- Well Priced
- Windows XP Professional OS
- APS Hard Drive Protection
- Low Storage and Memory
- Lacks Well Known Productivity Software
- Mediocre Graphics
- Intel Pentium M 1.5Ghz Processor
- 256MB PC2700 DDR Memory (2GB Maximum)
- 20GB 4,200 RPM Hard Drive with Active Protection System
- Modular 24x CD-RW Combo Optical Drive
- 14.1" XGA LCD Display and Intel Extreme Integrated Graphics with 64MB Shared Memory
- SoundMAX AC'97 Audio
- v.92 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11b/g Wireless
- Two USB 2.0 Ports and One Type II PC Card Slot
- 12.4" x 10.2" x 1.4" @ 5.7 lbs.
- Windows XP Professional OS and IBM Access Productivity Software
5/25/04 - IBM has been strong in the corporate markets with their ThinkPad series of notebooks. IBM released the R series of notebooks as a means to break into the consumer market by offering a lower cost system that would appeal to consumers. This has recently been updated with the R51 notebooks.
The ThinkPad R51 is a Centrino based package that includes the latest Pentium M 1.5GHz CPU and the new 802.11b/g wireless. This provides an improvement in the speed of the processor and the wireless networking. The system also features 256MB of PC2700 DDR memory. This is really the minimum to run Windows XP so most users will want to upgrade the memory.
One of the big innovations for the ThinkPad notebooks from IBM is the Active Protection System. It is a series of sensors that will park the hard drive heads if it senses sudden movement such as a fall. The R51 features this system, but the hard drive is a small 20GB in size. It also comes with a modular 24x CD-RW combo optical drive.
Graphics are also lackluster for this lower cost ThinkPad. It features a 14.1" XGA display, but is matched with the Intel Extreme integrated graphics. This limits the 3D applications the R51 can use, but for most people this won't be a problem.
Unlike most consumer based systems, the R51 comes equipped with the Windows XP Professional operating system that provides additional features. It does lack a cohesive productivity software package that many users would be familiar with.
