Lenovo ThinkPad R52 Review
Overview
Notice: In May of 2005, Lenovo officially acquired IBM's PC Division, which includes all ThinkPad notebooks, ThinkCentre desktops and related Think-branded offerings. Lenovo is now responsible for all of the development, marketing and sales of these products. Service and support is still offered by IBM. For more information, go here.
Editor's Note: Since the T43 and R52 share a number of the same "ThinkVantage" features, we have simply re-used applicable parts from the T43 review. Just a heads up so if you're wondering why parts look familiar, you know now!
For those who have read our Lenovo Thinkpad T43 review, you are familiar with the details of IBM innovation and quality. Indeed, the Thinkpad T-series is world renowned for its reliability, performance, and innovation. But what about the R-series? Thinkpad R models are less advertised, less emphasized, and just less well known in general. Does that mean you should skip over the R-series completely and just stick with the T-series? No way!
It is true that the R-series is the 'value' line at Lenovo, if one can truly call any Thinkpad a 'value' machine. The R-series offers a lot of the same features and benefits that the T-series does. These include IBM's industry first Hard Drive Active Protection System, spill-proof keyboard, Ultra-Connect wireless antennas built into the LCD, and numerous other ingenious features. There are some compromises made to lower the cost compared to the T-series, which we will cover in detail.
Regardless, the R52 is a solid machine that would suit the needs of a business professional, small office user, or even a student. Our test unit came equipped with a Pentium M 740 (1.73GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB), 1x512MB DDR2 533 RAM, 40GB 5400RPM hard drive, DVD Multi-Burner, and Intel GMA900 integrated graphics. This is a well balanced configuration, offering all of the features and performance necessary for the average user; but with the legendary quality and service provided with the Thinkpad line.
Design
Portability
Our model came with the 14.1' XGA screen, making for a smaller form factor, but that does not help much with the thickness. Since the R52 is made with regular ABS plastic instead of the carbon fiber T-series chassis, IBM designed the R-series to be a good deal thicker. The extra thickness of course allows for comparable durability to a T-series, at the cost of size and weight.
Our R52 measures 12.1'(W) x 10.2'(D) x 1.3'-1.5'(H) and weighs in at a hefty 6.1 lbs, including 6-cell battery and optical drive. The 9-cell battery increases the weight to near 7 lbs, and adds 1.25' to the back of the machine. The 14' R52 feels as balanced to pick up as the 14' T43, but a good deal thicker and heavier. While the weight wouldn't eliminate traveling with it, the portability is less than ideal. However those who want Thinkpad quality without the price of a T43, the R52 will follow you with minimal extra effort.
Case and Design
Black, black, black. Yes, the color scheme is the same as all other Thinkpads. A matte black finish, two IBM logos, and a lone Centrino badge are all that adorn the R52. Moving beyond aesthetics, the R52 feels incredibly well built and solid. The case exhibits almost as little flex as the T43, and is a bit above the likes of HP and Fujitsu (which have very respectable build quality). The R52 is built on a level above that of its competitors, like Dell and HP, but suffers for it with the minimum 1.3' thickness.
As with other Thinkpads, the R52 has two very strong hinges holding the LCD to the rest of the laptop. The metal hinges are thick and stronger looking than the usual plastic hinges you find on most machines. Users will have no worry about premature cracking or loose play. The R52 also has two latches holding the LCD closed, operated by a single slide release on the front right corner of the lid.
Below the LCD is the Thinkpad standard set of LED indicators. From left to right are WiFi, Bluetooth, NumLock, Caps Lock, Hard Drive, Power, Battery, and Sleep. All of these light up green during normal usage. The battery indicator glows orange when the battery is low and it blinks when recharging. On the outside of the notebook, at the back near the battery, the battery and sleep LEDs are reproduced for easy reference. While hibernating, the sleep indicator will blink and then turn off. If you are charging your notebook, the battery indicator will blink while it is still charging and then turn solid green when charging is complete. The outside battery indicator is also yellow while the battery is low, giving you a reasonable indicator of battery level while charging.
