New T61p - YAY!

[Growly]

Well, I finally did it. I bought a T61p.

And I love it.

That said, you know you're no longer on a T43. It feels... different. But given that buying a new T43p would've been a waste of money performance wise, I've managed to convince myself that change can't be all that bad.

Here are the good things that I absolutely love:

• It came with an IBM logo
• It's black
• It has the same brick-like qualities I fell in love with as a child
• It's a thinkpad
• The connectors are in their usual places
• It's not as rounded as it looks in the lenovo photos, at all. This was my greatest concern at the time the T61s were announced.
• It's bloody fast
• It's a thinkpad
• Solid build. Like any thinkpad.
• It's a thinkpad
• It's black
• It more or less resembles a T43

So it has retained enough of the T43s qualities for me to adore it.

However, it does have some definite downsides:

• They keyboard feels cheap, and squeaks. I hate it with a passion. It's better than the keyboards I've used on my friends' laptops (not thinkpads), but pales when compared to my T43.
• I really don't like widescreen that much... all this space on the side...
• It needs more IBM logos (there I go, getting sentimental again)
• I'd prefer the magnesium lid to this plastic composite space material

The off-centre screen doesn't really bother me at all.

All in all, I love it to bits. I wouldn't call it perfect, though, because that would've been getting a T43p when they came out. Two steps forward, one step back, in some cases. Most of the complaints regarding design change still hold, I'm afraid, but actually using the beast seems to retire them to the back of your mind at least temporarily. I guess I'm still on the fence as to whether it's the same pinnacle of engineering I have in my other bag... (I know, I know, it's what's on the inside that counts... sometimes.)

Oh, and at 1920x1200, my eyes are not enjoying life.

Luckily the price dropped by ~$1000 just before I bought it, so I can spend the money on another 2nd hand T43. That doesn't mean I won't be cherishing this with all the TLC I can muster...[/list]

[agarza]

Congratulations on your purchase.

I miss the S-video port on newer T laptops, which did Lenovo removed it?

does the palmrest on your new T61p feels more solid than the present in your T43?

[rleo25]

Congratulations on your new Thinkpad, your feelings about this machine prove that we Thinkpad users for ono or another inconcious reason felt in love with the brand, we love even its smell... bricky black boxes, tanks, but over all ugly as a Hummer they are the most reliable hard work machines and that is it!

[andrewb]

Congratulations on your purchase. I also moved up from a T43p and it is taking a while for me to adjust. I am now at one with the aesthetic changes and have no issue with the missing stripes and the new silver buttons.

My two complaints, which I do not think I will ever come to terms with, are the keyboard and the palmrests, both of which are anything but legendary.

I replaced the keyboard with the most "genuine" NMB I could find but it is still a long way off the quality of that on the T43 and it seems impossible to secure the T61 keyboard sufficiently to stop it flexing (esp. the far LHS).

The palmrest is just cheap and nasty. It creaks, flexs and annoys the hell out of me. I bought a replacement part and that is exactly the same; the plastic is simply too thin. I am awaiting for the lenovo blog guy to tell me that the palmrest flex is, in fact, a design attribute which I have, as yet, failed to appreciate because I am such a pleb !

[pianowizard]

Oh, and at 1920x1200, my eyes are not enjoying life.

When I first upgraded to 15.4" 1920x1200 (Dell Inspiron 6000) from 15.0" 1600x1200 (Thinkpad A31p), I too found things way too small. It took me about 3 months to get used to it. So, just keep using it for several months and eventually you will adapt to it and love it. The extra 320 columns of pixels make it much easier to view two windows side by side than on a 1600x1200 screen.

[ryengineer]

snip........They keyboard feels cheap, and squeaks. I hate it with a passion. It's better than the keyboards I've used on my friends' laptops (not thinkpads), but pales when compared to my T43........snip.....[/list]

T6x machines come with variety of keyboards from manufacturers like NMB, Alps and Chicony. They're all consistent in their own ways but NMB is known to be best of the 3 in terms of key travel, feel and touch etc...

One of our fellow members RonS did an excellent comparison with pictures of them, I hope you find it useful.

[Growly]

Thanks for the replies guys!

With regard to the palmrest, mine seems to be ok. It flexes and bends more than the T43 does, but my left hand isn't burning and sweating profusely either, so I guess that's offset a bit.

I get the feeling that the new thinkpads are all about new-age material. For such a size it seems awefully light, which is a good thing for all the ultra-mobiles among us. However, for some reason, my heart wishes the solid brick was made of iron girders and other such manly, overly heavy, and completely inappropriate material.

I mean, the roll cage is awesome - but I can't even feel it (with the exception of the bulge in the lid).

I don't know. It's still awesome.

The keyboard, wow... squeak, squeak, squeak - I checked out that review again ryengineer (which all of sudden became alot more relevant than it once was), and now all I can say is that I'm jealous.

It may have its flaws (some more in-your-face *squeak* than others), but it's still a thinkpad. Oh, squeak, there's that squeak again squeak squeak.

*squeak squeak* Now to find more T43 goodness. *squeak* *squeak*

[NS]

@Growly,

you have been added into the list of thinkpad maniacs.

Post pics of your T6x thinkpad and waiting to hear more *squeaky* good news from you about your new thinkpad.

thinkpad looks ugly.. ?? I find it nice and beautiful...