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As I mentioned earlier this is the first widescreen ThinkPad that I’ve seen, and this particular model has a 14in display. But despite the relatively large screen, the native resolution is a rather disappointing 1,280 x 768 – I would have liked to have seen 1,440 x 900 on a screen this size. Also the backlight was particularly dim – even when pushing the screen brightness up to top, the Z60t seemed far from bright. With this in mind, the Z60t isn’t really the best notebook for environments with lots of bright ambient light, or even outside in bright sunlight.

With dimensions of 334 x 228 x 27mm (WxDxH) and weighing in at just under 2kg, you could definitely carry the Z60t around with you all day if you wished. But I can't help but remember the Sony VAIO TX1XP which only weighed 1.25kg and measured 272 x 195 x 28mm, while still sporting a higher screen resolution than the Z60t. To be fair, I know that many people may find the Sony TX1XP too small, but for me it was perfect. The lower spec components in the Sony mean that the Z60t has more raw power, but then the Sony provided close to six hours battery life.

Finally you have to throw price into the equation, and the Z60t is far from cheap. With a street price of £1,632.08 including VAT the Z60t costs more than the Sony TX1XP at its current price. Ultimately, if I was looking to buy a slim and light widescreen notebook, I'd go for the Sony.

Verdict

Somehow this first ThinkPad from Lenovo doesn't seem to exude the same quality as the IBM models I looked at in the past. Given, it's still a well constructed and solid mobile computer with a superb keyboard (if slightly rattly on the left), but it doesn't feel a cut above the competition like the old X and T series ThinkPads did.

The Z60t is definitely feature rich, and all the "behind the scenes" utilities and applications are still there. However the price is high and there are equally desirable products from Lenovo's competitors that will make life hard for the Z60t.

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