Lenovo is pretty sparse with their hot keys, compared to the plethora that today's multimedia notebooks possess. From left to right there is the Access IBM button, Volume Down & Up, and Volume Mute. These are obviously basic, but are sufficient for most users. The Access IBM button serves two purposes. When you first boot the machine up, you have the option to press the Access IBM button in order to access the BIOS and System Recovery software. In Windows, Access IBM brings up a general help application. From here you can view different topics or search for help. The volume keys also activate an onscreen display, showing the volume level. One minor nitpick is that when you press Mute, you cannot press it again to un-mute. You have to hit the volume up or down keys to restore audio.
What Thinkpads lack in hot keys they make up for with function keys. F4 and F12 put the notebook into Standby and Hibernate, respectively. F3 turns off the LCD, which is a unique feature not found in many notebooks. F7 opens the Presentation Director, which offers a plethora of options to connect the T43 to any external display. F5 controls the wireless radios and even wireless profiles. We will go into more detail about the Presentation Director and wifi controls in our Features section.
Last but not least, the Home & End keys controls screen brightness while PgUp turns on the ThinkLight. The ThinkLight is Lenovo's name for an LED that shines over the keyboard to provide additional lighting. While it works quite well in situations with almost no light, it does almost nothing in other settings. If there's even a bit of ambient light and you just want to be able to see the keys better, the ThinkLight doesn't work that well. What seems a little odd is that the R52 has an amber ThinkLight, while the T-series uses a bright white ThinkLight. The amber light is a little less illuminating than the bright white used in the T-series, but both have about the same effectiveness.
Design Continued
Keyboard
A lot of people hold Lenovo laptop keyboards as the pinnacle of typing comfort, and for good reason: the tactile feedback is nothing short of perfect. The keyboard on our R52 is the 'Thai' version and has an impeccably quiet response. It has a completely normal alphanumeric key layout, with all of the Page Up/Down, Home/End, and Insert/Delete keys in their proper places. There are only two complaints with the T43's keyboard layout, the first being the placement of the Function key. It is on the outside of the Control key, whereas most laptops incorporate it in between Control and Alt. This is a minor adjustment on the user's part, but an adjustment nonetheless.
The other complaint is the lack of a Windows Start key. IBM elected not to include the Start key for ergonomic reasons, but it is definitely missed. Luckily Lenovo included a Keyboard Customizer Utility which allows the user to assign certain keys to function as the Start key. We will go more into detail on Lenovo's utilities in the Features section.
Touch pad/UltraNav
Lenovo is one of the few computer manufacturers that includes a 'pointing stick' combined with a touchpad. For those who haven't used this combination, it is not an option to under-estimate. The ability to mouse around the screen, click, and scroll without removing your hands from the keyboard is invaluable. As you can see below, there is a red pointing stick in the middle of the keyboard, both mouse buttons, and a blue middle button that is set to scroll by default. You can reprogram the middle button for scrolling or screen zooming.
For those who prefer the touchpad, the R52 has an excellent one. The responsiveness and texture is ideal, with a plethora of customizable options. The software allows you to set scrolling zones, tapping, tap zones, virtual scrolling, and many other options.
The mouse-click buttons have an almost perfect feel to them, with a soft inaudible response. They have a deep travel length, almost sinking into the laptop itself. Most notebook mouse buttons are shallow and click loudly during use, the R52's are the exact opposite. Once again, Lenovo hit the nail on the head. Connectivity Options
Keeping with the Thinkpad's no-nonsense design, there are only the necessary connectivity options. The only major complaint here is the lack of USB ports. Ports on the backside of the machine have been kept to a minimum, which helps prevent blindly trying to plug something in and then having to turn the machine upside down to find the plug.
On the left side you will find a Kensington security lock, the two USB ports stacked vertically, S-Video output, 56K & Ethernet jacks, headphone, microphone, fan exhaust, 4-pin Firewire, and PC Card/Express Card slot.
Overall this is a pretty decent layout. The microphone/headphone jacks are easy to access, as are the communication jacks. The fan exhaust is placed on the side, which helps reduce heat build up if the bottom of the laptop isn't ventilated well. Kudos to Lenovo for thinking to include both a PC Card and Express Card slot. You can use either card, but not both, in the slot. This is the ideal configuration since not many devices are in the Express Card format yet and obviously most current devices are of the PC Card format. When peripherals are introduced that need the high bandwidth of the Express Card format, the T43 will be ready to support them.
