Thoughts on a Possible Widescreen T-Series

Anyone have any thoughts on the possiblity of there being a widescreen T-series. Its mentioned in this story.
http://www.laptoplogic.com/news/detail.php?id=1256

 

i dont understand, they already do have the Z series.

 

not sure what the point is of a wide screen t - serie...a wide screen T serie = Z serie, no?

 

the z series is quite bulky; i was very surprised at it's heft after my friend's wife got one for work. i wouldn't ever consider getting one.

the t series, however, is awesome. the way the front slopes downs to give it a slimmer profile where the "wristpads" are.

if the t series came out in w/s, it would be at the top of my list for my next notebook. if it came out and was the same dimensions as the z series, i would weep.

 

Having talked to Lenovo last week and asking them about upcoming releases and them saying Merom for October and nothing else in terms of form factor change to the T series until well into next year (and even then just adding ports and stuff) I'd have to say that's bunk.

 

thanks, andrew. now, i'm weeping.

 

umm a z60t/z61t is lighter than a 14" T. You must have seen a Z6xM

 

i'm not talking about weight, i'm talking about the physical dimensions of the notebook.

 

okay, I sent them an email and now they won't confirm or deny this rumor. Which means, it might not be bunk.

 

"heft" refers to mass not volume

asus w3j dimensions: 13" (length) x 9.7" (width) x 1.18"-1.28" (height)
lenovo z61t: 13.1" x 9.0" x 1.05-1.22"

most people consider the w3j sexy and smallish for a widescreen 14". Still can't understanding why you think a Z6xt is bulky, heavy, or physically large.

Oh and then for fun I looked up the HP dv1000t: 13.15" (L) x 9.24" (W) x 1.18" (min H)/1.52"

 

if you read my post, i make it quite clear what i'm talking about.

 

The volume of the 14" T60 is nearly identical or slightly *more* than the volume of the 14" Z60t.

 

Many *business* ppl and professional developers prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio because, to them, depth matters more than width (for reading source code or text documents - which are higher than they are wide)

This is bunk... The Z series is the widescreen and its sales are a fraction of the T's.

I will get a4:3 Fujitsu next time if thinkpads all go widescreen

 

Well, Dell went all widescreen with their business line and the screen manufacturers are pushing hard for notebook makers to go widescreen and cutting them better prices.

I'm going to rescind my comment about this being bunk, I actually now believe this is very likely we'll see it. Call it a hunch. And the fact I know that guy at LaptopLogic.com lives next to where the Lenovo offices are.

 

See it when? Any guesses?

The Z6?t is a great form factor, but no discrete graphics. With Vista around the corner (that's a relative around the corner compared to the length of the block we've traveled already), I think everyone knows that you 'll need discrete GPU in order to run the Aero version of Vista. Not sure exactly if the Z61t will accommodate this, but the T series no doubt will.

 

i don't understand this.

the vertical resolution of a w/s lcd is identical to the vertical resolution of the "sister" 4:3 lcd...

768/800
1050
1200

widescreens offer the same vertical space. only the horizontal is larger.

 

Sortof. A 14 in. non-widescreen has the same vertical resolution as a 15.4 inch. widescreen. Thus, the 15.4 inch widescreen is significantly larger--while offering little in terms of extra functionality for the average business user. Most business apps, documents, and web pages work very will in non-widescreen format.

On my dell lattitude D820, I found the widescreen only caused me extra mouse travel. This T60 seems to significantly best the dell in build quality, screen, speakers, keyboard, size, and appearance.

I hope the trend is to higher resolution, not widescreen, or my next purchase will go to an alternate company. For me, widescreen simply offers zero increased functionality. And a 15.4 is sometimes to large to lug around (it felt big in the coffee shop). Guess it just comes down to useable screen space.

 

Widescreens do not offer the same vertical space. Vertical resolution, yes, space no. Simple trigonometry really. So a 15" 4:3 will be taller than a 15.4" 16:10 wide aspect (actually a 15" 4:3 will have roughly the same vertical screen height of a 17" 16:10). As one who reads a lot of digital documents, this is a very important thing. In fact, if there were a tablet/convertible PC with the screen quality of the T60P, I'd probably jump on it for the tablet full page viewing ability, but as there isn't, well, I finally settled on a nice 4:3.

 

Pay attention, I think you'll find this interesting...

I purchased a T60 about 4 months ago... 2007-76U. I purchased this model for one very important reason. I find the 1400 X 1050 resolution to be the best for my development. Shortly after getting the T60, I felt compelled to get the Dell D820 because of the widescreen format. I had also read that they had made some significant improvements in the keyboard and trackpoint design.

I purchased a D820 and have been using it for the last 3 months. The keyboard and trackpoint are significantly better than previous incarnations... I used to have a D600.

Moving on... after using the D820 on a number of out-of-town ventures (some for pleasure, some for work), it just started to feel heavy... I also ran into some recurring problems with memory errors when shutting down. Still happening. Nevertheless, I felt like it was perfect for my needs and really enjoyed using the widescreen format.

