ThinkPad R60 - First thoughts

Specification
Thinkpad R60 9461
- Intel Centrino Core Duo T2400 Processor 1.83 GHz
- 512 MB DDRII-667MHz SDRAM
- 80 GB Hard Drive
- DVDRW± Drive
- 15" SXGA+ TFT Screen 1400x1050
- ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 PCI-E 128 MB HyperMemory graphics

Background
I was looking for a notebook to use mainly for development work and web design. I had previously bought the HP dv2000t, but returned it because the touchpad wasn't working properly (there was a strip along the bottom of the pad that was unresponsive). After doing my research again, I ended up buying the R60.

First Impressions
When I unpacked it, it had a good sturdy feel to it. The battery didn't click home as firmly as I'd have liked, but not too bad. The plastic panel to the right of the keyboard had some flex.

Boot Up
I paid for a 'pre-delivery inspection' from the supplier which included installing and configuring WinXp and anti-virus etc. On hindsight I wish I'd done it myself. The software was setup with the wrong regional settings, and didn't have the user accounts setup correctly.

I spent most of the first 2 days applying Windows and Thinkpad updates and patches and uninstalling Symantec software (anti-virus, client firewall etc) I left most of the ThinkVantage stuff installed to see how it worked. ThinkVantage is the pop-up menu you get when you press the blue button, which contains various utilities.

Screen
I was very happy with the 1400x1050 screen, it was nice and bright and the resolution was just right. There was some light leakage along the bottom, but not very noticeable when you view it at the right angle. It had one very small dead sub-pixel top right, but only noticeable up-close against a solid white background.

On the second day I tried playing a movie DVD, and noticed a bright blue stuck pixel centre-bottom of the screen against a black background. Very irritating, plus the movie wasn't playing correctly (the display kept updating in rectangular sections) - However, the blue pixel seems to have faded out over the last few days. It's very dim now. I also had a white stuck pixel, which also disappeared after a few reboots. Funny thing is, you start to get used to the stuck pixels after a while.

Keyboard
It’s great. Has a nice solid feel, good travel on each key. No flex. The positioning of the Fn and CTRL keys on the bottom left are not great. I keep hitting Fn+C when I want to copy, instead of CTRL+C. I’ll get used to it.

Noise
The fan and DVD drive were noisier then I’d expect, especially compared to the HP dv2000t which was very quiet in operation. The outlet for the fan is on the top left. So one must be careful not to block the underside of the machine in this area, otherwise things can get a bit warm.

On the subject of noise, the volume of the speakers is quite low. Even with all the volume controls turned up all the way. This isn’t a notebook for watching movies on.

ThinkVantage Software
The system backup utility was useful and easy-to-use. Does a full backup of the system and data to DVD-R, and allows you to restore without booting into Windows. The other utilities are a bit bloaty. The wireless configuration and location profiling stuff is a bit much – it’s easier just to let Windows look after the wireless networking. Although I can see how a corporate user might find it useful.

Fingerprint Reader
A nice gimmick - but gets a bit annoying because it takes 5 or 6 swipes before it reads my fingerprint properly. I find it helps if I lick my finger beforehand! - I think my finger might be too dry. (It looks like it uses the voltage across two metal bars to detect the presence of a finger, so needs some moisture to work. Of course, I could be wrong)

Memory Upgrade
I upgraded from 512Mb to 1Gb, which really helped the performance. With all the bloatware and ThinkVantage stuff taking up memory, 1Gb is a minimum for this machine. The upgrade is reasonably straightforward. 4 screws at the back, click off the touchpad cover, and the memory is under a metal plate.

Don't forget to replace the metal plate before you put it all back together again (ahem....)

And putting it back together helped make the panel on the right of the keyboard feel a bit more solid, it initially had some flex.

Summary
To be honest, I miss the HP dv2000t. If only the touchpad had been working properly I think I'd have preferred it. Okay, maybe I'll be thankful of the roll-cage and the spill-proof keyboard in the R60 some day. But the dv2000t had a remarkably robust feel to it, the keyboard was great, it ran very quiet and cool, and the screen just seemed clearer and brighter compared to the R60. Plus, the dv2000t had some nice multimedia features (quickplay with a remote control etc.)

The ThinkPad R60 has a certain charm to it. It'll grow on me!

 

Thanks for your initial impressions, although I am sorry to hear that you would have preferred the dv2000T. I almost order the HP and then decided on the T60...How long did yours take to get to you after you ordered it? Does the estimated ship date they give you in the email really mean anything? Please keep us posted on your journey into R60 land.

P.S. I had read somewhere that the fan noise can be corrected via a bios upgrade or downgrade; I can't remember which. Good Luck!

 

It took about a week to arrive. Although I ordered it from a supplier and not directly from Lenovo. Plus the 'pre-delivery inspection' added about 2 days to the wait time. Also, the supplier told me they had them in stock, so there was no waiting around.

