TechRadar Verdict
A good laptop if your needs are all business
Pros
- +
Solid, sturdy and ideal for the office
Cons
- -
Only entry-level graphics
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If you'd asked anyone a year ago who Lenovo was, you'd have been hard pushed for an answer. However, since buying the hardware division of IBM, this Chinese IT company has become a regular name.
As part of the agreement, Lenovo bought the ThinkPad name and was allowed to use the IBM logo for a few more months.
To this end, the Lenovo ThinkPad R60 (£799 inc. VAT) is still branded as an IBM, and is the same chassis that has been in circulation for over a year.
Not that this is a problem, as it's a sturdy and robust machine aimed at corporates looking for a budget solution to roll out to staff. What's more, you'll still find a fingerprint scanner built into the casing.
The chassis is made from tough plastic with plenty of protection behind the lid. You'll even find a super-thick bezel, which stops the screen grinding against the keys when in transit.
Quality build
It's hard to fault the build quality of this laptop, and while the keyboard isn't as robust as on more expensive ThinkPads, it's solid and comfortable to use. There is even a light, so if you're working in a dark area, such as on a plane or train at night, you can type without disturbing others.
The screen is a standard 15-inch TFT panel that comes with a native resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, which is low compared to the latest panel technology. While it looks rather pixilated in comparison, for word processing and standard office tasks it is more than satisfactory.
The graphics sub-system is the ATi Mobility Radeon X1300, which is an entry-level card with 256MB of its own memory. It'll more than out-perform an integrated solution, so presentations and even basic multimedia editing is possible.
Weighing in at 3kg, this isn't the lightest machine on offer, but with a battery life, under test, of 266 minutes, you can't complain about its usability on the go.
Sadly, such performance wasn't lived up to with the main specification, as the Intel Core Duo T2300E (1.66GHz) processor returned a MobileMark 2005 score of 188.
In daily use we found the system up to speed, handling tasks easily, but we'd recommend a memory upgrade to get the best from the system. The 60GB hard drive is average, but as it runs at 5400rpm, it'll save data quickly.
In terms of connectivity, Wi-Fi is covered using the Intel 3945ABG adapter, while for fixed networks you'll find Gigabit Ethernet.
The Lenovo ThinkPad R60 may be designed with the corporate user in mind, which its security features highlight well, but if you're looking for a powerful workhorse, it's a machine at a great price with a battery life to match.
