How long will this last me?

Hi, I'm a college bound student and had asked my father for a laptop. He went completely overboard and got me a t61p 14.1" with a T9300 2.5 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 4GB ram, 120gb 5400 rpm hdd with a Quadro 570m 128MB vid card.

I was kinda iffy on the purchase though since my thinking was to get a mid-range computer (around $800) and switch every 1.5 years or so. But my father has told me that this way I can hold out for at least 3 years before getting a new one.

So can this laptop be useable, or give me atleast mid-low range performance through 3-4 years? I am going to be majoring in chemical engineering, so I will be utilizing it for CAD and other such utilities (and also a few games )


EDIT: If you guys think not, I may resell this laptop

 

to get a mid range computer and switch every 1.5 years or so.

I think this is the best way to deal with the fast moving digital technology.

I think the Thinkpad is a complete waste , some rave about its build but so what?

Do we use it for more than 3 years ?

I do not think so.

And even before that the Thinkpad build hypes are all not true.

But many are like any kind of fanboys , they think theirs are so special.

All are disposable.

So stick with your original plan get a budget model and change it up as often as possible.

No need to worry about BQ.

Get a non-thinkpad lenovo like Ideapad or Y410, much cheaper and much better.

 

thanks for the input

I'm sad to hear that it was wasted money, hope I can recoup it when selling, but I;d like to get other opinions as well before I do. Anyone else?

Also, I was mainly concerned about the specs, not build quality, will they stay decent for a good amount of time?

 

Just to let you know, I don't think everyone agrees with his argument.

ThinkPad build quality is just about the finest there is, and there are several people on this site who are using their ThinkPads from years back.

lappyforphotoshop, you still haven't convinced me why the IdeaPads are better; for the work he's doing, it sounds like a great laptop. I think this sucker will last you three years.

So there.

 

yes, the Thinkpad build quality isn't perfect, but it's better than most. I recently sold my T42 3.5 years old. Got a HP 2700. Guess what that hp is going right back. Now I have a t61 on order.

 

I'd much rather spend my money on a laptop with a good build quality than a mid range computer that is more likely to break down on me while I'm working on a major project or assignment for school.

 

The security of your data is at the center with a thinkpad. It is built to protect the data. Isn't the most important part! Once you get to know your thinkpad and the ThinkAdvantage... you'll understand. The save and rescue is pretty great. Look into it.

 

ok, im happy to hear it'll last 3 years. I'm also hoping three years down the road, they'll still make some socket P processors that are up to date. That and more RAM (im not sure how much it supports, can a thinkpad go beyond 4gb, assuming that in the future there is going to >2gb per DIMM?)

 

First of all, that computer is probably way overpowered for what you need now as a college student. On the other hand, that means it will not be underpowered in your third and fourth years. It is built well enough and has good warranty support, so that it will probably have a lower total cost of ownership for your father over the next 4 years (a wise decision for him). You also have to factor in the continuing decline of the USD, which makes current Thinkpads a relative bargain now, compared to what they will cost in USD several years down the line, when devaluation fully kicks in. As a college bound student however, you probably think it looks dated and clunky compared to your friends notebooks, which it certainly is. The number one seller, with a bullet, to the college age group is the Macbook. That age group is primarily driving the increase in market share for Apple. Having said that, the Macbook is the only computer on the market that is way more overpriced than the Thinkpad, in terms of bang-for-buck for hardware. Add to that a modified linux OS that runs almost nothing that Apple doesn't provide. I think you are showing wisdom and judgment in wanting to get neither of these high-priced machines, and going for a more task-compatible mid-range. But if I were you, I wouldn't turn right around and sell your father's extremely generous gift. If you do so, it might be the last one you get from him, and the Tpad will certainly serve you well.

 

thanks bsodder, I think I've decided to keep the notebook, it is well built from what I can tell. As for looking clunky, everyone else at my college will have a thinkpad, just not as powerful (Rensselaer Polytechnic requires a laptop, and most people get the RPI thinkpads at a not so low price)

 

As a junior in college, I bought my Thinkpad partly because of its build quality.

My previous laptop, a consumer-grade Toshiba Satellite, lasted for about a year before its LCD screen had to be replaced ($700+ repair covered under American Express Buyer's Assurance program). Three months later, the screen was having issues again. Believe me, it's extraordinarily frustrating to have to send a laptop in for repair when you need it for day-to-day notetaking and classwork.

My Thinkpad blows the Toshiba (and the HP that the Toshiba replaced) out of the water in terms of engineering. I think it will hold its resale value too. If I had gotten the Thinkpad before my freshman year, I think I would have been fine using it for three or four years.

 

Hmm, I just looked at my college's program and apparently if you have a thinkpad that you think is old and you want to get rid of it, they'll take it to give out as a loaner and give you half off on a new thinkpad, this just makes the deal sweeter for me to keep this beast my father gave.

EDIT: roomwithaview, are you majoring in engineering? if so, how fast does the CAD software outpace hardware? would your thinkpad have kept up with the new demands of new software?

 

I wouldn't have purchased a top-of-the-line CPU, as the mark up on those is pretty high. You pay a lot for those additional .2 GHz.

But otherwise, a Thinkpad is a wise choice. My four year old T41 is still going strong.