Give the T60 a chance, don't let my review sway you. I do really like the R60, it does what I want, has the spec I need, and gets the job done. However, people talk about ThinkPad superior build quality, but in making a direct comparison with the dv2000t there's not much in the difference - the dv2000t had no dead or stuck pixels, felt robust, the keyboard was great, and it ran very quietly. But, for all I know the dv2000t could have started falling apart after 6 months.

Most importantly, I had to return the dv2000t because the touchpad just wasn't working properly (nor in three other models I tried out) - I've realised that I can live with stuck pixels, but I can't live with a broken touchpad.

It's not a biggie. It's just that I can hear the fan kicking in (which it does every minute or so) and find it a bit distracting. I was spoiled by the dv2000t, you couldn't hear the fan or the DVD drive on that machine at all, it was so quiet.

 

I just configured both an R60 and T60 on lenovo's website with near identical specs and the price was within 30 dollars or so. Seems like a waste of cash to order the R60 to me. Id return it and leave a nasty little note in the box saying they're gay or something. Thats what i would do anyway.

 

That seems pretty mature.

 

If it makes you feel any better, I returned a dv2000t and got a T60, and I am much happier with the ThinkPad -- haven't had any of the issues of the other poster.

You can search on some of my older posts if you want the details.

Chris

 

R60 - $1,484.00
T60 - $1,669.00

Make sure you select the same screen resolution and graphics card. Also, I'm in Ireland, so the price difference between the two is much more. We don't have all these configuration options and special discounts that Lenovo offer on their US site.

I don't want to return it. It doesn't feel like a waste of cash to me. The problems I've had are 'cosmetic' and don't affect the performance or operation of the machine, which has been great.

As for putting that note into the box, I don't know the collective sexual orientation of Lenovo, so that wouldn't work.

 

Thanks Chris, I will do that. Glad to hear that you like the T60 better. For me $2000 is a lot of money and this is my FIRST Notebook, so I want to know I made the correct decision, as this will have to last me 4 years! I did a lot of research, probably too much, and had so many numbers and reviews in my head I couldn't keep them straight! It didn't help that NOBODY had a review of the T60 with the Core 2 Duo processor, 14" monitor and the 128 graphics card...still can't find one. Thanks again, Cory

 

That's because you've got the latest and greatest!

Chris

 

If it is 1400x1050, surely you mean SXGA+, not XGA?
Regarding brightness, the tabook lists your 15" R60 9461 SXGA+ as 200 nits.
Sounds like you've got a great screen.

It seems curious to me that some models' XGA and SXGA+ screens are listed as 200 nits, and some as 150 nits - why not 200 nits across the board? Probably just a variation depending on screen manufacturer.

P.S. sorry if I seem to be nit-picking

 

Yes, I checked the tabook, and it is the SXGA+ 200 nits screen I have. My spec was a copy/paste job from the suppliers website. So they got it wrong there.

I've corrected my original post.

 

By the way, I just discovered the 'quiet mode' setting in the BIOS for the CD drive.

That makes a big difference to the noise levels when playing DVDs.

 

Glad you like your R60! (And it'll grow on you)

Ordering the R60 is not a waste of cash. And about the note, that's not nice!

 

Well then, I guess you'll have to supply us with one once you get yours.

Matt

 

I don't know if I am that technically savy or not! Definitely cannot run "speed tests", but I could provide pictures and a commentary...IF I ever get it!

 

the stuck pixel might caused by software bug
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/UltraNav

i did encounter it sometimes, but after restarting it'll gone.. a real stuck pixel normally will not cure by restarting, correct me if i'm wrong

if it's really a stuck pixel, try the solution here
http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43950

 

Thanks for that link - I actually encountered the software bug pixels a few times in the last week. It freaked me out at first, I thought I was getting random stuck white pixels on the display. But if you move the mouse over them and click the ultranav a few times, they disappear!

As for my stuck pixel, it's a real one not a software bug. It's stuck on blue, so it only really shows up on a solid black background.

I tried a couple of these software and 'massage the screen' solutions. Until I realised I was getting obsessed over it. Did I buy the laptop to get work done, or spend my time massaging the screen?

 

Not sure about the supplier you purchased from but Lenovo does have a 30-day money back no hassle policy. A dead pixel would be reason enough.

 

Yea, I thought about that as well, and my supplier had a 7 day no-hassle policy. But I just can't afford the time involved in returning the machine, waiting for a replacement, checking the replacement is working okay, uninstalling the bloatware, re-installing the applications, copying over my data.

We're probably talking up to 2 weeks of downtime and messing about. I could afford to buy 5 new laptops for the time I'll have wasted!

Nah, it's nothing major. Every other component is working fine. And I can't even see the stuck pixel when I'm working in Photoshop or Dreamweaver or Visual Studio.

Tell you what, I'll crack open the champagne if it ever disappears.....

 

Alright sounds good. Was the reseller cheaper than Lenovo direct?

 

The main difference was that the reseller took off the VAT/sales tax which gave me a 17% reduction, because I was a registered business and it was an intra-EU sale. But Lenovo asked me for an exemption certificate (which doesn't exist) and basically didn't know what I was talking about.

Probably too much hassle for them to process.