The biggest complaint is the USB ports. Two USB 2.0 ports are technically all that is necessary to survive on the road, which is why docking stations and USB hubs were invented, but one or two extra ports couldn't have hurt. The fact that they're stacked on top of each other doesn't help either, as connectors with larger plastic housing may interfere with each other.
On the right side there is simply the optical drive in its modular bay and the 15-pin VGA output connector. The push of a small spring loaded latch releases a tab that allows you to pull out the current device (optical drive, hard drive, or battery) and replace it with another one.
Our model came loaded with a DVD Rewriteable drive and it was very easy to swap with the UltraBay Slim Battery. On a minor note, you do have to use the 'Safely Remove Hardware' utility in the system tray to make the optical drive, hard drive, or battery available for safe removal.
As previously mentioned, the rear of the notebook is sparse. You will only find the battery, legacy parallel printer port, and power connector.
Heat and Noise
For those of you who have checked out our T43 Review, it had some disappointing heat issues. This was partially due to the higher thermal dissipation of the Sonoma platform, but that was not the lone cause. Our R52 is based on the same Sonoma platform, although will produce a good deal less heat overall due to the integrated graphics, compared to the T43's X300 GPU.
The thicker chassis also helps dissipate heat better. Overall, the R52 is a cool, quiet, and pleasant machine to work with. Under heavy load the fan does come on, and is audible, but it only runs for short periods of time. When you run the machine at idle, allowing the CPU to underclock to 800MHz, the machine runs at a consistent 40 degrees Celsius with WiFi on. Under the load the machine does break 50 degrees C, but never really becomes uncomfortably warm. Compared to the T43, which idles around 50 degrees C, the R52 is much more cool-natured.
Upgrading and Expansion
The expansion options on the R52 are about as comprehensive as most. On the underside of the notebook you will find the cover for the single memory module, with the other memory module underneath the keyboard. Our system came preloaded with 1x512MB PC2-4200 DDR2, leaving one expansion slot open. Hard drive upgrades are a snap, you need only remove one screw and pop out the adapter bay that holds the hard drive. It easily slides out of the chassis with no difficulty.
Features
Processor/Chipset/RAM
The R52 uses Intel's latest Pentium M platform, codenamed Sonoma. As most of you know, this update to the popular technology brings a faster front side bus, PCI Express, High Definition Audio, Serial ATA, DDR2 RAM, and more. Our model came loaded with the Pentium M 740, running at 1.73GHz with 2MB L2 Cache on a 533MHz FSB. The Intel 915GM chipset is used, providing 2D and 3D graphics via the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 (GMA900). The higher bus speeds help improve performance as does the faster RAM running synchronous with the FSB. DDR2 is also Dual Channel capable, meaning that using two identical memory modules effectively doubles your memory bandwidth. In real world testing, dual channel capability tends to only give 5-10% performance improvements. While DDR2 is also clocked higher than DDR 333, it has higher latencies which reduce the positive effect of the higher speed. Latency refers to the amount of time it takes for data to enter and leave the memory, thus higher latency produces less performance. Regardless, the Sonoma platform's new features are a big step in the right direction. The new feature sets added to the Centrino platform make mobile systems capable of doing everything a desktop can, with battery life to spare.
The only downside to the Sonoma platform is the higher power consumption. The processor itself consumes more power, as a result of the higher bus speed. The 533MHz FSB Dothan processors have a thermal design power (TDP) of 27W, compared to 21W of the 400MHz FSB chips. Due to the higher bus speed, the new Pentium M chips 'idle' at a lowest clock speed of 800MHz, up from 600MHz of the previous generation. The chip is powerful enough that one could run it locked at 800MHz to maximize battery life and still enjoy speedy performance. Our model came with a peppy 5400RPM drive, but upgrading to a 7200RPM model would help improve performance while the CPU is locked at its slowest speed.
