Need Experienced Answers on the Lenovo

[Ultralight]

I know a good bit about Desktop PCs but when it comes to Laptops I will confess my noobishness. I have read enough to know that Lenovo makes good Laptops (yes, I did a search here but there are very few posts), but like all manufacturers, they make different quality LPs. I'd like to know your opinion on the following:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146276

This laptop will be used for college work utilizing Windows Office, burning DVDs, online research and some surfing, emails, etc. It will not be used for gaming. I'd like to keep it below $900 if at all possible.

Let me know what you think of the specs and if you think there is another decent model or manufacture please say so. Prefer XP Pro with 1 gig of RAM. I'm not asking for much, am I? Thanks.

 

[Shortcut]

lenovo's thinkpad notebooks are highly regarded, but their non-thinkpad notebooks are mediocre, i've heard.

 

[IndieSnob]

I just traded my desktop system for a friends Lenovo/Thinkpad Z61m last weekend. Mine has a Duo-Centrino processor (2 Ghz), 2 gigs DDR, 100 gig ATA HD, ATI X1400 video, 15.4 WXGA, etc. etc.

So far I love the thing. It's a hell of a lot more solidly built than the Toshiba Satellite I previously owned.

 

[arcas]

I got a Thinkpad T42p a couple years ago (got it just before IBM handed off its laptop operations to Lenovo). Thinkpads have the best keyboards in the laptop business bar none. Once you've used one, it's painful to use another laptop (Dell...are you listening???). I have no reason to believe that Lenovo isn't building them to the same high standards so just buy a Thinkpad. You won't regret it.

 

[Ultralight]

I appreciate the replies. I'd love to get a ThinkPad but they are out of my budget range. How about Lenovo's 3000 series? I know they aren't the jhigher end ThinkPad, but what about quality?

Someone has already posted they are mediocre at best. true?

 

[Pakman117]

A new ThinkPad may be out of your price range, but a used one surely isn't. I just purchased a used T43 for $695 shipped off of eBay. It came with a 1.86GHz P-M, 1GB DDR2 ram, 64 MB ATI Radeon X300, 14" 1400x1050 SVGA+ display, 80 GB hard drive, and a warranty that expires June 2008. Drop another gig of RAM in there for $50, and you'd blow that Lenovo 3000 out of the water. It may take a couple of days to find the right deal, but I think it's worth it.

By the way arcas, IBM keyboards would be even better if the control key was in the bottom left corner. Why do they insist of moving it over a key?! I'm slowly getting used to it, but reverting back to normal keyboards causes trouble.