Very satisfied with my T500

I received my new T500 last week and I've spent the last few days setting it up. My conclusion: I love it!

The reviews pretty much describe the ins and outs of this computer perfectly, so no need to rehash them. I went from a mid-range desktop (home built) to this laptop am as happy as a clam.

This is the first laptop I've bought (for personal use and I do not regret my decision.) Before, I've always built PC's myself, doing occasional upgrades when Fry's had a sale, etc.

I've been using T-series laptops at work since my IBM T41 so I know about their durability, reliability and good speed. (I use a T60p there now.)

Before buying this, I checked out all the laptops at Fry's and Best Buy ... and all of those consumer laptops just feel so crappy, look so ugly and have such junky specs. You either have really low-end graphics in a mid-weight 5lbs form factor.... or you get good graphics but a $2500 price tag and a huge super heavy chassis.

The only comparable computer is the MacBook Pro 15" but , they are too expensive and so limited with options! Not to mention I need a right mouse button and docking capability!! And while they feel sturdy, there is no way you could drop one of the new glossy/glass screen ones without damage. I like serviceability and the MacBook's have so little. Changing a LCD panel on the T-series? Easy and the panels are cheap from ebay. MacBook Pro? $$$

Anyway, so I love my T500. It's sitting here humming away near silently on the Advanced Dock as I compose this email.

Compared to my T60p at work, the keyboard is definitely not as good and it's a bit thicker, but in all other ways I think it's better.

Thank you Lenovo for not ruining the T-series!

--A

 

Do you know which keyboards you have on the respective laptops?

 

Very well said—welcome to the club.

Macs have never really been about choice—so long as you agree with whatever Apple tells or gives you, “life” is in harmony.

 

Also, RAM and HDD replacement on a Mac is not as easy as it is on a Thinkpad. To replace the HDD, you just take off one screw, take off the tray and put a new one in. To replace the RAM, you just take off two screws on the back, lift up the panel and put new RAM's in.
With a Mac, you have to take off quite a few screws to get to either the HDD or the RAM.
For a Sony, you also have to do a lot to get to the HDD as well. RAM replacement on a Sony is easy, but not so with HDD.
Only Thinkpad allows you to easily upgrade your machine (minus the CPU of course)

 

I booted up my Thinkpad when I got it, made the recovery discs, then yanked the hard drive and installed my new WD Scorpio Black 320gb unit. I love hot it literally took me one minute to change it out.

And then when I get my $20 (off ebay) UltraBay HD adapter, I am going to use the old 160gig drive as music storage when I'm on the road. (I have a big collection.) Not many computers that give you such flexibility in a small form factor.

I _heart_ my Thinkpad

 

I'll take the keyboard off when I get back from my business trip to check.

Is it possible to use a T60 keyboard on the T61 and T400/500? My work laptop T60p keyboard rocks.

 

Welcome to the club my friend.

 

Yes, from what i have read.

 

Congratulations, enjoy!

 

Since they're now using the T61 keyboard on the T400/500's and I'm pretty sure the X200 (widescreen) and X30x series use it as well, I'd say chances are good that the T60 and T61 use the same keyboard, but I can't say for sure. I believe those were offered in a non-widescreen display, which may have involved a slightly different keyboard.

 

Nope, same exact keyboard, just with thinner side bezels for nonwidescreen.

 

The T61, T400, T500 and probably T60 all use the same keyboard.

However, I believe the x200 and x300 use different keyboards.

 

I thought that was one of the perks of the widescreen format on the X200 and X300 series, that they could now use the full-sized keyboards.