Lenovo ThinkPad Z61t

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z61t is a multimedia orientated notebook that includes a built-in webcam, widescreen display and a multi-card media reader. The Z61t also includes a titanium cover and offers solid although not outstanding performance and good battery life. It will suit those looking for a unit that can comfortably perform office functions and play digital media, but don't need a powerful gaming or editing workstation.

The ThinkPad Z61t is a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 notebook with a 14.1 inch widescreen display. The LCD display has a resolution of 1280 x 800 and we found it fairly clear and crisp, although it lacks the brightness we have seen in some other recent notebooks.

It comes with 512MB of DDR2 RAM (that can be expanded up to 2GB), a 60GB hard disk and a DVD recordable drive. Wireless networking (802.11a/b/g) is included in addition to wired networking via a gigabit Ethernet port and a Modem port located on the left hand side of the unit. There is also Bluetooth connectivity but no infrared.

The ThinkPad Z61t received a World Bench 5 score of 81, which is fairly standard for a machine with these specifications. The Z61t relies on integrated graphics (Intel Graphics Chipset) so the system exhibited poor performance in 3DMark01, receiving a score of just 5237. It is important to note that this system isn't targeted at gamers though, so with this in consideration the score isn't particularly surprising.

Lenovo has ensured that the ThinkPad Z61t has a full host of connectivity options, with three USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 400 port, front headphone and microphone jacks, a wireless switch, an SD/XD/MMC and Memory Stick card reader, a mini-PCIe port and PC Card slot. There is also a standard 15-pin D-sub port for connecting an external monitor to the notebook.

The Z61t also includes a biometric security fingerprint scanner that can be used with any application that requires password authentication. We found it worked well and it is very versatile as it can be used with a number of applications. The Z61t also has a five button touchpad (two buttons below and three above) that we found pretty easy to use, although the lack of a scrolling pad was a slight inconvenience. Volume and mute controls are also present, located above the keyboard for quick media control.

In terms of design the unit is fairly standard for a ThinkPad, although the top of the Z61t clamshell is constructed of titanium rather than plastic. This creates a contrast with the interior which is an all black design. Flipped open, you can't help but feel the quality of the unit. It has been manufactured with rugged, high quality, matte black plastic and is quite sturdy. Overall, the Z61t offers a fairly standard design, although its titanium lid and sleek edges make it stand out from the crowd.

The ThinkPad Z61t battery performed quite well in our MobileMark 2005 productivity test, lasting for 151 minutes. This test determines how well the battery performs under office productivity conditions. The score of 151 is a worthy result for a notebook with these specifications and the Z61t battery life should be more than adequate for most users' needs. We were also pleased to report that the unit is also extremely quiet. We only managed to make out fan noise during load times and the unit didn't get noticeably hot either, so it will be comfortable for long periods of use.

Lenovo claims the Z61t is Windows Vista Capable, but you'll have to upgrade the RAM as Vista requires a minimum of 1GB to run. The ThinkPad Z61t also includes a range of software such as PC Doctor, Symantec Client Security 3.0, ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery, Intervideo WinDVD Player, Sonic Record Now, Diskeeper Lite, Google Desktop, Google Toolbar, Lotus Notes, Lotus Smartsuite and Google Picasa.

Overall, the ThinkPad Z61t is a solid notebook, provided you don't wish to play games or run any graphical intense applications. It is not overly expensive and the long product lifecycle these units have is always an advantage for corporate buyers.