Design and Build

The ThinkPad T60 is a premium product with a durable build.  For somebody that travels a lot or relies on their notebook to earn a livelihood, the difference between a sub $1,000 starter notebook and a premium workhorse is obvious.  The ThinkPad T60 stands out with its durability via choice of components, very sturdy case material and a strong protective chassis.  You pay a lot more for these features of a T60, but if you're on the road, away from support, and miss a time sensitive opportunity because of hardware problems -- you might just wish you had spent extra dollars for a better built notebook such as the T60.

So how does the T60 excel build-wise?  Basically the same as its predecessor T-series notebooks did.  The T60 body is a rugged plastic that does not flex.  The magnesium reinforced lid won't flex and provides amazing protection for the screen.  The keyboard does not flex -- at all.  The thick metal hinges that attach the screen are very rigid and ensure the screen does not wobble.  The keyboard is spill proof and has two drain holes to make sure if you do happen to spill your morning Starbucks coffee, the liquid is carried away from sensitive components and out through the bottom of the notebook.  The hard drive is shock mounted and the entire chassis is a newly designed magnesium "roll cage" (it offers 30% more protection that past T-series chassis), and even if your T60 is dropped and broken the Active Protection System (APS) will stop hard drive activity to prevent data loss.  The double screen latch system locks securely to make sure the screen stays down when being carried around.  In other words, there's  no shortcuts being used in build quality from past ThinkPad notebooks since the Lenovo takeover of IBM -- only enhancements.

Aesthetically the ThinkPad T60 remains pretty much the same as past ThinkPad T series notebooks, meaning from a few feet away you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference between a T40, T41, T42, T43 or T60 (assuming they're all the same 14" size -- the 15" size was not introduced until the T42 came about).  But with the T60 there are definitely some changes in overall layout and aesthetic looks.

Full Reviews

http://laptoplogic.com/reviews/detail.php?id=112&part=full&page=1
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2767
http://techreport.com/reviews/2006q3/thinkpad-t60/index.x?pg=1
http://laptopmag.com/Review/Lenovo-ThinkPad-T60.htm