T500 quality much better than T60?

I was wondering if anyone has first hand experience with both the T500 and T60.

Specifically - Is the T500 build quality that much better than the T60?

I'm going to be replacing my T60 soon. But this laptop was such a disappointment (at least compared to the t42 I had before), that I'm a little hesitant go to with a thinkpad again.

I don't know what else I would get though.

Thanks.

 

I have a T60 14" and a T500 15". My impression is that the build quality is better on the T60. It feels more solid, but that could be because it is 14". That being said, I find nothing wrong with the T500 in terms of build quality.

I prefer the port placement on the T60 over the T500. I prefer the two latches to open the screen compared to one latch on the T500 (600E type). Also if you record stereo on your T60, it may not work as you wish on the T500 (look for stereo recording issues on the newer thinkpads , T61 and later models).

Like you, I looked around and there wasn't anything else that fit most of my requirements. The thing is, the T500 I got on sale was a little more than $1100 with a 3 year warranty (depot). This is a whole lot less than the T60 or T4x cost.

 

I think if you look at from the perspective of ThinkPads prices have taken a nosedive since Lenovo took over, the quality is very good. I've not seen the T500, but have the T61, which is very similar. It was very good in my opinion. Some of what happened with your T60 could just be bad luck. My own R60 is in better shape than my T42 at this point in its life.

 

I feel my T42 build quality is much better than my T60.
I miss old IBM

 

Well, although newer Thinkpads are cheaper compared to the IBM days this things have really bothered me since I got my T61 (replacing a T42p):

- Volume/Brightness thresholds no longer controlled via hardware but via software, if the driver on XP or Vista crashes (or you terminate it) you cannot lower the volume for example or dim the screen brightness ANNOYING
In old Thinkpads, the volume keys always worked even though the Hotkey driver was not installed.
- Stereo mix recording disabled (RIAA treats us as if we were criminals limiting the innate capabilities of the sound card)
- Poor design and overall less sturdiness. There are structural weakness on my T61 just above the Thinkvantage key and in the left keyboard bezel which my T42p didn't exhibit.
- The Thinklight on my T61 does not illuminate even the keyboard, it's placed slightly to the right and keys like the Esc, F1 are not very visible
- Introduction of the Windows and 'right click' key on the keyboard, I though Thinkpads were also Linux oriented so that there would be no 'pertenency' if the Windows key is there
- Crap screen, I really wish there would be a LED SXGA+ screen, it sucks so bad there's a severe backlight bleeding and vertical angles are terrible

I definitely miss my T42p, I regret selling it

 

Prices have gone down but the quality is still good (some things here and there but still good)

 

oh don't we all...

 

It's sort of a balance. On one end is high priced ThinkPads with great quality and support. The cost of doing things this way is that not near as many can afford them. On the other end is lower priced ThinkPads, which still offer better quality than most other notebooks and are much more accessible to the general populous. Which do you prefer? I think some people overly romanticize older ThinkPads, as if they never had issues. I think time has washed away those wounds. If you want to those notebooks, you should be looking at Panasonics, which are priced a lot like ThinkPads of yore.

t30power, not to discount your points, but most of the things you listed seem minor in the grand scheme of things or beyond Lenovo's control. My own T42 was creaky by the time I got rid of it. Perhaps yours was exceptionally built, but not representative of the average. The T61s I've seen seemed well built to me, though it's not my notebook. Nobody today is really offering a great notebook screen, except perhaps a few tablets or Lenovo's own W700. I wish they would. I'd buy one, but no one is. I like the Windows key for Linux. You can use the keyboard customizer to perform a function. I personally used to close the windows on top.

 

Gotta agree with ZaZ. Personally I've been very happy with my T60. It's very noticeably higher in overall sturdiness/quality than any other computer I've had.

It is possible that prior thinkpads were even better in that respect, I can't comment on that. Why? Because this is my first ThinkPad because it's the first one I could afford. I remember looking at them back in the day, and they were very expensive, like a boutique product (like say a Voodoo laptop today). For me, this computer is very very good, and I personally don't think the extra $1000 or so (just guessing) extra that it would have been under IBM's model would have been worth whatever incremental notch up in quality there was.

So, while I am grateful that IBM created the ThinkPad line and took it as far as they could, I am glad that it ended up in the hands of a company that could keep the line going in the original spirit, while updating the pricing model to something more realistic for a competitive market.

Not sure what my point is... I guess just to say that I'm overall quite pleased with the current line and am looking forward to buying another someday.

 

I had a T42p (motherboard just fried on it) and its build quality was superb, it was a very impressive 14" laptop that still wows me today.

When it broke my friend offered me his T60 (he wanted a macbook pro), it just didn't seem like a notebook i would buy, it seems as though these laptops are now becoming more mainstream to cut costs and offer competitive laptops rather then luxury laptops. Although it was in good condition, it seemed cheap.. could be that he just abused it to death im not sure

Don't get me wrong, i believe they are still the best manufacture out there, and they do have lineups that still meet that, but as more and more competition arised, it seems they're priority shifted. So i think if you were to get their newest laptop, you'd wouldn't get a build like the T42.