Lenovo Thinkpad T61 released!

Message

iatacs19 · #1 Post by **iatacs19** » Wed May 09, 2007 8:20 am

http://tinyurl.com/2swuww

Some highlights:

* Intel® Turbo Memory hard drive cache: Intel Turbo Memory 1GB

* nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M

* PC Card Slot & Media Card Slot

* PC Card Slot & Smart Card Slot

* 14.1 WXGA+ TFT, w/o Camera

* Genuine Windows XP Professional

* 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm with Disk Encryption

CRSO · #2 Post by **CRSO** » Wed May 09, 2007 8:32 am

Niiiiice.

I want one.

#3 Post by **ryengineer** » Wed May 09, 2007 8:35 am

Wow, looks pretty good decent deal.

gt5l · #4 Post by **gt5l** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:06 am

The pric eis right but they are Wide Screen right? What is the capacity of the nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M? The GPU I have now iw 256mb, will the nVIDIA offer more?

acheta · #5 Post by **acheta** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:11 am

i wonder where the battery is placed in the new t61 and whether the 4 cell and 6 cell are both integrated. But I like the inforced lcd lid, this possibly translates into "no pressure marks anymore"?

gt5l · #6 Post by **gt5l** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:13 am

Does this have the new intel chip?????????

andyP · #7 Post by **andyP** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:27 am

gt5l wrote:The pric eis right but they are Wide Screen right? What is the capacity of the nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M? The GPU I have now iw 256mb, will the nVIDIA offer more?

That's a 128 MB GPU.

#8 Post by **ryengineer** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:29 am

gt5l wrote:The pric eis right but they are Wide Screen right? What is the capacity of the nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M? The GPU I have now iw 256mb, will the nVIDIA offer more?

Widescreen, yes.

128 MB, I believe.

Does this have the new intel chip?????????

Ofcourse.

gt5l · #9 Post by **gt5l** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:37 am

Thanks for the responses, I guess I will keep my T60p the cons outwiegh the pros

iatacs19 · #10 Post by **iatacs19** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:37 am

I can't find more details about the screen.

nits? glossy or matte? response time?

I was about to click buy, except that I read Lenovoblogs and they said there will be more models coming out in the next weeks. So I am thinking a T61p is due? Not that I need the Professional version, but more choices are always good.

jeffm · #11 Post by **jeffm** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:38 am

Time for a T61 forum? Or just change the name of this one to T6x?

#12 Post by **ryengineer** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:40 am

iatacs19 wrote:I can't find more details about the screen.
nits? glossy or matte? response time?
I was about to click buy, except that I read Lenovoblogs and they said there will be more models coming out in the next weeks.

More models are definitely expected. As far as the screen is concerned, I'll be waiting for someone to buy one and comment on it.

iatacs19 · #13 Post by **iatacs19** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:53 am

I had the T60p with 1400x1050, but I sold it because the screen was just poor quality. It looked ok in XP, but it was horrible in Vista with Cleartype turned on. The screen was also very dim.

I basically downgraded to an hp DV2000t while waiting for the T61, but I have grown to really like the hp's screen. It's the glossy kind, but it's super bright and really sharp.

WXGA is somewhat of a low resolution, but I am worried that if the T61's screen is crap like my previous T60p then I won't choose WXGA+ and stick with just WXGA. I am hoping for an improved LCD choice from Lenovo...

But overall the new T61 looks like a winner both in features and price! $1300 gets you a very decent T61 config!

kamaleon · #14 Post by **kamaleon** » Wed May 09, 2007 10:05 am

I vote for a new T61 section

regarding the quadro 140M, i've stumbled upon this a couple of days ago:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=120217

Sounds like it's the mutt's nuts

#15 Post by **ryengineer** » Wed May 09, 2007 10:11 am

iatacs19 wrote:WXGA is somewhat of a low resolution, but I am worried that if the T61's screen is crap like my previous T61p

I am sure you meant your T60p.

But overall the new T61 looks like a winner both in features and price! $1300 gets you a very decent T61 config!

