Used ThinkPad Recommendation

My friends old x41 has finally died, she said even if the Thinkpad is revived she will want a new one, but it has to be upgraded. Her budget is $300-400, I recommended the T61, but she decided weight was a priority over the DVD drive. So I think that basically leaves the X61/x61s she also would prefer long battery life. She won't be doing any gaming, just basic office stuff, lots of youtube, and Word was painfully slow on the x41 so I think an upgrade is justified.

I've looked at the x200 too expensive, and $500 for something that is used and old doesn't sound right.

If any of you think there is a better choice please send it along. I would like to know if there are any problems with my recommendation, too low resolution, etc. I remember if I'm not mistaken the x61 series had issues with screens cracking. Also was there a GPU failure problem?

I just checked out Lenovo's site would any of you recommend the x120e over the x61? The x120e is newer.

 

Personally, I'd take the X61 over the X120e, mainly because of the keyboard.

That said, $500 for the x200 isn't expensive relative for one in good shape. It isn't that "old" for one; it's late Core 2 Duo. Its display is a much more modern widescreen resolution than the X61, and it is more energy efficient; more battery options are available. Newer wireless cards are available, and no matter what, remember you're paying for a business laptop.

A used business laptop is going to cost more than a used home laptop of the same generation; pretty simple. Also note that if you're talking Lenovo Outlet for your pricing, that includes a basic warranty and a working battery, something you might not always find on Craigslist or Ebay.

 

You could go for a high spec X61 with ultrabase for ~300-350 or a low end OOW x200 for 400-500.

 

If you want an IdeaPad or a netbook, get the X100e.

If you want a ThinkPad, get the X61s.

 

I'd recommend the T61 because it can hold 2.5 hours on max brightness with wifi from my experience. The T61 can be found from $300-$500 with 1440x900 resolution. Just do not get the nVidia option for the T61/p!

 

since the friend had the X41, then the X61 or X61s maybe something she should consider, as it is very similar to the X41 format and they are within the price range.

You may find a x61 with a T8xxx and T9xxx penryn cpu version in that price range, which is something you should consider. They are quite a bit faster than the L7xxx CPU on the X61s and they do not run as hot as the T7xxx merom version.