Im planning on purchasing one within the next few days and I am looking for some feedback from current owners. Any problems/annoyances you have found?

Also Ive been reading forums on poor WSXGA+ (1600x1050) LCD screens on the T61p so if anyone has that screen I would appreciate some feedback on your screen quality. This is the resolution I am looking to buy.

Also how soon did you receive your order? Ive heard Lenovo takes a while to ship out customized laptops.

Thanks guys.

6/8/2008 7:28:58 PM

I have a T61. It is very solid. I'd say it is my favorite of all the laptops I have owned and I've been through a lot of them. I've had A Series, X Series, Z Series, and T Series Thinkpads.

The only complaint that I have is that they put the headphone connection on the front of the laptop instead of being on one of the sides. When I have it at the edge of the desk and I roll my chair closer the headphone cord will poke me in the chest or stomach. Never had that problem on any Thinkpads that I have owned.

What's the "p" in T61p for?

[Edited on June 8, 2008 at 7:44 PM. Reason : l]

6/8/2008 7:42:01 PM

thanks for the feedback. the "p" is the workstation version (i.e. better graphics card than the t61). Other than that its pretty much the same.

6/8/2008 8:04:01 PM

We've had some issues with a few at work - hard drive issues, video issues. The shittiest part is having to send them back to Lenovo for god knows hoow long to be serviced.

6/8/2008 8:34:31 PM

^ really? i send thinkpads in for repair all the time and they usually take 3 business days max except in unusual cases. . . wonder what the difference is

[Edited on June 8, 2008 at 9:00 PM. Reason : -]

6/8/2008 9:00:01 PM

Also thinking about buying one....first time venturing into the laptop area....is it worth it to buy the extended warranty/service plan/etc?

6/8/2008 10:38:55 PM

^ yes. I used mine recently at 2.5 years. Good thing I got a 3 year warranty.

6/8/2008 10:44:30 PM

i have a t61p from work and i don't like it all. it seems, um, shabby, as compared to the t41 that i got a couple of years ago. just an opinion.

oh and i don't like the screen too. once again, nothing tanglible, but i've always felt the thinkpad screens fall well short of toshiba/hp ones.

6/8/2008 11:23:14 PM

iirc my girlfriend's thinkpad is the t61p. as far as working it seems to run cad/revit/adobe stuff well. the screen i would agree with. my laptop is a different class altogether so i may be biased but i can certainly tell a difference

6/8/2008 11:32:16 PM

[Edited on June 8, 2008 at 11:33 PM. Reason : double]

6/8/2008 11:33:26 PM

Quote :

"i have a t61p from work and i don't like it all. it seems, um, shabby, as compared to the t41 that i got a couple of years ago. just an opinion. oh and i don't like the screen too. once again, nothing tanglible, but i've always felt the thinkpad screens fall well short of toshiba/hp ones."

Ive read the exact same comments on many different forums. Especially how the build quality has decreased in the recent models.

6/9/2008 2:02:06 AM

If I were you I'd wait about a month for the T500 to come out.

Info: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/08/details-surface-for-future-thinkpads-x200-sl-t-and-r-series/

Release dates: http://www.law2.byu.edu/admissions/laptop.php

I have a T61p. It's a nice laptop and I haven't had any problems aside from some general Vista issues. It's the bit bulky though (my last laptop was a T41) and the battery life is poor with the standard battery (but I suppose it is a workstation).

6/9/2008 7:09:27 AM

We use them at work. I don't think they play well with XP. I've seen a lot of just random crashes and shit that elude any explaination, and the other guys have seen the same in my office. If its more stable on Vista then I recommend it, its nice once you get it going, unless you undock with the power on or something

6/9/2008 5:27:49 PM

thinkpads these days are total shit. Especially the 6x line. dont bother.

6/9/2008 5:29:15 PM

^^ I was actually planning to get XP because I thought it would be more stable!

^ Any specific reasons? I have already decided that is the case with Dell so I wont buy from them again. Another manufacturer you recommend?

