T60p, T61(p) and new T500 displays

[kosse]

Hello members,

Summer is over, it's getting cold outside and interest towards playing with computers is slowly but surely (as always) returning

So, I 've landed a job for the winter that should make me able to upgrade my Thinkpad fleet. I've always had a powerful desktop at home so my A31p has been more of a backup machine while I've used T40 on the road. However, my work requires me to stay long periods in other town and I don't really want to drag my desktop along so a more powerful laptop is needed.

I've been looking at T60p, T61 and possibly the new T500 if I can save enough money for that.

What I'm interested in are the displays. I really like my A31p UXGA and I don't want anything worse than that for my daily driver (preferably better). I have experience of T4x non-IPS screens and they are horrible. So, something like that is out of the question.

How good the T61(p) non-IPS WSGXA+ screens really are? Are they better than the ancient A31p UXGA? I most likely won't be getting a chance to check one out before buying so that's why I'm asking. I've understood that T60p has the best screen in the T6x series so that's what I'll be most likely looking for but as those laptops are still fairly expensive and hard to come by I'm willing to consider non-IPS screen.

How about T500 displays? Are they better than T61 and anywhere near T60p IPS panels?

kosse

edit: I just realised that I should have propably posted this on T6x forum. Sorry about that. Mods, feel free to move this thread if it's deemed necessary.

Note from Admin: We feel pretty free to move things around as we see fit regardless!

[ajkula66]

And I was wondering where you were, not posting for so long...

T6x non-IPS screens are pathetic at best and horrible at worst, IMHO. Excessive backlight bleeding, washed-out colours, not enough of real brightness...you get the picture. Put any of them next to your ancient A31p and you'll want to throw that shiny, new, oh-so-fast T6x through the window...

I'll give you the same piece of advice I've given anyone who cared enough to listen: get a T60/p with an IPS LCD and upgrade the CPU if you have to. That is still the best deal around, if you're looking for a long-term workhorse.

I can't comment on new T500 machines since I haven't seen any of them, but my expectations when it comes to LCD would be very, very minimal.

Good luck.

[kosse]

Thanks for the reply, George!

I guess I'll have to start looking for a T60(p) with a Flexview LCD at some point for the winter.

kosse

[Troels]

I completely agree with George.
You could also try to find one of the 15" XGA T60ps around, remove the LCD and get the QXGA LCD and install - but it will require some "modifications" of the QXGA LCD.
You could also put in your current UXGA from the A31p with that mod.
But if it's been all it's time in the A31p, the CCFL is getting darker and more yellow, which might be a problem in the long run

[kosse]

I completely agree with George.
You could also try to find one of the 15" XGA T60ps around, remove the LCD and get the QXGA LCD and install - but it will require some "modifications" of the QXGA LCD.

S-IPS is available in QXGA? Wow! Too bad my eyes are not cut for that kind of resolution. I'm okay with 1600x1200 on 15" screen but I doubt I'd find anything with smaller font comfortable.

You could also put in your current UXGA from the A31p with that mod.
But if it's been all it's time in the A31p, the CCFL is getting darker and more yellow, which might be a problem in the long run

It doesn't seem to have any of that yellowish color that so many old laptop screens have due to backlight problems. Actually, I'm not even using it at full brightness. The laptop itself is pretty much mint too..by the looks of it I'd say that it has been sitting unused for the most of it's existence. Anyway, I don't really want to deprive a great laptop from it's display. But thanks for the tip

[ajkula66]

Another way to go about it would be to find a T60 with discrete GPU and busted LCD, 15" of course, and then configure it the way you deem fit...

[kosse]

Another way to go about it would be to find a T60 with discrete GPU and busted LCD, 15" of course, and then configure it the way you deem fit...

True.

By the way, are all the 15" SXGA+ screens in T60 S-IPS? On this Thinkwiki list there is no 15" non-IPS SXGA+ screens marked for T60.

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/TFT_displ ... _ThinkPads

Thanks

kosse

[ajkula66]

Yep, all 15" SXGA+ on T60 units are IPS.

[pianowizard]

S-IPS is available in QXGA? Wow! Too bad my eyes are not cut for that kind of resolution.

I can't speak for everyone but for me, I installed the QXGA-IPS panel into my T43p and R50p mainly for bragging right. I agree with you that things look too small on such a screen (170.7 dots per inch!). I had a 15.4" 1920x1200 Dell Inspiron 6000 for a while and that was really my limit (147 dpi). My R50p at work is hooked up to a 24" Dell 2407WFP-HC LCD (94.3 dpi) and I use that a lot more than the QXGA. It's fun to be able to brag about owning a modified Thinkpad with the highest resolution in the world but when I need to upgrade/replace the R50p or T43p, I will most likely get a 15.4" or 17.0" 1920x1200 laptop.

So, I recommend you to stick with UXGA.

[kosse]

Thanks guys. T60p it will be (when I get some money ).

[phr]

I would get the T61 over the T60p because of its greater expandability and power efficiency. I have an A22p UXGA and a T61 WSXGA+. I like the UXGA better because of its 4:3 ratio and greater total number of pixels. But I haven't noticed any really significant quality differences as far as brightness or color. (On the other hand I'm mostly doing text stuff, not graphics, so I may not notice color rendition issues as much).

[kosse]

I would get the T61 over the T60p because of its greater expandability and power efficiency. I have an A22p UXGA and a T61 WSXGA+. I like the UXGA better because of its 4:3 ratio and greater total number of pixels. But I haven't noticed any really significant quality differences as far as brightness or color. (On the other hand I'm mostly doing text stuff, not graphics, so I may not notice color rendition issues as much).

I believe that A22P has an ordinary TN display, not a Flexview. Expandability and power efficiency are issues but I don't really need more raw speed than T60p offers and the battery life is somewhat irrelevant as well as it will serve as a replacement for my desktop main rig.