Debating a T60 (WARNING! Pictures Inside)

[Fakenjones]

Hey guys,

I currently own a T61 6463-CTO (2GB, T8100, 160GB HD, CDRW/DVD, 15.4'' 1280x800). I have owned it for about a year and a half and it has been amazing to me so far. Back when I bought it off the Lenovo website, the T400 had just been introduced and I got it for 650 USD + tax etc, a good deal by my view. My first Thinkpad and it was great.

Now, I am thinking of getting my dad a used T60. I am being offered the following for $350 CAD. It is also apparently missing the plastic grill over the fan/heat sink. I get the feeling that the seller is asking too much but I thought I would get your opinions on it. (PS: if someone's looking to sell a T61 for under $400, let me know as well).

Thanks in advance for all your help.

PRODUCT BEING OFFERED:


Product: ThinkPad T60 2623-K8U [change]
Operating system: All [change]

Original description: T5600(1.83GHz), 1GB RAM, 80GB 5400rpm HD, 15in 1400x1050 LCD, 64MB ATI Radeon X1300, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11abg wireless, Bluetooth/Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, Fingerprint reader, 9c Li-Ion batt, WinXP Pro

[sjthinkpader]

Good shape makes a lot of difference. Does the KB and bezel have shiny spots, fan run smoothly, HDD included. If there are things you will need to replace, then even a good deal turn expensive quick. Given that the Lenovo Outlet store has machines around <$500. Those may be better too.

[Fakenjones]

Hey,

Thanks for the quick reply.

I have not seen the laptop yet (I will be bringing it home for a trial run tonight) so I am not sure of the overall shape except for listed damage. What do you mean by KB, and what does it mean if KB and bezel have shiny spots?

I have also been able to negotiate to 2GB RAM (from 1GB) and a DVDRW drive for a reduced price of $325 CAD. I am now leaning strongly towards buying the laptop but any final thoughts by you guys will be much appreciated.

In particular I wanted to swap out my CDRW/DVD from my T61 and place the DVDRW in the T61 and the CDRW/DVD in the newly purchased T60. I'm just wondering whether it will fit, and whether it will be fully compatible.

Thanks for all your help. I need to make a decision by tomorrow so I will keep you guys updated also.

Sincerely,
Faken Jones

[sktn77a]

It really depends on your local market in Canada and the condition of the computer. That would be a decent price in the US for what you have negotiated, if it is in very good condition. Check the hinges for play, the case for cracks, the display for any trace of pink or red on cold bootup. The optical drives can be shared between T6x computers.

[RealBlackStuff]

KB = keyboard

[ajkula66]

If the screen is clean it's worth every cent, since it's a FlexView...

My $0.02 only...

[Fakenjones]

Arite guys,

So I've been playing around with the new T60 for a few days. The screen's nice except for one blemish (see below) and except for the battery being dead, I'm pretty pleased with the experience.

I've added a few pictures below for your pleasure and comments. Let me know what you guys think of the laptop as a whole and for the damages (the broken heat sink grill and that spot on the screen)

Thanks and Enjoy:
(PS I made the pics as small as I could so hopefully it doesn't cause issues)


General





Laptop At A Glance







Screen (Which I've been think is a Flexview)



The Damage

[Harryc]

The heatsink grill missing would bother me more than the tiny pressure mark on the LCD....but I am a perfectionist when it comes to Thinkpads. If it works, enjoy it. I am familiar with that model..very nice.

[ajkula66]

Change the battery very soon so you don't damage the charging circuit and ride on...

I'm on the opposite end of the table from Harry - pressure mark would bother me a lot where the missing grille wouldn't... ...but it's your machine, so the important thing is how you like it...

Enjoy!

[AIX]

Now I realize that my refurbished T60 I bought recently is in a pretty good shape - just one pressure mark on the screen (which not bother me), two lid cover scratches and a little bit worned out on the edges of the top lid cover (this bother me a little - probably I'm the the same Harryc's Thinkpad perfectionist wagon). The battery was a new one (11/2009).

The missing heatsink grill would drive me crazy - and that shade on the left side of the palmrest would bother me.

[pianowizard]

Screen (Which I've been think is a Flexview)

It does seem to have wide viewing angles, but it seems to me the resolution is set to only 1024x768. Is that the highest it can go? You may not have installed the correct driver.

[jimmy274]

I agree with pianowizzard - it's just plain sad running SXGA+ display at XGA resolution. Other than that, I would change the base plastic cover and palmrest (they're really ugly).
As far as I'm concerned, you've couldn't go better than that - as IPS displays are no longer offered, I find T60/p and T60/T61 frankenpads to be the best thinkpads today.

[Crunch]

It seems as though the spot on the screen is barely visible, so it looks like you're good to go. It's obviously completely up to you as to what, if anything, you want to do about the purely aesthetic issues. Be sure not to damage the heatsink, as T60's have been known to get hot hot hot.

[Fakenjones]

Hey,

@pianowizard and @jimmy274
Its true the resolution can definitely be increased but unfortunately it makes things too small for the person using it to see. That's not to say that I don't do a quick change every time I'm using it. Also, I find the T60s converted me to preferring a non-widescreen format.

@AIX and @jimmy274
About the palmrest and base plastic cover, though they don't really worry me too much (well maybe the palm rest), where would be an ideal place to get these pieces. And are they easily self-serviceable and do the parts usually come with some form of diagram/instructions to replace?

@ajkula66:
Thanks for the batter tip. I replaced the battery with a 9 cell I had purchased here and its running pretty flawless. The only thing I find amazing is the T61 seems to be much much much better at power consumption. I tried the same battery in both, and found that with a personalized maximum battery plan almost identical in both computers, the T61 lasts almost 5:30 hrs, and the T60 almost 4:30 hrs. I was sorta shocked at the difference in technology but its good to know I guess.

[sjthinkpader]

...pianowizard and @jimmy274
Its true the resolution can definitely be increased but unfortunately it makes things too small for the person using it to see. That's not to say that I don't do a quick change every time I'm using it. Also, I find the T60s converted me to preferring a non-widescreen format. ...

Set the correct resolution then set the DPI setting to higher DPI. This will make the fonts larger.

[Fakenjones]

ah its been so long since I've even thought about that feature,i completely forgot about it. Thanks.