Widescreen IPS/Flexview info & discussion thread

I thought I would start a thread devoted solely to info and discussion concerning the potential release of T60 widescreens with the IPS/Flexview display; in reading all the related threads both in this forum, as well as those in thinkpads.com, it seems that this is an important issue for many people, and one that is riddled with uncertainty and conflicting information.

I have spoken with at least one Lenovo rep who assured me that such models would be released this month, and the following announcement page does explicitly mention a 1680 x 1050 IPS display option (scroll about a third of the way down):

New ThinkPad T60p widescreen notebook delivers a perfect balance of performance and portability

However, as others have pointed out, the new TABook doesn't seem to mention this configuration.

It would seem to me that the option of an advanced display would distinguish the widescreen T60s from the Z series in a much more suitable manner than simply the convenience of a smaller/thinner build;

In any case, please post any info/news that you may hear regarding the availability of a widescreen T60 w/Flexview.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if the Lenovo CSR was wrong. I have also seen the R60 listed with a IPS screen which it does not have.

 

what's the response time like with IPS? Is it slower than TN?

 

I believe it is one of the drawbacks of an IPS screen in that it has a higher response time. Good thing I didn't get my thinkpad just to play games even though it hands games I throw at just as good.

 

My T42 had no issues with response time though I am not a huge gamer.

 

I talked to a lenovo rep about the t60w's wxga screen and it's 150 nit brightness. He said not to expect a brighter wxga like the ones on the z61's because lenovo was primarily worried about weight with that notebook, not brightness. I really don't know how brightness and weight are mutually exclusive, but just reporting what he said.

Since I have to have a wxga screen (bad eyes), that's pretty much a deal breaker for me, especially at $500 more than the regular t60 and about $300-$400 more than the z61m.

Decisions decisions . . .

 

Very interested in a notebook with the IPS Flexview screen, but is the T60 the only one that has it? Need a top-quality screen on a notebook that has a firewire port.

 

I think it is for the moment.

 

There are some older PM models of the Asus V6 called the V6va. There are a couple left at Newegg but for that price... just get a T60p.

 

The WXGA screen on both the T60 & Z61M is 150 nits (same screen)
The WSXGA+ screen on both the T60 & Z61M is 200 nits (same screen)
The WUXGA screen on the Z61P is 175 nits

This is all listed in the tabook.pdf (google it for the link to download)

 

I guess this could be confirmed via a part number check, but does anyone know if the LCDs used in the widescreen T60s are the same as those used in the Z series? I would imagine so.......

 

Short answer: yes
Long answer: See my review here:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=34530

 

thanks WPWoodJr! I posted a full reply in the other forum...curious about your conclusion!

 

I'm a little confused, please help.

Am I correct to assume that the Widescreen IPS has not come out yet?

I really want to buy an thinkpad for school and future internships. I'm a little disappointed if I have to wait and by that time the holiday sale will be over

EDIT: nm i found my answer by the liink WPWoodJr provided.

 

I bought the regular 4:3, because it's better for documents/programming. I do some design too and widescreen is probably better for that, but whatever.

 

Woody, great review!!! I'm waiting for my T60 w/15" Flexview (and x1400) to arrive in a couple of weeks. At the same time, they just upgraded our laptops at work to T60 w/14" without Flexview (and GMA gpu). What a difference does it make!!! I curently have T42 w/15" Flexview (Radeon mobile 9600) and its a night-and-day and I assume the same quality screen will be on my upcoming T60. 15" Flexview has rich colors, better contrast, a true wider viewing angle. 14" w/o is only good as a business machine, it has a terrible contrast when it comes to viewing dark colors, and bright color look too whitish. Don't get me wrong, T60 is a great machine and it feels more solid than my T42. But, a screen makes a very big difference, not just for a movie watching but a regular web browsing or even basic image editing.