Lenovo Think. Pad R6. Review Notebook. Review. Y. S. Mao. The Thinkpad R6. Lenovo earlier in 2. R series line up. New features in the R6. Intel Santa Rosa WAN antenna on the left side of the lid built in. The Lenovo Thinkpad R6. Thinkpad design while not sacrificing performance or reliability. The R6. 1 is available at a slightly lower price than the T6. While lacking only in a high end graphics card selection T6. R6. 1 remains a very strong competitor that I recommend as a less expensive alternative. Specifications. The particular unit I purchased was through Visaperks available in Canada and was equipped with the following specifications Thinkpad R6. U Processor Intel T7. Core 2 Duo 2. 0. GHz, 8. MHz FSB, 4. MB CacheChipset Intel Mobile 9. Express chipset CrestlineGraphics Intel X3. Integrated graphics cardOperating System Windows Vista Business 6. Alienware Recovery Discs' title='Alienware Recovery Discs' />Display 1. WXGA 1. 44. 0 x 9. Hard Drive 1. 20. GB 5. 40. 0RPMMemory 1. President Donald Trump, whose recent uses of the internet have included hinting he might just pardon himself and everyone else in his administration if federal. After a week of storms and high water, Hurricane Harvey has now left at least 43 people in southeast Texas dead. In addition to the damage to infrastructure, property. GB 1 x 1. GB, 1 slot open, up to 4. GB max. Ports 3 USB 2. Ethernet, Modem, Monitor out, Headphone OUT, Microphone INSlots 1 PC Card Slot, 1 Express Card slot. Optical Drive Ultra bay DVD Recordable DL 8xInterfaces Bluetooth, Intel PROWireless 3. ABG LAN, Fingerprint scanner, Thinkpad light. Dimensions 1. 3. Weight 5. Reason for Purchase. This notebook is my first notebook and will be used mostly for university studies, casual gaming, office work, web surfing and some mathematics programming. I was not looking for a gaming notebook so I chose the Intel X3. Vista s graphics requirements. Furthermore, the integrated graphics allows the notebook to remain much cooler than my friend T6. ATI Fire. GL 5. 20. T6. I considered the Dell Inspiron 6. P6N-PGa5dpI/VRM-kfcZJSI/AAAAAAAAEr4/A4uVr4_rL7k/s1600/alienware%2B14%2Bdrivers.jpg' alt='Alienware Recovery Discs' title='Alienware Recovery Discs' />Computer boots to black screen with blinking cursor can mean many different things. A black screen with blinking cursor is better than having just a computer black. HP Pavilion dv. 65. Thinkpad T6. 0 and of course the popular Thinkpad T6. After researching each candidate, I ruled out the Inspiron 6. Santa Rosa platform, Pavilion dv. Canada and was left with three Thinkpad choices. I heard great things about the Thinkpad lines, mostly their reputation as rugged companions with reliable performance. The T6. 0 and T6. No more missed important software updates UpdateStar 11 lets you stay up to date and secure with the software on your computer. Note that by deleting the recovery partition, you wont be able to use the boot by pressing an F key method of starting the recovery youll be forced to. Actually, the T6. Canada compared to the T6. However, further comparison of the T6. Windows 7 Aio Pre-Activated R2 on this page. R6. 1 showed the T6. R6. 1. The price difference was 2. CAD before tax and I figured that the extra 0. I ended up purchasing this particular model for 1,2. CAD before tax through Visaperks. Build and Design. The design of the Thinkpad R6. The clamshell enclosure and reinforced lid allows the notebook to be carried with one hand without fear of damaging the screen. There is absolutely no flex in any part of the case. Pressure exerted in the center of the LCD screen yielded merely tiny specks of distortion. The colour is of course all black as seen in the photos while the design remains consistent with traditional Thinkpad designs. Attempting to wobble the LCD lid back and forth resulted in the movement of the whole notebook and the thick metal hinges provide ample protection from even severe torture. Despite all these design features, there is one flaw that I must point out. The orientation of the USB ports seems rather impractical. Drive Letter Samsung Galaxy S4 more. All three USB ports are aligned vertically with one beside the ultra bay and two between the modem and express card slots. I have used some wider USB sticks with the notebook and the two USB slots on the left side do not allow the wider USB keys to be inserted since the notebook is neither high enough off the ground nor were the USB ports placed high enough on the notebook. I question Lenovo USB ports vertically. Personally, I d suggest that the one on the right ultra bay can be aligned vertically for mouse connections and to not disrupt ultra bay ejection, but the two on the left should be oriented horizontally taking pretty much the same amount of space and providing a much more convenient acceptance of USB keys. Vertical USB ports do not allow wider USB keys to be inserted. The Fn key is located left of the Ctrl key. Screen. The screen is very clear in my opinion and more than bright enough. Since my eyes are very sensitive to light and see very well in the dark, I keep my screen brightness to the second lowest increment even on AC lowest setting on battery. There are no dead pixels nor should there be as the notebook is a mere 2. The viewing angles are decent at around 1. Speakers. The speakers are decent