New T61 Core 2 Duo Thinkpads soon?

[rocketman]

Strange that Lenovo would release Core 2 Duo processor laptops under the Lenovo brand before the Thinkpad but this must mean the T61 will be released very soon:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4531-10921_7-66 ... =cnetfd.mt

[christopher_wolf]

Perhaps they would like to let people test drive the Core 2 Duo in something that approaches how they will use it in a Thinkpad?

That would be a good idea to get bugs out of the implementation. Which probably also means that they are taking their time checking and re-checking the T61 with Core 2 Duo in it to make sure everything goes smoothly.

[JohnDrake]

October 16 announce for this....

[rockefella]

I just got off the phone with a Lenovo sales rep who told me that T61s are shipping in December. Man, that's too long to wait.

[techie]

I just got off the phone with a Lenovo sales rep who told me that T61s are shipping in December. Man, that's too long to wait.

You gotta be kidding me. I need 64bit now and if Lenono wont deliver very soon it will be another brand.

[rosemarycane]

I would rather wait several months for Lenovo to release a T61 in December, then have them release something too early with too many issues.

[maximus_]

December

[techie]

I would rather wait several months for Lenovo to release a T61 in December, then have them release something too early with too many issues.

What issues should that be? As far as I know Dual 2 Core is supposed to be a drop-in replacement and a new BIOS in existing Dual Core motherboards with Intel chipsets.

I also prefer like a stable platform, but others can deliver and I havent heard anything about generel issues with Dual 2 Core systems.

The wait isnt getting better when they released Lenovo branded machines with Dual 2 Core. I suppose they dont send out hardware with "issues" with their other brand.

[CarrerCrytharis]

I would rather wait several months for Lenovo to release a T61 in December, then have them release something too early with too many issues.

What issues should that be? As far as I know Dual 2 Core is supposed to be a drop-in replacement and a new BIOS in existing Dual Core motherboards with Intel chipsets.

I also prefer like a stable platform, but others can deliver and I havent heard anything about generel issues with Dual 2 Core systems.

I have to agree. It seems like a drop-in upgrade to the current T60 should be no trouble at all.

Perhaps they'll be releasing a current-chassis T60 with Core 2 Duo in October (as I've been hearing) by doing a simple drop-in upgrade, while releasing new widescreen T61 models in December? If that were the case, I'd go with the 4:3 T60, since that platform has been tested a lot more by users, but mainly because I don't want to wait too long. (Also I'm not too interested in widescreen.)

Or is this just wishful thinking? (I've been waiting a while for a Core 2 Duo T60, and I really don't want to wait till December...)

[rosemarycane]

I guess what I was trying to say was, it will be worth the wait. I understand everyone wants a core 2 duo now, but December will be right around the corner before we know it.

[Scratch]

While I could certainly use the additional addressable memory that the x64 OS will afford me I'm not sure that I can afford the up-capacity DIMMS to accomplish this.

I'm hoping that the imminent widescreen design of the T61p will allow their designers to accomodate 4 DIMM slots turned 90 degrees. This would make 4 GB affordable and 8 GB almost thinkable.

[mattbiernat]

I'm hoping that the imminent widescreen design of the T61p will allow their designers to accomodate 4 DIMM slots turned 90 degrees. This would make 4 GB affordable and 8 GB almost thinkable.

instead of going 15in widescreen they could go 17in 4:3 to accomodate for the extra slots. so this could work both ways with the sizes of the computers being just about the same. all it really comes to is whether you like widescreen or regular 4:3

[christopher_wolf]

Or, they could remain non-insane, and go with one 15" at 16:9, one 15" at 4:3, and one 14.1" at 4:3.

December, eh? Will it have either Napa or Santa Rosa in it? Santa Rosa is the dual core, enchanced cache, 64-bit EMT CPU from Intel. According to Intel, it will be released in "the first half of 2007." Although, if everything goes smoothly, it will be *awesome* if the Santa Rosa is ready to ship in systems by December.

If so, that is very good news indeed.

[PRGeno]

Or, they could remain non-insane, and go with one 15" at 16:9, one 15" at 4:3, and one 14.1" at 4:3.

December, eh? Will it have either Napa or Santa Rosa in it? Santa Rosa is the dual core, enchanced cache, 64-bit EMT CPU from Intel. According to Intel, it will be released in "the first half of 2007." Although, if everything goes smoothly, it will be *awesome* if the Santa Rosa is ready to ship in systems by December.

If so, that is very good news indeed.

I would suspect the likely release of Vista around that time also has something to do with the December date.

I'll take the sanest model with a 15", 16:9, 1920x1200, Flexview screen, with a Santa Rosa Core 2 Duo chipset, and the Ultimate edition of Vista installed please.....

PRGeno

[briansmith]

I read several articles that said Santa Rosa will not be available until 2Q 2007

[disturbedsaint]

December, eh? Will it have either Napa or Santa Rosa in it? Santa Rosa is the dual core, enchanced cache, 64-bit EMT CPU from Intel. According to Intel, it will be released in "the first half of 2007." Although, if everything goes smoothly, it will be *awesome* if the Santa Rosa is ready to ship in systems by December.

FYI Napa/Santa Rosa are platforms, not CPU's.
The CPU's are titled Yonah and Merom.

Santa Rosa will not be released this year.

[benplaut]

hopefully this will put a bunch of barely used T60 into the market

[gibbs]

I just got off the phone with a Lenovo sales rep who told me that T61s are shipping in December. Man, that's too long to wait.

Just to clarify: No T-series with the Intel Core 2 Duo will ship before December? Is it possible that the December ship date may only apply to the 15.4" widescreen T-series models?

Otherwise, why announce this in October?

[briansmith]

That would only be a 45 day pre-announcement.

