Buy T61 now or wait for new T-series?

I'm on the verge of buying a 14.1" T61, but I'm wondering if it makes sense to wait for the new T400/500 to drop. With the current 25% discount + 10% coupon + 15% cashback through fatwallet, I can get a T61 with 140M video and a T8100 for ~$800. That's cheaper than I can get a comparably equipped Dell or HP.

However, I understand that Lenovo is set to release a new line of laptops in June (with LED screens!), and I'm wondering whether I'll be able to get comparable savings then or whether the current spate of coupons/rebates/etc is only being used now to clear out old inventory. I understand that Lenovo offer 10% coupons quite frequently, but I'm worried that once the T400/500 drops the 25% off + 15% cashback deals will be ancient history.

 

hi,
i know the 25% discount and the 10% coupon, but what's the 15% fatwallet?
and what is T400/500?
and what's LED screens?

 

I say if you need it now then get it now with the coupon it is a very good price

 

Google is your friend, friend.

 

I do not actually need it now. My s6231 is still getting job done. But I'd rather not wait 12 months if it means it's going to be that long before Lenovo offers comparable discounts.

 

I bought my t60p before t61 came out. Then when t61 arrived they offered both t60 and t61 at the same time. Eventually they threw all t60/p laptops on the outlet for about 20% less than I paid for the same model and that includes a sale and a good coupon in my order price.

I humbly suggest waiting through the transition and keep an eye on the outlet.

 

I kinda needed mine and had to buy it now.

If you can wait, definately wait. It would be worth the wait, I promise you that much.

 

I think everyone goes through this when its time to press the button on a new purchase and in the end it's up to you. I have been in the market for a laptop for over a year to replace my aging Tablet PC (slate) and when there were 'leaks' of the T61 coming out I was almost ready to buy, but then I realized that my needs at that time and for some months to come didn't warrant a new purchase.

Now there are 'leaks' of Lenovo's new line and once again...should I wait? I thought about it as I did want an LED screen and I even considered the new 15" MacBook pros with the screen, but my budget and my realistic needs told me that now was a good time to buy a T61p.

They might have a fantastic discount or none at all on the new ThinkPads, who knows. If you don't have any time constraints or a budget...rock it out and be the first to post official 'unboxing' pics and a personal review of the new line. Otherwise...

Everyone is different. If you're looking for some support because you want to buy...go ahead, we won't stop you, but think about what you need not what you want. Also remember that you'll be waiting forever of you want the 'latest' technology. Look at the T61, they went from the Merom to the Peryn in less than a year. Computing is in a (damn this is getting long) a constant state of change so you just got to go with what you know, need, and what your pocket can digest.

Wow, I completely lost my point.

On a side note: I wish someone would just copy the MBPro design and update it Lenovo style, sans the random exploding batteries, plastic on the vents, and lap frying capabilites. Except for the slot drive, I like the ultrabay option.

 

i imagine the prices will be ridiculous, in comparison to t61p's.
i just ordered one because of that.

don't want one from an outlet. oh, and i'm sure there'll be issues with the next thinkpads (in shipping/ordering and the unit itself). it seems lenovo likes to do that now...

 

@supra97RX7

I agree with you about there being issues. No matter what manufacturers do, there are always those 'little things' that just seem to slip through the cracks.

 

I wouldn't buy now. June is so close, and Lenovo will start to replace all its existing ThinkPads in June, when they jump on the Montevina platform (launched on June 3rd). Particulary the brighter LED screens are worth it.

But as others have said, wouldn't surprise me if there will be major shipping delays like last year, and that the prices have gone up considerably.

 

all in all the pricing of the new models wont be seen like the current specials in a while. you saying its worth the wait just for a led screen?

like centrino 2 has the only benefit of decreased power consumption. all the bells & whistles are what are in the current t series

 

LED screens do not fade with time, and are brighter. I don't know about you, but many have complained about the ThinkPad screens, that they are not bright enough. I agree with that, and welcome very much brighter screens, that also keep their brightness after a few years.

