R61 opinions?

Message

pablob · #1 Post by **pablob** » Wed May 16, 2007 11:18 pm

Hi!

It's about time to replace my ancient Inspiron 4000, and I've decided I'm willing to break the bank and go for a Thinkpad.

The new Santa Rosa ones (R61 and T61) look very sweet, and it seems I could actually afford one. But I've noticed that most of the threads about the Santa Rosa ones focus on the T61, and not many people discuss the R61. I am leaning towards getting an R61, since the hardware seems identical to the T61, I don't care that much about the small difference in size and weight (it will be used mostly as a "luggable" than a portable

), and it is a little bit cheaper.

So, any opinions on the R61? Is there any reason to get a T61 instead?

Thanks!

Bye & Good Luck!

Pablo B.

#2 Post by **ryengineer** » Thu May 17, 2007 9:01 pm

pablob wrote:Hi!I don't care that much about the small difference in size and weight (it will be used mostly as a "luggable" than a portable ), and it is a little bit cheaper.

R series machines are categorized as mainstreams usually. But R61 offers almost everything what T61 has, except little portability as you mentioned too. Since you're ok with very little more pounds so I say go for it.

pablob · #3 Post by **pablob** » Fri May 18, 2007 7:00 pm

ryengineer wrote:
R series machines are categorized as mainstreams usually. But R61 offers almost everything what T61 has, except little portability as you mentioned too. Since you're ok with very little more pounds so I say go for it.

Thanks for the advice! As soon as I finish with the work I am doing, I will probably go and get one (If I bought it now I would get too distracted

).

Bye & Good Luck!

Pablo B.

#4 Post by **ZaZ** » Sat May 19, 2007 5:22 am

I think the build quality will be almost the same. The T61 will have some higher end options like the better workstation cards and WWAN.

Since the R61 is a bit thicker it is more likely to accommodate a high def optical drives since the T61 still uses the super slim drives, if that is of significance to you.

Tholek · #5 Post by **Tholek** » Sun May 20, 2007 6:01 am

ryengineer wrote:
pablob wrote:Hi!I don't care that much about the small difference in size and weight (it will be used mostly as a "luggable" than a portable ), and it is a little bit cheaper.
R series machines are categorized as mainstreams usually. But R61 offers almost everything what T61 has, except little portability as you mentioned too. Since you're ok with very little more pounds so I say go for it.

"Almost". What would you say it lacks?

bontistic · #6 Post by **bontistic** » Sun May 20, 2007 7:27 am

Very few differences, smart card reader, T7700 CPU and WWAN, possibly more.

Tholek · #7 Post by **Tholek** » Sun May 20, 2007 7:38 am

Well, I can't afford anything beyond a T7300, can't afford a WWAN plan, and USB cardreaders are cheap.

I was wondering if there was anything more critical I had been missing. The T series having a higher standing and all...

bontistic · #8 Post by **bontistic** » Sun May 20, 2007 7:55 am

Well R61 will not be having a "p" version, been that way since the R51 so you cant have the high end Video chip on them.

Tholek · #9 Post by **Tholek** » Sun May 20, 2007 8:47 am

Well, the nVIDIA Quadro is an improvement over the base X3100. Neither are really high-end, but better than the 950.

bontistic · #10 Post by **bontistic** » Sun May 20, 2007 8:54 am

I was referring to the T61p which is rumored to use the FX 570M.

#11 Post by **ryengineer** » Sun May 20, 2007 11:04 am

bontistic wrote:Very few differences, smart card reader, T7700 CPU and WWAN, possibly more.

Except WWAN, you can configure R61 to have a smart card reader and T7700 processor options.

By almost I meant even though R61 is as powerful and identical in specs to T61 (except in portability again

), it is still and will remain a mainstream system and many (if not all) T series users won't be turning their backs for it.

If I had some spare $ left and were a user in need, I would've bought 1 for sure.

bontistic · #12 Post by **bontistic** » Sun May 20, 2007 11:37 am

I stand corrected, just checked the Lenovo site and found the T7700 and Smart Card configurable on an R61.

Tholek · #13 Post by **Tholek** » Sun May 20, 2007 10:15 pm

OK, then it seems the crux of the issue is weight and "girth" and that seems not too different either. I'll give the R some serious consideration.

pablob · #14 Post by **pablob** » Mon May 21, 2007 3:07 pm

Hi!

I've took the plunge and ordered one this morning (taking advantage of the Memorial Day sale). The web site estimates it will be shipped around June 1st.

Now you can get it with integrated camera!

Bye & Good Luck!

Pablo B.

#15 Post by **ryengineer** » Mon May 21, 2007 3:19 pm

pablob wrote:Hi!I've took the plunge and ordered one this morning (taking advantage of the Memorial Day sale). The web site estimates it will be shipped around June 1st.
Now you can get it with integrated camera!

Great!

Pablo, please do post some snap(s) if you're in possession of any digital camera. I would really like to see the look of it.

