T61 on its way!

Back to Lenovo for a full refund!.

Like many others, my T61 components were not properly assembled/mated at the factory. The LCD bezel is the primary culprit on my T61. At $1400 there is no excuse for that kind of sloppy assembly, and/or tool and die work in making the mold for the bezel.

The extensive light leakage around the base of the 14.1" WXGA+ screen is a poor design and/or component manufacture.

The integrated camera not functioning properly.

I sent the unit off for repair vs immediately returning it. T61 arrived with a poorly fitted bezel, a replaced LCD panel (with finger grease smudges all over it) and the light leakage remaining (actually worse than the original) and the camera was not addressed.

I gave it my best shot in the hopes their sub-contracted repair site could bring it up to standards. They did not and their repair work was sloppy as well. Greasy fingerprints on the new LCD, rubber screwhead caps were damaged from a tech using a screwdriver to aggressively in removing them and the unit being returned without being wrapped in an anti-static bag.

The phone support/service of Lenovo has been very good to excellent throughout this process. I congratulate them on this aspect of their business and hope the SVP is rewarded for running a tight ship in this area.

However, for the money I find their current T61 product well below acceptable performance and manufacturing standards at the $1400 price point. Around $800, and they're back in the running but I've moved on after a 8 week process that started this fiasco on May 22nd.

Best of luck to other T61's owners

 

That is why I bought a Dell D630 for my wife instead.

 

Msiner, can you give us your impressions of the D630 and how it fares vs the T61? They're strikingly similar all around or at least appear to be. I wonder if Dell offers their own version of Thinkvantange utilities on the D630?

 

I am in a similar boat. I got a RMA # today and I will be returning my T61 tomorrow. However, I am exchanging it for a X61. I used a X60 for work and I really liked it. I got the T61 mainly for the optical drive, however, the fit and finish of the T61 really let me down, especially compared to the X60.

 

I read the X61 are also having their share of issues (design, not assembly).
like a poorly fitting panel around the power button, or an uncomfortably warm right palm rest (even at idle).

 

With a D630, don't expect the full ThinkVantage suite, but they do provide an "Access Connections" style app and power management. The screen is bright and the build quality is top notch. The battery life can go 5-6 hours on the 6-cell inny. The UltraNav-ish system on the Dell is not as good as the ThinkPad UltraNav due to no middle button and slightly recessed buttons. I wish it was a little slimmer, but it is by no means cumbersome. If you value build quality, the D630 is great.

I can't compare it exactly to the T61 because I have not handled a T61. The main reason I chose it over the T61 was due to the T61 having a 6-cell battery that sticks out the back.

 

D630's also thicker / heavier.

 

Not so fast. While it may be slightly larger, mainly because it does not slope down the way the T61 does, it is not heavier. It is at least as light if not lighter than the T61. You need to compare them with 6-cell batteries which happens to also make the T61 deeper. From the datasheets from the T61 and the D630:

T61 with 6-cell battery and optical drive: 5.23 lb

D630 with 6-cell battery and optical drive: 5.1 lb

 

Oh. oops. Sorry about that. I was speaking from my experience with my T60 w/9 cell vs my roommate's Precision M65 with a normal standard battery. Then again that's also relative too - i didn't use any *exact* weighing methods - just holding the two in my hands.

 

Thats interesting...the reviews stating the D630 being heavy was another reason I went with Lenovo...oh well.

Another thing, I believe the Dell offers a standard 3 year warranty whereas we have to buy it for add'tl $100.

I'd say the Dell appears to be a great value at the least.