Another Thinkpad Wonder
Written: Oct 04 '00 (Updated Oct 05 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Awesome display, smart ports
Cons: Pricey
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| syc's Full Review: Lenovo ThinkPad T20 (264746U) PC Notebook |
I recently gave the Thinkpad 600X a rave review so how could a notebook really improve upon it? That was my attitude as I first opened the T20. I doubted that it could really be all that much better; instead, I figured it would be only marginally better and that, given the price premium, could wait a bit before being worth buying. In some respects, I'd say I was right. But at the same time, I was impressed by certain features that really made me glad to be a Thinkpad user. The main features that grabbed my attention (outside of the usual faster CPU) were: bigger display, gorgeous colors on the display, slightly lighter, built-in phone and network jacks (although the network jack needs a mini-PCI card to activate it), and better arrangement of ports. There are also some other neat frilly things like a keyboard light, dedicated volume switches, and a port on the display (that IBM says is for a video camera).
To take a step back, the IBM Thinkpad T20 is a new line of IBM notebook computers. I personally think its a 600 series replacement but IBM still offers the 600 series so they are currently living in parallel. It's slightly larger than the 600X but actually weighs a little less due to the titanium-based case (which also sounds cooler).
As I initially mentioned, the display is really one of the most outstanding features. It's now 14.1", very bright, and very white. I compared it side by side with my 600X and found that the T20's new display made me realize I've been looking at off-white all this time instead of real white. Even my desktop monitor didn't have such a perceptible difference. There are bigger displays but none as outstanding. I'd gladly sacrifice a little size to get the quality of the T20's LCD display. A bonus with the improved display is 8MB video RAM! Finally, you can play video intensive games from two years ago. I don't know why notebooks have lagged desktop so much in video RAM, but this is a welcome improvement from the 600 series 2.5 MB or 4 MB video RAM.
Also making the T20 a truly worthwhile upgrade are all around the decreased weight and improved ports. The case is now made of some titanium composite. Is that real or just some marketing gimmick? It seems that everything is being made of titanium nowadways. But the fact is that the T20 is indeed lighter. I haven't tried sitting on either my 600X or the T20 so I won't vouch for crush-resistance. The ports have been tweaked and modified. It seems like a small change, but one that people who live with their notebooks will appreciate. Now, all the ports are on the back of the machine. This means no more octopus effect when moving your notebook. With my 600, when I move my notebook, I have my usb devices to the left, power to the rear, and network dongle to the right. With the T20, everything is to the rear. Very intelligent and very elegant. The T20 also features an inactive network port that can be activated with a mini-PCI card. I don't know what else is available as a mini-PCI card but it sounds cool. There's also a little port on the top of the screen that is supposed to be for a video camera. I don't have one so I can't comment on it's usefulness or lack thereof.
The only things that were a slight let down were a slightly mushier keyboard. I have no idea why they would change their keyboards. IBM Thinkpads have always been widely applauded for having the best keyboard on a notebook in the industry hands-down. I'm also not too fond of the new shape with the slanted sides...that's just a personal preference so I wouldn't give it too much weight. I like the plain, boxy, utilitarian 600 series. I also don't know if there's a port for a second battery. If not, I'll be sorely disappointed. This is one of my favorite features of the 600 series -- the ability to have two batteries taking care of you on a coast-to-coast flight. Still, all things considered, the T20 is a worthy successor to the 600 series and worth the upgrade if you are on the verge of upgrades. If you are doing fine with your 600, you might want to hold off to see what other magic comes out of the Thinkpad series. Your major tempation? The new display. Don't look at it if you don't want to be tempted!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
syc
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Member: Sean Chou
Location: Chicago, IL
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Half-heartedly recovering gadget geek.
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