Laptop and Computer Reviews

Unless you put them side by side, you’d be hard-pressed to spot the physical differences between the two new Centrino laptops from Lenovo, the ThinkPad T61 and the ThinkPad R61. Both 14-inch models include all the important parts of Intel’s revamped Centrino platform, including new Core 2 Duo CPUs, extra onboard Turbo Memory (for boosting access times), and 802.11n Wi-Fi. While the slightly bulkier Centrino Duo R61 aims for the sweet spot in the price/performance matrix, the more expensive Centrino Pro T61 is a little thinner, a little lighter, and adds Intel’s Active Management Technology, allowing the IT department to manage the system from afar, even when it’s in sleep mode or powered down.

Despite the new technology, this is still largely the same black, boxy ThinkPad you’ve come to know and perhaps love, but Lenovo is starting to add consumer-friendly features such as optional Webcams and media card readers. It’s still pricey when configured for power users, but the typical excellent ThinkPad build quality makes this a system that should enjoy a long lifespan.

The ThinkPad T61 14.1″ widescreen notebook is easy to recommend as a laptop for those that want a highly durable system that provides powerful performance while on the go. The new cooling system design works wonders for keeping the temperature of the notebook down below 50C and limiting the need for the fan to run. The keyboard is as excellent as ever, the sturdy build is great, and the new port options are appreciated. I’d like to see a brighter screen option, in strong office lighting situations the screen can appear pretty washed out. Overall though the ThinkPad T61 does a great job of combining excellent usability features and performance, keeping the T-series well established as the leading portable business notebook.

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 Reviews From notebookreview

Pros:
* Excellent build quality, magnesium internal cage in lid and body provide extra protection
* Keyboard is highly usable, one of the best in the industry
* System runs cool, even though it now has more powerful processor
* FireWire and media card reader are nice new port options for the T-series
* Great performance and good battery life with integrated graphics
* Integrated WWAN and web camera are nice options to have

Cons:
* Screen brightness is lacking, in strong lighting situations screen appears washed out
* Would rather not have the Windows Live toolbar built-in
* T61 is thicker than the ThinkPad T60 and T43 notebooks
* Screen is not centered

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 Reviews From trustedreviews

Features 8/10
Performance 8/10
Value 8/10
Overall 8/10

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 Reviews From cnet

The good: Internal roll cage protects LCD; 802.11n Wi-Fi for faster wireless throughput; very small A/C adaptor adds little to overall travel weight; Intel’s Active Management Technology provides remote support.

The bad: New Centrino technology doesn’t offer outsize performance gains.

The bottom line: Lenovo’s 14-inch ThinkPad T61 shaves a few millimeters off the company’s more mainstream R-series laptops, but still boasts the same, solid ThinkPad DNA along with IT-friendly features by way of Intel’s new Centrino Pro platform.