x60 vs. z60t . Help, please

I am looking for a laptop to use as a second computer (I have a desktop but spend a fair amount of time on the road-motels, sometimes planes) , and battery life and portability are major issues for me. I am considering the x60 and z60t; unfortunately since they are not sold in stores, I have no place to check them out (I currently own an old Thinkpad - some kind of 21 I think)

My uses:
-Internet and email ~70%
-Word processing ~10%
-Watch movies, music ~ 10%
-Powerpoint and similar graphics apps ~10%

I do not do gaming or high level multimedia stuff.

I am considering the following configurations:

z60t: Pentium M 1.73, 1GB RAM, XP Home, 7 cell battery
x60: Duo Core 1.66, 1GB RAM, XP Pro, external portable cd-RW, 8 cell battery

The x60 is about $500 more than the z60t. This is of course an issue, but not huge- I can afford both, and my previous Thinkpad has lasted me about 5-6 years and I hope to get the same out of the new one.

My questions

-I have heard the screen is better on the z60t. Is this something that will be an issue for me? How about the advantage of the screen size?
-Do you think the x60 is worth the extra money- is the portability and battery life advantage that great, and will I notice a significant difference in performance? I figure I will only carry the portable drive perhaps 25-50% of the time with the x60.
- Are there any other issues of which I am not aware that would steer me one way or the other?
- Can I use the RAM in my old thinkpad in either of the ones I am considering?
Thanks in advance for your help.

Michael

 

I'd recommend you check out some screens if you can. The resolution is roughly the same excpet the Z is wide and the X is smaller.
I think only you can answer this question. The Z with the larger seven cell and modular batteries should go quite some time, but be a couple pounds heavier than the X.
I personally would opt for the Core Duo machine because it has better battery life and perfromance. The newer Z61t or T60 might be worth a look.
No you can't use your old memory.

 

Thanks, but therein lies the rub.

I have no access to seeing these machines to my knowledge, and would be buying them blind. That is why I have no idea if the x60 is worth the extra $500 or so.

There are no big box retailers carrying them, are there? Or any place I can go and look at them?

 

Best Buy for Business is located in some Best Buy stores and carries Thinkpads, I'm pretty sure.

 

Office Depot has them as well I think.

 

My family has owned both.

The X0s is an extraordinary machine (just read some of the online reviews). When you factor in the wieght of the laptop, ac adaptor, and case - you will find the X at a significant advantage. This, of course, assumes you don't miind using an external optical drive.

Also, the "cool" factor must go to the X. It's footprint is very small yet the
12" screen size is excellent and the keyboard is full-sized. If portability is a priority i strongly suggest you go with the X. By the way, both units feature excellent build quality - second only to the Panasoic... in my opinion.