I finally joined the SXGA+ club...

[Eric Giles]

...and I wish it hadn't taken this long. Today I received the X61 Tablet that I won off of ebay last week. I have been keeping an eye on X61 tablet auctions on and off for a couple of months trying to find one of the elusive SXGA+ models. My current XGA X61t was working fine, but there were numerous times that I needed the extra screen real estate.

When I look at the auctions, I always copy/paste the machine type/model number into Lenovo's support page to check the configuration. So when this 7762-95U was listed last week with the catch being that it showed 'fan error' upon turning on, I knew I had a chance to grab one at a decent price. This one came with the Ultrabase, CD-RW/DVD combo drive, ac adapter, original 80GB hard drive, stylus, and 8 cell battery-the complete setup, which is not the norm for used units on ebay. I wasn't worried about the fan error as I had dealt with this before on a recent $35 X60t purchase-just pull the fan apart, clean it up, and add one drop of lightweight household oil on the spindle and it is good to go.

But I cannot believe the condition the unit arrived in-I have dealt with many used Thinkpads over the years, but this is the most like new used laptop I have ever seen-it is absolutely mint-no marks, scratches, wear areas on the corners of the lid, nothing. No shine on the keyboard or palmrest, a pristine screen-just amazing overall. Sorry for gloating-I just usually don't see them this nice.

Anyway, took it apart-cleaned up the fan, gave it one small drop of oil, and put it all back together. Installed the 4GB RAM and Intel 320 80GB SSD with Windows 7 64 bit installed from my other X61t, then flashed it with the Middleton BIOS for SATA-II speeds. Fan error is gone and it is nice and quiet. The SXGA+ resolution on the 12.1" screen is just perfect-I now see why everyone wants one of these screens. Excellent brightness and clarity, and this one has none of the bubbling that has been mentioned before. The only other thing I might do is max out the RAM at 8GB-just because it can.

This was pretty much a pointless post, but it is nice after all of these years of repairing and playing around with Thinkpads that occasionally one comes along that gets you excited and makes you feel like a kid on Christmas. Now the problem is that it is so nice, I almost hate to use it...

[Raceboy]

Congrats! I fell in love instantly into my X60 Tablet SXGA+ screen!

[twistero]

So it was you who won that machine over me I hate you
Congratulations on getting a great deal!

[tinkerer]

So it was you who won that machine over me I hate you
Congratulations on getting a great deal!

was on my watch list...

[Eric Giles]

I definitely know how it feels losing out on a deal on ebay...it's happened to me numerous times. I had a feeling after seeing this unit listed that it was a keeper, and I was prepared to bid much higher than normal in order to win it.

What really makes these machines come alive (in addition to flashing them with the Middleton modified BIOS for SATA-II speeds) is installing a good quality SSD. I have installed SSD's in my previous X60T and these X61T's, and with the RAM maxed out and running Windows 7, the performance is excellent. Bootup times are very quick, launching applications is almost instantaneous, and there is basically no lag when using them for any task I have thrown at them. Obviously a newer Sandy Bridge based Thinkpad would have more raw processing power and overall speed, but for the everyday tasks that most people use a computer for these machines are more than adequate. I have yet found myself wanting for more processing power or overall speed.

With the way SSD prices are continuing to decrease, I can see a lot of 5 and 6 year old hardware becoming very useful again.

[cxd9615gb]

My R51 and T61 arrived in great condition from eBay. Had to replace my monitor lid and keyboard bezel on my X61s though, didn't really mind as I did get it dirt cheap and they're brand new parts but still.

I also went the way of SSD and installed a Crucial M4 in mine as well as bumping the RAM to 4GB.

Next on my list is an 8 cell and an SXGA+ screen.

I read about a "bubble" problem with the X61 Tablet, which put me off a bit. Only SXGA+ screen are affected apparently.

Nice get though, getting a top condition used laptop for cheap is great.