GPU
As part of the Intel 915GM chipset package, the integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 900 (GMA 900) powers the video of the FS550. According to Intel, the GMA 900 provides an increase of 2X in graphics performance over the previous generation Intel graphics solution (Extreme Graphics 2). Key features include DirectX 9 hardware acceleration support, Pixel Shader 2.0, 133-320MHz core clock, 4 pixels pipes and 128MB dynamically shared memory (8MB minimum, 128 maximum). The Intel GMA 900 utilizes shared memory architecture, meaning the system memory (RAM) is shared with the graphics card. Since shared memory is dynamic, it will be allocated for graphics usage based on application demand. Once the application is closed, the memory that was allocated for graphics usage is then released and made available for system use. During general use, the graphics memory uses 10MB of system memory and can use up to 128MB during graphic intensive usage. As a result, the system may slow down when heavy graphics from an application are in demand. The engine clock and memory clock are both rated at 200MHz.
Unfortunately, as most of you know, the GMA900 is a poor excuse for a 3D accelerator. For 2D uses, it is one of the best integrated solutions out there. It shares RAM dynamically, maximizing the amount of systems resources you have available. The downside is that no matter how much system RAM is uses, GMA900 is incredibly limited in 3D processing. We did not even bother to benchmark the GMA900 in Half Life 2 and Doom 3 this time; both to avoid overstating the lack of performance and save Laptop Logic editors tedious hours watching game slideshows. Those who want an idea of real world GMA900 gaming performance, take a look at our Sony FS550 3D Performance Results. 3DMark test results for our R52 are included in the 3D Performance section. Users ordering an R52 also have the option of upgrading to ATI's Mobility Radeon X300 graphics with 32MB-64MB VRAM.
Display
Our model came equipped with a 14' XGA LCD screen. The smaller screen size helped keep the size and weight of the R52 manageable, as it is a good deal thicker than comparable notebooks. The brightness and image quality were all sufficient, it was even fairly viewable in sunlight. The big downside to the R52's display is the viewing angle. As mentioned in our T43 Review, the non-Flexview Thinkpad screens tend to have a less than ideal viewing angle. While the 14' SXGA+ on the T43 was adequate, the viewing angle on our R52 was disappointing. If the screen was too far up or down, the screen started to fade out. Horizontal viewing angle was just as disappointing. Some people do not mind a poor viewing angle and easily adjust to it. Personally I sometimes have a laptop setup to my side or in an odd location, making a good viewing angle almost a necessity.
Unfortunately all R52 screens are going to be of the same brightness and quality, the only difference being size and resolution. The 15" SXGA+ screens in the R52's are non-Flexview models, unlike those of the 15" SXGA+ T4x models. Flexview screens have increased brightness and an impeccable viewing angle at the cost of higher power consumption. The lack of this option is a major limiting factor for an avid business user when considering an R52 versus a T42/T43.
Sound
Unfortunately sound is a Thinkpad's weak point. Obviously none of Lenovo's machines are designed for multimedia, but the speakers are less than exciting. They do get sufficiently loud and don't distort easily, but lack any amount of mid or low range quality. There is no bass to speak of, leaving a lot of room for improvement in the sound category. The speakers are located on the bottom of the front edge of the notebook, which puts them out of direct earshot. Instead it looks like the speakers rely on the sound echoing from the surface that the laptop is setting on, which results in a less than satisfactory audio experience.
Features Continued
Wi-Fi
Lenovo included the standard Intel Pro Wireless 2200BG mini-PCI card in our test model. There is also the option of the Intel 2915ABG, IBM b/g, and IBM a/b/g cards in R52 models. In all of the R-series models Lenovo utilizes their 'Ultraconnect antenna,' a wireless antenna built into the LCD display for optimal signal reception. As discussed earlier, there is no direct Wi-Fi button to enable or disable the wireless card. Instead the function key combo of Fn+F5 brings up a very unique wireless options menu.
A small menu will pop up in the center of the screen, with two tabs and a plethora of options. The default menu tab lists your 'Location Profiles,' which are setup in Lenovo's Access Connection software; we will cover that shortly. You can select a default location profile, click 'Find a Wireless Network,' or explore more settings. Under the second tab, Wireless Radio, you are given the option to turn any of the applicable wireless radios on or off. In our case, both the Intel 2200BG wireless card and Bluetooth radios are present.
