Lenovo today announced widescreen options in its ThinkPad T series business notebooks. Announced models feature 391.1 mm (15.4 in) wide TFT display with 1280 x 800 or 1680 x 1050 resolution and ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 (128 MB), ATI Mobility FireGL V5250 (256 MB) or Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 graphics chipset options. With all models Lenovo offers a range of Core 2 Duo processors, starting with T5500 (1.66 GHz) and up to T7200, (2.0 GHz). Starting memory is 512MB upgradable up to 3GB. As all notebooks in T-series new models feature the Active Protection System, a ThinkVantage technology that helps protect your HDD from some damage that could be caused by shock. A system board-mounted sensor continuously monitors your ThinkPad notebook for sudden movement, and temporarily parks the HDD read/write head when a fall or similar event is predicted.

Widescreen ThinkPad T series quick specs:

Processors: New Intel Core 2 Duo processors T5500 (1.66 GHz), T5600 (1.83 GHz), with 2 MB L2 cache, or T7200, (2.0 GHz) with 4 MB L2 cache, and 667 MHz front-side-bus (FSB)
Memory: PC2-5300 double data rate 2 (DDR2) SDRAM 667 MHz SO DIMM memory 512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB of memory, depending on system, and geography expandable to 3 GB
Display: 15.4 inch with 1280 x 800 or 1680 x 1050 resolution
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 (128 MB) or ATI Mobility FireGL V5250 (256 MB) or Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 graphics chipset
Hard Drives: 80 GB or 120 GB (5400 rpm) HDD, or 100 GB (7200 rpm) HDD, depending on system
Optical drive: DVD Recordable 8x maximum or 24x-24x-24x-8x maximum CD-RW/DVD depending on model
Connectivity: 56K V.90 modem (V.92-designed) and 1 Gigabit Ethernet LAN connection , ThinkPad 11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Mini-PCI Express Adapter, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG LAN (Wi-Fi-certified based on IEEE 802.11a/b/g), or ThinkPad 11a/b/g wireless LAN (Wi-Fi-certified based on IEEE 802.11a/b/g) on selected systems and depending on geography
Security: Fingerprint reader on all systems
Bluetooth wireless technology on selected system
Dimensions&Weight: The ThinkPad T60 and T60p notebooks are approximately 26.6 mm to 31 mm (1.0 in to 1.2 in) thin with optimal travel weight starting at 2.36 kg (5.2 lb) with travel bezel.
Case: The titanium and magnesium composite covers.

Lenovo Announcement Letter.

Reviews of ThinkPad T60 Widescreen

CNET reviewing ThinkPad T series widescreen, gives it 6.2-out-of-10 rating and writes:” A little more than a year ago, Lenovo shocked the laptop world by announcing the first wide-screen ThinkPads. Apparently the new form factor was well received, because the latest iteration of the ThinkPad T60, one of the most popular ThinkPad models, now includes the option of a 15.4-inch wide-screen display. We certainly can’t complain–we like having more real estate for spreadsheets, movies, and other vital business tasks–and the addition of a Core 2 Duo processor, along with the characteristic ThinkPad construction and business-friendly support features, give this new ThinkPad T60 tremendous appeal. But Lenovo’s more consumer-oriented ThinkPad Z61m, which offers the same components and a similar feature set in a slightly thicker and heavier case, nudged ahead of the ThinkPad T60 on some of our performance benchmarks and costs $185 less. t60_widescreen2.jpgUnless you need to save every inch of room and ounce of weight in your laptop bag, we recommend that you save a few bucks and get the ThinkPad Z61m.”

Laptop Magazine: Reviweing Lenovo ThinkPad T60 Widescreen Notebook, Laptop magazine gives it 4 out of 5 stars and writes, “The T60 Widescreen combines everything we loved about the previous T60 model but swaps in a display that’s shorter in height than its predecessor but wide enough to let you run two applications side by side (or enjoy a widescreen DVD when you’re not crunching numbers). You also get a fast dual-core processor, advanced security, and 802.11n Wi-Fi, plus the ThinkPad’s legendary keyboard and durability. Add it all up and you have a killer business notebook.

At the heart of this new model is the 15.4-inch (1680 x 1050-pixel resolution) widescreen, which was added to assist power presenters by maximizing the screen view. Lenovo states that the widescreen format allows for 30 percent more data on screen, and we can definitely say that watching DVDs was a pleasure from almost any angle. We experienced only a hint of glare and reflection, but we thought that the visuals could have been a bit sharper. Despite the high-resolution screen, fonts were still quite legible, and we liked being able to view more information without needing to scroll as often.

The 5.5-pound T60 Widescreen keeps the familiar all-business design used in previous ThinkPads. Pop the lid and you’ll discover the classic keyboard, smallish touchpad, and pointing stick. Volume buttons reside above the Function keys, along with the blue button that launches the ThinkVantage Productivity Center, which gives users access to hard drive maintenance tasks, data protection, and a slew of other helpful utilities. Access Connection enables mobile professionals to automatically switch between LAN, Wi-Fi, and optional Verizon Wireless EV-DO ($249) when a signal is available, so there’s no need to hunt for a connection.

The security-conscious will appreciate Lenovo’s inclusion of the Embedded Security System and an optional fingerprint reader, which helps prevent unauthorized access to data. Durability is given equal importance, with the Active Protection System, shock-mounted 120GB hard drive, and spill-resistant keyboard. Included third-party software consists of Adobe Reader, Diskeeper Lite, Google Desktop, Google Toolbar, and Picasa.”

PROS and CONS of T60 Widescreen according to Laptop Magazine:

• Great keyboard • Long battery life • Widescreen display • Good wireless performance

• Small touchpad

This entry was posted on November 28, 2006 and is filed under ThinkPad T-series, News.