Lenovo ThinkPad T61 Laptop/Notebook

First of all this is not a flashy laptop like many of the new ones these days. What that means though is you it is timeless in design and the 'flashy' will never wear off. The case is solid and well made. I was completely impressed with how easy it was to take apart to change the RAM and processor. I didn't need directions and there were minimal screws to remove. The screws are all labeled on the bottom side depending on what you want to remove. Inside of the laptop there are options for extra hardware that aren't even used. There are two extra mini-PCI slots available for expansion. The heat sink for cooling the processor and graphics chip are well positioned, well ventilated and a great size to get the job done. Taking the laptop apart and changing the RAM and processor took me only 30 minutes without any prior knowledge of this laptop.
Other nice features of this laptop are the keyboard which types great and includes a pointing stick. For those of you who haven't used a pointing stick you will find that it is much faster and easier to navigate than with a touchpad. Other features this laptop has is both a PCMCIA slot as well as an Express Card slot, a modem, wired and wireless ethernet, an external VGA monitor port and 3 USB ports. While this isn't many USB ports it will likely be sufficient for most people. There are two significant features that I REALLY like about this laptop. The first is the BIOS settings. You can set this laptop up to function in many different ways. For instance you can set up the USB ports to charge external devices even when the laptop isn't running. There are many many more features of the BIOS as well that make most desktop motherboards look mediocre. The last and final feature, and my favorite, is the amazing screen on this laptop! It is a non-reflective super high resolution screen. Eventhough it is only 15.4" it has a resolution of 1920x1200! This is better than even most 19" monitors! The display is just beautiful!
I'm sure I will find other things that I like about this laptop but I will say this for now. I have had many different laptops and this is one that I would buy again without reservations. This is a great laptop!

Great laptop. Like the Lenovo thinkpad laptops because they are solid and last a long time. They work well even when they are bought used. My laptop is quiet, works well and has a lot of very nice features, including the "rescue and restore", which will restore the laptop to factory condition.

The T61 is the laptop bargain of the 2011. Core 2 Duo processor, SATA drive, Thinkpad quality-- consistently available for less that $350.

The T61 is comparable is specs to 2008-era Macbooks, for 40%-50% less money.

Right now, this machine is a serious deal.

I just love it. I went from a 2009 ideapad to a 2007 thinkpad. Totally worth it. It is 3 years old, I bought it used, and it works and looks like new. It is amazing. The battery life is decent with a 9cell battery. The build quality is awesome. The speakers are not the best, but they are OK. The keyboard is really comfortable. I like the rubberized finish of the cover, and I like the screen latch system. Cons: speakers are not as good as my ideapad's (obviously, they target different users), the screen is not as bright (my ideapad had led lit monitor, this one seems the older technology), battery life (with a 9 cell I expected over 5 hours).
Also, the thinkpad support in the website is excellent, you'll find drivers even for DOS! Any ms os, and a linux I think. They even have instructions to change the hard drive and stuff.
Final thought: the best laptop I have ever used (my 3rd laptop). I guess if you have owned many business laptops you might find things to criticize, but I haven't.

I've owned five Thinkpad laptops over the years. To me, the name is synonymous with durability and quality. Solid design, nice keyboards, good performance, and good looks (I think, because black is always "in").

The T61 is by far the best, and probably your best laptop value on eBay. Google "Thinkpad spill test" and watch as they pour a bottle of water on the keyboard and the laptop keeps running, even though the laptop next to it dies after 4 seconds.

If that doesn't convince you, think about al you get for your money: fingerprint scanner for keyless login, a "Thinklight" built-in for working in dark rooms, active hard drive protection - the hard drive is even encased in rubber sliders, and those are just the special features. The real reason to buy is the dual core, 64-bit performance, and the fact that you can regularly get one for under $300.