R series and T series

Why do people tend to choose the T-series over the R series? And why does Lenovo offer better screens and a built-in Camera for the R series only?

I'm contemplating on gets a MBP or a Lenovo...

 

Cause T series is flagship model and I like to have the best

 

How come the R-series is the only one with built in camera's?

 

My T61 has a camera

 

The t61 also has a camera

 

Sorry why does the T61p series not have a camera? None of the 15 inch screens have cameras..?

 

Back in the day the used to more substantial differences between the T and R series, but now the T is a bit slimmer and lighter. That's about it.

 

Yeah...the it sucks the t61p series (15.4 inch screens) don't have integrated cameras...

 

T61p is a workstation 3D rendering machine. It isn't designed for multimedia stuff. But people tend to want it for gaming because of the graphics card.

 

The overall good specs of the T61p more than compensate for its weakness of not having a webcam.

An external webcam can be attached if that is absolutely the need. Therefore, not having a built-in webcam should not distract a potential buyer so much.

It is the overall excellence of this model that makes it shine. The "p" denotes "performance".


rgds,
Benjamin Chin
12 Oct 07

 

Out of genuine curiosity, why do so many people desire a built-in webcam? What's everyone using them for? I can't think of many uses for one in my case - perhaps the occasional video-call, but nothing frequent enough that the lack of a built-in camera would dissuade me from purchasing a particular computer.

 

To make your own video blog I suppose.

 

So you can video yourself rocking out on guitar and then post it on youtube.

 

Has anyone really said it would dissuade them from purchasing a computer?

It won't be a deciding factor, however it still is a convenient feature in which all future laptops will probably have...STANDARD.

 

I'm with you. How many times have you used your webcam on your laptop in the past 90 days? (I have Usb)

My answer is -0-. I also have one on my desktop...same answer -0-

T61 = business Webcam = screwing around and not working

my 2 cents

 

Well, the OP made it sound like the omission of a built-in camera was major drawback.

Why do you think it's a convenient feature, and why do you feel it will be standard on all future laptops?

I can see the convenience for someone who runs a video blog or has frequent Youtube moments in front of a camera , but are there enough of those people that built-in webcams are making a shift towards being a default standard? I can't imagine many people actually find a regular use for one.

I don't mean anything by the question - I really am just curious. In this latest generation of notebooks, it seems to me as if built-in cameras are becoming more common across the board. I just couldn't figure out why as I've personally never used or seen anyone using a webcam "in the wild".

 

Speaking of the T and R series... I really wish Lenovo came out with another Titanium edition like they did for the Z61t ... I'd kill for my T60 to have a titanium lid. o.0...

 

If you have read this posting from the beginning till the end, you may realise that the person who intiated this posting has been making comparisions.

You are right in that a built-in webcam is restricted mainly for some video calls in business context. Others use it in MSN, Skype, or the likes so as to network with friends or reconnect with distant relatives abroad. (Still others use it for juicy adult entertainment.)

The possible reason why people make the built-in webcam an issue is perhaps psychological. It is just like to say if "X" has a feature that "Y" does not have, then "Y" is seen as the inferior one. It is plain human to want to compare.

I agree with you that the absence of such a feature is no big deal critical in making any purchase decision; which was why I wrote earlier above that "It is the overall excellence of this model that makes it shine.".

Still, from an ideal stand-point, a potentail buyer would hope that the intended purchase will be as "complete" as possible; how oftenly he really uses it or not is besides the point. The ThinkPad is such powerful and how many of us even utilise 90% of its true potential ?

The psychological catch is that if the built-in webcam is there, the notebook is seen as more "complete". The ThinkPad is not cheap afterall.


rgds,
Benjamin Chin.
15 Oct 07

 

I knew a guy who used his web cam to chat-up girls on myspace.

 

It would dissuade me. To me built in webcams just means:
- Cost for something I will never use.
- Bezel space
- Ugliness

 

I have the T61 (7663A21) which has the built-in webcam.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=177092

When I made the purchase decision, I had the opportunity to review the T61 (766014A) which was similar but without the webcam and without the nVidia graphics card.

The webcam does not take up extra bezel space.

It is plain and blends itself to the bezel to the extend that it does not attract your attention. So ugliness is subjective and does not apply here.

Your point on cost is valid. It would have been slightly cheaper if the webcam is not there in the first instance.


rgds,
Benjamin Chin
15 Oct 07

 

Back to the R series and T series question, is the weight difference between the two significant and how much "slimmer" is the T series from the R series?

 

The T is exaclty .11" thinner at both thinnest and thickest points - thats easily 10% of the total thickness and actually does make a difference, I've found.

The weight difference is not as big, its 2 ounces, max. Not really that significant.

 

I want a x61d (d = desktop replacement)

oohh the irony.

I think R series has no dedicated video card, less security features and ... uglier ... sorta

 

That’s funny...I’m typing on an R61 with a dedicated video card, fingerprint reader (including the embedded TPM security chip), and looks exactly like a T61 – except it’s .11mm thicker.

 

The R61 comes with either the stock X3100 or the NVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M just like the non-T61p does. I ordered a R61 because as far as specs goes from what I read they are exactly the same (discounting slight differences in size and weight) and the R61 is cheaper. The only difference I could tell was between the bays for the CD. Stock CD option for the R61 is a plain DVD-ROM ie no CDRW and the bay is called the Ultrabay enhanced. For the T61 the stock option is CDRW/DVD-ROM combo and the bay is called the Ultrabay slim.

So like I said I bought an R61 because I didn't feel like .11" was worth an extra $50. Not sure what the price difference is now though the prices have gone up since September. The same system I purchased in September is now $160 more expensive, although it's mainly because of the accidental coverage warranty being more expensive.

 

The huge bezel around all Thinkpads are pretty much more than big enough for a webcam.

 

This was covered in detail a few weeks ago:

check it out:

I bought both this summer. Here's my 2 cents:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=2521273#post2521273

 

Are we talking about the 14.1" models here?

Otherwise, there is a difference between the 15.4" T and R in terms of build quality . . .

 

My post was about the 14.1, not sure which one the original poster was talking about.

 

this might be a dumb question....but i'm getting a T61u through school, and I know it has a camera. does that automatically mean it has a microphone too so I can video chat with my friends? or would I still have to buy one.

 

it should have built-in microphone

 

my T61p has one.
didn't think it did at first, until i started messing around with speech recognition.