Lenovo ThinkPad X61
Laptop Review

Let's now take a good look at the features of the ThinkPad X61.


1. Overview

First up in this ThinkPad X61 review ... the specs of this baby. We have stuff like a Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, an ample 100GB hard drive, a DVD writer (external) and an integrated Intel X3100 graphics chip. Add to that slots for a PCMCIA/PC-Card, built-in wireless, Ethernet and Bluetooth. And also add in Windows Vista Business and an extremely light weight of 3 pounds. All for a reasonable price of $2033. Thats a best-selling ultraportable laptop if you ask me.
 

The Lenovo ThinkPad X61 ultraportable laptop
 

2. Design

Right, let's move on to the design and build of the Lenovo ThinkPad X61. The first thing you notice about the X61 is that is it clearly an ultraportable laptop. Like the rest of the ThinkPad family, it has a full-size keyboard, lovely stainless steel hinges and a very nice overall fit and finish. The designers have managed to squeeze in a lot of laptop into a compact, well-protected body - and they did it very well.

And here's another nice aspect of the design. The items that get upgraded the most often (i.e. the hard disk and the RAM) are accessible through panels on the bottom side. You can also remove other parts very easily - something other laptops do not seem to do very well.
 

3. Display

Ok, the next bit we'll talk about in this ThinkPad X61 review is the display screen. Now, compared to other multimedia class laptops, the X61 does not have very good colors and contrast. However, this is not a problem since the machine should be very close to you during normal use. Some folks have reported some problem typing in the sun as the colors get washed out. However, in exchange for the light weight and powerful features, I think that is something most people can live with.

I also like the the display cover on the ThinkPad X61. You know how you see ripples on the screen if you press the display cover of a laptop? You don't get that with the X61. The display cover is also solidly built, with super strong hinges.
 

4. Keyboard and Other Controls

Here's another thing you will like about the X61. It has a full-size keyboard! Squeezing this into an ultraportable must have been difficult. But it is so important in terms of the user experience. You get the same comfort in typing as in the larger laptops, with a nice click against each key you depress.

And on another note - the ThinkPad X61 does not come with a touchpad. There's only a red ThinkPad Touchpoint which might take some getting used to for users who've not used it before.
 

The Lenovo ThinkPad X61 viewed from the side
 

5. Ports and Connections

The ThinkPad X61 has all the usual ports you need (USB, microphone jacks, etc), along with built-in wireless, Ethernet and Bluetooth. The wireless card is a good quality one, and does a good job of pulling in wireless networks that are in range.
 

6. Battery Life

The battery life on the ThinkPad X61 is pretty good - it gives you about 5 hours of usage on a 8-cell extended battery. The only problem you might have is not related to the laptop, but rather Windows Vista. Vista (in my opinion) has a habit of chugging away in the background doing all sorts of mysterious tasks. I think you can get even longer battery life if you installed Windows XP rather than Windows Vista.

The recharging on the X61 is also very fast, up to 30-50% faster than say, the ThinkPad T60. Added to the fact that it comes with a very small power adapter, you can see that the X61 is indeed mobile worker's dream come true.
 

7. Shortcomings

The shortcomings of the Lenovo ThinkPad X61? Well, there aren't many at all. The only ones I can think of is the poor contrast and view angles on the display, along with the lack of a DVD writer out of the box. However, considering the portability of this machine, I think I'd gladly live with those flaws.
 

Conclusion

Ok, we've come to the end of this Lenovo ThinkPad X61 review. On the whole, the X61 is a great alternative to those large laptop models which you aren't keen to lug around. The X61 has all the computing power of a larger machine, but packed into a very nice compact package. If you deem portability and weight to be a very consideration in your laptop purchase, then I think the ThinkPad X61 is a perfect choice.

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