Thinkpad R50e something of a disappointment

THERE'S NO disputing that IBM (now Lenovo) builds some of the best business laptops in the industry. The R50e, like its ThinkPad siblings, offers a robust design and solid everyday performance, but consumers looking for whizz-bang multimedia features will be left wanting. The system's price tag will attract many, but you should be aware that its feature are scant - especially when you can get much more from other manufacturers. Business buyers looking for a fleet of reliable workstations, however, should love this budget model.

Pros: Attractive starting price; top-notch build; excellent support tools
Cons: Relatively slow; no FireWire, S-Video or Bluetooth

The ThinkPad R50e is IBM's most affordable laptop. The good news is that the wholly-black ThinkPad R50e (332x269x38mm, 2.8kg) looks and feels exactly like any other ThinkPad laptop, even the most expensive ThinkPad T43p (from £2170 ex. VAT). The only physical difference, except for a few connectivity options, is that the ThinkPad R50e lacks a touchpad. Instead, you'll have to make do with IBM's excellent trackpoint and three mouse buttons.

Regardless of the lack of a touchpad, the ThinkPad R50e sports a robust build quality synonymous with IBM laptops. The system's thick metal hinges that connect the core of the base to the top cover might add a little weight, but it keeps it extremely durable. A ThinkLight keyboard light located on the top edge of the display even illuminates the keyboard to let you work in low-light conditions.

The ThinkPad R50e is only available with an Intel Celeron M Processor 360 (1.40GHz) processor, so you can rule out the more capable Intel Pentium M chip. It also comes as standard with 256MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM (upgradable to 2GB), 40GB hard disk drive (4200rpm), CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive and Intel's Extreme Graphics 2 graphics chipset. Unlike other models in IBM's collection, the system is available with only one type of screen - a 15-inch display with a native resolution of just 1024x768 pixels.

Intel's ageing Extreme Graphics 2 graphics chipset, which uses 64MB of shared system memory, is fine for day-to-day duties (such as working with two-dimensional business applications and browsing the Web), but is poor when it comes to 3D modelling and gaming. Indeed, we had to dust off a copy of Futuremark's 3DMark2001 SE benchmarking suite to test the system's gaming performance - most systems now run the latest version of the software, 3DMark05 Pro. Nevertheless, the screen is relatively bright and crisp and provides wide horizontal and vertical viewing angles of 170 degrees.

As expected for a business laptop, the ThinkPad R50e offers optional integrated wireless connectivity (additional £60 ex. VAT) thanks to Intel's latest Centrino Mobile Technology which supports both 802.11b and 802.11g wireless standards (Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG). Standard connectivity options include 10/100 Ethernet, V.92 modem, Type II PC Card slot, two USB 2.0 ports, parallel port,headphone/line-out and microphone/line-in jacks.

But there's no support for Gigabit Ethernet, built-in Bluetooth, FireWire, infrared, S-Video-out for hooking up to a larger display, serial port, memory card slot, digital video-out port, or dedicated buttons to turn Wi-Fi on or off. You should, however, appreciate the dedicated volume controls.

One of the most impressive features of ThinkPad laptops is their market leading build quality. The ergonomic keyboards are also outstanding and feature one-button access to the excellent HTML-based animated electronic manual. In addition, the keys depress deeply and quietly and offer a good level of response. In fact, the keyboard on the ThinkPad R50e (like all ThinkPads) is far superior to other laptops and makes typing for long periods very comfortable.

The ThinkPad R50e features a new version of a ThinkVantage Technology, the enhanced Rescue and Recovery 2.0 with Antidote Delivery Manager. Rescue and Recovery is a set of tools contained in an embedded, pre-boot emergency system, providing one-button relief from a broad range of common PC problems, even if the main operating system already has been corrupted by a worm or virus.

Antidote Delivery Manager helps IT departments protect ThinkPad notebooks against viruses and worms by enabling companies to deploy critical updates throughout their enterprise. It also sets policies so that the PCs retrieve and install those updates quickly, or the PCs can be removed from the network. Rescue and Recovery 2.0 is now available and pre-loaded on all ThinkPad laptops and ThinkCentre desktops.

Rapid Restore Ultra is a one-button disaster recovery solution, providing you with the ability to restore the system to a previously saved state after a software crash. Before Windows opens, you can press a button that takes you into a menu that offers tools for recovering lost data. There's also options for making scheduled backups of operating systems, applications and data on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Access Connections lets you switch between networking environments and Access IBM 4.0 software provides access to on-system and online service and support information.

However, unlike more expensive ThinkPads, there's no Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0 software or the option to integrate a fingerprint reader. IBM's Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0 consists of an integrated security chip and downloadable Client Security Software, Version 5.4, with a secure Password Manager. The new version allows fingerprint identification and complex pass phrases to be used interchangeably or in combination.

General performance of the ThinkPad R50e was middling, although this was hardly surprising considering the price of the system. Having said that, its speed and range of features won't satisfy many consumers - especially when they see how much more they can get from IBM's competitors, particularly Dell. You can also forget about running 3D graphics and games. IBM claims a battery life of around 3.4 hours from the 6-cell Lithium-ion battery, although we managed to power the system for just 2h 55m - another disappointment considering the lack of power-intensive features. µ

* COPY kindly supplied by our editorial partner, BIOS