ThinkPad R50
ThinkPad r50 Review:
With a huge brand like IBM, you would think you’d seen it all. But no, you’re in for a big surprise with the ThinkPad r50. This gem of a laptop is made of the most durable materials. You can drop it off a concrete floor and it will most likely survive.
One of the most wonderful things about Lenovo ThinkPad r50 is its Active Protection System. This feature sends up signals to the hard drives if the notebook is about to fall. This is a very sensitive feature that can be a little annoying when exposed to slight vibrations such as when you’re riding cars or public buses. What you can do about it is lower the settings so it wouldn’t be too sensitive. If you are sure that you wouldn’t in anyway drop your laptop, then simply turn it off so that you won’t be disturbed in the middle of your work.
The r50 ThinkPad comes in a cool matte black finish. It has a rugged feel to it that would surely appeal to all types of users – nerds, yuppies, stay-at-home moms. The tactile keyboard is very user-friendly and responsive. If you’re on the fence about using a pad or a small stick, then this notebook is custom-made for you. It has both. You even have an option of replacing the caps depending on whether you have large or small fingertips.
The overall built is typical of mainstream notebooks. The edges are well-chiseled and contoured, the number and letter keys well-proportioned. You might not like the large hood on the edges of the LCD but it does have a good purpose to it. It is there to strengthen the cover. In terms of opening, you can easily do it with one hand as it has a single hook that’s strong enough for the cover not to flail around.
If you’re worried about the ThinkPad r50 battery, don’t. It belongs to the highest echelon of batteries serving up to 4 hours of nonstop usage. You can do all sorts of things such as downloading applications and defragmenting and the battery wouldn’t flinch. What’s really surprising about all this battery talk is that it all comes from a standard battery with six cells. If you this is not enough, try installing a nine-cell battery for the operation to last longer.
As for the surface, it is subtly coated with rubber so that it wouldn’t easily slip off. Of course Windows is nowhere to be found but that’s just IBM being IBM. You can always install whatever operating system you want. At 2.5 kg, this is surely one of the lighter, heavy-duty notebooks around.
There are plenty of ThinkPad r50 drivers available online, and you can simply download whatever utility you need. They come in handy when storing larger archives for your files and applications. Make sure to contact IBM technical support for assistance in installing legitimate drivers. Its price is a steal for something as sophisticated and highly functional as the r50.