but not exceptional. They are loud enough for a medium sized 1. The speakers do crackle occasionally when they are pushed to their limit in both volume and frequency. I would recommend external speakers for long term music playing or a larger audience. For personal use, headphones would be fine and the ports are conveniently located at the front to reduce torque if pulled out. Processor and Performance. The actual benchmarks show slight improvement over the previous generation of Core. Duo processors. The processor is definitely fast enough for everyday usage and ran Mat. LAB benchmarks very well. However, the performance of the hard drive is questionable. Since the notebook has a 5. This conclusion is drawn from loading certain applications once stored in RAM, then the second time the application is loaded or calculations are made, the processor hits much higher speeds and results in better performance. The time it takes to reach the logon screen for Windows Vista is roughly 5. For anyone picking a Core. Duo, I highly recommend getting the T7. T7. 10. 0 because of the 2 MB increase in L2 cache double that of the T7. The processor clock speeds may not make an enormous difference, but the cache space usually gives far better performance. Any of the higher end processors only differ in maximum clock speed, so unless the user requires high processor usage, going beyond the T7. Besides raw performance tests and benchmarks, the notebook is otherwise very quick for all applications even memory and processor intensive ones such as Photoshop CS and is sufficient for non gamers. As for games, I can run Warcraft III Frozen Throne on max settings beautifully. Medieval Total War II struggles slightly on medium high settings but plays well on lower settings. I believe that as of the date of this review, Intel has yet to announce its final X3. Benchmarks. Super. PI Notebook. Time. Lenovo Think. Pad R6. GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7. Lenovo Think. Pad X6. GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7. Lenovo 3. 00. 0 V2. GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7. HP dv. 25. 00t 1. GHz Intel 7. 10. 01m 0. Lenovo Think. Pad T6. GHz Core 2 Duo Intel T7. Lenovo Think. Pad T6. GHz Core 2 Duo T7. Toshiba Satellite P2. S6. 28. 7 1. 7. 3 GHz Core 2 Duo Intel T5. Toshiba Satellite A2. GHz Core 2 Duo1m 3. HP Compaq 6. 51. 5b 1. GHz AMD Turion 6. X2 TL 5. 22m 0. HP dv. GHz Intel T2. 40. Dell Inspiron e. 17. GHz Core 2 Duo1m 0. PCMark. 05 Notebook. PCMark. 05 Score. Lenovo Think. Pad R6. GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7. Intel X3. 10. 03,8. PCMarks. Lenovo Think. Pad X6. 1 2. 0. GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7. Intel X3. 10. 04,1. PCMarks. Lenovo 3. V2. 00 2. 0. GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7. Intel X3. 10. 03,9. PCMarks. Lenovo T6. Widescreen 2. 0. GHz Intel T7. ATI X1. 40. 0 1. 28. MB4,1. 89 PCMarks. HP dv. 60. 00t 2. GHz Intel T7. 40. NVIDA Ge. Force Go 7. PCMarks. Fujitsu N6. GHz Core Duo, ATI X1. PCMarks. Alienware M7. AMD Athlon FX 6. Nvidia Go 7. GTX5,5. PCMarks. Sony Vaio SZ 1. B in Speed Mode Using Nvidia Ge. Force Go 7. 40. 03,6. PCMarks. Asus V6. J 1. 8. 6GHz Core Duo T2. Nvidia Go 7. 40. 03,6. PCMarks. 3DMark. 05 Notebook. HP nc. 64. 00 Review Notebook. Review. comby Chris Chua, Malaysia. This is a review on the HP Compaq nc. Intel Core 2 Duo processor and ATI X1. Reasons for Purchase. I was looking for a thin and light notebook that Id be able to carry to university, work and everywhere else I travel. It also needed to have enough power for programming tasks, playing basic games and be Linux friendly. The other options I considered were the Sony VAIO SZ4. Dell Latitude D6. The Sony SZ is the most expensive of the three, but is also the lightest and has the best screen. However, I discovered that Sony does not provide an option for extended international warranty beyond the standard 1. Id prefer it to have warranty coverage for at least 3 years since Sony notebooks are known to be extremely expensive to repair after the warranty expires. The HP comes with a 3 year onsite parts and labour international warranty, which presents a better investment in the longer term. In addition, the SZ didnt look as durable when I tried it, mostly due to the thin LED backlit display which causes it to creak upon opening. The D6. 20 is also a viable alternative to the nc. I didnt really favour its design, aesthetics are a major factor in my purchase. Besides, I have also heard horror stories about its dimly lit WXGA resolution screen. How Purchased. The notebook was purchased directly from HP in Malaysia. HPs online store here offers the nc. Intel integrated graphics model EH5. AV and the 6. 4MB dedicated graphics model EH5. AV. Instead, I wanted the model with 1. MB discrete graphics EH5. AV because it only cost 8. I had to place my order through the phone. The first rep I called said the model has been discontinued. Knowing this as a standard reply for when they cant find it on their system, I tried calling the next day and got a different rep who was really knowledgeable, hence was able to place the order for me. The CTO models are basically what HP calls Base Units, which are barebones notebooks where customers have to select a processor, RAM, Hard Drive, display, BT and WIFI to build a complete product. This particular model is an RCTO, which stands for Regional Configure to Order. This can imply several things, i. The notebook took 6 working days from order confirmation to delivery at my doorstep. This proved extremely quick but Im not surprised as it is made in Singapore, where HP has a production facility. Configuration. HP Compaq nc. RCTO 1. 