YAL(aptop)T

[LASTGUY2GETPS2]

Okay, so I basically narrowed down my choices to these two: Sony FE590 and IBM Z61m. I'm looking for something with:

15" Screen
DVD Burner
Intel Dual Core
Integrated Wifi/BT
3-6 hours battery life
Sold for at or around $2000
Built-in webcam a plus but not required

Please, No Apple MacBooks, I was not impressed with it when I took it for a test drive. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

EDIT: I'm stuck between the T and Z Series. Help!

 

[slugg]

ibm for the service and quality control... if something were to ever go wrong (1 in every 3 laptops needs to be serviced within 2 years says consumer reports), ibm/lenovo will take care of you without any hassle (unless you abused the computer). Sony will charge you an arm and a leg and take forever and be a pain in the ass. Simply for the build quality and service, i'd say stick with the thinkpad.

 

[AmigaMan]

MacBookPro. 😉

I'd probably get the the Lenovo, but I'd choose the Thinkpad T60 series instead of the z61. I'm probably going to be corrected by other more knowledgeable IBM/Lenovo people here, but I believe the Z series are the consumer line and the T series are the business line. Anyways, as Slugg mentioned, service is definitely a big point along with overall quality. However with a good warranty (be sure to get 3 years) you should be ok with either one. I know you said no MacBooks, but one of the reasons I got it over a Lenovo was that the Apple Store was right down the street from me and getting it serviced is a lot easier. With Lenovo (or any other vendor for that matter), I'd have to ship it back.

 

[LASTGUY2GETPS2]

Well, some of the reasons I didn't want a Macbook was that when I used it, it was was too hot. Those heating issues really need to be resolved. Another reason, i'm more comfortable with windows (even though I'm sure I can master osx in no time). I'll post back when I compare the z series to the t series

 

[LASTGUY2GETPS2]

Okay. I looked at both the T Series and Z Series and the only discrepncies I can find are that the T Series lacks the built-in webcam and widescreen display though it does boast a 9cell battery. Is there something I'm missing? And what are the negatives of running on a widescreen display? The only one I can think of off hand is messed up gaming resolutions....

 

[6000SUX]

Originally posted by: LASTGUY2GETPS2
Okay. I looked at both the T Series and Z Series and the only discrepncies I can find are that the T Series lacks the built-in webcam and widescreen display though it does boast a 9cell battery. Is there something I'm missing? And what are the negatives of running on a widescreen display? The only one I can think of off hand is messed up gaming resolutions....

Messed-up work resolution is another one. The first time you're working on a Word document, browsing the web, etc. you will see what I mean. The physical screen size on the Z61m is not enough for actually using two document editors/viewers side by side. Unless you are an IM freak and have to have the person-list window on screen all the time, or have other skinny-window apps, it is not a very good choice for a college laptop. In a laptop of that size, the screen width is wasted, as it doesn't enable a larger-sized keyboard (keyboards on 4:3 14" screens are already full-size) and the extra wasted screen space also translates to shorter battery life, all else being equal.

 

[6000SUX]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
MacBookPro. 😉

I'd probably get the the Lenovo, but I'd choose the Thinkpad T60 series instead of the z61. I'm probably going to be corrected by other more knowledgeable IBM/Lenovo people here, but I believe the Z series are the consumer line and the T series are the business line. Anyways, as Slugg mentioned, service is definitely a big point along with overall quality. However with a good warranty (be sure to get 3 years) you should be ok with either one. I know you said no MacBooks, but one of the reasons I got it over a Lenovo was that the Apple Store was right down the street from me and getting it serviced is a lot easier. With Lenovo (or any other vendor for that matter), I'd have to ship it back.

I've got it better than you: a service rep will come to my house to service my Thinkpad. I've got next-day service.

 

[AmigaMan]

Originally posted by: 6000SUX

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
MacBookPro. 😉

I'd probably get the the Lenovo, but I'd choose the Thinkpad T60 series instead of the z61. I'm probably going to be corrected by other more knowledgeable IBM/Lenovo people here, but I believe the Z series are the consumer line and the T series are the business line. Anyways, as Slugg mentioned, service is definitely a big point along with overall quality. However with a good warranty (be sure to get 3 years) you should be ok with either one. I know you said no MacBooks, but one of the reasons I got it over a Lenovo was that the Apple Store was right down the street from me and getting it serviced is a lot easier. With Lenovo (or any other vendor for that matter), I'd have to ship it back.

I've got it better than you: a service rep will come to my house to service my Thinkpad. I've got next-day service.

Sweet! Did you have to pay for that, or is it a part of the standard warranty service? If the latter, they really need to make that more visible to people who are in the market for a laptop.

 

[6000SUX]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan

Originally posted by: 6000SUX

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
MacBookPro. 😉

I'd probably get the the Lenovo, but I'd choose the Thinkpad T60 series instead of the z61. I'm probably going to be corrected by other more knowledgeable IBM/Lenovo people here, but I believe the Z series are the consumer line and the T series are the business line. Anyways, as Slugg mentioned, service is definitely a big point along with overall quality. However with a good warranty (be sure to get 3 years) you should be ok with either one. I know you said no MacBooks, but one of the reasons I got it over a Lenovo was that the Apple Store was right down the street from me and getting it serviced is a lot easier. With Lenovo (or any other vendor for that matter), I'd have to ship it back.

I've got it better than you: a service rep will come to my house to service my Thinkpad. I've got next-day service.

Sweet! Did you have to pay for that, or is it a part of the standard warranty service? If the latter, they really need to make that more visible to people who are in the market for a laptop.

It was a free sale upgrade; otherwise the upgrade to 3-year at home service would've cost an extra $109.00 on the model I picked. The visibility is just the same as ever, in a dropdown on the order page and in the specs. I agree with you that they should probably think about more prominently featuring "business as usual" information on their website-- lots of people probably think that at-home service may not be available since they're a Chinese company.

I've never been too hot on sending my machine through the mail for service, mostly because I can't stand being without it for so long. I'd be okay with bringing a machine to a local shop if they could service it while I waited.

 

[mauiblue]

Originally posted by: 6000SUX

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
MacBookPro. 😉

<snip>With Lenovo (or any other vendor for that matter), I'd have to ship it back.

I've got it better than you: a service rep will come to my house to service my Thinkpad. I've got next-day service.

When I purchased my Toshiba notebook, I got the extended warranty AND Systemguard (accidental repair). All services is in-home and Toshiba actually will dispatch a comp tech guy to your home. I had some issues with a hard drive and from the time I called Toshiba to the time I got the hard drive replaced was three days. That's pretty good for living on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean😉.