 

Normaly I would agree with you but with the 2.5Ghz Penryn you get the extra 2MB of cache.

 

Alas, I'm not in engineering. Sorry, OP.

 

Your father made the right purchase ! I love my T61, and many have had theirs for years (7 or more) and it's working fine. The Thinkpad is one of the best built laptops with the best keyboards in the world as well. I would definitely keep your T61p ! I was in the same boat as you, and (even bought a HP dv6700t, and returned that almost immediately for this T61, and could not be happier I did). Trust me, once you start to use and get to know your Thinkpad, you will NOT want to buy ANY other laptop. Believe me, I've tried Toshiba satellite's, HP Pavilions, and Dell's, and none can come close to the Thinkpad T series !
Good luck with your new laptop, and let us know how you like it ! Remember, while the Thinkpad may not look like much, and your friends may look a lot flashier, guess who's going to be replacing thier laptops withen a few years due to (keyboard problems, broken hindges, broken parts, etc.) . . . . not YOU !!

 

I have an almost same configuration and I think this laptop will last me 3 years. Maybe a 7200 RPM HD in the future, but that might not be necessary w/ superfetch and readyboost. That lappyforphotoshop guy seems like the only guy on these forums that hates on the Thinkpad. They definitely are on the affordable end these days.

 

Keep it. It'll last you more than 3 years, and those are pretty good specs, so you won't be worrying about power in 3 years.

 

alright, thanks for the help!

 

YOU AGAIN!

 

It wasn't wasted money, and I think before you listen to Lappy's opinion, you should read some of his other posts and decide if his advice is the kind you wish to take, or the kind you wish to take with several grains of salt.

I'm typing this on a Dell Latitude C640, which is a circa-2002 laptop. P4-M 2.2GHz. It's old by most people's standards, and yet it does a great job at everything short of really heavy work. You're looking at a laptop that has the top-end mobile processor out there in the T9300. If that doesn't last you three years, I don't know what will, and like the Dell I'm typing on, the T61p is built to take heavy use. Wait until you read a few more opinions here before making that final decision --I think you'll love that T61p.

 

Since you have decided to keep your thinkpad this will probably not change your mind. But laptop hardware is always more expensive than comparable desktop hardware. You actually have a couple of options:

1. Get a good desktop and a cheap laptop for working on the go. This is what some of my friends do.
2. You might be able to get away using your school's public computers and a cheaper laptop that could run CAD programs.

My point is, the laptop's performance is going to depreciate much faster than that of a desktop, not to mention it costs more than desktop with same or more processing power and the hardware isn't upgradable like in a desktop. Of course it's still your decision.

 

hmm,

well thanks for the insight, though I didnt know that laptops performance depreciation is faster (do you mean compared to the performance of desktops? since they usually have less power?)

Anyways I, like you said, have made up my mind, and since it was a gift I've decided to keep it since its disrespectful to openly turn around and sell a present like that as someone mentioned and two, its a friggin sweet laptop.
But if it does get decripit in the future, I'll look into getting a desktop instead.

thanks

 

ThinkPads aren't clunky, they just might look that way.

 

A couple quick notes.

First, I think the T61P will have no trouble lasting you 3 or 4 years.

Second, if for some reason you do decide to replace it after 1 1/2 years, it will have a much higher resale value than any cheap laptop you buy, so you should keep that in mind

Third, I'm no engineer (although i did stay at a holiday inn express once ) but I'm pretty sure true CAD software doesn't change as fast as video game software. Even if it does, chances are your school is not going to switch to the latest and greatest every year (or even every other year) because that would also require a huge investment in new equipment for them as well. In other words i think you will be OK for several years.

Lastly, keep an eye on it because expensive things tend to disappear in college so even though it might last you 3 or 4 years, that's no guarantee you will have it that long.

 

All important points, but this one's a biggie. Get a good renter's insurance policy that covers your dorm/campus apartment. This will cover you in case someone gets sticky fingers.

Also, never leave your system alone while studying in the library, etc. The police caught two high school kids raiding the local college libraries here --one played lookout for when a student would leave for a restroom break, and the other one would filch the student's notebook computer. It took the cops several months, and campus security searching Ebay to see if the machines were put up for sale (they were).

 

Gosh lappyforphotoshop is annoying. That laptop is a very good one and will last you a long while. Don't believe anything he says (if you look around, you'll see all his posts are full of nonsense, making claims he can't back up).

 

a renter's insurance policy covers theft of personal property? I bet it costs a pretty penny (but worth it I guess if theft is as common as it seems).

 

Actually, it's not bad. When I was in college, it was something like $100-125 a year. Admittedly, that was quite some time ago, but it's really just a blanket policy for up to a given dollar amount of posessions (say, $10-25,000, depending on what you specify). Usually there's a deductible of $100-250, depending once again on what is specified in the policy. Talk with the agent that does your parents' homeowners insurance. If you've got any other valuable items in addition to the laptop (i.e., a nice television, musical instrument, bicycle) it can really be worth it. While I never had anything stolen, my suitemates were very blase' about leaving their doors unlocked, which meant anyone had access to my room as well, so I was glad I was covered just in case.

 

Wise move. You won't regret it. That machine should do well for you throughout college. Say "Thanks Dad!" and give him a hug!