Newbie to the laptop world and IBM/Lenovo...

I just placed my order for a z60m online at Business Computing Network. They get pretty good reviews at CNET, Epinions, and have a AA rating with the BBB so I'm confident they were a good choice. I, like many others here, didn't want to take a chance on long shipping times as I'm right in the middle of a secretarial course and need my laptop asap. They guarantee same day shipping if order is placed before 4PM and 4-5 bus. day delivery through Fed Express.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hello as I'm sure I'll have questions. I'm no techie. Just wanted a good, solid computer for business applications. I did alot of looking and reading reviews online. My husband, who works for the US Navy, uses a Dell and I almost bought an Inspiron 6400 but just couldn't get away from the little touches the Thinkpad seems to have; thinklight, keyboard, trackpoint, etc. The Dell had more bells and whistles but in the end I wanted comfort. I'm hoping I did make the right choice but I'm fairly certain I did. Hopefully I won't have any issues but I'm looking forward to getting advice here in the future.

Karen

 

Congratulations for your new notebook. Lenovo (IBM) is a very good choice for business and work, the best keyboard ever in a laptop, and all the features you might need for business.

I am looking forwaard to buy the Z61t, which has all I want in a Notebook.

 

I have never heard of BCN. They don't have a profile on resellerratings, so I would never buy from them, and I would advise everybody to stay away.

Am I too paranoid if I think that the original post is a hidden advertisement?

P.S. Two movie tickets - $20. Romantic dinner in two - $100. Epinions, BBB, CNET, pricegrabber reviews about sellers - (almost) worthless.

 

Why Ervin, yes you are too paranoid.

 

Oh, and what is resellers ratings? I've never heard of that so I guess their input would mean nothing to me...whereas I highly value the BBB, and Epinions has never led me astray. So you see, to each his or her own.

Thank you for the warm welcome, Ervin.

 

Thank you. I am very excited about it. I wish I could afford one of the newer Thinkpads but this will do me just fine for now. It's more than I could have hoped for really.

 

If you value quality, you made the right choice.

 

Let me clear up some misunderstandings here.

1. A solid BBB rating doesn't mean one is a reputable company. It means only that it is not known as a disreputable one. But it doesn't tell you squat about the quality of service one will receive from the company.

2. There are 24 reviews about BCN on epinions.com. 24!!! That's zero in Internet land. Most reputable companies on www.resellerratings.com have 500+ reviews. One could put one's own employees to post 24 reviews. 500+ different reviews by unique users? Probably not.

3. CNET, pricegrabber etc. reviews are censored. Shopping sites like that have zero interest to encourage negative reviews about sellers. On pricegrabber, for example, there are tons of 4-5 star sellers. Same for CNET. That many good sellers? How is that possible, if not for censorship? Although RR has an agreement with Dealtime, it does not censor reviews AFAIK, and I don't consider it a shopping engine per se.

4. All of this doesn't mean BCN is not a good seller. It might be. I just wouldn't buy from them myself. For me, resellerratings has proven the golden standard through the years, the same way as some people only buy Consumer Reports-recommended cars.

5. Welcome to NBR!

6. I was probably too paranoid.

 

Well, I appreciate the welcome and I imagine you meant well. Perhaps I was inviting negativity when I gushed about where I purchased. I was simply excited about a new toy. Business related but for me a new toy none the less. As a wife and mother, I'm usually the giver of new technology, not the recipient. I was a little shocked and I'll admit, hurt, that someone would try to make me feel insecure about my purchase from the start. I do believe they are a good company based on all the postive feedback and combined with the BBB rating but that is based on my experience with these places. I have purchased hundreds of items over the internet at various e-stores and on ebay and I have had very few poor experiences. Any of the poor experiences I have had have always been ebay related. I guess I just have faith. I'm praying things work out fine. Time will tell and hopefully I'll have good things to report.

 

I apologize for being too direct. I guess I have seen too many scenarios in which a newbie raves about an unknown company, just to find out later that s/he was a stakeholder.

Right now, you have no reasons to be worried. There are companies with low scores on RR (amazon.com or buy.com) from whom I have bought a lot of items with zero problems. A high score on RR with hundreds of reviews, maybe even a good name on my favorite forums, just gives me the extra peace of mind. And I always wish for others only what I'd wish for me.

I sincerely hope that your ThinkPad will be better than you have ever dreamt. Please let us know your experience and, again, welcome to this excellent forum!

 

Thankyou Ervin, I appreciate that.

My z60m shipped today and is scheduled to arrive Friday. Can't wait!

Karen

 

Just to be accurate: there are 2 reviews about BCN on RR, though under a different name.

 

Woohoo! My Z60m came today at 10am. I've been playing with it all day. It's awesome! I got a basic model; 512 mb, 40 gb hard drive, black case. Nothing to scream about but for my purposes (business student) it's perfect. I'm on my way out to get a good bag and mobile adapter.

 

If you qualify, don't forget about the $250 rebate.

 

Hi Ervin,

How do I find out if I qualify for the $250 rebate? I didn't know about it.

Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!

Karen

 

If you purchased your Z60m on or after May 16th, and it is a 2529E3U, 2529H3U, 2529E9U or 2529RCU, and BCN is an authorized Lenovo reseller (which you can check here, once IBM's database is up again), you qualify for the rebate.

You can print out the rebate yourself.

 

Thanks Ervin,

I do have the 2529E3U so I'll check on Monday as to whether BCN is an authorized dealer. I thought they were but I'm not sure. Thanks again for that info. That would be a nice and unexpected surprise if it turns out I qualify for the $250 rebate. I'm not going to count on it but it would be sweet.

Thanks again.

 

How heavy does the 2529E3U feel? Is it black or titanium? Do you like the screen?

 

It got pretty heavy when I was carrying it around in a bookbag the other day while looking for a good laptop bag. I'm not a frequent traveler but if I was, this would get heavy if I had other carry ons. I don't have the titanium cover and I'm glad I didn't go that route. For me it would be too heavy. I also do like the all black look. I worried about that, being a woman. I thought the all black might be too masculine for me but I'm not disappointed. The lid on this is very sturdy. I'm glad I saved the $100 and went with the black. I love the screen. My husband has a matte screen Dell Latitude. This screen is much nicer. It actually has a glossy look compared to the Dell. I'm not a gamer so I'm not sure how it would look to someone who is but I'm very satisfied. Personally, I like the rounded corners on this too. I know you didn't ask but thought I'd add that in. I know former Thinkpads have had a squared look. Very pleased so far.

 

Thank you for the excellent answer. Comparing with the Latitude was a very good idea, since many Z60m buyers consider the D820 at some point. And I am not a gamer either.

Have you tried using it in your lap? How does it feel?

 

It's great on my lap. I don't have any issues with it being too big. Of course, I haven't ever used an ultra mobile so I would imagine someone used to a very small notebook might need some time to get used to it. It's very comfortable. Not too heavy. I road in the car for 8 hours yesterday and used it, in the front seat, at least half the time on my lap. It's very easy to use, even in cramped space. I like that the keyboard doesn't feel cramped. The course I'm taking is secretarial so being able to type comfortably is very important for me. My husband's Dell seems cramped and the keys seem tight (that's the best way I can think of to explain it); they aren't easy to press down. This keyboard is awesome!!!