6/9/2008 9:38:57 PM

I use a T61p at work (and support them also) and they are built like a tank - ESPECIALLY compared to Dell, HP, Gateway, etc.

That being said - definitely get the extended warranty and even the Thinkpad protection (accidental damage). My opinion is get an extended warranty with any laptop - especially if it is going to be mobile.

The T61p is rather big but it's a 15" laptop that is built like a desktop. My one biggest complaint with Thinkpads is their default image. It's loaded with extra crap (but so is all the others) and has tons of processes on boot (90-100).

Thinkpads are built to last (roll cage for both bottom and LCD, spill resistant keyboards, up to 200 lbs. on the LCD (cover closed) without damage) and even if you think their quality has gone down in the past years its still way above any other PC brand. They are solid and very durable and if you ever have a chance to take one apart it's obvious - especially compared to a Dell.

Not to mention they have the best rated customer support (for PC) in Consumer Reports and have for years.

They are rather expensive but you pay for what you get! There is a reason the majority of universities sell Thinkpads to their students if they are required.

6/9/2008 11:21:22 PM

every ibm we've had at work has had some part of it fail after 1 year. They also have bizzare problems (like the network card stops working after you undock it unless you reboot). I think we have 1 t40 or t41 or something thats still working properly. Also, the other brands you can have them remove pretty much all the software before shipping and then remove the rest pretty easily. IBMs is just so fucking invasive.

We got a bunch of hp 8510p's and they're pretty good so far. The only thing on them that sucks is the finger print reader, but who cares about that. We also get it through our parent company's leasing program with HP through a company called Insight. They build them out with a custom image, asset tag them, put them in to remedy, and ship them out. We also pay less than half the price of the laptop over the 3 year lease and support is included.

Dell's inspiron line of laptops is garbage, but some of the high end precisions are real nice.

6/9/2008 11:34:30 PM

those precisions are nice but pricey! i would get a macbook pro at those prices. ive configured t61p at around 1200 including a 2 year depot warranty so id like to stay in that price point.

One more question: Can the thinkpads be upgraded fairly easily by myself? Memory, HD, etc.

6/10/2008 12:27:17 AM

I use a T61. Tough machine. Sent it flying 15ft across the room (onto hardwood floor) one day after tripping over the power cord. Cracked the battery and outer shell, but it held up. The rollcage is phenominal. Still going strong.

^ Upgrades are simple:

To get you memory, you remove about 4 screws in the bottom. The memory slots are under the track pad.

To get to hard drive, it's just one screw on the side.

6/11/2008 2:00:06 PM

i have found the opposite as shaggy on my IBMs. I am on my third IBM laptop and the only problem I have had with any of them was the hard drive failing on my first IBM after about 4.5 years of heavy use (using it everyday, on nearly 24/7, dragging it around, dropping it more than once). The other one is still running well that is older and my new one has had zero problems as well.

As for the software, I have found that IBMs come with nearly 0 software. I think I had like fingerprint security stuff and that was about it, not all kinds of crap that ive seen on other people's dell laptops etc.

6/11/2008 2:06:17 PM

So I priced out a Thinkpad last week that was pretty kickass, but then realized later it was an R series...Im getting the impression from what Ive read that they arent nearly as nice as the T series...is that the case?

6/11/2008 2:12:54 PM

^ Nope. Same machine. Same planar. Same performance. Trust me, I do performance tests on them. Read the reviews... CNET, PC Mag, Laptop Mag, Laptop Logic, Notebookreview.com, etc...

The Difference:

If you've noticed the trend in technology -> Smaller = More expensive. The R series is made a little thicker. That's it.

