The 4:3 aspect ratio seems rather dated with most new notebooks offering a widescreen display; on the other hand some users might be more comfortable with a 4:3 aspect ratio as it's still the most popular in desktops.

With the ThinkPad X61 you get a memory card reader supporting SD, MMC and their derivatives. Additionally, there are 3 USB ports, a Firewire port and a PC-Card slot but no ExpressCardslot; this might disappoint some users but those who've already invested in and accumulated a few PC-Card peripherals over time and would like to be able to continue using them'll surely welcome it. It misses S-video out port too.

For its size, the ThinkPad X61 packs a punch when it comes to performance and a key component to this seems to be its 7200RPM hard drive. This seemingly instantaneous response should be a clear sign for notebook manufacturers to catch up to the desktop market and fully adopt 7200RPM drives abandoning the antiquated 5400RPM ones they seem so attached to.

As a business notebook, the ThinkPad X61 offers only mono sound and if you are a lover of audio-books or podcasts, spare a few bucks to invest in a good quality pair of headphones.

With a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip and a Fingerprint Reader the X61 offers its users the security and peace of mind of knowing their data is protected even if the notebook gets lost or stolen.

In addition to the Intel Wi-Fi solution, which provides above average reception, the X61 can optionally be configured with WWAN capability powered either by Cingular or Verizon. Users however will have to pay extra for these services.

ThinkPad X61 truly deserves the ultraportable title weighing only 3.1 pounds with the 4-cell battery. However, the default battery gives quite a brief unwired session lasting around 2 hours, which is not that great for an ultraportable. We highly recommend investing a few more bucks in the beefy 8-cell battery that boasts your away from the mains time to 4 to 5 hours and only adds half a pound to the weight. It should be worth mentioning here that the X61 battery recharge is noticeably fast and should please its users.

In keeping with the ThinkPad tradition, the X61 comes with the excellent ThinkVantage suite of tools. These tools give the user easy access to a variety of functions, among which the ability to control the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules independently; also included are excellent backup and recovery solutions. Unfortunately, also comes with a lot of "free" software and trials that many users will probably be better off uninstalling to save storage space and help improve performance even if slightly.

The ThinkPad X61 provides its users with all the performance and power of larger and heavier notebooks like the 15" T61 but in a much smaller and lighter form factor. With a powerful hardware profile, superb build quality and ample battery life with the 8-cell battery, and if you can forego the absence of optical drive, touchpad and tolerate issues with the screen, the X61 is a deal hard to beat and well worth its price.