The specific model I own is the T61p with the standard aspect ratio 14.1" screen. It is essentially the same as its larger 15.4" counterpart, but with half the video RAM (128MB vs 256MB). The discrete graphics adapter is the same chipset otherwise (an NVidia Quadro FX 570M). I have owned three Thinkpads and I have been extremely pleased with this one.

Before I begin with my Thinkpad background and experience, let me discuss some graphics terminology that is important to understand. When it comes to laptop buying, you will have a choice between discrete and integrated graphics. Discrete graphics means that the GPU (graphics processing unit) is completely independent with its own dedicated memory. This memory is addressed directly by the GPU and is not shared with any other system component. This makes discrete graphics fast. Integrated graphics means that the GPU may or may not be completely independent. It may hand off some tasks to the system processor if necessary. But it also means that the GPU will share the system memory. In this case, all addressing must pass through the system bus and, as such, is subject to timing and wait states determined by the system processor. In other words, it's a significantly less efficient way of processing graphics.

To give you a little background, I started out with a T42. This was an excellent laptop with the same size/aspect ratio screen as I have currently. It also had discrete graphics. I was highly pleased with its performance in every aspect, but I made the mistake of jumping on the widescreen bandwagon shortly thereafter. I sold my T42 and purchased a Z60t. Big mistake. The Z60t was only available with integrated graphics. I thought, since I did not do CAD or video editing or gaming, that this factor would be insignificant. I was wrong. Even doing simple tasks such as watching DVD's, the performance decrease was noticable. With the T42, the DVD playback was smooth as ice. I could load webpages, run computations, even play music simultaneously without any of that affecting the video playback performance. With the Z60t, if I tried to do much of anything while video playback was occurring, the video would chop. Moreover, on certain video applications, it would chop anyways. I had 1GB of system RAM in that Z60t. In the T42, I only had 512MB for the system, and it had 64MB of independent RAM for the discrete graphics. And it far outperformed the Z60t.

Realizing my mistake in purchasing the Z60t, and also realizing that I really did prefer a standard aspect ratio screen, I sold my Z60t. I then purchased the T61p. I felt a breath of fresh air when this new laptop arrived. It performed just as flawlessly as my old T42 and even more so. I have played 15 video files simultaneously on this computer with smooth playback if that gives you an idea of just how powerful the graphics are. If I was a gamer, I could probably give you a much better image, but unfortunately I rarely play anything other than Solitaire.

The T61p is solid in every other aspect I have noticed, as well. When I purchased it about a year ago, it was the only laptop I had ever heard of that had active protection for the hard drive. This means that when the little built-in motion sensor senses the lapop falling, it will instantly "park" the hard drive heads. The biggest cause of damage in dropping a hard drive is the heads smacking against the platters. Of course, don't take this extra peace of mind as an excuse to not back up your data. Always back up your data on some external media.

The keyboard is top notch and without a doubt the best laptop keyboard I've ever used. It has a solid industrial feel that is garanteed not to make you wish you were on a standard computer keyboard. In fact, I prefer typing on my laptop keyboard over my desktop.

The trackpoint is one of my favorite aspects of Thinkpads. I've noticed a couple other manufacturers are starting to use them, but I do believe IBM (now Lenovo for consumer products) was the first. I have always found touchpads to feel unnatural and exude a frustrating lack of precise control. As a result, I will only buy a laptop with a trackpoint. Granted, I do use a wireless external mouse while at home, but on the go, the trackpoint is fully appreciated. This is a matter of personal preference I'm sure, but if you've never used a trackpoint, I suggest giving it a try.

As far as heat goes, the T61p is extremely efficient. I've typed on laptops where the machine was just always hot, easily felt through the keyboard. That is not the case for this machine. Lenovo has a beautiful copper heatsink setup with active cooling that provides a superb level of thermal efficiency. Now, you must be sure to set your energy preferences correctly in power management because you can set the machine to run hot all the time. This is really only advantageous if you're consistently running heavy computational software 24/7. I do occasionally crunch data for certain distributed processing  projects (think protein folding, einstein@home, etc), but those clients have CPU throttles that ensure I don't have to push the heat index.

As far as durability goes, I've not seen a contender for this laptop since the Panasonic Toughbook. Now there's really no comparison to the Toughbook - that's a true field agent's notebook. But as far as consumer-minded laptops go, you can't beat the Thinkpad design. The plastic is not cheap and flimsy like you'll find on many other brands. Those brands were clearly going for the lowest bid to compete in consumer electronic stores. Also, the hinges on the T61p are Tim-the-Toolman-Taylor overkill. You could hang a medival castle gate on these hinges and not worry.

The T61p includes Lenovo's Thinkvantage software which offers an assortment of tools, extra to Windows XP. I have found the wireless networking software to be a major help. I use standard encryption at home, but at another site I frequently work at, we use TKIP-TTLS. Windows does not support this and normally you'd have to find third party software to manage it. But the included Lenovo software handles it just fine. It also makes switching between locales easy. This is the case with other aspects of the Thinkvantage software such as the display configuration selector. You can predefine different monitor output schemes for both single setups, dual setups, presentation setups, and then switch between them in a flash.

Overall, this is a solid notebook in both performance, durability, and even appearance (although I realize appearance is more subjective) The sleek black design of this laptop says professional in every aspect. I have found the majority of modern laptops to be rather unattractive in their aesthetic eccentricities. Also, the thinklight is a nice touch.

It's certainly true that Thinkpads cost more than most, but in a world where you get what you pay for, I have found the benefits worth every extra cent. If your laptop is something you plan on using frequently and is an important daily tool in your life, you can't go wrong with the T61p.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 1500
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 14 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: SuperDisk
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50