New R-51 15" SXGA+ Flexview!

Since i just sold my only laptop (12" Apple PB), im really missing the convenience of a wireless notebook. While im waiting for the reviews on the new Macbook PRO, i was looking at the IBM thinkpads. Thinkpads are the only other notebooks that i would compare with the Apple Powerbooks as far as reliability,quality and durability is concerned. I used to work on notebooks and was very impressed with the quality of the thinkpads.

Heres a thinkpad i configured and the specs are:
WIN XP Home (already have an XP PRO CD)
1.7 Pentium M
15" Flexview SXGA+
30GB HDD (i will upgrade later)
256MB RAM (upgrade later)
CD-ROM (maybe upgrade later if i feel the need)
6Cell Battery Li-ion
32MB ATI 9000 (not gonna use the lappy for gaming)
$1031 free shipping.

I was thinking i will keep the IBM for myself while i get the Macbook PRO for my wife, or maybe keep them both for myself!!

I was wondering if anyone else has ordered an R-51 recently and what are the wait times?

 

The FlexViews are great. I have one on mine. Haven't ordered lately though.

 

Im a bit surprised they're offering the FlexView on their value models as IPS technology is not cheap. On the other hand Lenovo is not offering FlexView on the newer R-52's anymore.

 

For the newer R52j (japan market versions) there are still 15" SXGA+ Flexview TFT-panels available. Here are some views of such a panel:

 

Doesn't look like a Flexview (bottom two images). Then again, could be due to pictures. Taking pictures of monitors is hard.

 

looks like color inversion in the last pic. my Flexview does not do that.

 

Follow the below link and you can see some better and slightly bigger images, this time showing an IBM Thinkpad IBM R51J 1829-98K notebook with an 15" SXGA+ (1400*1050) IPS FlexView TFT-panel (loading is a little bit slow, since the pics are referenced):

http://29991.forum.onetwomax.de/topic=105678902346

 

Now that _is_ a Flexview.

Look at this pic (from the link):



Now compare with the second from bottom picture in post #4. Note how the latter gets brighter and washed out, while the one in this post doesn't (although it does look darker, mostly to the camera probably).

 

See yourself at Nottes that the above shown is stated to be also a FlexView TFT-panel. Klick --> here

 

I can't read Japanese, but that ain't it. The color inversion is a dead giveaway.

 

It's Korean

Anyways. sure looks like a non-Flex View to me. I'm comparing with my old HP notebook (Haven't received my R52 yet) as well as my desktop LCD:s and they behave pretty much the same way as on those images (if not a wee better actually)

 

Yes, it's a Korean site! - The R52J model 1846 xxx panel they are showing there (above the first little shown pics)...



...has obviously a SXGA+ resolution. Further all ThinkPad R52J Series Nottes sells are 1846 xxx models with 15" SXGA+ displays.

http://www.nottes.com/notebook/main...=r52j&body=common&board=shopping&control=list

If you look after the part lists for the R52 series on Lenovos site, you will see that all R52 SXGA+ panels are:

- LCD panel, 15-in. SXGA+ ID Tech

and that there aren't any other SXGA+ panels available at all for the R52 series than those 15" TFT panels from IDTech!

So what does this mean? It means that either the R52 series 15" SXGA+ TFTs are from IDTech but no IPS FlexView TFT-panels or they are IPS FlexViews. - However, note that for the former R51 series FlexView TFT-panels, these were named as such accordingly by IBM/Lenovo inside the tabooks, which is actually not the case for the listed R52 SXGA+ panels there.

 

Thanks for the link to some really nice R51 pics Vkyr. Im still wondering what are the actual wait times for the R51 since i placed an order on the 2nd feb and according to my order, the wait time is over a month! Thats just crazy since the R51 is not even a new product. The Lenovo guy told me to expect it within 4 weeks! ****!

 

If you look at the exact part numbers, the R51 SXGA+ IDTech panel is 92P6680, which is the same as the Flexview IDTech panels on the T series. The R52 SXGA+ IDTech panel is 92P6711 - a different panel. Considering the number differences, the lack of mention in the Tabook and the pics, I conclude that it's not a Flexview.

 

congratulations! Now you have the oppotunity to install a QXGA+ flexview LCD panel

 

It's all a little bit irritating/confusing, since there is no clear printed statement for the R52 SXGA+ TFTs on the Lenovo site if these are now TN or IPS TFT-panels. Further I wonder that Nottes (which have a lot of experience in Thinkpads) stated that these R52J panels are FlexViews.

However, if the Lenovo part list entries are correct and all those R52 15" SXGA+ TFT-panels are from IDTech, then there are two possibilities. It's either an IDTech TN mode panel ( N150P2) or an IDTech IPS mode panel ( N150P3)

It would be interesting to know for sure, since if these R52 sxga+ panels all are only TN mode panels, the conclusion would probably be, that there aren't any more FlexView TFT panels for the R52 series available.

 

Wooohoo! Just got an e-mail that my R51 has been shipped! That was far quicker than the mar10 ship date their website originally suggested. Ordered the "R51 build your own" on the 2nd Feb, shipped out on 9th Feb.

 

In the meantime, somebody I know had a chance to look into his R52 SXGA+ Thinkpad and he found out, that in his R52 model there is a LG Philips LP150E07-TL02 SXGA+ TFT-panel assembled.

 

The LP150E07 doesn't appear on LG-Philips LCD site, although it is known and even sold by some LCD resellers. Guess the LG-Philips site needs updating...

 

does it mean good or bad?
lol

 

I've got a R52 1846 and it comes with a FRU-LG 15 SXGA+ TN200NIT Display (92P6711)

 

Don't know the exact specs for that above mentioned 15" LG-Philips panel model, I just wondered that LG wasn't named in the R52 part list specs at Lenovos site, but when looking into the R52 maintenance manual it is listed there beside IDTech panels for the R52.

However, it's normal for notebook vendors to use similar specified panels from different suppliers for some of their notebook models, since sometimes -dependent on the overall market situation- some panels get rare and then they have to use some fitting alternative.

The person with the R52 had smashed his LG-Philips LP150E07-TL02 SXGA+ panel and reported that instead now a similar Samsung panel has been assembled into his R52, which works fine so far.

 

Well, i finally recieved my Thinkpad R51. I was a bit surprised how light it was for it's size (15"). I just love the beautiful SXGA+ Flexview screen and now i know what people are raving about. I also noticed how incredible quiet it is.

After selling my 12" PB i was really missing the wireless mobility and the one thing i never liked about the PB was the extremely weak Wifi connectivity, possibly due to the all aluminum case. The R51 connects beautifully although i was considering an Atheros but now im not sure if i really need it. Anyway the thinkpad was definitely worth the wait.