Laptop purchase advice needed

[quentinterintino]

Need some advice on selecting an IBM laptop, for those familiar with them.

I'm picking up a laptop to do research, and I am definitely settled on an IBM (Lenovo). I am mainly using it for word processing, remote access to parallel computering, email, and the like - although I would like to be able to watch DVDs if I travel.



What I want:
- portability (spatial and mass)
- decent speed
- small graphic ability(no games, but at least movies)
- >3hr battery life
- wifi

What I don't want:

-huge effing screens (it's a laptop, afterall)
-heavy/bulky

From what I can gather, IBM has two series that satisfy my criteria: the T and Z series.

The Z series is widescreen and a little bit smaller, but I hear they are buggy compared to the T series.

Since the school is paying for this, money isn't too big of an issue... Should I go with a Z-60tor an T-43?

Of course, if the X41 had the an optical drive that wasn't attached to a docking bay, I would get that in a second.

Let me know what you think, thanks!


---------------
Cliffs:
1) Need IBM Laptop
2) Go with Z series widescreen but crappy Intel Integrated Graphics, or
3) Go with slightly bulkier T series but have better performance.
4) ...?
5) Profit

EDIT: Yes, I know there is a laptop forum, but (1) seems the turnaround time on a response is too long (2) search yields nothing too helpful.

 

[ironcrotch]

I've recommended a few of my friends to get z60's and they've been very happy. I myself, my next laptop will probably be the x41 tablet, but thats me. But if I didnt' need teh tablet feature then I would get teh z60.

 

[quentinterintino]

Cool - so the Z60t will be able to handle movies without being too choppy? And hopefully these reliability rumors are not true.

 

[ironcrotch]

I would like to think that the z60t would be able to handle movies, god forbid if it didnt. That z60t you have linked is nearly a loaded machine, it should do you well.

 

[codeyf]

I'm using a X41. I agree about them not having a built-in optical drive. Sony can make a tiny-azz laptop with a drive built in, why can't IBM?

How about the X60 tho? I read a tiny bit about them. Oh, and if I were buying a laptop, it'd prolly be the Z series. Either that or the Acer Ferrari.

 

[chuckywang]

I'm using an X41T right now. It's full featured and has a long battery life. Optical drives just add to the weight...I don't need that unless I'm at a desk.

 

[quentinterintino]

Originally posted by: chuckywang
I'm using an X41T right now. It's full featured and has a long battery life. Optical drives just add to the weight...I don't need that unless I'm at a desk.

True, but I would still like to have an optical drive since we store most of our data that way.

 

[Philippine Mango]

T series FTW, they seem to be better laptops overall..

 

[Paulson]

Well I hate my R51 design... so far the hinge has cracked the plastic molding on one side of the laptop (from opening and closing it, I've never dropped it)

Also, the plastic grill in front of the heatsink/fan combo is cracked and all busted up (lifted laptop up wrong way one time and finger damn near went through it.

Plus the battery life is pretty horsesh!t on mine. Even when it was new I was lucky to get an hour & 1/2 out of it with the backlight turned down. Of course now with 500 + cycles on the battery I'm lucky if I get 45 minutes on it.

Oh yeah, I just had to have the motherboard replaced on mine as well... damn thing just up and died on me. This laptop is about a year & 1/2 old, and while I use the piss out of it, I still find it frustrating to deal with sometimes, due to poor flimsy plastic design.

 

[quentinterintino]

Originally posted by: Paulson
Well I hate my R51 design... so far the hinge has cracked the plastic molding on one side of the laptop (from opening and closing it, I've never dropped it)

Also, the plastic grill in front of the heatsink/fan combo is cracked and all busted up (lifted laptop up wrong way one time and finger damn near went through it.

Plus the battery life is pretty horsesh!t on mine. Even when it was new I was lucky to get an hour & 1/2 out of it with the backlight turned down. Of course now with 500 + cycles on the battery I'm lucky if I get 45 minutes on it.

Oh yeah, I just had to have the motherboard replaced on mine as well... damn thing just up and died on me. This laptop is about a year & 1/2 old, and while I use the piss out of it, I still find it frustrating to deal with sometimes, due to poor flimsy plastic design.

That's pretty discouraging - but aren't the the T and Z series more robust that the R? I know that they have a metallic hinge - not sure about the plastic though ... kind of worrisome

 

[DVK916]

T60 FTW, not T43 but T60.

 

[Paulson]

Well even though it's had problems it's been a decent laptop. I use it every day, and it gets transported every day a lot... I never turn it off (ever)...

The one cool feature (unless you're watching something from the hard drive) is the motion sensor that parks the hard drive head when the laptop is moved. It can get annoying if you're watching an avi or something and you bump the computer and then the video stalls out for a few seconds. At least this "feature" can be turned off or set to how you want it, but it is a nifty little thing.

 

[mzkhadir]

a better place to post this would be in the laptop section of Anandtech Forums

 

[aphex]

I've had my T series for about 2 years now.. The thing is a freaking TANK! I LOVE IT!

 

[Viper0329]

Originally posted by: aphex
I've had my T series for about 2 years now.. The thing is a freaking TANK! I LOVE IT!

Same here, I have a T40, and it's still operating as well as the day I bought it (minus the cycles and decreased life on the battery, which is to be expected). My hinges are still functioning like new almost 3 years later

 

[bigrash]

I got a T42 that I use for work. it's a sweet laptop!

 

[Jzero]

I love the X series. Can't you just get an external optical drive?

 

[quentinterintino]

So it looks like it's between a T60 or a Z60. I would love to get an X series but I know inevitably I would end up carrying around the external drive too, which in my mind would negate the size and portability of an X series to begin with.

 

[RossMAN]

Question is Z60T or Z60M?

 

[DVK916]

The T60 would be better than the Z60.

 

[mitaiwan82]

T series FTW...gotta get the discrete video and high-res 14" display (1400x1050)