Last night, I decided to get out my T60, which had been sitting in the closet all this time, and synch'd it with my D820. The first thing I noticed was how bright the screen was compared to the Dell. Wow... did I miss this before?

While synching, I noticed how much faster I could type on the T60 versus the very nice D820. Key travel seemed slightly shorter and require less effort. Hmmm... what's going on here?

After I got it synch'd and decided to run the Software Installer to bring it up to date... Nice. Everything was done for me... determination of what needs to be updated, download the updated drivers, and installed everything for me.

Having just done this with my D820 where YOU have to determine what needs to be updated, you have to download each one individually and read the installation instructions, and you have to do the installs. Hey, why does Lenovo do this for you and Dell dosen't?

So now I'm using my T60 again to surf and do some research and I notice how wonderful the scroll button is. Did I forget how nice it was to use the scroll button compared to the scrollbars? I must have, because I jumped on that one like a fish out of water... This T60 is nice...

The final straw came when I noticed how much faster the T60 is than the Dell. No, I didn't do any benchmarks, just some observations while synching some 10 gig of data. It booted much faster, copied files across a network connection much faster, and generally loads applications much faster.

So now I'm kicking myself and saying, "what the h*ll was I thinking?" Lenovo has one of the best, if not the best, laptops on the market. When you take all the tangible and intangible benefits of owning a Lenovo, there just doesn't seem to be anyone that can compete with them. That is unless you can't afford one.

One more small thing that I immediately noticed...

If you search these threads, you don't have to look too hard to find complaints about "heat". The Dell remains pretty cool except in the bottom under the LCD screen. Doesn't get hot, but it does get uncomfortable on your legs after 30 minutes or so.

Lenovo (realistically, it was probably IBM) seems to have a better understanding of thermal properties because you can use it on your lap ALL day long and it won't get uncomfortable. For me, this is icing on the cake because I do this constantly.

I'm firmly behind Lenovo once again and will be selling my D820 on ebay shortly.

 

November or December. I also talked to a guy that is responsible for buying laptops and other equipment for a large financial company. He buys a lot of stuff from IBM / Lenovo and his company has asked about widescreen T series laptops (their user base apparently wants this) and they have been told they're in the works for end of year. So it's most definitely true we'll see a widescreen T60.

 

I also thought about that. Then I realized that you don't see the higher resolution widescreen lcds in smaller laptops such as a 14" T60. Where it offers the +sxga, while most 14" widescreens only offer the wxga. Correct me if I'm wrong. I prefer a widescreen, and if i could find a 14" that offered a high resoltuion widescreen, although the fonts would probably require a magnifying glass, I would get it.

 

There exitest 14" and 12" widescreen in higher resolutions, just not in the thinkpad line.

Never mind widescreen, what we need is TALL screen,.... Height matters more than width.

The screen makers push widescreens becuayse they're much cheaper to make... it is harder to make a strong square than a strong skinny rectangle, if you understand physics it's obvious.

Professional business ppl and serious developers will continue with the 4:3 aspect ratio which are better for reading documents and code. Ever see a wide-ratio book? Nuff said. Widescreen sux, it's for porn video freaks and pimply-faced snotty-nosed teenage brats who have no money anyway so let Dell cater to them LOL

 

Well I disagree with most of that. It all comes down to preference. Obviously Lenovo is going to release a widescreen T series, so it's obvious there is a demand for them.
I already do some basic drafting work, as I have taught myself a lot of it, and I can see how much more benifical widescreen would be, however, the height is also equally important. It is all based on a persons need.
By your statements, you are basically announcing widescreen to be pointless, which is very far fetched, and not at all true.

 

i didn't say widesceens were pointless; in fact i conceded they were better for example for viewing porn videos. Especailly the glossy ones (is there any other kind anymore,.. nuff said)

But I dont watch porn videos... i star in them

 

This sounds like the same logic 'Wolff7' used in this thread, and with the same idiotic reasons. Are you the same people?

 

"Idiotic"?

The problem isn't that they're wide, rather it's that they're SHORT.

They should be called SHORT screens... Professional (read 4:3) screens offer 1050 vertical lines in 14" package under 5 pounds. To get 1050 vertical lines in a widescreen brick, you need at least a 15.4" monster pushing 8 pounds with and more than a foot wide. UGHHHH .... and it has heaps of wasted space on the side you're lugging around because no documents or websites use even close to 1680 horizontal lines.

SHORT screens are good for movies. I never watch a movie on a laptop, because i (and most ppl) have a TV that puts any laptop to shame when it comes to movie watching.

Widescreen TV's.... yeah great because ppl don't program or read on their TV.

 

The fact still stands...some people demand widescreens, and apparently there is enough demand for lenovo to introduce a widescreen T series.
If I could find a 14" widescreen notebook that offered the same vertical viewing space of 14" t60 with +sxga, then I would probably go that route.