Now we've come to a nifty little application, the Access Connections utility. This program replaces Windows' wireless networking configuration, and does a great job at it. While the Microsoft 'Wireless Zero Config' does a more than satisfactory job at managing wireless connections and configuration, Access Connections goes above and beyond the call of duty. The first and most noticeable feature is the ability to setup different profiles. Under a profile, you can specify a name, whether to use the wired or wireless adapter, which wireless SSID to connect to (or to choose the best signal available), and many more options. You can even set file sharing preferences, Internet Explorer start page, and a default printer! For those who use a number of different networks throughout the day, Access Connections is like the Swiss Army knife for the mobile user.
Once you have your profiles and everything else setup, all it takes is a click of the Access Connections icon to bring up a list of your profiles. Select a profile to connect to and WHAM - you're connected.
Wireless performance was as expected with the 2200BG card. Signal reception was above average, picking up a lot of weak signals that are scattered throughout a local university. Lost signals were few and far between, partially due to the Ultraconnect antenna. The Intel cards have the advantage of more advanced power management than the IBM cards, but the IBM models tend to be a little stronger in signal reception and transmission. Bluetooth
The R52 also features integrated Bluetooth wireless technology to wirelessly sync with Bluetooth enabled devices like printers, mice, keyboard, PDA, and cellular phones. I connected a Radtech BT500 mini mobile mouse with ease, thanks to the Add Bluetooth Device Wizard that detected the mouse immediately with no software drivers needed in order for it to operate. The BT500 mouse felt responsive and precise without ever loosing connection. Although Bluetooth works within a smaller scope, it is useful for connecting multiple devices simultaneously. If Bluetooth and WiFi are not enough, the R52 comes with infared (IrDA) communication that allows you to synchronize with PDAs or mobile phones.
The Wireless Radio On Screen Display (OSD) allows users to quickly enable or disable the Bluetooth radio.
Optical Drive
Our R52 test model came with a Matshita DVD-RAM optical drive, capable of writing any disc you throw at it except Dual Layer DVD's. This of course includes both DVD formats, CD-R's, and even the obscure DVD-RAM. Although this drive appears to be very similar to the unit in our T43, the R52's optical drive boasts much improved write speeds. The R52 can burn DVD+/-R's at up to 8x, a far cry above the T43's meager 2.4x!
The drive's performance was overall satisfactory, as expected from a notebook optical drive. Lenovo's software does include different "performance" settings for the drive, so you can adjust the read speeds to make the drive entirely silent or perform at its best. The default setting is ' Normal' and was quiet during operation, only making a small noise when initially spinning the disc up. 'Silent' mode is exactly that: pure silence. 'High-Performance' mode makes disc reading a great deal louder, but didn't make enough of a difference in read speed for me to keep it at that setting. The supported read and write speeds are as follows:
- Read: 8x DVD+R, 8x DVD-R, 8x DVD-ROM, 24x CD-ROM
- Write: 8x DVD+R, 4x DVD+RW, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD-RW, 3x DVD-RAM, 24x CD-R, 16x CD-RW
Hard Drive
Our R52 test model came equipped with a 40GB Hitachi Travelstar 5K100 drive, with a 5400RPM spindle speed and 8MB cache. The performance of this drive was satisfactory for general usage, with surprisingly peppy boot and resume-from-hibernate times. As with our T43, a portion of the drive was partitioned off for the pre-OS Rescue & Recovery tools but this only amounted to a few hundred megabytes. Obviously the storage capacity may be limiting for some, but Lenovo offers several other drive options; including the 60GB Hitachi 7K60 (7200RPM) and a new 100GB 5400RPM model.
Features Continued
Battery
As with the T-series, the R models have three battery options: a 4.6AHr 6-cell, 7.2AHr 9-cell, and a 2-cell 24WHr Ultrabay battery. Our test model came with the 6-cell, but we also tested it with the 9-cell from our T43. The 6-cell battery is rated at 4.6AHr, 52WHr, and 10.8V. During normal usage with WiFi on, I saw around 3.5 hours of battery life. Disabling WiFi and maximizing all of the power management options should allow you to get more than 4 hours of usage out of the budget battery.
As with the T-series, the optional 9-cell battery does stick about 1.25 inches out of the back of the machine. This provides general usage of around 5 hours though, a generous increase over the 6-cell. Users who need all day usage out of their machine with minimal time spent charging should opt for the 9-cell. The true all day road warrior should consider the Ultrabay battery, which adds 30 minutes of battery life and allows you to swap the main battery. The disadvantage to the Ultrabay battery is that it discharges first in the system, so after 30 minutes you no longer have the capability to swap batteries. For those who do decide to invest the extra $119, it is best to save the battery for when you need it later in the day.
