How do R series compare to other laptops?

[marlinspike]

I have a T series, and I've used X series Thinkpads, so I know those are great. My friend needs a new laptop and while a T or Z doesn't fit in his budget (he wants 15"), but an R will. I know R's are not quite T's, but are they at least better than the average HP/Dell/Toshiba?

[pianowizard]

I haven't used or even touched an R series but if your friend doesn't mind getting a used Thinkpad, the A31p with 15" UXGA Flexview display is a relatively cheap option. I bought a near-mint A31p four months ago for $428 shipped, and it should now be possible to get one for even less.

[marlinspike]

He wants new, 3 year warranty, 15", dedicated graphics, 5400rpm or faster HDD, 1 or more gb ram, vista (he doesn't want to buy something already mid-obsoletion), $1300.

[pianowizard]

Excepting the 3-year warranty, an A31p can easily meet all the other criteria, and has a higher display resolution than any R series currently available, but costs only half as much.

[marlinspike]

You're not going to get a good dedicated graphics chip in an old laptop.

[tfflivemb2]

I am currently using an R40, and I like it as much as my T2x/T30.

I agree that if your friend is looking for a new one, then the R series might be worth it...HOWEVER, you might want to look at some of the lower end T60s. There was a post here not too long ago about someone having them for about $1200-1300.

He can always upgrade ram and hard drive outside of Lenovo, and save a great deal of money off of Lenovo's prices.

[underclocker]

The R5x series are all fine, durable and solid-feeling.

I have owned several along with several T4x machines and the R's feel more solid in some ways. They are 1/2 pound more, so it shouldn't be surprising.

[NS]

Go for either the R52 or the R60. How can you compare a thinkpad with a Dell??? The R series is 100% better than a Dell in terms of durability and quality.

[marlinspike]

Go for either the R52 or the R60. How can you compare a thinkpad with a Dell??? The R series is 100% better than a Dell in terms of durability and quality.

That's all I needed to know. I knew one of the Lenovo computers was just like regular laptops, but I wasn't sure if it was the Thinkpad R or the 3000 series.

[thePCxp]

I agree, go for either the R52 or the R60. The R series may not be the T series but they are similar and they are as good as the T series and they are also better than the other brands (They're ThinkPad's!).

[NS]

thePCxp wrote:

I agree, go for either the R52 or the R60. The R series may not be the T series but they are similar and they are as good as the T series and they are also better than the other brands (They\'re ThinkPad\'s!).

The R series thinkpads are similar to the T series but they are cheaper than the T series.

If you want to compare the R series to a Dell, then i can say Dell s*cks! Only if you are a laptop beginner or someone just starting to learn how to use a computer, then you go for a Dell. Example: Just compare the hinges with our thinkpads!

[pianowizard]

Example: Just compare the hinges with our thinkpads!

Many older Thinkpads's hinges are very loose too. I remember that both of the X22's that I owned swayed like crazy.

[tomh009]

Example: Just compare the hinges with our thinkpads!

Many older Thinkpads's hinges are very loose too. I remember that both of the X22's that I owned swayed like crazy.

My dad's Latitude C400 screen would no longer stand up at all after three years of relatively light use. On a coworker's C400 the hinges fell apart completely. And it's still happening even on the new D620s.

My X31 still has no play in the hinges ...

[pianowizard]

My X31 still has no play in the hinges ...

I am remembering more now. All four of my TP240/240X's had very loose hinges. Of the four Dell laptops (all Inspiron) I've owned, two (600m and 700m) had perfectly tight hinges. My current Inspiron 6000's lid sways quite a bit (~0.5 inches max), but my T60's isn't perfectly tight either. I really haven't noticed any consistent difference between Dell and Thinkpad as far as hinge strength is concerned.

[SafeHarbor]

I have an R52 made in October 2005, and it has been a good PC for me. I've had no trouble with it, but it is beginning to show its age. The 1.73 gHz processor won't run with the big boys. It can't show iTunes TV with stuttering at old-style VGA res. (My 2.3 gHz AMD 64x2 main PC can do this without breaking a sweat while I'm working and surfing, too.)

I suggest that your friend go for the most powerful processor and video hardware he can find in his price range.

My first TP was a T21. I loved it. The 52, in my humble opinion, is the equal in quality and build, but it's heavier and actually a bit of a moose to carry around.

I LOVE the 15" screen. I use it in a travel trailer and sit about three feet back from it. I keep the screen pretty erect, and I have no trouble seeing it.