R61 looks a very promising machine from the specs and I am very positive you will adore it.

pablob · #16 Post by **pablob** » Mon May 21, 2007 4:50 pm

Hi!

ryengineer wrote:
Pablo, please do post some snap(s) if you're in possession of any digital camera. I would really like to see the look of it.

I will once I get it. Just be patient!

I just checked and the estimated ship date is June 6 (I probably misread it initially

)

ryengineer wrote: R61 looks a very promising machine from the specs and I am very positive you will adore it.

Oh yeah, I'm really looking forward to getting it!!

Bye & Good Luck!

Pablo B.

imataqito · #17 Post by **imataqito** » Wed May 30, 2007 3:07 pm

Is anyone else planning or have already purchased a R61? I just ordered one via my company's perks plan today, spec'ed as follows:

1 7742CT CONFIGURED SYSTEM
06/18/07
7742CTO CTO THINKPAD R61 1 YEAR DEPOT WARRANTY
42V8190 SBB INTEL CORE 2 DUO PRCESST7300
42V8011 VBB MS WIN VISTA HOME PREMIUM
42W7261 SBB MSWINVISTA H-PREM64 US ENG
42V9324 SBB 14.1WXGA +TFT,W/OCAM
42X0932 SBB INTELGMA960 W/1394, MEDIACARD
41W2060 VBB 1GB PC2-5300 667MHZ 1DIMM
42V8195 SBB KEYBOARD US ENGLISH
42W7032 SBB ULTRANAV(TRCKP+TOUCHP)
42V8709 SBB 120GB HDD,5400RPM
42V8717 SBB CD-RW/DVD-R.24X24X24X8UB-S
42X0805 SBB PC CARDSLOT EX CARDSLOT
42R9191 SBB THINKPAD 11N #1
62P6054 VBB INTEGR.BLUETOOTH PAN
42V9338 SBB 6 CELL LI-ION BATERRY
39T6442 SBB COUNTRY PACK NORTH AMERICA
27R1769 SBB PSTN CABLE
42W7087 SBB LP,US ENGLISH
42X1482 SBB BLUETOOTH W/ ANTENNA
42X1702 SBB BLUETOOTH SCREW
42V9647 SBB 14.1WXGA+W/OCAWWAN,W/BT11N
39T6440 SBB 56K V.92 DESIGNED MODEM
42W7330 SBB CL.PLATE R61WL+BT
42W7347 SBB FCC LABEL
42W7349 SBB GEO LABEL US,WLAN
41W2300 SBB LOGO PLATE
42W7327 SBB INT WLAN ANT14.1"(11ABGN)
42W7340 SBB MT 7742 SYSTEM LABEL
42X0948 SBB MECH MISC PARTS
42V7972 SBB MS LABEL (VISTA PREMIUM)
42T7135 SBB INTEL LABEL CORE-2
42X0914 SBB NO SIM MODEL
42X0941 SBB NVID QUADRONVS XXXX W/AM
42X1352 SBB PC CARDSLOT EXPRESCARDSLOT
42V9633 SBB STAND LCD C/B:14.1"W/O CAM
42X0915 SBB WLAN MISC PARTS
42V8063 SBB MS WAU ENGLISH NA-U MODELS
42W7124 SBB PACK US
42W7036 SBB 1GB PC2-5300 SODIMM MEM
41C9169 LENOVO THINKPLUS EXTENDED SERVICE AGREEMENT - 2 YEARS - PICK-UP AND RETURN

Hope that ship date holds up. This'll be the first new laptop in almost 4 years, I'm very excited!

Also, first post!

#18 Post by **tomh009** » Wed May 30, 2007 3:22 pm

pablob and imataqito, welcome to the forums! I think your choice is very good -- the R61 provides very, very good value, especially so if ultimate portability is not critical for you.

dhbelair · #19 Post by **dhbelair** » Wed May 30, 2007 4:06 pm

Any idea when the Blu-Ray burner will be out on the new R-series? My laptop is on last legs, but this is a key feature for me (going to use exclusively for data storage).

pablob · #20 Post by **pablob** » Wed May 30, 2007 4:28 pm

tomh009 wrote:pablob and imataqito, welcome to the forums! I think your choice is very good -- the R61 provides very, very good value, especially so if ultimate portability is not critical for you.

Thanks for the welcome!

And I hope they don't delay the R61s as they are doing to the T61s...

I've noticed the one I configured is about $30 cheaper today, but I am reluctant to try to get the price adjustment, because I cannot afford for the shipping to be delayed (and I guess that might be a side effect of the adjustment, although I don't know)!

dhbelair: I have no idea about the Blue-Ray, sorry!

Bye & Good Luck!

