So far it seems I'm narrowing my choices to either R52 or Z60m, both are prices at the same ballpark (local purchase in my country, not in US).
The specifications are similar, except of the screen: R52 offer 15" screen with
1024x768, integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics (ATI X300 with 64 MB is also possible for about 100-130$ over), 3 years warranty.
Z60m screen is wide one (15.4"), 1280x800, ATI X300 + 64MB graphics, 1 year warranty (expendable to 3 years for additional 200$).
My needs are encompassed by engineering calculations (MATLAB), web, email, Office (Word & Excel), some very occasional movie and very rare gaming entertainment (I'm not a gamer in general).
According to what I've learnt through the net, reviews, R52 offer venerable Thinkpad shell, built quality and mechanical reliability. Z60m apparently is getting quite good reviews also, built quality reprotedly is also Thinkpad's-good, however here and there I saw a small compliant of some minor flexes in the middle of the keyboard and over HDD area (something I can't recall mentioning in R52 reviews I saw). Weight-wise, both seems to be quite close to each other.
Since R52 I consider is 15" which is pretty close to 15.4" of Z60m, I guess bulk-wise they are unlikely to be much different, am I wrong ?
My main reason to consider Z60m is that at virtually the same price I get discrete video card while similarily prices R52 comes with integrated 950 GMA, however I suspected that Z60m built quality could be somewhat inferior to
R52 (hopefully I'm wrong).
Given the choice of R52 with GMA 950, 15" 1024x768 display and 3 years warranty and Z60m with ATi X300 64 MB, 15.4" 1280x800 display and 1 year warranty (additional 2 years coverage can be bought for roughly 200$), what would you choose ?
Thanks in advance, Alex
The specifications are similar, except of the screen: R52 offer 15" screen with
1024x768, integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics (ATI X300 with 64 MB is also possible for about 100-130$ over), 3 years warranty.
Z60m screen is wide one (15.4"), 1280x800, ATI X300 + 64MB graphics, 1 year warranty (expendable to 3 years for additional 200$).
My needs are encompassed by engineering calculations (MATLAB), web, email, Office (Word & Excel), some very occasional movie and very rare gaming entertainment (I'm not a gamer in general).
According to what I've learnt through the net, reviews, R52 offer venerable Thinkpad shell, built quality and mechanical reliability. Z60m apparently is getting quite good reviews also, built quality reprotedly is also Thinkpad's-good, however here and there I saw a small compliant of some minor flexes in the middle of the keyboard and over HDD area (something I can't recall mentioning in R52 reviews I saw). Weight-wise, both seems to be quite close to each other.
Since R52 I consider is 15" which is pretty close to 15.4" of Z60m, I guess bulk-wise they are unlikely to be much different, am I wrong ?
My main reason to consider Z60m is that at virtually the same price I get discrete video card while similarily prices R52 comes with integrated 950 GMA, however I suspected that Z60m built quality could be somewhat inferior to
R52 (hopefully I'm wrong).
Given the choice of R52 with GMA 950, 15" 1024x768 display and 3 years warranty and Z60m with ATi X300 64 MB, 15.4" 1280x800 display and 1 year warranty (additional 2 years coverage can be bought for roughly 200$), what would you choose ?
Thanks in advance, Alex