Well, I've checked in on my favorite ThinkPad forum. Now I'm going to close down everything I can and watch last night's episode of BattleStar Galactica. I don't have a TV, cable, or satellite, so I get it a day late from iTunes. After I watch it, I'll burn it to a DVD that I can watch later on the big box, if I feel so inclined.

Lamar

[pianowizard]

IMy friend needs a new laptop and while a T or Z doesn't fit in his budget (he wants 15"), but an R will.

How could I forget to mention this: Tell him to access Lenovo through http://usa.visa.com/personal and get up to 20% off. With this additional discount, he might be able to afford a T or Z series.

[dr_st]

The R series are thicker and heavier, but have all the features and performance of the T series. This does not apply to the "economy" models - R50e, R51e and R60e. The -e- models have some major features missing (touchpad, ultrabay, docking station support, stereo speakers, hi-res screens, APS hard drive protection etc). Whether these are important enough is up to each user to decide.

As a first recommendation for someone wanting to get a modern computer and is looking into the R series, I'd suggest R60. R5x series are older technology. While it still packs a punch, it's not a very good investment today. I myself still have a T42. It works very well, but if I were to buy a new laptop today, I would look into the newer, Core (2) Duo models.

I think that R60 (or at least R60e) should be well within the price range of $1300.

Now, if you're willing to settle for older technology, I'd look into R51 over R52, assuming one can be got new with warranty. It will be cheaper, you will have the option of a Flexview screen, and the R52 may be more prone to heat/noise issues (just like T43 compared to a T42) and will also have issues with third party hard disks (again, like T43).

[NS]

Not entirely true. My R52 is extremely quiet and well behaved.

Except the HDD 2010 error which irritates me a lot.

[Puppy]

Major drawback of current R series is there are no longer models with IPS (FlexView) displays. The latest model was R51.

[STSinNYC]

I have two Thinkpads and like the quality and reliability. But I have also had Dell Latitudes and Inspirons at work and they have performed very well. Much as we like our Thinkpads, saying that they are "100% better" then Dells isn't helpful.

Your friend might want to look closely at the pricing on the T60 line, he might very well be able to get the specs he wants for his budget. But he won't suffer terrible agony if he ends up with a high-end Inspiron.

[Fusion]

Concerning the hinges: I think IBM made a few mistakes with the X series, my X21 also has loose hinges. Taking it apart and tightening them helped a bit, but not totally. But considering that it is a 5 year old notebook used in a large company and noone really took care of it, I think it did a good job.

Take any NEW Dell, Compaq, Asus or Acer (bleh) and try putting the display 3 inches above closed position. None of them hold. The hinges aren't made for the weight. The lcd then gets big hits. I was at ElectroWorld the other day checking out notebooks and all of them had the same problem. Especially the Toshibas and others with 17" humungous lcds. My old T23 and T21, even the X21 all hold in this position.
All of my friends that have various notebooks never understood how the T23 display could be so firm.

[schen]

I have two Thinkpads and like the quality and reliability. But I have also had Dell Latitudes and Inspirons at work and they have performed very well. Much as we like our Thinkpads, saying that they are "100% better" then Dells isn't helpful.

I agree completely with this assessment. After supporting both Dells and IBMs for some years, I've learned to become pragmatic about different branding.

In general I prefer the "fit and finish" on TPs to Dells (they generally feel cheaper to me), but when they are on a 3 year "life-cycle" program, it's became fairly irrelevent. So if budget allowed, I'd by ThinkPads (particularly for workers who traveled a lot), if not, I never hesitated to buy Dell Latitude. My one exception was that I learned to absolutely hate the C600 series and eliminated them from our inventory as fast as possible. We also never bought Inspirons while I was responsible since the support for that line was geared toward consumers.

Overall, I'd always lean toward IBMs, but Dell was a great alternative in a price/performance equation.

[pianowizard]

Overall, I'd always lean toward IBMs, but Dell was a great alternative in a price/performance equation.

That's probably the least biased comparison between the two brands that I've seen on this forum. I feel that the quality difference between Thinkpads and Dell laptops is pretty much commensurate with the price difference between them. By getting a Dell, you sacrifice some (though not much) quality, but also save some (though not much) money. You just get what you pay for, so neither Thinkpads nor Dells are ripoffs.

Now, marlinspike, has your friend decided which Thinkpad to get yet? Has he tried the Visa site that I suggested?