 

Yeah, and it is too early to have reviews written already, but they surely are coming, and yes Cory, as I told you in other forum (nice to meet you here too...) you made the right decision... As for HP products they have a higher rate of post sale claims for fails and hardware malfunction, trust Thinkpad, it is a very mature brand, well developed (14 years) well built, and well supported, what else to ask? (Well anything important, ah! to put back the blue and red stripes on the pad buttons... jejeje... just kidding)

 

Hey, I wish the new ones had the colors on the pad buttons too, as well as the gray function keys. they really do help catch your eye...eye-candy man, it makes a difference!

 

I thought the colors on the buttons were unique, as well as those function key grey buttons. Just as long as they don't change the shell though.

 

Hope the Lenovo's design people browsed this forum sometime... and listened to the voice of customer, if you could make a poll these recommendations would be a landslide!

 

I just don't understand why a Lenovo designer would even think about removing the color from the buttons. I can't believe it saves even a $1 on the machine, and quite frankly, ThinkPad people do pay a premium, so what's a $1? That added color really looks sharp IMHO.

Speaking of sharp, rleo, I purchased that ThinkPad Premium Leather case and it is a real knockout! Even has the IBM ThinkPad, in colors, on the outside of the leather...really sharp; now if my T60 shows up Monday all will be good, ha!

 

The rep told me for a Core 2 Duo T60, it would take 4 - 6 weeks to receive :|

 

Which one? I got my C2D equipped T60 in 5 days.. But it was the T5500, so it might not have had a lot of demand.

 

Ya, the T7x00 with 4MB of cache are the ones to take longer.

How much of an improvement is it from a T5xxx to T7xxx? What does this additional cache do? What can the T7xxx do that the T5xxx cannot?

 

I ordered my T7200 w/4MB on 10/25 and it is scheduled for delivery 11/6...maybe I made it in just under the wire!

 

Likely because you live the USA.

 

Cory, will yours have that antenna package?

 

If you mean that "lump" on the side of screen, no; that only comes into play if you order the Wireless WAN package with Verizon or Cingular built-in.

 

Right. (Which is another $60+ per month for services).

 

Be sure to let us know how the machine runs, with particular attention to the HEAT and NOISE level.

 

Ya, I would love to have that, but just cannot justify the monthly fee...or come up with the money either, ha! I hope those so-called "hot spots" at bookstores, coffee shops, etc. are free. I see people with laptops all the time surfing the web at them.

 

I will do that...I just hope it shows up Monday as UPS's website has it "rescheduled" for 11/6. I will be if it doesn't! I am really wondering about the screen, and setup...I am almost afraid to update the drivers; but hopefully it will come with the latest bios and stuff.

 

I'd hope so. You can fine tune it the way you like. I don't know why the machine, with the same specs as yours (actually 1GB RAM) is so much more expensive here in Canada. When you have 'Dual Ultrabay Slim' listed, is that the DVD burner?

 

^ I started another thread on the specs/performance of different T60s, get people's input on the matter.

 

Well I received mine 7 days ago, factory date was 10/12/06 and suposedly it didn't came with the latest bios and stuff, I used the update service and it downloaded a lot of actualization drivers and software... fortunately zero problems with bios or other apps, heard somebody has had some nuisances...

 

I'd hope there would be no gremlin problems like that, not for a machine you just payed a premium for.

 

Yes, that was the FREE (or $20) upgrade when I ordered mine. It can burn DVD's.

 

Just a quick update on the stuck pixel, which was my only other gripe.

It's been 3 weeks since I got the ThinkPad, I'm getting on great with it (it paid for itself after 2 weeks)

Yesterday I left the laptop turned off for most of the day as I was travelling around. And this morning I noticed that stuck blue pixel had disappeared.

It changed from a stuck blue pixel to a dead blue pixel!

Trust me, a dead sub-pixel is far less noticeable. The problem with a stuck pixel is that you notice it every time you watch a movie or boot up/shut down or when the screensaver kicks in. You only see a dead sub-pixel when you look very closely at a screen which has that same solid colour background, which isn't very often!

I don't know much about TFT technology, but what I suspect happens is that a transistor needs an electric charge on the input to open a sub-pixel. So when a pixel is stuck, a capacitance charge is held on the 'input'. Eventually the charge dissipates and the transistor returns to an off state.

 

Interesting theory on the TFT technology. So this 'dead pixel', what color/hugh does it take on?

 

A stuck pixel (actually sub-pixel) appears as either a red, green or blue dot on the screen. If more then one sub-pixel in the same main pixel is stuck, then you get other colours. If the whole pixel is stuck (all 3 sub-pixels), then it appears as a white dot.

Stuck pixels show up best on black backgrounds.

Dead pixels (or sub-pixels) are pixels which don't respond at all. They are always turned off. Dead pixels can be seen as black dots on a coloured background (e.g. if a blue sub-pixel is dead it will show up as a black dot when the screen background is a solid blue colour)

If you had a magnifying glass you could probably see a dead sub-pixel on an all-white background, but it's easier to spot one on either a red, green, or blue background (depending on which sub-pixel is stuck)