Lenovo ThinkPad T60 Widescreen

The T60 Widescreen combines everything we loved about the previous T60 model but swaps in a display that's shorter in height than its predecessor but wide enough to let you run two applications side by side (or enjoy a widescreen DVD when you're not crunching numbers). You also get a fast dual-core processor, advanced security, and 802.11n Wi-Fi, plus the ThinkPad's legendary keyboard and durability. Add it all up and you have a killer business notebook.

 

At the heart of this new model is the 15.4-inch (1680 x 1050-pixel resolution) widescreen, which was added to assist power presenters by maximizing the screen view. Lenovo states that the widescreen format allows for 30 percent more data on screen, and we can definitely say that watching DVDs was a pleasure from almost any angle. We experienced only a hint of glare and reflection, but we thought that the visuals could have been a bit sharper. Despite the high-resolution screen, fonts were still quite legible, and we liked being able to view more information without needing to scroll as often.

 

The 5.5-pound T60 Widescreen keeps the familiar all-business design used in previous ThinkPads. Pop the lid and you'll discover the classic keyboard, smallish touchpad, and pointing stick. Volume buttons reside above the Function keys, along with the blue button that launches the ThinkVantage Productivity Center, which gives users access to hard drive maintenance tasks, data protection, and a slew of other helpful utilities. Access Connection enables mobile professionals to automatically switch between LAN, Wi-Fi, and optional Verizon Wireless EV-DO ($249) when a signal is available, so there's no need to hunt for a connection.

 

The T60 Widescreen proved that it could handle day-to-day productivity tasks, thanks to its speedy 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 processor and its 1GB of RAM (expandable to 4GB). The system notched a solid score of 226 in MobileMark 2005. Graphics performance was not quite as strong, but the T60 still cranked out a decent 3DMark03 score of 2,474.

 

Even with that large display, you'll have plenty of endurance to get through the average workday. The machine clocked 5 hours and 59 minutes with Wi-Fi on, and 6 hours and 16 minutes with it off. In our Wi-Fi tests, the T60 Widescreen had a strong showing of 14.9 Mbps from 15 feet and 13.7 from 50 feet.

 

The T60 Widescreen offers three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, and headphone and microphone jacks. Lenovo wisely includes both a PC Card slot and an ExpressCard slot for catering to both current and future technologies.

 

The security-conscious will appreciate Lenovo's inclusion of the Embedded Security System and an optional fingerprint reader, which helps prevent unauthorized access to data. Durability is given equal importance, with the Active Protection System, shock-mounted 120GB hard drive, and spill-resistant keyboard. Included third-party software consists of Adobe Reader, Diskeeper Lite, Google Desktop, Google Toolbar, and Picasa.

 

Business-minded individuals will definitely find a lot to like with the Lenovo ThinkPad T60 Widescreen. It has the horsepower you need, a better view for showing off PowerPoints, and top-notch security and durability.