Bought myself a new toy...

[LoneWolf]

My new purchase just arrived Friday. I'm realy enjoying it so far.



Lenovo just added the mobile Penryn-based Core 2 Duo processor to their ThinkPad line, and their recent deals have been incredible, so I sold my aging Powerbook G4 Ti and picked up a T61. The keyboard is awesome, and the display is quite nice too. Wifi range is excellent as well. I'm using it as a chance to get used to Vista Business too, since I'm going to have to deal with it sooner or later. I've patched it to SP1; it's not too bad, though I haven't installed any heavy apps yet. It runs a heck of a lot cooler than my P4M 2.2GHz Latitude C640, and faster at the same time.

Specs:

T8300 CPU (2.4GHz)
2GB RAM (soon to be 4GB), 120GB 5.4k HDD, DVD+/-R
15.4" WXGA LCD, nVidia Quadro NVS 140M 128MB
Bluetooth, Wifi, Fingerprint reader

EDIT: To keep a little on topic, I should mention that the optical drive is a Matsushita UJ-862. While the device is listed as a DVD-RAM, DVDInfoPro does not have DVD-RAM features checked (not that I'll plan on using them). It worked just fine burning recovery DVD's using Verbatim branded MCC media.

[hoxlund]

is that seriously what it looks like?

[Ian]

Lenovo just added the mobile Penryn-based Core 2 Duo processor to their ThinkPad line, and their recent deals have been incredible, so I sold my aging Powerbook G4 Ti and picked up a T61.

It's good to see that some people can turn from the dark side.

Yeah hox, that's what they look like. The Lenovo's aren't the prettiest computers out there but they're built like friggin tanks. I've seen people do things with them that I wouldn't think about doing with my Dell.

[LoneWolf]

is that seriously what it looks like?

Yup. If you see one up close, I think you'll find they look pretty sleek. Personally, all of the flashy chrome trim on the new faddish-stuff (i.e., HP Pavilion home laptops) out there doesn't appeal to me. That, and for me, function beats style every day.

I've never had a better laptop keyboard. That includes my previous favorite, the Dell Latitude D630/830 series. And the Wifi --well, I bought just the basic Atheros-based a/b/g card in mine, but it has twice the range of either of the two wifi cards I put in my Latitude C640 (both an Intel and an Atheros).

This review probably explains some of the finer points better than I can, Hox, but back when I held a job similar to yours (which would have been 1995-1998), the IBM ThinkPad 755 was the hottest on the market, and there was no way I could afford one. And for quality, sometimes old school never goes out of style.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/notebooks ... Pad-T61/p1

EDIT: The T61 also has a full magnesium roll cage, best shown here:

http://www.notebooks.com/2007/06/15/thi ... otorcycle/

[MonteLDS]

is that seriously what it looks like?

you stupid best buy people don't know what an IBM laptop looks like...

*walks away slowly*

[SithTracy]

We used to get issued ThinkPad's at work and those things are just solid machines. We called them TankPads (they were still IBM back then). Now we get Dell's and I go through about one a year... you get what you pay for.

[hoxlund]

is that seriously what it looks like?

you stupid best buy people don't know what an IBM laptop looks like...

*walks away slowly*

thx ive worked on couple dozen, i knew what they looked like

i just didn't realize they still looked like there early 90's grandpa versions

[LoneWolf]

is that seriously what it looks like?

you stupid best buy people don't know what an IBM laptop looks like...

*walks away slowly*

thx ive worked on couple dozen, i knew what they looked like

i just didn't realize they still looked like there early 90's grandpa versions

You'd be surprised. The black color is the same, but up close they're much thinner and lighter than the 90's versions. They're also incredibly quiet --I haven't had a laptop this quiet ever, I've never heard the fans spin up during use, and I have to put my ear to the exhaust port on the left side to hear the fan at all. There are other construction elements I'm also impressed by --the display hinges are the best I've ever seen on a laptop.

By the way, who you callin' Grandpa? I've been doing IT as a job since `95.

[aviationwiz]

Lenovo just added the mobile Penryn-based Core 2 Duo processor to their ThinkPad line, and their recent deals have been incredible, so I sold my aging Powerbook G4 Ti and picked up a T61.

It's good to see that some people can turn from the dark side.

(Yes, I know I'm late)

It's sad to see a Mac user switch over to the dark side like happened here. Oh well, there's way more switching away from the dark side over to the Mac,

Last month, I picked myself up a nice, new MacBook Pro, which I love.

2.4ghz Core 2 Duo (Penryn), 2GB RAM, 200GB 5400rpm HDD, 15.4" LED backlit display, nVidia 8600M GT w/ 256MB, multitouch, and, of course, the best feature that most separates it from anything else - Mac OS X.

[Wesociety]

I remember the old IBM Thinkpad craptops. Worked on them a few years back when I worked in IT at a call center. Those things were built well.

[2Dogs]

I have an older 1.8Ghz Lenovo T61, which has been pretty good. The case seems quite sturdy, and the screen hinges are really solid. Battery life also good. The optical drive on mine seems really picky with disc quality, which is a nuisance, but the biggest annoyance to me is that the fingerprint reader ceases to recognise me when I'm working outdoors in the summer - too much manual labour must be changing my prints!

[LoneWolf]

Lenovo just added the mobile Penryn-based Core 2 Duo processor to their ThinkPad line, and their recent deals have been incredible, so I sold my aging Powerbook G4 Ti and picked up a T61.

It's good to see that some people can turn from the dark side.

(Yes, I know I'm late)

It's sad to see a Mac user switch over to the dark side like happened here. Oh well, there's way more switching away from the dark side over to the Mac,

Last month, I picked myself up a nice, new MacBook Pro, which I love.

2.4ghz Core 2 Duo (Penryn), 2GB RAM, 200GB 5400rpm HDD, 15.4" LED backlit display, nVidia 8600M GT w/ 256MB, multitouch, and, of course, the best feature that most separates it from anything else - Mac OS X.

I don't hate the Macbook Pro --it's a nice machine, and while I'm fairly platform-agnostic (I was once an Apple Certified Tech, in addition to all the PC work I do), I like the design.

Unfortunately, I do hate its price. Cheapest option would have been buying an Apple Certified-Refurbished MBP, Merom-core Core 2 Duo, for $1449 when the Penryn-core MBP's came out. $450 more than I paid for my ThinkPad.

I can use Windows XP or OS X equally well, and like both for different reasons. Perhaps when I'm rich , I'll look at an Apple Notebook again --note that I got my Powerbook for $100, and spent $20 replacing an inverter board to make it usable again (not including the "for fun" upgrades I did, which set me back a bit more). Maybe I'll find a broken Macbook Pro someday that I can buy and fix.

[hoxlund]

ok i take back my statement

since i started at my new job: Iowa Health Systems - St. Lukes Hospital here in cedar rapids

thats all we deploy to users, ibms, we just got in the new t61 series and man there damn sweet

my job is to swap out all the computers, laptops, printers for all of eastern iowa hospitals

[Ian]

Congrats on the new job hox.