T61 series or the V200 series?

Hello, I need a notebook asap. It doesn't have to be very powerful but I do want the latest technology. I need it for graduate school. So I want something light and portable. The V200 12.1" notebooks seem pretty cool but I don't hear much about it. I heard a lot of things about the T61. What are the pros and cons. Are there any known defects? Any good deals coming up in Canada?

 

T61 is 14inch but still very portable. 12'1inch notebooks are not usable for a lot of tasks, what are you using it for?

T61 will be much better built. you can also consider the HP 6910P/ 6710P

 

A good place to start would be here. It is a recent review of the T61, but in general I would agree 14.1 is a decent screen size. I use my X61 only when I am on the road. For everyday the keyboard and screensize would be a bit cumbersome.

 

Why isn't the 12.1" not usable? Also, I'm reading the review now. Thanks.

I posted in the what notebook should I buy thread and here's what I posted


1) What is your budget?
$1500 CDN + tax = ~1750

2) What size notebook would you prefer?


b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen highly prefer 13.3 like the M1330.


3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.
Canada

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
no crappy brands like compaq or acer I like Dell, if only it doesn't have the CPU whine...

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
word processing, internet browsing, videos, light gaming, music and many other general things that normal people do

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
50/50

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
maple story'ish kind of game

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
doesn't matter as long as it is acceptable for general usage

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
i don't mind as long as it's guaranteed that it is not defective (cpu whine for eg...)and quick delivery!

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
windows vista

Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
widescreen, but if no other choices, standard is ok

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
13.3" screens don't have many options, right? I like the best resolutions possible.


13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
If glossy is the popular kind, glossy then

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
being stylish is obviously a bonus!

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
I want to buy it asap as it will be returning my M1330 pretty soon. I hope it will last as long as possible
Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 200GB?
120gb and above

17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD, Blu-Ray or HD-DVD drive?
yes, dvd burner

 

I have both an N100 (maxed out in capability) and a maxout t61p. Both have 15.4 inch screens.

In MANY ways they are very similar. The N series with nine cell batteries seem heavier than the T series.

I find that there were tiny annoyers about the N series. Several of the important buttons were too flush with the panel and took effort to press.
The t61 fingerprint reader is far more stringent than my n100. I use the Home and End keys a lot and it drove me crazy that they were function keys on the N100. But on the T61 they seem way far away.

One GREAT reward of the T series though is something rarely mentioned. I think the thinklight is incredible. Nothing is worse than not being able to see the keyboard at times.

They are both good machines. The t61 has a slightly better keyboard and it's just better organized. The t61 is quite expandable and it can grow. The N series has a maximum memory of 2gb. They are both well built. The t61 achieves high solidarity at lighter weights. I don't think either have a great battery span and I think the N series is better than my heavily load t61. Both have nine cell batteries.

 

Hmm, according to what you said, the v200 12" notebook is pretty tempting.