I can't agree more with you. Price sounds very reasonable.

gt5l · #16 Post by **gt5l** » Wed May 09, 2007 10:18 am

yes T60p

slojes · #17 Post by **slojes** » Wed May 09, 2007 11:19 am

I found this document - has more information about the T61 than the Lenovo site:
http://www.notebookreview.com/assets/22089.pdf

slowernet · #18 Post by **slowernet** » Wed May 09, 2007 11:42 am

Overall, these look nice to me - or they will when the 4x3s are released. Great intro prices too.

However, two questions about the machines currently available:

Still no onboard DVI? What, do they need to save space in case the parallel port comes back?

Why ship with 667MHz RAM when the chipset features a brand new 800MHz bus?

Bigben · #19 Post by **Bigben** » Wed May 09, 2007 11:49 am

andyP wrote:
gt5l wrote:The pric eis right but they are Wide Screen right? What is the capacity of the nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M? The GPU I have now iw 256mb, will the nVIDIA offer more?
That's a 128 MB GPU.

According to Nvidia's site, the 140M comes in 128 and 256mb options.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro_nvs ... specs.html

If Lenovo does not offer the 256mb option, that's going to be a deal breaker for me. I'm looking to buy a laptop sometime in the next 2 months, and the T61 is at the top of my list right now, but it also depends what comes out from the HP and Dell business line.

kamaleon · #20 Post by **kamaleon** » Wed May 09, 2007 11:55 am

According to that chart, Bigben, it supports turbocache to go and fetch a few more megabytes on the system bus. As long as that's enough (=2GB) then i reckon it's all good baby innit?

Bigben · #21 Post by **Bigben** » Wed May 09, 2007 12:13 pm

kamaleon wrote:According to that chart, Bigben, it supports turbocache to go and fetch a few more megabytes on the system bus. As long as that's enough (=2GB) then i reckon it's all good baby innit?

Turbocache is no substitute for onboard memory IMO. 128mb barely cuts it these days. I'm sure I could live with it, but I'm looking to maximize my options now so that the laptop lasts me a bit longer. Santa Rosa laptops are just coming out now, so I have a bit of time to wait for the dust to settle before picking a laptop. So far, I've been more impressed with some of HPs offerings than Lenovo, but I've always wanted to buy a Thinkpad because of their legendary build quality.

andyP · #22 Post by **andyP** » Wed May 09, 2007 12:17 pm

Bigben wrote:

According to Nvidia's site, the 140M comes in 128 and 256mb options.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro_nvs ... specs.html

If Lenovo does not offer the 256mb option, that's going to be a deal breaker for me. I'm looking to buy a laptop sometime in the next 2 months, and the T61 is at the top of my list right now, but it also depends what comes out from the HP and Dell business line.

There is no disputing that there is a 256 option from nVidia, unfortunately it's not an option which Lenovo have chosen to take

In the 16 models announced in Europe there is the 128 version or Intel GMA X3100 as GPU options. What's even worse is, the Tabook also says the same

kamaleon · #23 Post by **kamaleon** » Wed May 09, 2007 12:31 pm

Bigben wrote:Turbocache is no substitute for onboard memory IMO. 128mb barely cuts it these days. I'm sure I could live with it, but I'm looking to maximize my options now so that the laptop lasts me a bit longer.

Don't get me wrong mate, but I don't really get it... if you could "live with it" then why not be happy with some "extra" ram coming from the system bus?

So far, I've been more impressed with some of HPs offerings than Lenovo, but I've always wanted to buy a Thinkpad because of their legendary build quality.

You're probably right when saying that other brands are a lot more flexible in their offers, but then again, if you want the Thinkpad because of their legendary ruggedness then that sets it doesn't it?
I know where you're coming from, i really do. I'm pretty impressed that the T61 is finally offering a lot of the things that lenovo/ibm kept on being stubborn about (basic stuff that laptops have had since a few generations, like firewire, memory card readers, webcams, nvidia cards, etc etc). Sometimes i wondered if IBM/lenovo shared ideas with apple on how to keep their specs monolithic and manage to keep the odd basic feature out... mind you, DVI is still being left out on the T61...

