IBM ThinkPad R51 Review
IBM had affordability without compromise in mind when creating the IBM R-Series. In order to appeal to the active business/student world where people live on the move, they needed a powerful, affordable, and durable laptop - and of course, without sacrificing reliability and performance.
The IBM ThinkPad R51 was built by these guidelines and therefore has comes in a variety of models and price-ranges to, in hope, be the computer for that very specific person.
Specifications
Intended on making a computer where a customer feels as if it was made for them, IBM made the R51 with many different builds. Offerring a Celeron M processor with 1.3, 1.4, or 1.5GHz or more commonly the Pentium M processor with 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, or 1.8GHz. Your choice of three combination video adapters - 32MB ATi Mobility Radeon 7500/9000 and the base Intel Extreme Graphics 2 Chipset. Screen sizes vary from a 14.1" and 15.0" TFT display with 1024x768 max resolution or an upgraded 15.0" TFT display pushing a whopping 1400x1050 max resolution. IBM wanted the R51 to also be durable so it is significantly thicker than other laptops, dimensions of - 13.1"x10.6"x1.58" (WxDxH) and weighing in at 5.7lbs; although, the size and weight maybe a downside to some, it is no argument that this is all for the sake of durability and building a laptop that will outlive its time.
The Design
Since IBM wanted a durable laptop, they had to design it to be able to take a beating. Built with an extra thick enclosure helps ensure it's survival through a rough lifestyle. They didn't stop at just a thick enclosure, the fitted metal screen hinges to offer proper support for proper support.
The keyboard is fitted with deep-depressing keys, making it easier to press with less typos. It is also suited with a trackpoint and touchpad mouse that you can use interchangeably in regards to preference. The middle mouse button for the trackpoint enables easy and convenient scrolling. If you don't like the cap of the trackpoint, just take it out and switch it with another!
Say you aren't blessed with the skill of typing without having to look at the keyboard and you aren't always using your computer in a well-lit place, the R51 comes standard with a top mounted orange LED. Simply press Fn+PgUp and the orange LED turns on.
Ports
The R51 comes with two USB 2.0 ports, a VGA out, Parallel Port, RJ-11 56K modem port, RJ-45 ethernet 10/100 port, S-Video out, audio out, microphone in, and one type III PC card slot. Some advanced users may find that the amount of ports are insufficient; however, IBM has a remedy for this as well. A docking station add-in is available for the laptop where it will introduce many more ports and allow the use of all the ports on the computer as well (except for the parallel port which is located on the back that the docking station will block and make it in accessible - however, the docking station will come with another parallel port).
The docking station is a simple plug and play configuration. You simply place the laptop ontop of the docking station (making sure the dock connection on the laptop is aligned with the connection on the dock). Once this is done, you can pretty much use the laptop as a desktop - plugging in dual monitors, mouse, keyboard (PS/2 connections), numerous amounts of USB ports for external hard drives, printers, and so forth.
Laptop Broker's Opinion
The IBM ThinkPad R51, in our honest opinion, is just a normal computer made for doing normal things. You're probably thinking, "how would a normal computer come of any interest to me?" Well, let me tell you - the reason this computer is great is because it was designed for all of us people who need a computer for work, school, even web design! There are plenty of computers that beat it in power and size; however, this computer offers average performance, reasonable size, extreme durability, and most of all - it's extremely affordable. It's hard to find a computer that does all this for under $450 - the R51 is definitely not the best computer out there but it surely is the best in its class. A computer designed for exactly what you need it to do makes it more comfortable to use and more reliable since it isn't trying to be something that it obviously is not. We here at Laptop Broker give the IBM ThinkPad R51 two thumbs up.
Pros:
- Durability
- Metal Screen Hinges
- Affordable
- Many Upgrades Available
- Reliable
- Orange LED Top Keyboard Light
Cons:
- Weighing 5.6 lbs this computer is built to be reliable and has an excellent power to weight ratio
- With only two USB ports, the IBM port replicator Docking station may be needed if multiple connection ports are necessary
- Although we would like a slightly higher resolution on the 14" model, 1024x768 is still the stardard resolution and if anything makes the screen easier to see
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Overall Rating: (4.0/5.0)