Looking at an outlet-purchased T61...need help deciding!

[sysiphus]

Hello all,

I'm currently about to pull the trigger on buying my first Thinkpad--a T61 from Lenovo's outlet site. Three quick questions:

1) Is it worth the risk getting an nVidia powered one? Is the Intel graphics model horrifically slower? I'm not big into games, but will do some light Solidworks work and the occasional bout of Unreal 2k4.

2) T61 as mentioned or T400? I hear that the T400 has some keyboard flex...in a Thinkpad?!?!

3) Any experiences using the Lenovo outlet? Is the warranty the same as the standard retail one? Can one get the warranty extended etc?

Thanks in advance for your help in getting this one-time Mac user "switched" back!

[sjthinkpader]

Each unit has warranty noted. New or redirects would be at least a year and 3 months for refurbished. I bought one with 3 years once. T400 uses DDR3 and SATA DVD drives. T61 uses DDR2 and IDE DVD drives.

[ausmike]

hi there......

FYI if someone is instrested in buying Lenovo Laptops; here is another option where prices are generally cheaper than 'outlet' prices @lenovo; eg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 46611-LN3D

Can be cheaper with coupon code 'EMCYRZP22' for $549.00

((nope I dont work for that eStore nor anyway conencted to them) Just found them to be very HONEST and GREAT PRICES with often FREE SHIPPING and Excellent CS people if something does go wrong@!@ > cant say same for leee NO vo))

[ZaZ]

Each unit has warranty noted. New or redirects would be at least a year and 3 months for refurbished. I bought one with 3 years once. T400 uses DDR3 and SATA DVD drives. T61 uses DDR2 and IDE DVD drives.

I thought all machine bought from the outlet were knocked down to a one year warranty, regardless of the what it had previously, and those warranties could not be upgraded, though it can take a while for the notebook to get updated in the warranty database.

[ajkula66]

ALL laptops from Outlet most certainly have a one-year non-extendable warranty at this time. Period.

[ZaZ]

ALL laptops from Outlet most certainly have a one-year non-extendable warranty at this time. Period.

So you're saying there's a chance?

[ajkula66]

@FredGarvin:

Chance of what? Extending the warranty - no.

[ZaZ]

Perhaps I should have used some s

[sysiphus]

Thanks for the input! Sounds like all the outlet machines come with a 1-year non-expandable warranty, full stop.

My choices (in my price range) are either a T61 14in widescreen with the ill-fated nVidia chipset, or a low-spec'ed T400/T500. The big downer to the T61 is obviously the volatile graphics chipset, whereas the T4/500s lose points for having integrated graphics, and the hardware quality (I understand that the keyboards stink (by Thinkpad standards) and that the plastics aren't up to par). Thoughts?

The higher RAM ceiling in the T400/T500 is appealing, as is the newer/cooler processor. So, I put it to the experts here

What would you buy?

(to reiterate my needs, I'll be using it as my main/only computer, for lots of word processing/programming, a bit of very light gaming [maybe], occasional Solidworks CAD stuff (nothing major). Good build quality/longevity (both build-wise and upgrade potential) are important.)

(I realize I could undercut my ~650+tax budget significantly buy buying a used clean T60(p), which would save the potential grief of the 61's graphics chip, while still providing excellent build quality etc etc...but a new/factory refurb'ed machine with warranty seems like the prudent way to go, since I can afford to do so.)

Thanks

[ajkula66]

In all fairness, I'd just plain forget about the T61 and move on to T400/500...

In my book, T61/p generation is easily forgettable. YMMV.

[ausmike]

Agrees with 'aj*" ..... t400/500 WILL DEFINATLY be my choice
(even getting an outlet one) , as we /I have had lots of exeriances with Tseries & Autocad/Design software and other BUSINESS apps; I can tell you - newer T400/r500 would be THE WAY to go (well worth the extra$) ...<<buying the cheapest t400 would be well worth compared to buying a higher end t6xp series)....my view>>

[Yacek]

Agrees with 'aj*" ..... t400/500 WILL DEFINATLY be my choice
(even getting an outlet one) , as we /I have had lots of exeriances with Tseries & Autocad/Design software and other BUSINESS apps; I can tell you - newer T400/r500 would be THE WAY to go (well worth the extra$) ...<<buying the cheapest t400 would be well worth compared to buying a higher end t6xp series)....my view>>

My choice would be T61p with NVidia.. I'm quite happy with mine piece of ThinkPad and never had problems with graphic chipset... with 4GB RAM and x64 Win7 system it's more than enough for non high-end gamer. WUXGA panel with 1920x1200 is perfect for engineering/graphic software incl. Autocad. Working from time to time also on Wx00 models I have a strange feeling that this is not good old IBM solid "black box". But of course this is my personal impression Basically I don't like low-end models even they are newer because of certain "touch of quality".

[twillis449]

Some of us actually use them Nvidia GPUs for serious scientific data processing. Programmed properly they can give a really big speed up over the standard CPU.

[ajkula66]

I don't think that what I've said in this thread is being understood properly...so let me clear the air a bit:

I was not disputing the performance of nVidia GPUs. I've owned a variety of T61/p units and am perfectly aware what they're capable of.

With that said, the debacle that involves defective nVidia chips installed on a variety of laptops, T61/p included, is way too troubling not to be taken into consideration. And Lenovo's response to the whole thing leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion.

One can search posts on Lenovo's own forum regarding the GPU issue on T61/p and come to their own conclusion. My opinion is that the matter is very serious and should not be dismissed lightly. This one might, given enough time, overshadow the notoriety of ATi GPU detachment on the T4x/R5x generation.