Bigben · #24 Post by **Bigben** » Wed May 09, 2007 12:35 pm

andyP wrote:Bigben wrote:

According to Nvidia's site, the 140M comes in 128 and 256mb options.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro_nvs ... specs.html

If Lenovo does not offer the 256mb option, that's going to be a deal breaker for me. I'm looking to buy a laptop sometime in the next 2 months, and the T61 is at the top of my list right now, but it also depends what comes out from the HP and Dell business line.
There is no disputing that there is a 256 option from nVidia, unfortunately it's not an option which Lenovo have chosen to take
In the 16 models announced in Europe there is the 128 version or Intel GMA X3100 as GPU options. What's even worse is, the Tabook also says the same

That's very disappointing. For all the praise that's been given about the T61, I have very mixed feelings. The new case design seems great, Turbo Memory is nice, but I don't see a webcam option on Lenovo's customization screen, resolution hasn't changed, and now no option for a 256mb version of the 140M. Plus the fact you can't get both an Expresscard slot and a media reader? I recognize I'm being nitpicky but these things are important to me. Some of these things I can live without (Expresscard, webcam), but when the list gets bigger and bigger it's time to look elsewhere to see if another manufacturer can meet my needs.

Looks like the Thinkpad will not be my next laptop purchase

kamaleon · #25 Post by **kamaleon** » Wed May 09, 2007 12:42 pm

Bigben wrote:Plus the fact you can't get both an Expresscard slot and a media reader? I recognize I'm being nitpicky but these things are important to me.

Have you noticed this too? I mentioned this earlier on on another thread. Yeah that's a major bummer for me too.
I have a pcmcia senao wireless card that i don't think i can live without and i feel disappointed one can't get that + express card + card reader at the same time.

Has HP released their santa rosa models yet?

Last time i was comparing what could be compared, there were only 3 lines from 3 brands left: HP, dell latitudes (and precision) and tpads. But HPs don't definetly feel as strong as tpads and dells ar quite bulkier and bigger and way more scratcheable...

so at the end of the day it all comes down to the same 'ol ****

dandrop · #26 Post by **dandrop** » Wed May 09, 2007 12:48 pm

This is Lenovo's first offereings for the T61. The options are pretty limited right now, such as no built in webcam, limited RAM on the video card etc. Hopefully, lenovo's options will expand within the next few weeks.

andyP · #27 Post by **andyP** » Wed May 09, 2007 12:53 pm

Bigben wrote:

Looks like the Thinkpad will not be my next laptop purchase

Sorry to hear that

IMHO you should wait a little - these are the first models officially announced, inofficially the 14W has been known about since Feb. I like some of the new features and also couldn't care less about others. I don't need firewire or a cam, a card reader would be OK, but I can live with my PCMCIA CF adapter. (What I'm waiting for is a 14" in 4:3 format with big fat system performance and SXGA+). However at some point there will be a workover of the 15,4", (which hasn't been long on the market), and it will be interesting to see what they can fit in in all that extra space that's available.

gt5l · #28 Post by **gt5l** » Wed May 09, 2007 1:01 pm

Ok here is a question, will the new intel santa rosa chip work in the current t60p? Will that overcome the 3gb memory limitation we currently have with the non santa rosa chips?

kamaleon · #29 Post by **kamaleon** » Wed May 09, 2007 1:03 pm

andyP wrote:it will be interesting to see what they can fit in in all that extra space that's available.

Let's hope so... though i don't think they don't fit stuff because of limited space as smaller laptops have those sort of features...

Bigben · #30 Post by **Bigben** » Wed May 09, 2007 1:12 pm

andyP wrote:Bigben wrote:

Looks like the Thinkpad will not be my next laptop purchase
Sorry to hear that
IMHO you should wait a little - these are the first models officially announced, inofficially the 14W has been known about since Feb. I like some of the new features and also couldn't care less about others. I don't need firewire or a cam, a card reader would be OK, but I can live with my PCMCIA CF adapter. (What I'm waiting for is a 14" in 4:3 format with big fat system performance and SXGA+). However at some point there will be a workover of the 15,4", (which hasn't been long on the market), and it will be interesting to see what they can fit in in all that extra space that's available.

I'm definitely going to take my time before deciding what to get, since I won't need this laptop until around July or so. PCMag has a good roundup of Santa Rosa laptops right now, reading through some of the reviews. They love the T61, battery life is lacking though.

Lenovo Thinkpad T61 released!

Lenovo Thinkpad T61 released!

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