Should I get a Z61t or T60? Or something else?

I am in a dilemma.

I am sick of my terrible Inspiron 5100 and its weight and overheating, and want something better.

I have long admired Thinkpads and want one for myself now. I bought one for my girlfriend, a z61t with a titanium lid and all the other gadgets, and its beautiful.

I am stuck though. I want something long-lasting, professional, sleek, portable, fast, and good to watch movies/tv shows on. I do quite a bit of watching shows on my laptop, so part of me is leaning toward a glossy screen, widescreen set up, like an HP dv2000t. I don't really like gloss, to be honest, so I doubt I would let myself do that. And besides, I want something that lasts, so I really want to get a business notebook, none of that consumer crap like my Inspiron.

The T60 is the flagship laptop, for any make or model, or so they say. I can certainly see why. I am used to a 4:3 set up, and am not sure how I'd like widescreen for anything but video watching (of which, like I said, I do a lot). So the z61t is good for that, with its screen, and the 14" widescreen format is pretty portable and such. I also dig the titanium lid, as well as the smooth edges of the z, and the card reader. I would love a webcam, but I can't seem to afford that in the z61t models I can afford. Again, the dv2000t has that, and while it's high quality, it's not a Thinkpad...right?

But on the other hand, the T is supposed to be quite a bit better than the Z, but I'm not entirely sure why. Is it built better? If I bought a Z, I would also get the 7-cell battery, because I do want the portability of long-battery. I wouldn't need the 9-cell with the T.

So here's what my configurations look like:

Thinkpad z61t: Model: 944028U
T2300e processor, 1.67ghz
14.1" WXGA
1GB DDR2 RAM
80 GB 5400rpm SATA
Intel GMA 950
Card Reader, S-Video, 3 USB ports
8x DVDR
Additional 7-cell battery
Thinkpad Nylon Case

PRICE: $1,336.80 (EPP)


Thinkpad T60

MODEL 1: 200701U
T2500 2ghz
14.1 XGA 1024x768
1gb DDR2 RAM
80gb 5400 SATA
GPU 64mb x1300
4x DVDr
Thinkpad Nylon Case
PRICE: $1335.30

MODEL 2: 2623D6U
T2400 1.83ghz
14.1 SXGA+
1gb DDR2 RAM
80GB 5400 SATA
GPU 64mb x1300
4x DVDr
Thinkpad Nylon Case
PRICE: $1385.50


How would the weight compare between a Titanium, 7-cell Z61t and a 6-cell T60? My price limit is about $1350, give or take about a hundred dollars for tax/shipping/whatever.

There is the T60 Model 200701U which has the best processor, T2500, and the x1300 GPU as well as DVDR and everything else I want, but only 1024x768 resolution. How much of a difference does this make? It's what my Inspiron is, and I frankly don't like small text like a better screen may have, though I know I will change the font size and that's no issue. Is it, as a lower-res screen, inherently a worse screen than one in the 2623D6U (SXGA+) or other higher res screens? I ask because it's cheaper than the others, and has a faster processor and other features I want like the DVDr. But I don't want a piece of crap screen....


I will post more details later. I like the look and widescreen of the Z, though I don't need the widescreen, but part of me wants the flagship panache as well as quality and battery life of the T (and whatever else you might say the T has over the Z). A lot of purists don't like the Z for their own reasons, but those don't really bother me...I would want to know why the T is better though, for reasons other than "Thinkpad purity" as long as that's not quality related.

Thanks so much!!

 

Another thought, the Z is roughly $50 less than the 2623D6U, has the cool lid, an extra battery, a faster DVDr, card reader, rounded edges, and the widescreen.

But part of me is thinking, "It's not the vaunted T!" I am a college student and I want this thing to last a long time. I take it the two computers will have very similar performance, and both very good performance, so I am not worried about that. The Z feels like it may be better for me, but on the other hand, I wish I knew why the T is "the best." Does it feel any better, or built to last longer, than the Z?

 

A few thoughts:

1. Discrete video might be nice when Vista arrives. (Advantage T60)

2. Probably no difference between the processors for your purposes. (Advantage Z61t)

3. Z61t seems to have no ExpressCard slot. I could be wrong, but I think that will be the best way to get TV into a laptop in the future. (Of course USB will probably remain viable.) (Advantage T60)

4. The Z61t is 4.2 lbs with a 4-cell battery, probably close to the T60's 5.1 lbs with the 7-cell. Here's a review<a/> confirming my gues with a guess.

Chris

 

The screens in those T60's are the same, it's the res that's different.
The higher res. gives a finer look (just like a higher res digicam picture), but the text is smaller - even if you change the DPI some websites and things still are small... but it's manageable.

The weights and sizes are so close as to be a non issue for practical purposes.

The Z series have a lesser reputation because they do not have dedicated graphics and the z60's did not offer high res screens.
Other than that, the build is comparable and one is not "better" than the other
To be honest, the "better" one is the one which meets your needs.
My friend here bman22 loves his, and he has explained very well why.

The faster processor is probably not an issue, unless you run processor-bound applications? (rare)

I'd say go with your heart (sounds like z series)

Oh... since you have EPP, did you notice model 2511HAU?? For only $699 ?
It has the titanium lid, bluetooth, the fast 8x DVD writer, 80gb SATA and the great atheros Wifi card (usually only found in higher-end T models).

 

You mean the Zt's have no discrete graphics? Some Zm's do have
(I hate the 15" screens though).

 

BlueDevilTide, I tried to send you a personal message, but maybe it didn't get through, so let me try here: Would you share where you got these prices? They are different from the Lenovo educational pricing that I have seen.

 

I replied to the PMs to those who sent them, so check yours.

SkiBunny, that model sounds great...except it's the z60t and won't have the Core Duo. I am just torn though, I guess...the T still has that flagship panache to it, and the professional demenor, the Z may fit my style more though. I'll definitely be doing a lot of thinking, and any more advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for all the tips so far though, really!

 

Why do you really need core duo? Many ppl have too much processor and too little of other things on their machine that matter more.
No core duo, but you get significantly better Wifi and also Bluetooth (many who dont get this are sorry later), and you are ahead about $600...
That $600 can go a long way towards your next one... there will a widescreen T-series available in 2007 (prolly with Vista/Aero pre-installed).

 

I multi-task constantly, usually with about 3 apps open, multiple IM windows, Winamp accessing a library with about 13000 songs, and various other apps. I also encode video and stuff, and edit lots of photos. As a math major, I might need to do some Mathematic/programming down the road, but not necessarily. Core Duo seems to cater to doing lots of things at once, and besides, I don't want to put a lot of money toward outdated technology...I'm not the kind of person who buys a lot of computers, and I wouldn't be buying another laptop after only 2 years if this piece of crap Inspiron didn't suck so bad. Besides, it's probably not even going to be my money, I just don't want to leave my benefactor cash strapped.

 

i think the most important issue is GPU...

if u r not craving for a dedicated GPU..
go with the Z61t..
lighter.. widescreen.. S-Video.. Card Reader... plus cool titanium lid..
and u won't miss the express card as much as u'll miss S-Video and Card reader..

but if u r thinking abt a vista aero ready machine..
then u should take something with a dedicated GPU..

its really ur decision now.. Discrete GPU=T60 .... or Z61t ...