Other than that, it is true that the Montevina platform doesn't bring much exciting stuff, but new integrated graphics in form of the X4500 and support for Displayport might be something. Depends on what Lenovo actually will throw in there though. They might even redesign the cases a little for the better, who knows. When it is so close, I would wait a little unless these coupons and rebates are important (only for U.S anyways, I can never take advantage of them).

 

That's kind of the issue here. I haven't been watching Lenovo long enough to know how often these deals occur. Right now I can stack three separate sale/coupon/cashback deals and save a significant chunk of change, but for all I know Lenovo runs deals like these all the time, so there's no harm in waiting.

 

Will the centrino 2 reach the new IBM models? if so, the updated integrated video is worth the wait. Based on a benchmark I saw on the web, its a 70-90% increase in performance from the x3100 that can rival nvidia's dedicated entry level gpu; 8400.

 

Usually, I'd say you'll never catch up with the next-gen tech, but in this case, being less than one month away, you're basically balancing money with better tech.

Buy a T61 (or a T61p, why not?) and get 'less tech' and the LCD screen, but a LOT cheaper(around $800-$1000); or buy the new T series with LED lights(around $2000) when it comes out.

For me, I'd always go for the cheaper option because for one, the tech race is always on-going, so what if I buy one that's last-gen? The next-gen will be last-gen soon, anyway. Secondly, if I go the cheaper end, I can pimp out my laptop at less than the cost of an entry-level next-gen one.

Frankly, I think, for an end user, these tech advances don't really mean *that* much of a difference. What's the difference between a T7700 or a T9300? If you're just using it for normal purposes, hell, even a T5600 will suffice.

I guess in the end it's a personal thing. No one's going to respect you any less no matter the choice.

 

Well said.

 

It all depends on what you need. I need a small and light laptop with a webcam, DisplayPort, X4500 GPU (not the power hungry nVidia), and without a DVD drive.

X61 doesn't have a built in webcam, and T61 is neither small nor light. X300 doesn't have a real CPU and a real Hard drive, not even mentioning the ridiculous $3000+ price tag in the age of $600 for a mainstream laptop. And none of them have a DisplayPort.

Looks like X200 will be the perfect fit. I can wait a few more weeks for a well balanced machine.

 

If you don't need the latest technology for anything intense then buy now while it is cheaper. The new models will be $2000+. My big concern was I wanted it for web, email, chat, and movies up to HD quality. Even the X3100 can run those the bigger factor is get the 7200 rpm drive which I did just the for the reason that the 5400rpm one seems to have trouble keeping up with the higher quality content. Then throw in the T8100 and 4 gigs of ram and the machine will last two years easy if you don't game or need it for 3D applications. Plus Integrated graphics run cooler and give 45mins to and an hour more battery life so that with penryn processor in a 14" is is 5:30-6hours on a 9cell. So why pay the premium if you can have a machine that can do it for less?

 

Well, my input is yea, why not just wait, its almost June, the realease date for the laptop. Have you guys asked yourselves, Where is it going to be released June 3? Exactly, Tapai something Japan or whatever, not North America. So give that about 2-3 weeks for it to arrive, then another 2-3 weeks again for it to actually be fully in stock. So we're talkin about 10 weeks give or take a few before you can actually get the laptop in you're lap. So always put things like this into account cuz then you get dissapointed. I say like the whole world says, buy now if you need now, or if you can wait the above mentioned, then wait!. Simple as that!..Cheers!..

For the record, I myself will be waiting.

 

Agree, I'm waiting. I keep a laptop for approx. 4 yrs and usually I'm not happy the last year so 4-10 wks wait to keep me happy is little price to pay. I would say buy now if you need it in the next 2-3 months or if you are extremely price sensitive because it will cost significantly more then what we see now with the fire sell that is going on.

 

Looks like new coupon codes are up and the deal has been extended at least until 5/26.

 

I am waiting. I want a quality screen and I have not felt I could get that from Lenovo so far. If the new series launches with more modern displays at reasonable prices, then I will consider. If they launch at $2000 or 2x the current prices, then I'll be going with Dell XPS which usually are fairly cost-effective, feature rich and well-built, even with new models.