28. M Base Unit. Intel Core 2 Duo T7. GHz processor. 1GB 6. MHz DDRII RAM upgraded to 2x. GB8. 0GB 5. 40. 0rpm HDDWXGA 1. Intel 3. 94. 5 abg wireless. Bluetooth 2. 0. Dual pointing devices with keyboard. ATI Mobility Radeon X1. MB Hypermemory 1. MB dedicated 3. Multibay II DVD RWIntegrated Fingerprint reader. Integrated Smart card reader. Warranty. I paid approximately 1. Build and Design. Top cover of the nc. Bottom note the docking station connector and extended battery slot view large imageThis notebook feels very solid and sturdy. There are no noticeable creaks when pressure is applied to the assembly and it appears very well constructed, unlike my previous Toshiba which has tremendous keyboard flex and creaks when you pick it up. The metal hinges which are enclosed by plastic also felt very strong. The lid is dark gray and the rest of the notebook is black, hence giving it a very professional look which doesnt draw too much attention. The notebook weighs approximately 2. Multibay DVD drive. I believe it is one of the lightest 1. There are 3 USB ports, one on the right and 2 on the left. It also has a built in microphone on the top right corner of the switch cover, headphone and microphone jacks. To maximise security, there is a built in Smart card reader and fingerprint reader in addition to the TPM module. There are VGA and S Video ports located at the rear of the notebook. The DVD drive is a spring loaded Multi. Bay device, meaning it can be removed easily and swapped with another hard drive or a weight saver, which is a piece of plastic filler that reduces the weight by approximately 5. It has no Firewire or Express Card slot. Im also surprised by the inclusion of an SDMMC card reader instead of a more universal 5 in 1 card reader, which can be found on the lower end HP nx. Left side view of HP nc. Right side view of HP nc. Front side view of HP nc. Back view of HP nc. A nice touch is the clear markings of the various ports except USB and status lights along the edges of the top assembly. The only gripe I have here is that HP stuck an ancient Designed for Windows XP sticker on mine rather than the newer Vista stickers found on current laptops. However, the Vista upgrade leaflet is included in the package and I did get my Vista upgrade disc. Keyboard and Touchpad. The full size keyboard is one of the main reasons I opted for this model, having typed on an nx. It is very nice to type on and exhibits no flex and is quiet, unlike those keyboards found on the Presario and Pavillion notebooks. The keyboard features dual pointing devices, meaning it has a pointing stick with corresponding buttons as well as a normal touchpad and mouse buttons. The touchpad has a hardware controlled dedicated vertical scroll area, which is a nice touch. As this is a business notebook, there are no so called multimedia keys except volume control buttons. However, there are dedicated presentation, wireless and help keys which can be found on other business notebooks too. In addition, there are function keys to adjust brightness and to control the ambient light sensor. The CTRL and FN keys are in the normal position, but these can be switched in the BIOS according to user preference. Display. Straight on view of nc. The WXGA display is made by the manufacturer AUO. It is certainly not the best display on the market due to a slight shimmering effect of the anti glare coating which is apparent only at a very close distance. Vertical viewing angles are pretty narrow, but horizontal viewing angles are fine. The higher resolution is definitely a plus for me as I require the screen real estate and this is the highest resolution I can get for a notebook of this size. Angled view of nc. Screen brightness is excellent, but this is a personal preference. There is some light leakage on the bottom of the screen, but this is only visible on very dark backgrounds. The screen has a light sensor that automatically adjusts the LCD backlight brightness according to the rooms lights. I find it quite useful indoors. This is also one of the first HP models to feature a privacy filter option, allowing you to prevent others from observing whats on your screen from non perpendicular angles. Unfortunately, I do not have one to test. Overall, the screen is very usable under office lighting conditions, but it is not recommended if youre doing serious graphics work. The latest BIOS upgrade fixes an issue with the display where certain colours may appear blocky. Speakers. The speakers are located on the front of the notebook. They are hidden behind a mesh surrounding the SD card reader. However, upon closer inspection, the actual speakers are not symmetrically placed, with both on the right side of the card reader. Theres nothing special about them as these are regular notebook speakers with virtually no bass. Again, this is often overlooked in a business machine. Processor and Benchmarks. This notebook is configured with an Intel Core 2 Duo T7.