Newest Lenovo

Not sure if I am posting this message where it needs to go, so If I ain't , please let me know..
I have been going back and forth debating on a new Dell ( 1530 or the 1525) or a Lenovo, I like the Lenovo's looks, I love the black, and just the all in all design...What would y'all recommend? The new Ideapads look good and I like the thinkpads, but I am at a loss...

What makes the Lenovo better than some of the Dell products..Thanks Y'all , I am just trying to get the best for the money, after all laptops aren't cheap! Before anyone ask, here are my FAQ below...

General Questions

1) What is your budget? 0-1800 give or take

2) What size notebook would you prefer? 15.4" or 17" (something good for movies) PREFER THE 15.4!

a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in. USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? Apple, over priced!

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? watching movies when on vacation, emailing, normal stuff, I have a desktop
that will be used for my photos and such, this will just be used for minor stuff

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? vacations, which isnt often

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? If any it will be a puzzle game , monopoly or something like that

8) How many hours of battery life do you need? not an issue as I won't be on here long periods of time, except when on vacation

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? I have before

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc. ..XP with all I have heard about Vista

Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen? widescreen I think

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? The best for watching movies

Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit lots of stuff on the screen.

Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.


13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen? The best for movies?

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? ...No, quality is

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?... as long as it will

Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 200GB? ..thinking around 160?

17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD, Blu-Ray or HD-DVD drive?... whatever I need for movies and such

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Dell's Latitudes are fairer comparison to a ThinkPad and solidly built machines. No one hear has probably seen the IdeaPads, but I suspect they will offer similar quality to was is being offered from other notebook makers in the consumer class of notebooks which is less than most business class notebooks like a ThinkPad or a Latitude.

I think most people would agree a glossy screen is probably best for multimedia tasks like watching movies. For ThinkPads, only the R61i has a glossy screen option. You should probably hit an electronics store and check some screens out to see what you like best.

 

It would seem as though you want a laptop for movies. An IdeaPad would be good for movie viewing and the audio quality seems to be adequate, too. I would recommend that. But IdeaPads aren't customizable, if you want something more closely linked to the T series ThinkPad, then it would be the R series. They also offer glossy screens for movie viewing. An R series will also last your through the next several years too, plus it has the option for Blu-Ray.

 

While Consumer Reports says that non-Apple laptops all have about the same repair record, Lenovo's have a slightly better record.

Lenovo are known for quality, while Dell's are known for price and configurations. The Dell 1530 seems to have inherited the Inspiron's screen problems. The 1525 has no track record, but may well inherit the same problems.

The Ideapads have no track record either. If quality is most important, and looks not so much, Lenovo Thinkpads would be best. However, I am not sure that they have glossy screens, which are best for viewing movies indoors. Thinkpads tend to be more limited as far as card-readers go.

 

I recently went through the same decision process, but the Dell 630 was the model I was comparing - I think it is the Dell product most comparable to the T61. First, I really didn't want another Dell - I had a couple that were very poorly built - drives failing, keys popping off (on both!), and generally just not well built. I understand from reviews that Dell has improved a great deal in this area - particularly the 630 series, but I just wanted something different. I also have a couple of HP's, including a tablet - good quality, but kinda boring. So I went for the T61. I thought that I was getting better technology for the price, and I could get the latest stuff in all areas by doing a CTO. Another big reason for choosing Tpad was the incredible amount of information and knowledge-based support from forums like this, and from the Lenovo site (note that this is different from hardware support, which I have not needed so far, and cannot evaluate). I am a definite tinkerer, and I had a lot of questions/problems - all were easily answered on the forums and on the Lenovo site and guides. Thinkpads seem to attract a very knowledgeable user base, and that leverages into a tremendous support network. You will not find this in any other product line. It seems that the Dell products were looked at as more or less disposable, cheap, somewhat functional but average machines. No passion, and not much tinkering amongst the users. So far I have been happy with my choice.

 

I would suggest the 15.4" Lenovo Thinkpad R61 if you wanted a reliable, futureproof multimedia laptop. The R61 can be configured with a glossy screen and Windows XP, and also has an option for a Blu-ray disc drive.

 

Have the ideapads started shipping yet

 

Yes, here are some stores:

http://www.officedepot.com/textSearch.do?uniqueSearchFlag=true&Ntt=401515
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?sku=T70-15012
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?sku=T70-17001

The IdeaPad U110 is not available until March.

 

Thanks Y'all..I appreciate ALL the input! It has helped a great deal!

 

The Dells that I have had and played with have better displays than Thinkpads. Both my T60 14" and T61p 15.4" have fairly mediocre and not very bright screens. Dells are really bright and vibrant, in part due to the glossiness.

Build quality of Thinkpads is much better though. Prices are actually comparable between Dell and Lenovo if you can get some good coupon codes for Lenovo. I have more experience with the T series so maybe R series displays are better.

I'd recommend integrated graphics for you since you don't plan to play graphically intense games.

Integrated speaker quality on Lenovo and Dells is really pretty poor. I seem to have an impression that HP laptops sport decent integrated speakers however, maybe dv6700t

Best bet of course is to take a look in stores.