When buying a ThinkPad from the Outlet where the warranty is limited to one year, a prospect of having a time-bomb in it isn't very appetizing, at least not to myself. Especially for the fact that T400/500 and W500 that have none of the issues associated with nVidia chips can be had for just a few bucks more, and offer a comparable - at the very least - performance.

Having used both T61p and W500 in the same (15.4" WUXGA) format for quite some time and getting to know their strong and weak points quite well, if I had to choose one today it would be W500, hands down. And the prices - on today's subdued market - are not that far apart at all. Although the concept itself takes some getting used to, switchable graphics are a real treat on *00 series.

T60/p generation was the last one to offer IPS/AFFS LCDs which is why many people still hang on to them and will continue to do so for years to come. On the other side of the coin, T61/p units offer no comparable advantage over any other, newer, higher-end ThinkPad.

That's what I meant with "easily forgettable". They are not like good wine or women of undying beauty, aging gracefully and getting more desirable as the time passes. Quite the opposite.

That's why many of these machines with no warranty remaining can be had for next to nothing nowadays. And many people still choose to go with older and/or newer ThinkPads, regardless of the price.

I'm not the only re-seller who wouldn't touch an out-of-warranty nVidia-based T61/p with a ten-foot pole. There's quite a few of us out there.

That's one of the reasons why the prices of these machines will keep dropping...until they reach the "seriously-under-$250-level" where they'll stay until the cows come home.

Once again, YMMV.

[sysiphus]

Thanks for the input, all!

I was all set to go ahead and get a low-specced T400...but then I got a steal on a like-new barely used T60 (2623D6U) with 3GB of RAM in it. I've already got a new 320GB Scorpio Black 7200RPM drive to drop in it on arrival, so I"m going to go ahead and enjoy a T60 for the time being Probably will upgrade it to a T7400 or similar sometime soon, but for now, I think I'll be pretty happy as-is (planning on dual-booting Win7 and Fedora 12).

Should have the T60 by Thursday...can't wait for my first Thinkpad!

[sjthinkpader]

@FredGarvin:

Chance of what? Extending the warranty - no.

We just extended warranty on a X200s purchased from the Outlet. They did require a proof of purchase to activate the warranty. We purchased the extension from Cost Central/Erie Computers.

[ajkula66]

Two things come into play:

a) When the unit was purchased ( there was a cutoff date somewhere mid-last year).

b) Whether Lenovo will honour the extension, or just have the third party refund the money. Take a look here:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... ts#p532093

Keep us posted, sjthinkpader...

[sjthinkpader]

This computer was purchased in Feb and we extended from 1yr depot to 3yr onsite.

We never bought a refurbished, they were always new or redirected. There was even one that came with 3yr onsite.

The only things is, you can effectively do a one layer upgrade. If you made a 1yr to 3 yr upgrade, they will not do a 3yr to 4yr upgrade on top of that. You can however do a 1yr to 4 yr or 1yr to 5 yr upgrade before the 3yr one expires. The is controlled by the Type numbers and the upgrade part number that covers the original Type number of that machine.

[sysiphus]

As an update, I got my T60 on Thursday--and love it! Write me in as another happy Thinkpad user!

The keyboard is a fantastic upgrade from my Mac, and the 4x3 screen is a welcome switch as well. Now I'm debating getting a Core2Duo to replace the T2400 Even as-is, Win7 Ultimate runs very nicely on my Scorpio Black/3GB of RAM, but who doesn't want more power

[Crunch]

Thanks in advance for your help in getting this one-time Mac user "switched" back!

Congrats on your new ThinkPad!

Can I ask why you wanted to switch back from your Mac(Book?)? Just wondering, as I'm still pondering getting one. Thanks!

[sysiphus]

Congrats on your new ThinkPad!

Can I ask why you wanted to switch back from your Mac(Book?)? Just wondering, as I'm still pondering getting one. Thanks!

Thanks!

I switched back from a Macbook Pro because of two things: cost and expandability--the current 15in Macbook Pro has ZERO expansion slots and an integrated battery--neither of which are acceptable to me. Also, I'll be able to nearly cover the cost of my T60 plus a T7400 for it with what I'll get by selling the Mac. As a student on a VERY limited budget, the latter is particularly important.

(Also, last time I was computer shopping, the choices were either XP SP2 or OSX 10.4--an easy pick for OSX then. Win7 vs 10.6 is a tossup for everyday use in my book, and besides, I had to dual-boot to Windows to do my CAD work anyways.

[Harryc]

Also, I'll be able to nearly cover the cost of my T60 plus a T7400 for it with what I'll get by selling the Mac.

The math doesn't work out. A recent model Macbook Pro is worth twice what a T60 would be with every option you can imagine...unless there's something wrong with the MBP. Or do you have a much older Mac?

[sysiphus]

The math doesn't work out. A recent model Macbook Pro is worth twice what a T60 would be with every option you can imagine...unless there's something wrong with the MBP. Or do you have a much older Mac?

Yeah, my Mac is the first-generation Macbook Pro from 2006.

[ausmike]

Fyi..<-- has had a T60p - Model 2007 with OSX, Wind7 and Linux all in same laptop (with 2nd drive bay , holding Linux only)... had that laptop kicikin around since buying in 2007 and then last year it was a 'hang me down' to my nephew @ Arcth major student)

I would have much preffered T61P, but at that time didnt have money for Core2Duo intels,,,,,

As far as I know that laptop is still holding its own ( no hardware failures yet) agaisnt lots of MAC PRO (i love em Apples)

Cheers