If a company is going to start shipping a consumer product in the Winter, they have to announce it before Thanksgiving. Otherwise, their potential customers will probably buy their competitors' just-released products.

My announcing early, you get publications to beg for pre-release review models; publications usually prefer to review a product before it is released because they feel like they are getting a scoop on the general public. This is free advertising.

For corporate sales, you need to get the information about the product out way before the product is released. Many companies take more than 45 days to approve computer purchases. If you wait to announce them until they are ready to ship, your corporate customers will still be waiting 30+ days to buy them.

Personally, I think it would be very risky to expect to receive a T61 before the new year.

[brentpresley]

December, eh? Will it have either Napa or Santa Rosa in it? Santa Rosa is the dual core, enchanced cache, 64-bit EMT CPU from Intel. According to Intel, it will be released in "the first half of 2007." Although, if everything goes smoothly, it will be *awesome* if the Santa Rosa is ready to ship in systems by December.

FYI Napa/Santa Rosa are platforms, not CPU's.
The CPU's are titled Yonah and Merom.

Santa Rosa will not be released this year.

Spot on brotha!

FYI Core 2 (Merom) does support 64-bit and it WOULD work in the T60 if Lenovo would release a BIOS to support it.

The main difference between the Santa Rosa and Napa chipsets are:
1) 800MHz FSB (vs. current 667MHz)
2) support for 802.11n wireless (in theory)

[gibbs]

That would only be a 45 day pre-announcement.

If a company is going to start shipping a consumer product in the Winter, they have to announce it before Thanksgiving. Otherwise, their potential customers will probably buy their competitors' just-released products.

Lenovo's competitors (HP/Dell/Acer/. . .) have been shipping C2D systems for a month. No C2D shipments until December would give their competitors an advantage of an entire fiscal quarter.

For corporate sales, you need to get the information about the product out way before the product is released. Many companies take more than 45 days to approve computer purchases. If you wait to announce them until they are ready to ship, your corporate customers will still be waiting 30+ days to buy them.

I have no doubt that Lenovo's corporate customers are made aware of changes to Lenovo's product line well in advance of any public announcement.

The T60/T61 distinction makes little difference to me. I am just wondering when Lenovo will ship C2D (in a Thinkpad) and what display options will remain once the dust settles.

[ludu35]

http://pcworld.com/article/id,127131/article.html

LD

[robvarga]

Or, they could remain non-insane, and go with one 15" at 16:9, one 15" at 4:3, and one 14.1" at 4:3.

December, eh? Will it have either Napa or Santa Rosa in it? Santa Rosa is the dual core, enchanced cache, 64-bit EMT CPU from Intel. According to Intel, it will be released in "the first half of 2007." Although, if everything goes smoothly, it will be *awesome* if the Santa Rosa is ready to ship in systems by December.

If so, that is very good news indeed.

I would suspect the likely release of Vista around that time also has something to do with the December date.

I'll take the sanest model with a 15", 16:9, 1920x1200, Flexview screen, with a Santa Rosa Core 2 Duo chipset, and the Ultimate edition of Vista installed please.....

PRGeno

You mean with 4GB of RAM to use it for anything it is required for and a portable fridge to go with it so that all the mentioned things do not transform the vicinity of the machine into a bonfire?

BR,

Robert

[mattbiernat]

you might as well put it into liquid nitrogen. what is it? -300F or something like that? or better use solid nitrogen ice, it would give you exta 50 or so degrees below zero.

[archer6]

Just to clarify: No T-series with the Intel Core 2 Duo will ship before December? Is it possible that the December ship date may only apply to the 15.4" widescreen T-series models?

I see this as a very distinct possibility.

[RoundSparrow]

What's the latest word on any Core 2 Duo thinkpads, especially the T60 series?

[kjjb0204]

general announce date for T, X, Z series core 2 duo models is 10/17

[sparta.rising]

So why is everyone so positive that a widescreen T series is coming out? Any official confirmation or just conjecture?

Because I dont see a reason for a widescreen T when there is already the Z series.

[megalosaurus]

So why is everyone so positive that a widescreen T series is coming out? Any official confirmation or just conjecture?

Because I dont see a reason for a widescreen T when there is already the Z series.

Very simple - and kind of sad, actually. The LCD manufacturers are shutting down their 4:3 screen production. If you're in the business of manufacturing laptop computers, you can either go "widescreen" or pay an exorbitant price to your LCD suppliers to special-order 4:3 screens, and then have the buying public think your products are outdated. The public fell for the hype that widescreen displays are superior, so that's where the bandwagon is now. My son showed up for his first day of high school a few weeks ago with a high-end ThinkPad with a FlexView UXGA display, and all his classmates teased him about having an antique computer, while they were showing off their state-of-the-art Dells with their 1280x800 "widescreen" displays.

If they can come out with a FlexView version of the WUXGA display, the conversion to widescreen would actually be a good thing.

[mattbiernat]

My son showed up for his first day of high school a few weeks ago with a high-end ThinkPad with a FlexView UXGA display, and all his classmates teased him about having an antique computer, while they were showing off their state-of-the-art Dells with their 1280x800 "widescreen" displays.

yes but you have to understand that high school audiance is quite different than university or buisness. and please correct me if im wrong i think there is still plently of people in the buisness world that would prefare the old 4:3 series. I assume that lenovo will adjust to those users and allow them to get 4:3 series at perhpas extra cost. it would be a mistake to believe that 4:3 will disappear all of the sudden from the face of this planet. the only question that really remains is whether 4:3 will disappear with time.
the same ideology can be applied to those mirror like glossy screens. i've bet that by high schools standards they are the coolest thing ever but look at the lenovo poll on user's preferance over glossy or matte. overwhelming majority is for matte. it is very unlikely that lenovo will get rid of matte or 4:3.