R61i 15.4"

I just went to an officedepot to look at a R61i laptop, and I was wondering if the material used in that is the same as the material used in the t61 14".

 

No, it's not. 14" R61, 14" T61, and 15" T61 = same material. 15" R61 uses different material than the rest.

 

Ok, because the R61 I saw at the store had more flex and such in the material than I expected. I liked the laptop other than that and the rough touchpad (I should be able to get used to that though).

 

It's similiar material.

The finish is different though.

Great notebooks.

 

Are you sure you saw an R61i and not an R61e? Did the one you saw have a touchpad?

DD

 

Yeh, it had a touchpad.

 

Are You sure ?!?

I thought that R61 14.1" and R61 15.4" were differ only in size and weight but had same keyboard and build quality.
In these aspects which is better ?

 

If you mean between the T and R series, R is a few deci-inches thicker, and a tiny bit heavier. It doesn't have as good a graphics card selection as well. But, some models come with a Blu-Ray drive

 

If you're comparing the R61s, I'd pick the 14.1" model. It's got the roll cage in the LCD and is nearly identical to the 14.1" T61 (it's about .2 inches thicker). As mentioned, it's nearly the same weight as the 14.1" T61.

The keyboards should feel the same if you get the same manufacturer.

 

No, I mean the differences among R61 14.1" and R61 15.4".

And not in terms of features (CPU, ram, etc.) but ONLY in terms of build quality, keyboard and materials.

 

Alright. To recap, there are minimal differences between the 14.1" R61 and T61, most affecting a number of relatively minor features. They both use the same material for their covers and feature roll cages in both the cover and base.

On the other hand, between the 14.1" and 15.4" R61's, you have a difference in cover material (15.4" uses ABS plastic, it's still pretty durable) and lacks the roll cage in the LCD. Keyboards between the two are the same (and are the same as those found on the T61s), so they should feel the same provided you have the same manufacturer (there are three).

The 15.4" R61 is still very sturdy and strong, so don't discount it just because it lacks the roll cage and whatnot.

 

You can see the specs and materials used HERE. I agree with chubby though, it's no reason to discount the 15" R.

 

Therefore do You mean that the 14.1 model uses better quality material than 15.4 ?
I ask You this thing because in Italy is more expensive the 15.4 model (On equal of features) while I like more the 14.1 (Mainly for size and weight).

 

"Last question":

if You have to choose among an R61 (T7100, WAXGA, 1 gb of ram, X3100) and a Vostro 1400 (T8100, WXGA+, 2 gb of ram, GS8400 128 mb) which one would You choose ?
The price is the same for both.
Always considering as first aspect the build and display quality.

 

What is a WAXGA display?

 

Both will hold up fairly well. The Vostro is Dell's idea of a "cheap" business notebook, and should withstand a bit more than just the average joe-blow laptop.

The WXGA+ on the Dell is a glossy screen, and the Thinkpad's is a matte one. I'd probably pick the matte based on my working conditions, but you might want to think about where you're working before making a decision.

If they're the same price, I'd probably go with the Vostro. Unless you can't live without the little red TrackPoint, the Vostro offers more for your money.