Current T61 vs new T-series vs SL500

In other words, should I wait for the new TL500s or grab a T61/SL500 now?

Want a new laptop (have a Compaq v2000, it has been nice but time for an upgrade and a larger resolution screen) and am sitting on the fence. Should have bought the T61 a couple weeks ago when I could have gotten a 12% rebate...oh well.

Looking at a T61 with T8300, WSXGA+, Nvidia 570m, dvd burner, etc for $1200. SLs are 1110.

Worth waiting for the news T series? Think they'll drop prices further on the current T series in the next week or two?

 

The T61p is right now is decent and almost all the tasks you're be doing, the new T500 won't be as much as powerful, and the W500 (T61p replacement) won't be as much more powerful as the current one. That said, if you need one, buy one now, or you can wait. The new series have some more features if that matter to you.

About the SL series, it's nothing like a Thinkpad except the name! Don't even touch it, it's not worth the money.

 

how is the new t500 not as powerful as the t61p?

 

The T500 isn't the T61p's replacement, the W series is.

 

I guess I would be looking at the W series then, need to go check the specs.

My major concern in buying one now is that price might go down in the next couple weeks (Lenovo has 30 day price guarantee so might be okay there) and I'd prefer a 'new' video card over a 140M/570M. But I guess I should see how well the 570ms really perform.
Then again, I'll mostly be running Linux, so don't need a really fast graphics card, but it does help (movies, compiz-fusion, etc).

 

well....any integrated card can run movies and stuff fine, unless you're video editing or a gamer.

supposedly, the w500 is going to use a card with a 3650 core, which is only slightly better than the 570m.

 

Then go with the intel card.

 

Well the Intel integrated graphics in the new T-series will be at least twice as fast as the current integrated graphics, so it would be worth waiting for it. If you aren't going integrated graphics, then the difference in video card speed wont be much, but you do get the nice LED screens and increased battery life. Of course the discounts will be pretty minor when the new laptops come out.

 

LED screens won't be available on 15" though, will they?

And the new models are using a Intel 4500 as the integrated graphics card, correct?

 

Well...went for the T61p.

Found a sweet deal at the Lenovo Outlet on a 'redistributed' t61p. hopefully it wasn't beat up too much.

T8300, WUXGA, XP Pro, 160GB 7200, 570M, 9cell, Intel 49xx wifi, dvd burner. For 1114 w/ shipping/tax. Couldn't beat that.

Thanks for the help!

 

congrats and enjoy!
to answer your previous question....all the new T-series should have LED screens and yes, they would be using the intel x4500s.