Meet Jin, a senior technician here at Laptop Broker. Like all our technicians, Jin knows his way around a laptop and has upgraded and rebuilt thousands of computers over the years. We asked Jin to review a few laptops he is familiar with and have posted them for our customers to review. We hope you find this information helpful and welcome your feedback.

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 Review

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 is one of the best thin-and-light business notebooks. It weighs 5.2 pounds. It is an improvised version of the earlier T60 model. T61 offers many new variations like 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU Santa Rosa chip set, 2GB of fast RAM, 802.11n Wi-Fi and long-range antenna, and excellent updated graphics. These features are in addition to the tried and tested aspects of the earlier models.

The Looks on the Exterior

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 has a rugged plastic body without much flex. This thick and stiff plastic body houses a magnesium casing for the main chassis and the lid. The plastic lid allows greater wireless range through better penetration of radio waves. Lenovo ThinkPad T61 is wider than the earlier models although it is not as deep as they are.

Actual dimensions are 13.2 x 9.3 x 1.09 - 1.26 inches. T61 is just around .1-inches thicker. T61 looks magnificent and stylish in its all-black look. Only the track point is red in color. Although most T61 still carry the IBM logo, business channel buyers can opt for a change and go for the new ThinkPad logo.

Rating: 5/5

The Inner Aesthetics

Thick metal hinges attach the Lenovo ThinkPad T61 screen to the laptop. These hinges are very rigid and hold the screen tightly. However, you have to use both your hands to adjust and open the screen. Double screen latch system offers secure locking and prevents any instances of your laptop opening while you carry it around.

Hard drive of Lenovo ThinkPad T61 is within the magnesium cage. Active Protection System (APS) software safeguards the hard disk. In case of an accidental fall, APS works with on board accelerometer. This perceives a fall and ends any hard disk activity to prevent any possible loss due to the fall.

Fingerprint scanner, below the cursor keys, offer complete biometric security. You do not need to remember any passwords for locking or unlocking.

Rating: 4/5

Input and Output Ports

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 has monitor out port, main heat vent and fan, 2 USB 2.0 ports, modem and Ethernet LAN port, Express Card and PC card slot on the left side. The multi-bay drive and a USB 2.0 port are on the right side. Another heat vent, power jack, and the battery are on the backside. The front side of Lenovo ThinkPad T61 sports Wi-Fi on/off switch, IEEE 1394 FireWire port, microphone jack, headphone jack, and the screen opening latch. All USB ports are vertically oriented, which is a change from the previously horizontal position. This is not too convenient.

Rating: 4/5

Processor and Performance

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 offers Intel Centrino 2 Duo processor through the Santa Rosa platform. Processor is fast with speed of 1.8 GHz. Video encoding tasks are faster. Lenovo ThinkPad T61 offers 2GB memory with possibility of 4GB RAM maximum memory. Although Lenovo offers Windows Vista, it is better to opt for Windows XP Professional. Lenovo claims that the 1GB Intel Turbo Cache memory option on T61 can offer better performance with Vista operating system.

Rating: 4/5

Speakers

The wide format allows for easy location of speakers on either side of the keyboard of Lenovo ThinkPad T61. Volume and mute buttons are at the top of the keyboard. These allow quick adjustment of audio volumes. Speakers are not too loud. Rather, you should remain close to the laptop to hear the audio through the speakers. However, you can plug-in the headphones and get better audio. The wiring of these extra speakers around the front of your laptop could cause inconvenience while working.

Rating: 3/5

Screen

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 offers 14.1” widescreen. Screen has a matte finish and hence there is very negligible or almost no glare if you work under normal lights. It is crisp and there is no graininess. It provides easy viewing and you an accommodate lots within the widescreen. T61 screen definitely lacks essential brightness.

Another major drawback of T61 screen is the absence of Flex View option. As a result, you get only vertical viewing angles. Such angles cause various problems with viewing and colorations. Horizontal viewing ensures consistent colorations. There is a small LED light just above the screen. This provides extra and focused light on your keyboard while working in dim light.

Rating: 3/5

Battery Life

If you use the four-cell battery on your Lenovo ThinkPad T61, it would give just two hours of battery life. You can try using the six-cell battery. With normal usage, you can get almost four hours of battery life. With the same six-cell battery, you would get only two hours of battery life if you use a wide range of applications like DVD, full brightness of screen, and others. However, six-cell battery normally protrudes from the back and poses extra weight.

Lenovo offers a battery stretch option. This software applet specifically mentions which of the options would consume how much of battery life. You can make your choice of options accordingly.

Rating: 4/5

Keyboard, Touch pad, and Pointing Stick

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 has a full-size keyboard. All keys are responsive.
Each key size is perfect and offers the perfect space required for striking the key with your fingertip. Caps Lock, Tab, Shift, Return, and Backspace keys are on the right side. These are little larger keys.
Function keys are at the bottom, which prove inconvenient. Keyboard is spill proof and has two drain holes to carry off any drained liquid.

Track point allows for simple yet accurate location without moving your fingers from the keyboard. Pointing stick allows easy navigation across the screen. You can move the cursor without lifting your fingers from the keys. However, presence of a touch pad often deters you from using the pointing stick. Touch pad of Lenovo ThinkPad T61 offers smooth movements.

Rating: 5/5

Heat and Noise

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 has many heat vents than the earlier models. These help keep the system cool. As a result, there is no need for fans to run much. Further, fans do not make much noise. Overall, it is quiet and cool.

Rating: 5/5

Wireless

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 offers Intel 4965 wireless chip with 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless reception. The plastic lid has increased and improved wireless reception. The antenna runs up through the lid. This offers better reception of waves. You can choose to have Bluetooth configuration as a built-in option. Integrated WWAN via Verizon is also available as an option at Lenovo ThinkPad T61.

Rating: 5/5

Warranty

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 comes with a twelve-month warranty period. You can choose to increase it to three years. If you sell your laptop, warranty also transfers to the new buyer. Rather, warranty goes with the machine. There is no need for any proof of purchase or registration. Warranty is according to the machine serial number and type.

Rating: 5/5

Software

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 comes with either Windows XP Professional or Vista. It includes various Think Vantage applications and easy to use Picasa photo-editing tool. These software tools help manage your system settings, data, and other configurations.

Rating: 5/5

Overall Conclusions

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 offers superb performance and is a very durable system. Keyboard is excellent. There are no problems of your laptop getting heated up. Screen brightness is a problem though. This laptop satisfies all essential requirements of a professional and combines total usability and compatibility.

Numerous improvements on the keyboards of T-series make it a pleasure to type on Lenovo ThinkPad T61. This laptop offers the perfect feel with just the correct length and key size. Wireless setup, monitor configuration, and the Think Vantage suite of options add to the total functionality and durability of Lenovo ThinkPad T61 series. These facts speak a lot for themselves and doubly justify the cost of this laptop. T61 ranks among the latest world-class laptops from Lenovo. It has been to deliver and meet all requirements of corporate professionals.

Pros

• Appreciable build quality
• Cool system
• Good battery life
• Integrated WWAN

Cons

• Screen brightness lacking
• Screen is not centered
• T61 thicker than earlier models