Few manufacturers include custom software for managing power settings, instead leaving users with the limited controls in Windows. Even those who do provide such software don't provide as much control as Lenovo offers.
As you can gather from the pictures, there are a large number of customizable options available. You can control CPU speed, hard drive timeout, display brightness, and the other usual options. What really stands out is that you can lower display brightness and refresh rate when idle, as well as control fan performance! The Global Power Settings replicate the same options in Windows power control.
Once you have selected a profile of your liking or created one of your own, just click the battery level indicator on the Start bar once and a menu will pop up listing the possible options. Select a profile and all of your settings are applied instantly. I haven't seen another manufacturer with such a practical utility.
AC Adapter
The included AC adapter measures 4.5 ' long x 1.9 ' wide x 1 ' thick, which is on the small side for AC adapters. The computer-side cable is 6 feet long and the wall-side cable is 4 feet long. These cables could be a little longer for additional flexibility, there were a number of times during my use of the notebook that I wish I had a slightly longer power cord. On the upside Lenovo did include a Velcro strap to wrap up the cables, which is more than most manufacturers provide. Lastly, the wall power connector is a two-prong plug. Sometimes certain buildings don't offer as many three-prong power plugs, thus giving you added flexibility on the go.
Battery
As with the T-series, the R models have three battery options: a 4.6AHr 6-cell, 7.2AHr 9-cell, and a 2-cell 24WHr Ultrabay battery. Our test model came with the 6-cell, but we also tested it with the 9-cell from our T43. The 6-cell battery is rated at 4.6AHr, 52WHr, and 10.8V. During normal usage with WiFi on, I saw around 3.5 hours of battery life. Disabling WiFi and maximizing all of the power management options should allow you to get more than 4 hours of usage out of the budget battery.
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As with the T-series, the optional 9-cell battery does stick about 1.25 inches out of the back of the machine. This provides general usage of around 5 hours though, a generous increase over the 6-cell. Users who need all day usage out of their machine with minimal time spent charging should opt for the 9-cell. The true all day road warrior should consider the Ultrabay battery, which adds 30 minutes of battery life and allows you to swap the main battery. The disadvantage to the Ultrabay battery is that it discharges first in the system, so after 30 minutes you no longer have the capability to swap batteries. For those who do decide to invest the extra $119, it is best to save the battery for when you need it later in the day.
Few manufacturers include custom software for managing power settings, instead leaving users with the limited controls in Windows. Even those who do provide such software don�t provide as much control as Lenovo offers.
As you can gather from the pictures, there are a large number of customizable options available. You can control CPU speed, hard drive timeout, display brightness, and the other usual options. What really stands out is that you can lower display brightness and refresh rate when idle, as well as control fan performance! The Global Power Settings replicate the same options in Windows power control.
Once you have selected a profile of your liking or created one of your own, just click the battery level indicator on the Start bar once and a menu will pop up listing the possible options. Select a profile and all of your settings are applied instantly. I haven�t seen another manufacturer with such a practical utility.
AC Adapter
The included AC adapter measures 4.5 � long x 1.9 � wide x 1 � thick, which is on the small side for AC adapters. The computer-side cable is 6 feet long and the wall-side cable is 4 feet long. These cables could be a little longer for additional flexibility, there were a number of times during my use of the notebook that I wish I had a slightly longer power cord. On the upside Lenovo did include a Velcro strap to wrap up the cables, which is more than most manufacturers provide. Lastly, the wall power connector is a two-prong plug. Sometimes certain buildings don't offer as many three-prong power plugs, thus giving you added flexibility on the go.
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Active Protection System
IBM�s Active Protection System was an industry first, until Apple recently came out with something similar, and provides unparalleled protection for the user�s hard drive. It works with a combination of hardware and software technology. From IBM�s white paper:
The hardware component is a motion detector, or accelerometer, embedded in the motherboard which continually senses system orientation and movement. The software component receives and interprets signals from the accelerometer, differentiates between potentially harmful movements and repetitive motion, and signals the hard drive to stop when a potentially damaging event is predicted. The software component also includes a system tray icon and properties window.
