Ultra-light top of the line (but battery has odd shape)
Written: Jun 23 '07 (Updated Jul 25 '07)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Long 6-8 hour battery life. Ultra-light (4 pounds).
Cons: Expensive. Otherwise, not much.
The Bottom Line: Get the X60 if you're looking for a powerful desktop replacement that's superlight (4 pounds) and long battery life (6-8 hours).
|
|
|
| Uncle_Tippet's Full Review: Lenovo ThinkPad® X60 (X60_Standard123456NL) P... |
I've been using the X.60 Thinkpad for 6 months now. It's the top of the line Thinkpad and is fully branded Lenovo -- though it still has the IBM logo on the bottom right in deference to it's IBM bloodlines.
My X60 Thinkpad comes with a 12.1 inch screen, IBM Core 2 Duo processor with 1 gig RAM installed and wireless modem built in. I didn't get the bluetooth option but ordered the 8 cell battery for longer life as well as the docking station with the built in DVD drive.
I won't bother to reproduce the technical specs (you can get them at http://www5.pc.ibm.com/us/me.nsf/webdocs-L/Data+Sheet:ThinkPad+X60-X60s:English/$FILE/X60-X60s+USEN-refresh.pdf).
But I will highlight what I like about the laptop.
Long Battery Life -- Ultra-light
My old Dell ran out of juice after 2 hours. With the X60 and my upgraded 8 cell battery, I can go for a full 8 hours without recharging -- twice the battery life of the 4 cell battery. Well worth the $50 extra. I've only had the laptop go into sleep mode twice in the 6 months I've owned it so true battery life is more like 6 hours. But I can still fly from coast to coast without having to worry about running out of juice. In addition, the battery slides out very easily and makes the laptop even lighter. The laptop works with the docking station or just a regular power cord without the battery installed, so I often just carry the laptop without the battery when transporting it between home and work. This way -- the laptop weighs about 2 pounds. Adding the battery doubles the weight -- but it still clocks in around 4-5 pounds.
One note about the battery. It's the standard IBM cylindrical LI-ion battery so it juts out at the top and adds about an inch to the width of the laptop. It looks a little ugly to have the battery poking out like that.
Small Size, Adequate Monitor
The X60 is 10.5 x 8.3 (9 with the battery) so it's a very small footprint. As a result, it has a smaller 12.1 inch TFT monitor. However, it's plenty big for what I need. If I need a larger monitor, I can just plug it in to the docking station. I don't play many games so the monitor quality is adequate for what I need for business.
Thinkpad keyboard/ Enhanced Trackpoint
The X60 keyboard and trackpoint looked different from the old IBM Thinkpads I used. The keyboard looked plasticky and the red trackpoint looked like it had been flattened. I was apprehensive at first -- thinking it would feel like a toy keyboard. But I was pleasantly surprised. The flatter trackpoint was easier to handle as it didn't put as much pressure on the figure as the old thinner trackpoint. The keyboard with the palmrest worked fine and the clickeytack feel of the keys is still present. What I also liked was that the X60 didn't have the old problem where Number Lock kept getting set everytime you opened the laptop. No more getting locked out of my account because I was typing with number locks on.
No more hot thighs
The X60 is nicely designed with the fan working well to cool the laptop and blowing the hot air to the side. I've been able to work with the laptop on my lap without having to scream in pain from the heat. Of course, putting the laptop on my life is not recommended for long periods of time, but when I'm on the bus with no table or tray, it actually works fine for 1 or 2 hours.
Built in Slots
I appreciated having an SD card slot on the laptop for easy uploading of photos. However, I thought having 3 USB ports (more with the docking station) was a little overkill. Not sure why it still has the built in telephone modem but it also has the standard built in wireless modem so there was no need for me to add a card.
Conclusion
All in all, I'm very happy with my X60. Great business machine with lots of power for road warriors that want something ultra-light but with a battery life that will last the plane ride from San Francisco to New York. It has the Thinkpad bloodlines so feels very rugged but has enough little new touches to make upgrading worthwhile.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1100
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Celeron
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 12 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 41-50
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
Uncle_Tippet
|
|
Member: Avon Leong
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Reviews written: 79
Trusted by: 10 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.