 

Personally I chose to buy the T61P right now. I had a very good deal with the coupon CAXMAY01 and VisaPerks

 

I choose to buy now. In fact I ordered last night. My reasons for ordering now are that I wanted an Nvidia GPU which is more Linux compatible than ATI at the moment(though this could be changing with the recent cooperation between ATI and the open source community). The new thinkpads are rumored to have ATI. I also got an awesome price. I think the new machines will be a lot more expensive and I don't want to wait 6 months to have it go down to a reasonable level, if it even happens. The only real reason I would have waited for the new machines are for the LED backlit screen. But who knows, there could be the same screen quality variability that we are seeing now.

 

i like this response.
you'll pay a lot more for the latest technology, but in 9 months or so, it will be replaced with something new again.

IMO, spending more for the latest technology should only be done if A)money grows in your backyard, B)you have specific needs that are only reached by the new product, or C)there is a huge breakthrough in the technology.

C would be great, but that doesn't happen too often. and if it will happen, everyone would know about it anyway.

oh, and i suppose there is D) your company covers the cost of your laptop

 

i had an experience with an XPSm1530... it's what i had before ordering a t61p.

i hated carrying it - the way the bottom of the top half and the top of the bottom half come together allows it to flex very easily.

the screen is terrible and grainy. the samsung LCD issues are even more pronounced in the dell's it seems. i asked if they still use any LG LCDs, which are great, and they said they do not use them anymore.

the price was about the same, the xps was just a ltitle bit more. but i must disagree with you about being well built.

oh and the palmrest warped within the first 4 hours of using it.

 

It has to be said that if you wait for the new edition you are going to be stuck with Vista. This is why I'm looking to order in the next week or so.

 

I never planned on using Windows since I switched to Ubuntu in 2006. Linux is so much more powerful and flexible. My next laptop will be running Ubuntu as soon as I get it.

 

(cheap) top of line now > (more expensive) middle of line later
I figure that's how I see it anyhow.

You may also want to consider the adjustment period for getting a new computer. Plus the long delays when getting a newly released product (plus bugs and problems, among other things)

 

Excellent point. I hadn't considered this but it makes me feel a lot better about having sprung for the t61.

 

XP, sooner or later, will be outdated, and Vista will take over. No matter how much we resist. It was just like when XP came out and Everyone petitioned to keep '98 for longer. Sure, XP was horrid at first, but look at it now! Sure, Vista sucks now, but, it can only get better.

Interestingly, Windows 7 is coming out soon("soon" relatively, of course), and somehow, I think most people will be accepting it better than Vista during the transition phase.

Then again, even though I have completely turned from a Windows accepter to a Window$ hater, it seems that Vista was just a horrible attempt to suck money. Comparitively, XP is definitely the lesser of the two evils.

If you want, go for the XP one, because like I said in my last post, there's going to be new-tech all the time. Might as well get tech cheap. But just understand that, eventually, you're going to have to install Vista.

 

I respectfully disagree. It was an example of feature bloat dragging down a good concept until the result was unworkable and Microsoft became overwhelmed.

I'm waiting for the new laptops before buying. If they're too pricey I can pick up a T61 at a great price. If they're within my range then I get my LED screen. It's a win either way in my book.

 

That's true. It could be associated with the longevity of XP. XP was stagnant feature-wise while all the other OSs constantly improved. So M$ tried to make one giant jump to be on 'par'.

All the best with your purchases, anyway.

 

I don't recall that happening. Do you mean Win2k?

In any case, XP was not significantly more demanding of system resources than 2k was. Many people saw a performance improvement. I think the better analogy is when ME came out and the only people who used it were old grannies who bought e-machines at Wal Mart.

MS had to maintain support for NT and 2k longer because there were a lot of users running old software that was not XP compatible. But with XP they're actually having to keep the OS on the market longer because a lot of people with new computers still want to run it.

 

Ahhh.. That could be it. Thanks for clearing it up.

 

Many people have switched to Ubuntu and love it. For those with applications that must run on XP, you can use VMware to setup a virtual PC, or several virtual PCs on your laptop.

 

That's what I did, and I'm loving ever bit of Ubuntu. The best part of VM is that you get the benefits of XP without the viruses.