Thinkpads Forum

Hello,

Placing an order (actually already placed the order then found this forum) and was confused about a couple configuration issues with the order. Would appreciate any help in figuring them out.

Here is how it was ordered.

ThinkPad T61 15 Widescreen - 1 Yr Depot Warranty
System Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz 800MHz 4MBL2)
Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
Display Panel: 15.4 WSXGA+ TFT
System graphics: Intel GMA X3100 GM965 w/ WWAN
Total memory: 2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Pointing Device: UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
Hard Drive: 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Intel® Turbo Memory hard drive cache: Intel Turbo Memory 1GB
Optical device: DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim
System expansion slots: PC Card Slot & Express Card Slot
Wireless cards: Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
3 year depot 9x5 Next Business Day


Here are my questions...

1. The main use will be business/school work. I will not be using it for games. Did I pick the right display with the 15.4 WSXGA+ TFT or should I have went with the standard 15.4 display?

2. Which wireless card should I have picked? I left it with the default Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN since I didn't know the difference in the choices. It will be connecting via a "g" network so should I have picked a different card or is the default card ok?

3. I've never heard of the graphics adapter and there were no choices. Is the Intel GMA X3100 GM965 w/ WWAN an acceptable graphics adapter?

4. I added the Intel Turbo Memory 1GB and it gave me a warning about it not being able to be configured with Wireless WAN. Does my setup have Wireless WAN? Here is the actual warning...

"Selection of Intel Turbo Memory hard drive cache does not allow configuration with Wireless WAN. Please deselect if Wireless WAN is required."

5. Is there any compelling reason to choose Vista Ultimate over Home Premium for a business/school machine?

When I ordered the web site said it would ship in 1-2 weeks and was very surprised to get a 6/28/07 estimated shipping date after placing the order. I had a Dell Inspirion on order and canceled it after hearing how good the Thinkpads were. I hope it's worth the wait.

Thanks for the help.

1: Since the WSXGA+ has a higher resolution it is certainly a good choice.

2: Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN, support IEEE 802.11 a,b,g, and n (draft) so you won't have any trouble connecting to a "g" network.

3: Intel GMA X3100 is the new integrated graphics solution for Santa Rosa based laptops, it should be much better than the old GMA 950. I think it's a good compromise between power consumption and performance.

4: That's because the turbo memory uses the mini PCI-E slot, if you need WWAN later you can always remove the turbo memory.

5: I wouldn't use Vista, or in that matter any MS product.. but that's a personal choice.

LBTRS wrote:1. The main use will be business/school work. I will not be using it for games. Did I pick the right display with the 15.4 WSXGA+ TFT or should I have went with the standard 15.4 display?

You did good.

LBTRS wrote:2. Which wireless card should I have picked? I left it with the default Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN since I didn't know the difference in the choices. It will be connecting via a "g" network so should I have picked a different card or is the default card ok?

Good card, but it doesn't have the range or performance of the "Thinkpad" ABGN card (Atheros). If you won't be working that far from the access point, and there's not too much interference, you may not notice a performance difference. It may cause your palmrest to get a little warmer, though.

LBTRS wrote:3. I've never heard of the graphics adapter and there were no choices. Is the Intel GMA X3100 GM965 w/ WWAN an acceptable graphics adapter?

It's fine. The nVIDIA choice would have drained the battery more quickly, and would have only been necessary for 3D software like CAD. It might improve gaming a bit, but it's not a gaming card.

LBTRS wrote:4. I added the Intel Turbo Memory 1GB and it gave me a warning about it not being able to be configured with Wireless WAN. Does my setup have Wireless WAN? Here is the actual warning...

"Selection of Intel Turbo Memory hard drive cache does not allow configuration with Wireless WAN. Please deselect if Wireless WAN is required."

There's one free mini-pci-e slot, so you have to pick one or the other. The popular view I'm seeing is to get the turbo memory, since a WWAN ExpressCard can be obtained later.

LBTRS wrote:5. Is there any compelling reason to choose Vista Ultimate over Home Premium for a business/school machine?

No, probably not. However, I beleieve there are multimedia aspects of Ultimate that you'll not get in Home Premium.

Just from a Google:

img]http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/6968/diffyo8.jpg[/img]

LBTRS wrote:When I ordered the web site said it would ship in 1-2 weeks and was very surprised to get a 6/28/07 estimated shipping date after placing the order. I had a Dell Inspirion on order and canceled it after hearing how good the Thinkpads were. I hope it's worth the wait.

Thanks for the help.

I think it's worth the wait, but the boards are all in a tizzy about how many delays are occurring. It's hard to say when yours will ship.

Thanks a million for all the information, that clears up those questions. Noticed a couple more things after reading the forums.

I ordered th 9 cell battery and am now seeing it sticks out the back. How far out the back does it protrude and anyone know where there are some pictures showing the 6 cell and 9 cell?

Is there a reader on the T61 to read memory cards like a SD card? Was that an option I was supposed to add to me order?

Thanks again.

LBTRS wrote:Thanks a million for all the information, that clears up those questions. Noticed a couple more things after reading the forums.

I ordered th 9 cell battery and am now seeing it sticks out the back. How far out the back does it protrude and anyone know where there are some pictures showing the 6 cell and 9 cell?

Is there a reader on the T61 to read memory cards like a SD card? Was that an option I was supposed to add to me order?

Thanks again.

Not sure of the exact dimensions. Someone else posted some, I think. Bigger than six cell though.

You may have been presented with a choice of PCMCIA and ExpressCard slot, PCMCIA and SmartCard slot or PCMCIA and Media Card slot. Looking now, I don't see media Card slot as a third option on the widescreen, but you can always get a cheap USB, PCMCIA or ExpressCard media reader, though.

6-cell:

Depth 2.3 in
Height 0.79 in
Weight 0.73 lbs
Width 8.09 in

9 cell:

Depth 3.13 in
Height 0.83 in
Weight 1.05 lbs
Width 8.92 in

I have not seen 9 cell battery but my sources say it sticks out more than 6 cell. Go here and browse around the pictures, you'll come across 6 cell module which would give you some vague idea about what you'll be getting.