The ThinkPad T61 is a premium product with a durable build, it is geared towards business users or simply those willing to pay a bit more to get something that won't fall apart after 1-year of use. For somebody that travels a lot or relies on their notebook to earn a livelihood, the build and reliability factor is probably more important than having the latest and greatest components inside.
The T61 body is a rugged plastic that does not flex. Inside the stiff and thick plastic casing is a magnesium roll cage in both the lid and main chassis. The lid on the previous T60 was a magnesium material, while the lid on the T61 is a plastic composite with a magnesium "roll cage" plate inside. The reason for plastic now being used in the lid is to allow better penetration of radio waves, such as 802.11 and WWAN, thus providing greater wireless range and signal strength.
The keyboard remains the same between the T61 and T60 -- meaning it's once again excellent. The only difference is that now there's more room on the keyboard side areas since the notebook body is wider, the speakers have been relocated to this extra real estate. The keyboard is spill proof and has two drain holes to make sure if you do happen to spill your morning Starbucks coffee, the liquid is carried away from sensitive components and out through the bottom of the notebook
The thick metal hinges that attach the screen are very rigid and ensure the screen does not wobble. You'll need two hands to adjust and open the screen as the hinges are very tight. The double screen latch system locks securely to make sure the screen stays down when being carried around.
The hard drive is protected within the magnesium roll cage and shock mounted. Even if your T61 is dropped the included Active Protection System (APS) software will work with the on board accelerometer to detect a fall situation and end hard drive activity to prevent data loss.
Dimension wise the ThinkPad T61 14.1" certainly changes from its predecessors, it is wider but not as deep since it has shifted to widescreen. The dimensions of the T61 (assuming 4-cell battery that does not stick out) are as follows: (WxDxH): 13.2" x 9.3" x 1.09 - 1.26" (335mm x 237mm x 27.6 - 31.9mm)
The T61 is actually thicker than the T60 was, which is a little disappointing, here's the dimensions for the 14.1" T60: (WxDxH): 12.2" x 10.0" x 1.0 - 1.2" (311mm x 255mm x 26.6-31mm)
Specs
* Processor: Intel T7300 Core 2 Duo (2.0GHz, 800MHz FSB, 4MB Cache)
* Graphics: Intel GMA X3100
* Operating System: Windows Vista Business
* Display: WXGA+ 1440 x 900 (LG screen)
* Hard Drive: 100GB 7200RPM (Seagate Momentus 7200.1)
* Memory: 2GB (1GB x 1GB), up to 4GB max
* Ports: 3 USB 2.0, 1 FireWire, Monitor out, modem, Ethernet, headphone out, microphone in
* Slots: 1 PC Card Slot, 1 ExpressCard slot (optional media card reader and Smart Card reader)
* Optical Drive: Ultra-slim Super-Multi Drive
* Dimensions: 13.2" x 9.3" x 1.09 - 1.26" (335mm x 237mm x 27.6 - 31.9mm)
* Weight: 5.1lbs
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