The ThinkPad R51 adds to IBM's mid-range series of business laptops. Available from just £510 (ex. VAT), the wholly black laptop comes with IBM's ThinkVantage Technologies as standard and represents outstanding value and reliability for those who need a stable platform for running typical office-type applications. The 1.60GHz Intel Pentium M processor and ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics chip deliver ample horsepower for the average user in the home or at work, but gamers will be left wanting. It doesn't have a big and bright widescreen display, media card reader, or digital video-out port either, but the ThinkPad R51's build quality and keyboard are second to none, it includes an expandable design, built-in security and backup tools, a hard disk protection system and decent battery life. On top of that, it's excellent value for money if you don't start adding expensive extras.

Pros: High resolution screen; hard disk protection system
Cons: Poor graphics; no digital video-out; expensive upgrades


The ThinkPad R51 (Best Current Price: £655) is available with either an Intel Pentium M or Celeron processor, as well as the choice of a either a 14.1 or 15in. display, ATI or Intel-based graphics solutions. The system we reviewed sits at the top of the range (£1490 ex. VAT) and included a 1.60GHz Intel Pentium M processor, 1GB of DDR333 SDRAM (upgradable to 2GB), a 60GB hard disk, as well as a 15in. TFT screen that outputs at a high native resolution of 1400x1050 pixels.

ATI's ageing Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics chipset with just 32MB of DDR SDRAM was pre-installed on our test system, which is fine for day-to-day duties but is poor when it comes to 3D modelling and gaming. Nevertheless, the screen is relatively bright and crisp and provides wide horizontal and vertical viewing angles of 170 degrees. An 8X DVD-RW drive rounds the package off, along with Windows XP Professional operating system.

As expected for a corporate laptop, the ThinkPad R51 offers integrated wireless connectivity and Intel's latest Centrino Mobile Technology (Pro/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection), which is the first Intel Centrino Mobile Technology system to support both 802.11b and 802.11g wireless standards. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet, a V.92 modem, and an infrared port (4Mbit/s).

You also get an S-Video port for hooking up to a larger display, headphone and microphone jacks, a Type II PC Card slot, two USB 2.0 ports and a parallel port. Unfortunately, there's no serial port, floppy disk drive, memory card slot, digital video-out port, or dedicated buttons to turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on or off. There are no dedicated volume controls, either, and just two USB 2.0 ports is miserly.

The laptop features new versions of IBM's ThinkVantage Technologies, which comprises Rapid Restore Ultra, Access Connections 2.7 and Access IBM 4.0 software. Operating as an embedded pre-boot emergency system, 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.

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