s-video on t61?

I just realized that the t60 doesn't have an s-video out and it doesn't have firewire. I already know that the new t61 will have the firewire but i'm not sure about the s-video. It seems obsurd to me that such a powerful machine doesn't have these simple things. I was so set on getting a t series, but to not have a way to hook it up to my hdtv would be a major drawback.

I've looked a at the z series but I've heard it's bigger than the t series and I'm going to be commuting with this everyday.

 

The T61 will not have S-Video unfortunately, unless you were to get the docking station.

 

I know the z series has the s-video and firewire. What are the major differences between the two? I looked up the dimensions here http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=68015

The z seems to be smaller and lighter except for the fact that it is a little wider since it has the widescreen. I acutally prefer the wxga+ over the sxga+, I was gonna wait for the t61 to get the widescreen.

The Z only comes with the intel gma but I was going to get that anyways on the T series as I'm not using this computer for any kind of gaming or graphics design. Is the T series better quality or something? It seems most people prefer the T series over the Z, why is this?

Here are my main customizations and prices for both

Z61t

Display: 14.1" WXGA+, Black
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 DVI pass through, (14.1"LCD & Core 2 Duo)
2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Keyboard US English
Integrated fingerprint reader
UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Integrated Fingerprint Reader
100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim
Integrated 1Gb Ethernet
56K v.92 Designed Modem
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG (US/CAN/LA/AP)
7 cell Li-Ion Battery
Country Pack North America
Language Pack US English
3 year depot 9x5 Next Business Day

Price: $ 1,525.75

T60:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T7200 (2.0GHz, 4MB L2, 667MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista Business
14.1 SXGA+ TFT
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Integrated fingerprint reader
100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim
ThinkPad 11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Mini-PCI Express Adapter
6 cell Li-Ion Battery
3 year depot 9x5 Next Business Day

Price: $1,581

As you could see they're both around the same configurations. I prefer the wxga+ on the z61t over the sxga+ on the t60. My only concerns are the quality differences between the 2. The T series seems to be the premier thinkpad. Also the z series graphics card uses a intel gma with a dvi-pass through. What is the dvi pass through and why does the z series graphics card option say that and the t-series doesn't. One final question is about the 7-cell batter on the z-series. It comes standart with a 4-cell but that seems way too small for my needs. Does the 7-cell protrude anywhere on the z series. I expect it to make the laptop a little heavier but I don't want a battery that sticks out of the sides of the laptop. Thanks for all the help.

 

I didn't see that I missed the processor type on the z61t. It's the core 2 duo 7200(2.0GHz)

 

The seven cell does stick out the back. The modular battery is an option if you need more time.

 

what is the modular batter?

 

It replaces the optical drive. It has three cells which would give you seven cell if you go the four cell battery.

 

It replaces the optical drive? I thought the modular bay battery has its own slot. I cannot use the modular bay battery and the optical drive at the same time?

 

Nope. Modular bay batt. goes in place of the disk drive...can't use them both at the same time, unless you figure some way to use the disk drive externally...

 

i have the z61m and it is more well built than the t series. reason for discontiuing it is because wasnt selling, as t series is thinkpad flagship and most sold model and people are afraid to give something new a try, juss because something is old and been around for a while doesnt mean its still the best, z series much more studier and stronger, especially with titanium lid, plus way more features than t like video camera, firewire, svideo with i use almost daily,, the new t's are such a joke but lenovo's having the last laugh cause they dont have to put all these ports on it other manufactures do to get it to sell, the extra half pound wouldnt kill ya to carry, will it?

 

"the extra half pound wouldnt kill ya to carry, will it?"

I don't care about the extra weight from the battery but I don't want something protruding out of the back of the lapotp making it ugly. I tried looking for a picture of the z61t with the 7 cell but I couln't find it.

The options they have on these computers is odd. Why wouldn't they have firewire or s-video on the t-series? They are such basic add-ons but come in handy. The bigger question is why don't windows based pc's have hdmi or dvi as a standard option. Why does lenovo make a laptop specifically for portability and have the standard battery last on it for an hour and a half?

 

I know for one that the HDMI port was left out of many laptops because the component ware inside is large and simply would not fit inside the T-series (that's directly from the designer for the ThinkPad I talked to). The DisplayPort standard will be much more size friendly and allow product designers to put that in.

 

I've pretty much solved all my problems. My main concern was that I wouldn't be able to connect the T-series to my lcd hdtv. I now realize that I could buy a vga to component hookup to fix that problem. My lcd for some reason doesn't have a vga hook-up on it, but hooking it up through the component slots is fine. It's actually better than the s-video option I would've used on the z61t. The new t61 will have a firewire slot, so that solve the 2 issues that were holding me back from the t-series.

Now it's just a waiting game...hopefully when the t61 comes out it won't be so high priced that I can't afford it. Another option is to just get the t60 now and get a firewire expresscard.

One last question...If I'm hooking this up to a 37" HDTV is it a bad idea to get the intel GMA? I'm not informed much about graphics cards, and I'm not using this computer for gaming at all. I really appreciate all the help this board has given me. I am going to be much more informed about what I'm purchasing when I finally decide to make a purchase.