Lenovo ThinkPad T61

Lenovo ThinkPad T61

Monday, 11 June 2007 By: Sal Cangeloso Lenovo We've been seeing a lot of changes in the notebook market lately and hardly anyone has been more on top of recent advances than Lenovo. The newest upgrade to the ThinkPad's popular T series is the T61, which is a revision of the T60, but comes along with a number of big changes including a 14.1" widescreen and Intel's Centrino Duo platform. The move to Centrino Duo, also know as Santa Rosa, is especially interesting because it means that there are also changes to the processor, chipset, and wireless interface. The T series notebooks are the powerhouses of the ThinkPad line so any changes to them are a big deal. These portable workstations are popular with many users who have come to rely on their performance and dependability. They may not be as light as the X61s or as cool as a new Sony ultraportable but they have come to be recognized as the ThinkPad user's ThinkPad. The change to the T series came along with the release of a new R series notebook, the R61. This is the ThinkPad’s value line, but the move is also a big one for ThinkPad fans because it is a 14.1" widescreen and is a model that is more competitive with the T and Z computers than ever before. It has more or less been unsaid so far, but these changes to the T and R lines means the Zs, which were known for being widescreen and consumer-friendly, have become extraneous and are being phased out. The three ultraportables X models (the X61, X61s, and X61 tablet) have been upgraded as well though this took a little bit longer than with the T and R models. This review will be looking at a new T61 notebook with extremely solid specifications. We already spent some time covering this system in our preview article so be sure to check that out if you want to get up to speed.