Pablo B.

imataqito · #21 Post by **imataqito** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 11:28 am

I got my R61 last Friday. Compared to my T40, I'm kinda disappointed by how much thicker it is (I'd estimate a little less then .5 cm). The screen is impressive, very bright and vibrant. I wiped the hard drive and did a clean install of Vista over the weekend and today is the first day of "real use". Everything seems very fast, esp the wireless adapter and I am especially please by how quiet this machine is. I really can't tell if the fan is spinning or not unless its deadly quiet and I put my ear to the side of the machine. I just ordered an extra 90W power adapter so I can have one at work and one at home. Overall, I'm pretty pleased by the machine and Lenovo in general. Of course, I was one of the lucky ones who's order wasn't delayed to hell. If anyone is interested, I can take some pictures of my R61 and post it online tonight.

Tholek · #22 Post by **Tholek** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 2:57 pm

Please do.

pablob · #23 Post by **pablob** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:46 pm

imataqito wrote:I got my R61 last Friday. Compared to my T40, I'm kinda disappointed by how much thicker it is (I'd estimate a little less then .5 cm). The screen is impressive, very bright and vibrant. I wiped the hard drive and did a clean install of Vista over the weekend and today is the first day of "real use". Everything seems very fast, esp the wireless adapter and I am especially please by how quiet this machine is. I really can't tell if the fan is spinning or not unless its deadly quiet and I put my ear to the side of the machine. I just ordered an extra 90W power adapter so I can have one at work and one at home. Overall, I'm pretty pleased by the machine and Lenovo in general. Of course, I was one of the lucky ones who's order wasn't delayed to hell. If anyone is interested, I can take some pictures of my R61 and post it online tonight.

Good for you! I'm unfortunately in the group of those "delayed to hell"...

Please post the pictures!

Is the screen glossy or matte?

Bye & Good Luck!

Pablo B.

#24 Post by **carbon_unit** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 7:38 pm

Compared to a T40 a T61will seem thick. The R61 is just a little thicker than the T61. The R series also has the same finish as the T series now.
The screen is matte not glossy, at least on the ones I have seen.

imataqito · #25 Post by **imataqito** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:33 am

pablob wrote:
imataqito wrote:I got my R61 last Friday. Compared to my T40, I'm kinda disappointed by how much thicker it is (I'd estimate a little less then .5 cm). The screen is impressive, very bright and vibrant. I wiped the hard drive and did a clean install of Vista over the weekend and today is the first day of "real use". Everything seems very fast, esp the wireless adapter and I am especially please by how quiet this machine is. I really can't tell if the fan is spinning or not unless its deadly quiet and I put my ear to the side of the machine. I just ordered an extra 90W power adapter so I can have one at work and one at home. Overall, I'm pretty pleased by the machine and Lenovo in general. Of course, I was one of the lucky ones who's order wasn't delayed to hell. If anyone is interested, I can take some pictures of my R61 and post it online tonight.
Good for you! I'm unfortunately in the group of those "delayed to hell"...

Please post the pictures!

Is the screen glossy or matte?

Bye & Good Luck!

Pablo B.

I've uploaded 3 pics to imageshack. Sorry about the crappy quality. I took them with my phone since I don't have my camera at the office.

A couple of other quick observations:
The 1440x900 widescreen is nice but I do miss the huge SXGA+ resolution from the T40. I love having massive amounts of screen real estate.
The speakers def don't get loud enough. Fortunately, its easy enough to boost volume through codecs.
I'm still not thrilled with the thickness but it doesn't seem any heavier then the T40 so that's a nice bonus.
I can not emphasis how quiet this system is. The fan is utterly silent. Big kudos to Lenovo for their new fan design.
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#26 Post by **ryengineer** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:12 am

ah, very nice, looks so similar to T61.

pablob · #27 Post by **pablob** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 8:25 pm

imataqito wrote: I've uploaded 3 pics to imageshack. Sorry about the crappy quality. I took them with my phone since I don't have my camera at the office.

Thanks for the pictures! It definitely has the "Thinkpad look"...

Pablo B.

Tholek · #28 Post by **Tholek** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:00 pm

Thanks. Anyone have closeups of the 15" R61 as well? Alongside a 15" T61 would be great.

#29 Post by **ryengineer** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:50 am

Tholek wrote:Thanks. Anyone have closeups of the 15" R61 as well? Alongside a 15" T61 would be great.

Don't you mean 15.4''?

rbi · #30 Post by **rbi** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 7:27 pm

Tholek wrote:Thanks. Anyone have closeups of the 15" R61 as well? Alongside a 15" T61 would be great.

Yes I am considering of this one in Australia 89185MM

Intel® CORE 2 DUO® T7300 (2.0GHz) Centrino
Microsoft Vista™ Business 32
1GB RAM
120GB 5400rpm SATA HDD
15.4" WSXGA+ WIDESCREEN
CD-RW/DVD-RW Multiburner
128Mb Dedicated Graphics
Gigabit NIC
802.11a/g/n
Bluetooth
Integrated Fingerprint reader
6 Cell Battery
1 year warranty

What do you think of it?

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