Considering Thinkpad Z60t with Pentium M on closeout. It it worth $400 savings to forego Core duo on z61t?

Question

Thinkpad z60t with Pentium M available for $780 to $880 depending on options and upgrades. New Thinkpad z61t with Intel Core Duo processor goes for around $1200 to $1300. How much of an improvement is the Core Duo? Is it worth the money? How about Windows Vista compatibility?

Also, z61t comes with titanium lid. I assume this is cool looking but only cosmetic.

I'm considering a Thinkpad because of its lighter weight, rugged construction, quality of keyboard and trackpoint. If there is something out there that has comparable features at a better price, let me know.

I'm considering a Thinkpad because of its lighter weight, rugged construction, quality of keyboard and trackpoint. If there is something out there that has comparable features at a better price, let me know.

Answer 1

Well, if you truly want a thinkpad, go for it. But, I've seen dual core going for the price of the Pentium M you mentioned, only their made by other manufacturers.

Dual core chips are faster than a comparable single core chip. Also, for future compatibility, most software will start shipping with multi-core capabilities, so they'll take advantage of the dual cores.

Worth the money? I would say no. With computers, you need to look long term. Will the Pentium M still satisfy your needs (and software requirements) over the next 2-3 years. If not, go with a dual core.

As for vista, both are compatible, but Vista will take advantage of the dual cores and run faster on it.

Answer 2

What are you going to use it for? Do you really need the extra power of a dual core processor to surf the net, write an email or play cards?

The recommended graphics memory for Windows Vista is 256mb, think about that before you worry about the processor.