Is Z61m too heavy for me?

Most of the Z61m reviews claim that it's only fit for a desktop replacement. Yet I have read about people doing daily 3km bike commute with a Z61m straped on them on forum.thinkpads.com. I will mostly just move my notebook around the campus(1000m radius max)in a backpack with textbooks and notes. Is the Z61m portable enough for this?

 

How would you feel about carting around a 3/4 full gallon container of milk/water with you along with all your books? That's about how much it will weigh. It's not bad on a backpack, but it's not light. The weight they give is also without the optical drive, and it's unlikely you'll travel without that in.

That being said, that's a typical weight for a 15.4" notebook, so if that has the features you want, it's not bad. I used to have an 8lb 15.4" that I'd cart to work and back home, and that wasn't bad. But it didn't have lots of books and such added to the weight.

Edit: I just checked Amazon.com, and if you have a 1400 page calculus book, it weighs slightly more than a math book.

 

My answer to your question is yes, and no. Most notebooks will feel like another textbook on your weight, so if you don't mind carrying another textbook around, then you're fine.

Only when you get bulky notebooks that are ~10lbs should you really be worried.

 

My Z60m isn't that bad at all. The weight is spread out over a large area so putting it on the backpack is no problem. I can carry it with one arm and not get tired of handling it (and I'm not a strong guy).

 

Depends...

Are you a 100 lb cheerleader or a 175 lb freshmen dude? The Z61m ain't light, but in a backpack, around campus, it shouldn't be a big deal. If you were traveling for business, and having to tote it through airports and to meetings 3-5 days a week, it would be too big.

If you decide to get one, buy it now. Lenovo has a great deal on them, Free HDD, DVD Burner & Memory upgrades.

The Z61 Deal

 

Experienced laptop owners always go lighter & thinner next time. Not with a brick like the z61m.

 

If you are weak enough that 2lbs makes or breaks a laptop deal, than maybe you need to get in shape or something

 

Its not really the weight that bothers me as much as the extra bulk that the Z61m has. Its clunkiness gets in my way and it doesn't seem as convenient to operate in a confined area.

 

Check out a 15.4" laptop at the local retailer, HP or Gateway, Sony and Asus' profiles are slighly thinner, so you won't get a fair estimate (or try a Dell e1505 15.4" off someone).

 

What clunkiness are you referring to? The bezel around the screen is not that side beyond the LCD, and that is the largest surface on the laptop. All 15.4" laptops will have this. The only part I could see being someone larger on the thinkpad is the squared edges, compared to rounded ones you might see on other notebooks.

 

There is no thinkpads display within my reach. All the laptop displays in the local Staples are bolted down by heavy locks.

Is it fair to say that Z61m is about 1lb heavier than the norm for 15.4 inch widescreen laptops? That is my impression based on the specs i've seen so far.

 

I wouldn't put it in those words. Yes, the machine is built for a desktop replacement, most of the time, with light travel. You are getting a bigger screen at the cost of weight and a larger footprint.

 

i am a 21yr.old-150lbs-5'7" guy and i think this thing is not that heavy. it really depends if your body has experienced everyday travel with heavy cargo like books and other things

the answer to your problems on this lappy's weight is the BAG you are gonna carry with it. i did not buy a backpack as air do not get contact on my back and sweat gets the job right eek: ).. that's why i went with a messenger bag, just comfortable...

try some weights! it'll help you alot.

by the way, i did not went to smaller, lighter laptops due to the fact that i won't notice the weight. carry a heavy laptop and think it's a thinkpad

 

I was referring to the overall footprint of the laptop. The thick LCD bezel makes the laptop look thicker then what it really is. I wasn't trying to say that it was bigger then other 15.4" laptops. I have nothing against the z61m (or other 15.4" laptops) other then they are bigger then what I need/want to carry around.

 

i think the thickness of the LCD bezel is just the right amount.. after all, this is a 15in laptop, not some 13in-SZ-size

so thinner bezel is for smaller laptops, thicker for bigger laptops

 

Larger screen, it needs to be protected the right amount.