 

If by idiotic you mean correct. I do believe the majority of people are fools so the “because everyone else is getting widescreen, then widescreen is better” mentality doesn't fly with me. It simply confirms your foolishness.

IN THE BUSINESS WORLD WIDESCREEN IS A HINDERANCE.

A 14 inch non-widescreen with the corresponding (non-W) resolution displays exactly the same amount of vertical information as a 15.4 inch notebook. All the mouse travel over never never land on my WSXGA+ (1680x1050) notebook was quite tiresome. Well less tiresome, more annoying and silly. My new SXGA+ 1400x1050 notebook--1050 is the exact same vertical resolution--is a much better balance. EXTRA WIDTH IS ONLY BENEFICIAL FOR MOVIES AND SOME GAMING. A 15.4 INCH NOTEBOOK IS BIG TO TRAVEL WITH.

Now let’s keep that in mind. Nearly all web pages are created at 1024x768. There is absolutely zero advantage to web browsing with widescreen. Zero. None. Nil. Got it?

DOCUMENT FILES TAKE UP VERTICAL SPACE. BUSINESS USERS NEED A PORTABLE NOTEBOOK. DO YOU SEE OUR LOGIC????? TAP TAP TAP.

And we can afford TV's and desktop computers too, so we don't NEED our notebooks for gaming or watching movies. There simply isn't any NEED for widescreen except in applications that display information horizontally--like maybe audio or video editing--most office applications have no use for widescreen. Take PowerPoint for example. General rule of thumb, keep the slides simple. Never ever have more than 7 lines of text with more than 7 words per line. That's 49 words max. Point is, the extra space is not needed and considered poorly done if too much is presented at once. The slides are meant to be simple and short. Widescreen is simply unnecessary in the business world--thus it is inefficient. Efficiency is important. WITHOUT WIDESCREEN WE MAXIMIZE USEABILITY AND PORTABILITY AS THE EXTRA SCREEN WIDTH GIVES US NOTHING (BESIDES DECREASED PORTABILITY) IN RETURN.

And no, we aren't the same people. But kudos to SkiBunny for being intelligent enough to see the reasons for choosing a non-widescreen.

 

I actually agree with wolff7 and skibunny, but would say that this depends on what you're using your notebook for. You might prefer widescreens, other people prefer the traditional form factor. It's really not worth getting too worked up about it.

 

ahh yes, theres nothing like a good widescreen vs. 4x3 debate to show the true colors of a person.

With that said, I will continue to buy widescreen laptops (and monitors) until I find a good reason not too. I personally have no problems with reading text from left to right on a widescreen, but I guess some people may get lost between the lines. I also like the rectangle shape of a widescreen laptop rather then a more of a square with 4x3. But again, these are my opinions and by no means will i call you a Dell-loving-pornofreak if you prefer 4x3.

 

...it's often said that the widescreens are cheaper to make and seems to me that might make them cheaper to sell. Tell me why widescreen is better (no one else has been able to). Though I fully admit to being a douche bag, my arguement is dead on and I did pay for my T60 with my check card. Just because Circuit City and Best Buy fill their shelves with widescreen doesn't make it better. Quite the opposite in my opinion.

I've obviously used a widescreen before. It was a Dell Lattitude D820 and I sent it back to Dell. My work T43 is better x10 so I decided to buy a T60. And look what you've resorted to, hiding behind a new accound so you can call us names. Sissy.

My guess is , you listen to a lot of Kriss Kross while you play with your favorite slap bracelet and dream of buying the latest iMac.

 

Glossy screens, widescreens, they're just marketing buzzwords which are inferior in technology and design respectively. But you know how people react when you tell them they've bought into a lie.

And yes, it really is something to get worked up over, because these inferior design concepts are taking over the laptop market because a bunch of sheep don't know any better. I'm sure everybody reading this can relate, because we're all experts in some things and sheep in others, and very few of us can say the markets we're experts in are in an ideal state. Except maybe audiophiles, just because there's so much diversity and small companies building killer niche parts.

By the way, I can't believe skibunny's starring in porn flicks comment didn't get any attention at all

 

SkiBunny...I would just like to hop in now and say that I was by no means calling your statements idiotic, I just simply disagreed with some or most of them.
Aside from the mainstream market, widescreens are a niche. Only people that require them would actually benefit from them. I am purchasing a 14" T60. I find that the 4:3 is the best compromise for portability while still offering plenty of screen relestate. I can do all my drafting work on a 4:3 screen, very well infact, but I find a widescreen to be more efficient for that purpose, thus is why I am purchasing an external 20" widescreen. So as far as basic word processing and web browsing, unless the person just prefers a wide-aspec screen, I do not see any benfits in them. With that said, widescreens still serve a purpose.

 

This thread has gone further than it should have. Closed for personal comments/attacks and offensive comments.