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I ordered a T60 15" with Flexview in July 2007, and I have used it for a month now.
T60
15" Flexview SXGA+
1GB RAM
120GB 5400RPM HDD
Core 2 Duo 2.0 ghz
Bluetooth
Thinkpad a/b/g
Windows XP Professional
Here're my thoughts:
1) Screen
The Flexview screen is {expletive} unbelievable. Absolutely no backlight leakage, and the colors are beautiful. Viewing angle is amazing. Compared to my friend's HP laptop and my dad's Dell LCD, this is by far the best. Most of the T61 screenshots I've seen on this forum show a blue tint. This Flexview does not exhibit anything like that. Also, screen is not dim for my usage. Matter of fact, I keep it at half brightness and am happy with it. Then agian, I've only used the laptop indoors.
I originally wanted a widescreen laptop. After a month of using 4:3, I've not only gotten used to it, but I've begun prefer it. I really like the extra vertical space. Then again, if I go back to using a widescreen, I think I might go back to likeint it more. So I guess I dont have a real preference; I can live with both.
The resolution is something else I was worried about. I didn't know if SXGA+ would be too small. Turns out it is perfect. I can read all documents and websites I go to, and 8 point Tahoma is still large enough so that I don't have to squint.
2) Build quality
Again, top notch. Very sturdy. Takes me two hands to open the LCD. And it feels like a tank. I can press *very* hard on the lid on the outside, and the LCD doesn't show discoloration at all.
3) Looks
Most beautiful laptop I saw while researching. No three dozen multimedia buttons that nobody uses. No circus-clown inspired color theme. No Paris Hilton accessories. Just ruthlessly practical, and unapologetically beautiful.
4) Keyboard
I got the NMB keyboard. I like the feel. Much better than the HP laptop my friend has. Those keys rattle. And a Compaq that another friend has makes me feel like I'm typing on jello. The 13" macbook that my sister has feels squishy to type on, and the keys are too small.
One thing I didn't like was that the Fn key is to the left of the Ctrl key. I still accidentally hit it when I mean to hit Ctrl. I hope with time I'll adapt. My previous Powerbook had the Fn key on the right side of the Ctrl key, and I have gotten used to that. They should have left the Ctrl key on the bottom left corner of the keyboard like it is on all standard keyboards.
5) Red Pointer mouse thingy
This is my first thinkpad. I've always used a mouse or a touchpad. The little red pointy thingie took a little getting used to. It's been a month now, and I can say I prefer it to the touchpad. I still use a mouse when possible, but I definitely like the little red guy more than the fat rectangular black one.
6) Heat
After 30 minutes of heavy usage (video encoding that uses 100% cpu and constant hdd read/write), the air from the vent is hot. The right palmrest gets warm. The fan is running at medium speed, but not unbearably noisy. For some reason, it never shuts off, but I've gotten used to it. I haven't tried any fan control programs yet. The only thing I envy about the T61 is that they say it is dead silent.
7) Speed
This has a Core2Duo 2ghz cpu and 1gb of ram. With a fresh install of windows, it is lightning fast.
8) Battery life
I got the standard 6 cell battery. I have only used the laptop when it is plugged in, so I have no idea what the battery life is like. Sorry.
9) Graphics
I have the ATI X1400. My 3DMark2005 score is 2870. The only game I've tried is Unreal Tournament 2004, and it runs very well. I don't want to try anything newer (like Bioshock), because I know it will run like crap. Also, AMD just announced that they will release specs for their R500 line and up, and even release reference drivers soon. That makes me even happier. As soon as that comes out, I'm going to switch to Ubuntu. Should be easy then, because every other part of the laptop already is supported by linux.
10) Overall
I love it. If the fan would just shut off when I'm not making heavy use of the laptop, I would say this laptop is perfect. But it is always on, and the keyboard doesn't adhere to the standard layout of the Ctrl key, so I give it a 9.5/10.
T60 mini-review after using it for a month
Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by galt, Sep 6, 2007.
