiting for parts to get shipped from the US.

If you have a read of my thread (as referred in previous post), I asked Euclid to check the computer for me and they did. I just wanted them to make sure it was not DOA -- I don't know if they will go as far as checking for dead pixels (it took me a while when I did it!).

Yes, I agree with your second point about the parts. Lucky for me, Lenovo have just released the 2007-69M in Australia which is almost identical.