First laptop ever: Just ordered an R61 and need some info.

Hi, everyone. Great forum! Well I took advantage of the rebates going around I picked up this 14" widescreener for under a grand:



I also got Bluetooth in hopes of picking up a good bt mouse soon.

So what I was wanting to know was this:

How good is Lenovo at getting the laptop built and shipped to you in time? Estimated ship date for me is almost a month away, and I was kind of expecting to have it a lot sooner (up until I paid for it, it said '2-3 weeks'). Does it usually take as long as the "ETA" date suggests? It's a big situation with me because I have to have it for my job by the end of next month (if not sooner), and right now it's looking like it's going to be cutting it close.

Anyone here who has boughy from Lenovo before? Can you shed some light on the build and ship time? Thanks.

 

From experience and what I've seen of other accounts, it usually doesn't take as long as the ETA date suggests.

I ordered my R61 last year on 11/28, and it shipped out on 12/1. Arrived at my doorstep 12/6. Assuming parts are in stock and whatnot, you should have it pretty soon.

Nice machine you got there, hope it serves you well.

 

It's dependent on parts availability...I ordered my T61 on January 15th this year, and it arrived at my door on February 1st. I'd imagine you'll probably get it shipped in a shorter time frame, though.

 

They tend to be conservative, but that's no guarantee that it'll be there by the ship date.

 

Congrats on the new ThinkPad! It looks like a good build for a good price.

I agree with previous posts that they tend to be very conservative, but that's just to give them some room in case it can't get out quickly.

I just ordered a T61 on Feb. 15 and it shipped on Feb 19. UPS says it's out for delivery this morning. So, they seem to be very quick about shipping right now. I've purchased two other ThinkPads (years ago, back in IBM days) and they were very slow--often taking 2-4 weeks to arrive. Things seem to have changed, but I've heard it varies on a case-by-case basis.

 

That's reassuring! Thank you, everyone, for sharing your guestimates.

msmcougar, when you first put in your order, what did it tell you was your estimated ship date? Did it also tell you something like three weeks away? And while I'm asking you, what is the 6-cell battery like? I bought it because it was only like $15 more than the standard 4-cell. But according to Lenovo's site, the upgraded batteries are not flush with the back of the notebook (it's bigger, in other words). Does the 6-cell stick out very far or look weird? Thanks again.

 

WHen I ordered my laptop it took about 2 weeks from ordering to me receiving it. If they have all the parts in stock you should get it sooner than 1 month

 

I ordered an R61 on Feb03. The original ship date was listed as Feb21... Surprisingly I received an email on Feb10 or 11 telling me it has already shipped with an expected deliver date of Feb19. I followed the UPS tracking from China through S Korea, Anchorage, Kentucky and on me near Chicago... Delivered on Feb14.

So my experience was that everything happened much earlier than noted.
Good luck.

 

Yep, it does indeed stick out. Here are a few pictures of all three battery types.

 

Ordered an r61e, est shipping date 2-3 weeks...received it 8 days later!

 

You're not gonna believe this, but I just got notified my R61 has been shipped. Talk about a conservative estimate! lol

They got everything put together and shipped in like two days time. Bravo, I must say.

 

Congrats,
You'll love it.

 

Thanks! Now I wish I would have sprung for the faster shipping. It's coming from China and it'll be like a week and a half before it gets here. Psh!

 

mine only took 2 days from china to PA. about 3 if you count the time zone difference but i used the free shipping.

 

Picked it up today. WOO HOO!!!! The thing is awesome. I don't know what I was expecting, but I am thoroughly satisfied with Lenovo. The build quality is great. No flex. Everything works great. Apparently I ordered firewire because it's on there (even though I thought I didn't). The screen is awesome, very nice, especially with brightness all the way up (but I try to leave it at halfway).

There's even a novelty to the fact that it doesn't look terribly slick (boxy design, not exactly and alienware). Makes it feel more professional and higher quality, like they're saying "we don't impress with looks, we impress with substance." (not a dig against AW, just a pro for Lenovo) I really like that.

There's a bit of bloatware but nothing I can't handle.

I'll do a full review with lots of pictures real soon, maybe tomorrow (albeit a 'newbie' review, I'm not a professional with laptops).

Thanks for your help with everything. I'm very satisfied.

 

NP, have fun with it, definitely an awesome product!

 

Great! That's cool you're enjoying it