Considering a Lenovo T61, need advice

Hello, I am considering a T61 but I have a few questions and would appreciate any feedback that could be offered.

1) Screen brightness: The review of the T61 15 inch widescreen complains of a lack of brightness on the screen. Does anyone have any insight on how bad this is? I don't really expect the screen to be like that of an HP Pavillion but I don't want it to be so washed out that I don't like it.

2) Pixels: Has anyone had a unit with dead pixels? If so, what was their return policy like?

3) Noise: I know they claim that the 61's are the quietest, but how true is that? I've been on a desktop since 2001, after I ditched an old Toshiba Satellite, which ran extremely loud after some time (by the way, why do they start to run loud anyways?) And, has anyone had a 61 start to run loud after having it awhile?

4) Any other miscellaneous issues I should be aware of?

Thanks so much!

 

1) It's plenty bright, especially the 15 inch one. Not the brightest thing ever, but there's enough contrast for it to be usable even at half brightness.
2) Can't say, havent seen a T61 with dead pixels yet (and I've seen more than a few).
3) The biggest source of noise in mine is the hard drive. I've seen other laptops louder than this, so I'd say it's fairly quiet.
4) Beware of the Thinkpad effect?

 

Thanks for the advice! Something else I should have posted with my original questions was if you truly needed the onsite service and protection plan? Also, if I buy the second stick of RAM on my own, how involved is the installation process? And finally, I noticed in some of the forums, along with your own description of your Thinkpad, that people are talking about different LCD manufacturers. How do you know which brand of LCD you are getting? Is it a problem if you don't get one made by Samsung?

Thanks!

 

The sticky thread at the top of the forum has what you need to know: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=195258

Both LCD's made by LG and Samsung are pretty much equal in quality, so no need to worry.

 

7evendeuce - is the fan truly as quiet as Lenovo claims?

 

I'm not 7evendeuce, but I can say that ThinkPads are very quiet machines.

 

yes, they are truly as quiet as Lenovo claims. my machine was on in the docking station, fans running at full and i could have sworn it was off. i heard the sprinklers outside over the noise of the fans. and i live on the fifth floor of my apartment complex.

 

if you're worried about LG vs Samsung, take a look at this thread Fignuts put together comparing our two laptops.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=191784

 

Thanks, I appreciate all the advice. One other thing I might ask is people's experience with the extended warranties. I opted for a one year, on-site warranty but skipped the protection plan. Wise?