Quick review of my new T61p

I got my T61p about a week ago and can't be any happier with it. Yeah I know that the new W-series comes out real soon, but I figured that I just didn't need it and that the T61p was good enough to suit my needs. It also helped that the T61p's were on sale.

Sorry if my review isn't as detailed as some of the reviews I have read on here, but here goes..........:wub:

(There are pictures at the end of the review. I didn't know how to include them within the review.)

T61p Configuration

Core 2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz 800MHz)
2GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit
15.4 WSXGA+ 1680x1050
nVIDIA Quadro FX 570M 256MB
200GB 7200rpm FDE HD
DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)
Bluetooth
Fingerprint Reader
9 Cell Lithium-Ion battery
90W AC Adapter

I ordered it from the Lenovo Australia website, and there was no option to change the configuration of the system. I don't think this functionality is available in Australia. If I were to change anything, I would probably have opted for a 64-bit version of Windows Vista Ultimate.

Delivery

Monday 7 July - Order placed
Friday 11 July - Machine left China for Australia
Tuesday 15 July - Courier called me to confirm delivery for tomorrow
Wednesday 16 July - Received T61p

Received machine in 7 business days of placing order.

The machine was well packaged, with foam cushions to protect the sides.

Purchase Order

• 1 x T61p
• 1 x additional 90W AC adapter - 1 adapter for home and the other when mobile
• 1 x TPad Std 1Yr EXR Upgrade to 3 Yrs EXR with 3 Yr ThinkPad Protection (protection from accidental damages) - For repairs, a courier will pick the machine up from me and send it to the repair centre, and deliver it back when fixed.

What's In The Box

• 1 x T61p
• 1 x 90W AC Adapter
• 1 x 9-cell Lithium Ion Battery
• 1 x packet of TrackPoint caps
• 1 x packet of screws
• Manuals
• XP Downgrade CD's - I wasn't expecting these to be included, but I am glad I got them. At one stage, they were charging AU$99 for these CD's.

Design and Looks

This is a beautiful looking machine. I love the black finish on the lid and the elegant Thinkpad stamp. The stamp is cool looking and unobtrusive. I have seen some of the newer Thinkpad models that also have a Lenovo stamp on the lid. I prefer mine heaps better!

You gotta love the all black look.

The machine sits firmly on the table - no wobbles. The hinges on the monitor are solid and the latch is firm.

The machine is a little heavy than what I am used to. This is probably due to the 15.4 screen.

Stickers

Unlike other laptops I've seen with tons of stickers on the palmrest, there are only 3 stickers on my T61p.

• 1 on the lid - 'Energy Star' sticker
• 2 on the palmrest - 'Intel' sticker and 'Windows Vista' sticker. I'm not sure why I have a Windows Vista Basic sticker when I have Windows Vista Ultimate system. Minor issue.

In time, I might remove all the stickers to give it a cleaner look.

Display/Monitor

Alot has been said about the Thinkpad screens, so I was a bit nervous about how mine would turn out. Would I get a LG or a Samsung screen? Even though I probably would never use the machine outdoors in the sun, I was still hoping that it would be bright enough in normal conditions.

Lo and behold, the screen that I got with my machine is awesome. I guess I was one of the lucky ones. It's an LG screen, 15.4 WSXGA+ TFT, Backlit with an 1680x1050 resolution. The resolution is sharp and well lit. Plus I love the matte look, rather than glossy.

As for dead pixels, I don't know how to spot these! Similarly in terms of viewing angles, all I know is that the screen is great if I am right in front of it, and that's all that matters to me. I don't really care how the screen looks from the side/top/bottom as I would never view the screen from any other angle apart from the front.

Keyboard and Palmrest

The Thinkpad keyboards are one of the best, and I was expecting nothing less with my machine. I have since found out that Lenovo uses different keyboard manufacturers - Chicony, Alps and NMB.

I got the Chicony and it is definitely feels inferior to perhaps the Alps or NMB. The keys are a little clicky and I am hoping that they 'soften' out through regular use.

The palmrest feels solid.

Speakers/Sound

No problems with sound quality.

Hard Drive

Pretty quiet most of the time.

Performance

Overall Windows Experience Index is 5.0.

Processor: 5.4
Memory: 5.0
Graphics: 5.9
Gaming Graphics: 5.4
Primary Hard Disk: 5.3

In the next few months, I will probably upgrade the RAM from 2Gb to 3Gb.

I have also disabled Windows Aero as I don't need it.


Well that's pretty much about it. On the whole, I am very happy with my T61p. Thanks for reading.

 

Thanks a bunch for the pics of the T61p, I've been having a hard time finding good quality pictures of a recently purchased T61p. I think I'm going to be getting one in the next couple days and hopefully mine come in as good of shape as yours!

 

No problems! Let me know how yours turns out.

 

Yeah I just got mine at the beginning of this month and I love it!

 

Well, one way to check for dead or stuck pixels is with Dead Pixel Buddy. It's a small program that basically displays an all red or white or black or green or blue image on your screen to allow you to spot defects. Basically if you're displaying a white image, and there's a tiny black dot, you've got a dead or stuck pixel.

There's one thing though, how come you have 2GB of RAM and still end up registering the same score that I have for the Windows Experience Index?

 

Nice review. I just got my T61p in early July as well, love it!

 

Sorry I have no idea how Windows calculates it. All I know is that it takes the lowest score out of the 5 criteria.

 

Thanks dohuy. I will give dead pixel buddy a go. I should probably clean the monitor properly before running it huh? Wouldn't want to confuse a small dust particle as a dead pixel

 

thanks for a bunch of picture

 

good machine, enjoy.

 

No dead pixels here! At least from the naked eye anyway.... I didn't use a magnifying glass tho