[tomh009]

Overall, I'd always lean toward IBMs, but Dell was a great alternative in a price/performance equation.

That's probably the least biased comparison between the two brands that I've seen on this forum. I feel that the quality difference between Thinkpads and Dell laptops is pretty much commensurate with the price difference between them. By getting a Dell, you sacrifice some (though not much) quality, but also save some (though not much) money. You just get what you pay for, so neither Thinkpads nor Dells are ripoffs.

I agree with that statement ... Dell is not a rip-off. But in my personal price-quality equation, the Dell cost savings are far outweighed by the ThinkPad quality. As always, your personal value judgements may vary.

As an aside, HP is currently eating Dell's lunch in the marketplace so we may have to start comparisons to HP rather than Dell soon!

Footnote: my Dell experience is strictly with C- and D-series Latitudes, have never used an Inspiron. Have only admired how well they can hold a desk in place with all that weight they give you for free.

[pianowizard]

As always, your personal value judgements may vary.

And also how we treat our laptops. For those who like to abuse their laptops, the quality difference between Thinkpads and Dells may be more pronounced. By contrast, I always take very good care of all of my laptops and perhaps that's why I haven't had any significant problems with Dell.

As an aside, HP is currently eating Dell's lunch in the marketplace so we may have to start comparisons to HP rather than Dell soon!

I still haven't used a single HP laptop! Hopefully, I can get a cheap (<$600) HP nc2400 by the end of the year.

Have only admired how well they can hold a desk in place with all that weight they give you for free.

There are light Inspirons out there, including some that weigh less than 3 lbs. You don't see them often because people who buy Dells tend to be those who want the most specs for their money, so they are naturally attracted to desktop-replacement laptops.

We'll see some huge giant Thinkpads when/if Lenovo starts offering 17" models!

[schen]

When I was working at Texas Tech, we were very much a "Dell Shop" where we were encouraged both by the constant interaction and preferential pricing, but also by the added complexity in buying anything else. We had a lot of tech workshops with Dell reps. the way they explained it to us was the Latitude was their "professional" line designed to be workhorses... maybe not the latest "bleeding edge" hardware, but would work and work. That being said, every manufacturer has some better series than others. We had great luck with the C800s... very heavy 3 spinal machines, but extremely stable with our software load. The C600s on the other hand (although very popular in the marketplace), were eye rollers for us. We also did a few of the ultra-lights, but not enough for me to commentate on.

But it turned out where (after a lot of hard work), I was able to get into the R40s for a very similar price-point, so I switched us to those and to the T40s for more mobile workers.

Snipped overly long, nested quote.

I'm really hoping for a 17" desktop replacement ThinkPad some time soon. My wife is on her 3rd (Currently A31) A Series machine and they have been great to her. I just wish they had a bigger screen to help her with her poor vision. She never take her machine out of the house, so weight isn't an issue; she just likes to be able to close it and put it away and not have a huge monitor... like most women I know.

[nyu3]

I bought my T60 new for $1150
Core 2 Duo 2.0ghz, 1.5GB RAM, Radeon X1400, 1400x1050 Screen, and a 40gb hard drive.

Bought a new 120GB drive for $100 recently.

[masterus]

Hi

For 1263$ your friend can have new T series:
- C2D T5500
- 512MB RAM
- 60GB HDD
- 15" XGA
- 64MB ATI X1300
- DVD-DL
- FingerPrintReader
- Vista Home Premium

Regards

[pianowizard]

I bought my T60 new for $1150
Core 2 Duo 2.0ghz, 1.5GB RAM, Radeon X1400, 1400x1050 Screen, and a 40gb hard drive.

That sounds like a very good deal! Where did you get that? And is that Canadian dollars?

[Chiana]

I have a R40 with the 14" screen. Its great with the exception of a few problems:

1) With "ThinkPad PM Device" enabled in the device manager each time I bring it out of standby or hibernate it goes back in a second time before it will be usable. I.e. it goes to sleep on its own after I bring it out. By disabling the PM device I also lose some of the Fn keys such as shutting the screen off or turn the wireless on or off manually. Most of the other ones work.

2) It won't switch over from the main battery to the bay battery on its own. If I am running on the main battery I must hibernate or shut down, then remove the main battery to get it to use the bay battery.

3) The screen is kind of dim and less vibrant then some other machines I have seen.

Besides those issues I like it. Its quick, fairly light, decent battery life and built well.