[Edited on June 11, 2008 at 2:22 PM. Reason : don't take my word for it]

6/11/2008 2:21:30 PM

well I went ahead and placed an order today for the T61p. Here is what I got:
43Y3426 SBB INTEL CORE2DUO PROC.T9300
46P4166 VBB MICROSOFT WINXP PROFESSION
42V8376 SBB MS WIN XP PROF.US ENG.
42V8287 SBB 15.4 WSXGA+ TFT
42X5976 SBB NVID QUA FX570M-256MB OPGL
41W2060 VBB 1GB PC2-5300 667MHZ 1DIMM
42V8195 SBB KEYBOARD US ENGLISH
42V8297 SBB UN(TRCKP TOUCHPAD)FINGERRE
42V8169 SBB 100GB HDD,7200RPM
42V8171 SBB CD-RW/DVD-R24X24X24X8XUB-S
42X0805 VBB PC CARDSLOT EX CARDSLOT
42V8177 SBB INT.WIRE.WIFI/LINK4965AGN
62P6054 VBB INTEGR.BLUETOOTH PAN
41W1508 SBB 6 CELL LI-ION BATTERY
39T6442 SBB COUNTRY PACK NORTH AMERICA
42X1487 SBB LP US ENGLISH
41C9169 LENOVO THINKPLUS EXTENDED SERVICE AGREEMENT - 2 YEARS

I do plan on adding more memory on my own. Any opinions/concerns on the build?

In regards to the R series and T series I did notice the T series comes with a more powerful graphics card. Other than that I think its only the size difference.

[Edited on June 11, 2008 at 6:29 PM. Reason : a]

6/11/2008 6:28:25 PM

Should have posted this earlier...from Slickdeals:

http://www.lenovo.com/ibmspp/
passcode 536686
Promo Dates: June 5 - July 28
Employee pricing, same as the contractors code.

This is the one I priced out and am leaning towards right now:
Thinkpad R61
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T8300 (2.4GHz 800MHz 3MBL2)
Operating system: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (wont let me go with XP...not like I cant put that on myself though)
Display type: 14.1 WXGA+ TFT
System graphics: nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M
Total memory: 2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Pointing Device: UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
Hard Drive: 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Optical device: ThinkPad Blu-ray Recordable Ultrabay Enhanced Drive Wireless cards: Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (supporting Centrino Pro) Bluetooth: Integrated Bluetooth PAN
Battery: 6 cell Li-Ion Battery
TOTAL: $1,011.91

Ive yet to find anyone else that could offer me a laptop with a Blu-ray player, let alone a burner, for right at 1k.

6/12/2008 6:16:37 AM

I am of the opinion that it's hard to go wrong with a ThinkPad. It remains to be seen if the build quality is as high as it was before the Lenovo takeover, but they're still very solid and reliable machines, and IMO they've actually come down in price over the last year or two. Where I work we used to be almost 100% Dell, and while I still buy Dell desktops, I've switched over to ThinkPads for laptop purchases and have had nothing but happy users so far. If I was going to purchase a laptop with my own money, it's the only one I'd consider (except if money was no object I'd look at the new Dell Latitude XT tablet, but that sucker is nearly 3 grand...for which price I might end up with a Thinkpad X300 anyhow)

6/12/2008 9:14:27 AM

Quote :

"I do plan on adding more memory on my own. Any opinions/concerns on the build?"

6 Cell battery will give you about 2 hours maximum on battery life. I recommend either a 9 cell or a spare 6 cell if you plan on going on long trips.

6/12/2008 9:32:34 AM

2 hours is terrible. Yeah i will definitely get a 9 cell or another 6 cell. Computer already shipped out today so I should get it soon. I will post comments when i get it. Thanks for the information guys.

6/12/2008 10:14:05 AM

2 hours is about average for 15.4" workstations. Doesn't matter which brand. If you wanted good battery life you probably should have gone with 14.1" and under. It's OK though. Get a 9 cell and you "may" pull off 3 hours. It's just the nature of the beast.

