Thinkpads Forum

Hello,

I'm about to buy a T61.
I still hesitate with a R61 because of the lower price.

Currently, i have a T60.

Could anyone advise or argue to T61 or R61 ?

Thks

T61 has better hardware protection, looks less bulky and is lighter weighted. You might be in for a dissapointed if you go from a T60 to a R61.

as stated above, the R series is a lot heavier and bulky compared to the T series. Spec wise, they stack up pretty well, T series is just a better mobile laptop, where the R series is more of a desktop replacement IMO b/c of it's weight and bulk.

If you carry your laptop around a lot (i.e. on campus, to and from work, or lots of travel), go with the T series. It'll last longer in terms of durability, and it'll take up less space and weight less.

If you're planning on using it as a desktop replacement, with occasional trips outside the house, then R series is fine.

Personally, I'd never buy a R series. they're too bulky.

Yep ,

When i compare my T60 with the one of my collegues, i do think mine is more Robust.

One of the reason i want to change is that my current T60 has only 1024*768 screen resolution. That's really too low.

So i can get a R61 with 1650*1050 or a T61...

The T61 i look is a T61 2.2 Ghz 4M L2 (I hope to keep it for few year... 1800 euro (2600 US$ !) quiet expensive...

herrdoctor63 wrote:T61 has better hardware protection

can you elaborate on that? i thought that both had roll cage...

lbraasch wrote:snip.....If you're planning on using it as a desktop replacement.....snip.....they're too bulky.

Thinkpad R61 is not that bulky as you're simply exaggerating it in my viewpoint.

R61 14.1' W with 4 cell battery starting at 5.2 lb (2.4kg).
T61 14.1' W with 4 cell battery starting at 5.0 lb (2.3kg).

R61 15.4' W with 6-cell battery starting at 6.4 lb (2.9kg).
T61/p 15.4' W with optical drive and battery: starting at 5.9 lb (2.7kg).

R61: Dimensions of 14.1" widescreen system:

Width: 335.5 mm (13.2 in) x Depth: 237 mm (9.3 in) x Height: 30.0 to 34.9 mm (1.20 to 1.37 in)

T61: Dimensions of 14.1" widescreen system:

Width: 335 mm (13.2 in) x Depth: 237 mm (9.3 in) x Height: 27.6 to 31.9 mm (1.09 to 1.26 in)

The R61 remains thicker than the T61 by about .2 inches and also weighs about .2 lbs more, but other than that build-wise there's not a whole lot of downside to the R61.

from: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.a ... ewsID=3685

To each their own. Personally, I'd take the T over the R. I carry it around almost daily, and so thinner and lighter is something that is a must. However, I also get a business discount on them, and pay considerably less than retail. Not sure what a similarly spec'd R goes for compared to the T.

They use the same motherboard, CPU, Memory, etc so the performance is the same. The only difference is the size, weight and price.

Regarding the size of 15.4" widescreen models, I've had both T & R series units.

They are both VERY big and neither feels light. The T looks OK, due to the premium cover finish and barely acceptable thickness (thinness?). The R61 is enormous. It is thick, heavy, and the large expanse of ABS plastic (a.k.a. the back cover) make it look rather cheap.

Regarding performance, as mentioned above, same specs = same speeds. Both feel solid.

If it's going to sit on a desk, the R61 is OK, if you ever have to take it with you, grab the T61. Better yet, get a smaller LCD!

lbraasch wrote:the R series is a lot heavier.

The R series used to be a lot heavier than the T series, but starting with the T61/R61, the gap has become much smaller, only 0.2 lbs as pointed out by ryengineer. The price difference has also decreased.

You can get a 1920 x 1200 WUXGA screen for the T61p but not for any R series.

You can get a blu-ray Ultrabay Enhanced drive to play back 1920 x 1080 high definition for the R series but you can't get one for the T series....

but you can't get 1920 x 1080 for the R series, only the T series.

Oh well. Life is a compromise.