Thinkpad R61 vs Ideapad Y430

Hi all,

What are your thoughts on the quality difference on the R61 vs Y430?

I was also looking at the T series, but budget wise things are a bit tight right now, and I think I could live with an R series. But the question is could I save a bit more and get away with a Y series?

The Y430 seems very well priced. The specs suit me fine. My main consideration is build quality/ruggedness.

I had a look at the Y430 in the shop and was happy with the casing, seemed quite sturdy in that usual Lenovo way.

Obviously this model is pitched at consumers, but is it really inferior to R/T series? The price difference is about US$500/A$800. What benefit will I get out of spending the extra cash on the R61?

The Y430 definitely wins in the looks stakes (but that's not the primary consideration here)

Things I don't like about the Y430:
Super glossy screen
Speakers are ordinary at best (not as fantastic as they make them out to be, that's for sure)
No Thinklight


If it's a machine with similar build quality that's better looking and cheaper, then I'll get it. But if I'm looking for good old fashioned reliability, maybe I should spend the extra cash...

Hasn't been an awful lot of discussion on the Y430 here, but would love to hear any experiences you have had with it.

1) What is your budget?

US$700 - US$1100 (A$1100 - A$1700)

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

13.3” – 14” would be ideal, but I could probably live with 15.4”

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.

Australia

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

I like the sturdiness of Lenovo

Would not touch an HP. Not into Macs.

5) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

Have a few Excel & Word files open, music, heavy web browsing.
Watch videos from time to time
May need to run MYOB

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

Will primarily be around the house, but not always on the desk. Lappy frequently is on the couch, floor and in bed.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games or types of games?

No, not a gamer.

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?

3 hrs would be the minimum I could tolerate, but 4-5 hrs would be ideal

9) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?

Would want to have a look at it if possible. Mind you, it can be quite hard to find Lenovos on display in Australia.

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

Will give Vista a bit more of a go (haven’t spent a great deal of time with it yet). But I have got an XP disc I can use if I end up hating Vista and want to go back, so it would be nice to have the option.

Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?


I really don’t know anything about screens

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

Matte seems like the better option, but these seem to be a rare commodity these days. May have to just put up with a glossy.

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

Yes and no. Certainly not at the expense of reliability and sturdiness

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

I would want at least 3 years out of it. Would be very happy if I didn’t have to replace it for 5. But that’s probably asking too much

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 80GB to 500GB? Do you want a SSD drive?

I think 160GB should be enough. SSD too expensive

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?

Just CDRW/DVD-ROM will do

 

If you prefer a matte screen, the R61 seems a better fit. It will offer better build quality as well.

 

I'm surprised the price difference between an R61 and a Y430 is that much in Australia. The R61 and Y430 are on par in the states (R400 is a bit more).

I have not owned an IdeaPad, but I do know Thinkpads are superior in build quality (especially the T and X, but the R is solid as well). The R series will have a Magnesium alloy frame (stronger/lighter), it has the roll cage (minimizes motherboard flex [this was a problem on my 14" T40 that led to a board replacement]), a matte rubberized finish that will hold up better over time (my T40 looked about the same after 5 years as it did on day 1).

The R series also has a fantastic 7 row keyboard (essential if you type a lot), a Trackpoint (much better in my opinion) and touchpad, a higher resolution screen (1440x900 vs. 1280x800; good for spreadsheets and multi-tasking). It also has the ThinkLight, and other ThinkPad standard features.

The Y430 has a bit better specs than the R61 as it is a newer model. It uses a Intel GMA4500MHD with HDMI (output to TVs). This is a newer integrated video processor (integrated is better for you because you don't game). It is also one of the first integrated processors that can accelerate decoding of h264, VC1, Mpeg2 video (essential for Blu-Ray or other HD video). The Y430 also has the newer Intel wireless cards 5100/5300 that should provide a little better performance/lower power usage than the card in the R61.

Both the R61 and Y430 use the older Merom (65nm) Core 2 Duo processors (run hotter and use more power than the Penryn chips in the T400). Both the R61 and Y430 are comparable in size, weight, and probably battery life. The R61 uses a slightly superior processor (more cache), but the difference is small. I doubt the speakers on the R61 are any better than the speakers on the Y430.

The main difference is screen (matte or glossy), and whether you prefer business or consumer class. I much prefer matte and business class myself, although I have to pay a premium for it most of the time.

If price was comparable (they are in the states), I would certainly recommend the R61. However, because the price difference in Australia is $800AUD ($500 US) it is difficult for me to justify anything but the Y430.

Maybe you can import an R61 (or even a T61). You can get an R61 for about $550 US from the Lenovo outlet. However, I don't think they ship internationally, and I have no idea what kind of taxes/import duties you would incur if you had one imported (I also think the warranty would be void).