What do you guys think?

Been a long time lurker of this forum and I think I am about to pull the trigger. I am about to order my first notebook so I just double checking with you guys if I got a good system for me. Mainly use is internet surfing, microsoft office, itunes, mpg3,avi,divx.

Couple of concerns I have:



1) The screen is important to me so I really want to get the LG LCD vs. the Samsung. Can I find out through a part number before I receive it to know if it's a LG or Samsung?

2) Battery life is also another main concern of mine. Trying to decide between 5400 vs. 7200. I know 7200 will eat up more battery life (how much more?), but is it worth it in performance?

3) The Wireless Personal USB adapter? Don't know what that is, but it was free to add

Would love anyone's input on this. Thanks!!!





System Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz 800MHz 4MBL2) 1 Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 1
Operating System Language: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium US English 1
Display Panel: 15.4 WSXGA+ TFT 1
System graphics: Intel GMA X3100 GM965 w/ WWAN 1
Total memory: 512 MB PC2-5300 SDRAM DDR2 667MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM) 1
Keyboards: Keyboard US English 1
Pointing Device: UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader 1
Hard Drive: 80GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm 1
Optical device: DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim 1
System expansion slots: PC Card Slot & Express Card Slot 1
Card Reader: 4 in 1 Media Card Reader 1
Wireless cards: Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN 1
Wireless Personal Area Network: ThinkPad Wireless USB Adapter 1
Battery: 9 cell Li-Ion Battery 1
Power cord : Country Pack North America 1
Language Pack: Language Pack US English 1

 

I dont know if this thread belongs more in the "What kind of notebook should I buy" since you already have a build set, but I'll answer anyway

1. You cannot find out what brand your screen is until your order ships and they email you your serial number while charging your card at the same time.
2. I am assuming you are talking about HDD RPM speed. 7200 RPM is only really beneficial for boot up / shut down / program launches and other HDD intensive tasks. If you are using it more for just little things like internet and email, then I'd say go with just a regular 5400 RPM. I am not sure if Lenovo uses Seagate's 5400.3 Momentus series, but that series uses Perpendicular Recording, and tests have shown that it performs very much like a 7200 RPM HDD. So, I would go with that instead if you aren't really using your laptop for heavy uses. My laptop lasts about 4.5 hours with WiFi on / screen on its lowest level / BT off.
3. I honestly dont know what this is - since it is listed under bluetooth it probably has something to do with that. Perhaps maybe if you can call Lenovo and find out for us what it really is - I have heard several people ask about what this actually is - yet no one has really replied to what it *really* is.

Also, are you going to be buying more RAM on your own? Because 512 is not a lot.

Lastly, just FYI the battery sticks out a little in the back (the 9 cell you chose). I also would perhaps recommend going with discerete (nVidia) graphics - it probalby will last longer than the integrated.

 

The wireless USB adapter is a new technology emerging that uses UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication to transmit information at speeds of 480 Mbit/s at close range. It will basically allow you to eventually have devices such as a portable hard drive that you lay next to your computer and it connects wirelessly. It will eventually allow the USB devices that you use now to be used wirelessly. A wireless mouse and keyboard will not need to be plugged into the computer, much like bluetooth keyboards now. Just think of it as the next generation of USB sort of like the Blu-ray is to the DVD industry. You will be able to connect just about anything to your computer without cables.

Check out this sample picture from Wikipedia:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5d/Picture_wireless_usb_device_connections.png

That is an artist's idea of what it will look like. WUSB is not widespread just yet but the fact that it is integrated into the new T61 is going to help the industry a lot. This will produce a lot of consumers who have the technology but don't have any devices which is going to make manufactures produce products.

Check out this page for more info

And if you want a comparison check this out.

 

yeah, I remember reading that, probably in another post by you jeremy. I still dont really understand it - is this Wireless USB? Never knew if it was really finalized or not - although I knew that Toshiba released something similar for their recent tablet PC.

 

Yeah this is finally Wireless USB. The only thing really on the market today is a belkin wireless usb hub. It allowed you to plug your computer keyboard and mouse into the hub in one room and have your computer in another room, or just accross the room. It is pretty sweet. A friend of mine had one and he could play DVD's on it through a USB DVD drive. It didn't skip or anything he said. Wireless USB is the way of the future, and I think we will be seeing a lot more products by Q4 2007.

 

yeah i remember seeing that @ CES during Jan of this year. it sucks that there are so few products that take advantage of this technology. Hopefully when I go to CES next year there will be an explosion (no pun intended) of new WUSB products.

 

Thanks Acaurora!!! Yeah...I have been battling between the x3100 and the discrete. I would like to get the discrete video card. From what I have read, I think most people are getting are 4.5 hours on a T61 15.4" integrated. Just afraid of the battery life and since what I do in not so video card intense. I have seen some numbers that a discrete would shave off an hour of battery life.

Really torn on this one.

 

Yeah I have heard that with the T61 battery life is becoming a concern. I would suggest that if you do buy one with discrete graphics to buy an extra battery or an UltraBay battery as a supplement.

 

I am also in the camp where the screen is very important. Unfortunately, I do not like any of the 15.4" thinkpad screens (and we have tons of them here at ibm). The 15" flexview screens (which we also have here) use expensive 8-bit IPS technology in their LCDs instead of the crappy inexpensive dithering 6-bit TN technology. The flexview is a vastly superior viewing experience. Unfortunately, the flexview is available only on T60 for individual orders.

It also uses more battery, so that hurts your concern #2.

 

You'll have to get the 160gb to have any chance of getting the Seagate 5400.3, i think. Even so, does anyone know what HD you get? There's a huge variance in the performance of 5400.3 drives according to the test charts over at toms hardware

 

On the topic of screens, not sure that it can be uniformly said that LG is better than Samsung. My LG screen is nothing to brag about.

 

That doesn't mean it isn't better than Samsung. Your LG screen being nothing to brag about doesn't mean that the Samsung screen isn't something to ***** about.

 

I have the samsung and it isnt so bad. definitely not movie fanatic material

 

I got a 120 GB seagate hard drive, and according to the parts list calls it "M5400.3S-120," -- perhaps this is the 5400.3 drive... maybe sizes under 160 gb can get it.

 

Thanks for correcting me, I didn't realize that the stock 120 on lenovo was a Seagate 5400.3, cool! (i got a slow first gen last yr)

Yours is a good drive. Here's a comparative performance chart:
http://www23.tomshardware.com/storage25.html

 

Cool! I'm really pumped about getting my T60 flexview. I'm just questioning whether I shoudl have gotten Vista (I got it configured with XP) and the artificial 3gb cap bothers me a bit...but I'm sure it'll be great.

 

I agree with Skibunny here, my screen on my T61 is nothing to talk about. I would of been glad to spend a extra 300 dollars for a widescreen IPS panel but I doubt anything like that would come out.