6/12/2008 2:25:17 PM

working for them has its perks, or get someone who can give you the discount

I've had my t43 for 4 years, still runs smooth as ever...the battery charge will deteriorate over time though

i keep my computers clean though (programs, running-wise, etc) so maybe thats why its the same as it was the day i bought it

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 2:47 PM. Reason : yeah]

6/12/2008 2:46:01 PM

I've had my t61p for two weeks and it rules. You're gonna love it. It took 9 days from order to my doorstep.

I did create a thread on here about the display, but it turns out I was a moron and just had a few settings wrong. It's gorgeous, as always. It's got a nice matte finish, as opposed to the glossy finishes you see on some of the little kid laptops at Best Buy.

I can run Doom 3 at 1680 x 1050 with max tweaked graphic effects and get 50 frames per second easy. And since it looks like you went with XP rather than Vista, you may get even better performance than that (assuming you do any gaming).

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 3:04 PM. Reason : ]

6/12/2008 3:03:49 PM

^^^ battery life isnt really a concern. It will be plugged in most of the time. Just needed something I can bring home and back to the office.

^ glad to hear youre enjoying the new computer! I dont plan on any gaming but its good to know I can Also what settings did you change exactly for the screen to look better?

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 3:41 PM. Reason : a]

6/12/2008 3:39:37 PM

We also switched from Dells to Thinkpads at work and we've had far fewer problems since. Granted, on Monday an employee drove over his thinkpad and our chairman cracked his screen by leaving a pen in it while closing the lid, but among 15-20 laptops we've only had one real failure (hard disk).

6/12/2008 3:47:03 PM

glad to hear there are some positive reviews. So they shipped it out by express mail, which is pretty awesome for free shipping, and its already arrived. Unfortunately I had it sent to my girlfriend in Montana to avoid taxes so she has to mail it to me on Monday. Im pretty pumped about getting it.

6/14/2008 12:50:05 PM

only problems I've had with mine were when I would undock it. I would just grab it, close the lid and walk to a meeting. When I went to open it back up, it would be frozen and I'd have to recycle the power. This happened on a regular basis to me and my coworkers. Other than that, it was a good machine

6/15/2008 12:51:20 PM

We use T61s at work (I'm on mine now) and me and several co-workers have had multiple problems. It takes too long for it to start in the morning (20+ minutes from start-up to Windows and Outlook both being started) and when I close the lid and go from meeting ot meeting it restarts itself (this happens multiple times daily).

I would not recommend this laptop.

6/15/2008 2:27:14 PM

^, ^^ sounds like a similar issue, which was recently fixed. Use the ThinkVantage updater and it should fix the problem.

As for the 20 minute load time, that's a definitely a software configuration issue. Running the default Vista package? Or if running XP, you're using the default XP image?

6/15/2008 2:38:41 PM

Quote :

"I was actually planning to get XP because I thought it would be more stable!"

You are an absolute idiot to be buying XP on any NEW laptop.

Vista on a NEW, hardware compatible machine (which is ANY new laptop) will be lightyears more stable, have better driver support, and more secure.

Vista on an OLD machine is pretty much always a bad idea.

XP on a NEW, hardware compatible machine (which is ANY new laptop) will likely not have driver support for several components, and only basic support for the ones it does. It's going to be more buggy on those new component drivers and have all the inherent security holes of XP.

XP on an OLD machine is pretty much the only option you have.

6/15/2008 4:30:55 PM

I know the last few laptops we bought at work were slow as shit on Vista.. It was a pain finding all the drivers to put XP on it but it was damn sure worth it.. it's WAY faster than it ever was before.

I'd blame this at least partially on not having enough RAM but I dunno, the difference is huge.. I haven't been very happy with Vista

edit: and I had no say so in the config of what was bought..I would have definitely recommended more RAM--I think they only had a gig.

[Edited on June 15, 2008 at 5:08 PM. Reason : asdf]

6/15/2008 5:06:53 PM

^ Ive heard the exact same thing from a few people and I dont want the trouble of vista just yet, though I may be an idiot . But if I dont like how XP runs I can grab a free copy of Vista Business from my work so I have both bases covered.

I

6/15/2008 7:36:20 PM