There is no user configuration required right off the bat, and most people won�t want to configure it anyway. The default settings work well, accurately predicting sudden movements and drops. It also detects repetitive motions that aren�t damaging like when riding in a car or train. I can say from personal experience that this system works like a charm. My T42 has the same system and after a three foot drop onto hard tile, it�s still chugging along. What is even better is that you can turn your Thinkpad upside down with the APS window open, watching the accelerometer detect the motion and surprisingly accurately display it in the window.
Keyboard Customizer
This is a small application that really adds flexibility for mobile users. The first and most obvious use is to map a key for the missing Start menu key; I find that Right-Alt works well. You can also map the missing �Context Menu� key, optical drive eject, and volume control. External keyboard hotkeys, function key sensitivity, and special character hotkeys can also be specified with this utility. The Keyboard Customizer is one of those fine finishing details that really help a design shine.
Presentation Director
For those who connect to projectors or external displays frequently, the Presentation Director will become your best friend.
It lets you setup different connection profile for your various uses, even a profile for connecting to a docking station. You can launch the application through Windows as usual, or use Fn+F7 to bring up the Presentation Director On Screen Display (OSD).
The OSD doesn�t offer as many options, but is an easy shortcut for choosing your different profiles.
Software Installer
When a manufacturer updates the drivers or software, a lot of the time users don�t even know! Since Lenovo has a LOT of utilities built into the Thinkpad line, they recently upgraded their Software Installer program to automatically find and download the latest updates. Previously you had to look on their website for updates, download them, and use Software Installer to properly update your system. Now all you need is an internet connection and a few minutes to update everything. It can�t get any easier than that!
Thinkpad Configuration
This little applet encompasses just about every aspect of the Thinkpad possible. Just select one of the buttons surrounding the picture and get instant access to all options and information for that specific aspect. The top row of buttons also includes display switching options, power schemes, and shortcuts to other Lenovo applications. This utility is very useful, great for the power users out there who want complete control of their computer.
The Lenovo Thinkpad R52 was set to run at full performance by setting the power scheme set to 'Home/Office Desk' with the AC plugged in, meaning that the CPU will not underclock while running the tests. For the battery performance test, the power scheme was set to 'Portable/Laptop'. This activates Intel's Enhanced SpeedStep technology, which lowers CPU speed when not needed, thus increasing battery life. Screen brightness and audio were both set to 50% and Wi-Fi & Bluetooth were turned on. Each test was repeated 3 times to ensure accuracy. Before each test was run, the laptop was rebooted and its hard drive defragmented.
Business Winstone 2004 runs business related applications through a series of scripted activities and uses the time a PC takes to complete those activities to produce its performance scores. Each application runs 5 tests through a series of demos and activities. Business applications include:
- Microsoft Access 2002
- Microsoft Excel 2002
- Microsoft Frontpage 2002
- Microsoft Outlook 2002
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2002
- Microsoft Project 2002
- Microsoft Word 2002
- Norton AntiVirus Professional Edition 2003
- Winzip 8.1
Multimedia Content Creation Winstone 2004 is a single large test that runs multimedia applications through a series of scripted activities and returns a single score. Applications include:
- Adobe Photoshop 7.0.1
- Adobe Premiere 6.50
- Macromedia Director MX 9.0
- Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 6.1
- Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9 Version 9.00.00.2980
- NewTek's LightWave 3D 7.5b
- Steinberg WaveLab 4.0f
Business Winstone 2004 Batterymark measures a laptop computer�s battery life by simulating real-world usage. The program measures the time it takes to drain the battery by running applications such as Microsoft Office XP, Norton AntiVirus, and WinZip through a series of scripted activities to drain the battery in a realistic way.
3DMark 2001 SE PRO build 3.3.0 measures graphics performance by benchmarking the CPU, memory, and graphics through a series of 21 tests, including simulated games, theoretical tests, DX8 feature tests, and image quality tests. Resolution was set to 1024x768 with all default settings.
3DMark 2003 build 3.6.0 measures DX9 performance through a series of 3D game based sound, graphics, and CPU tests. Resolution was set to 1024x768 with all default settings.
PCMark 2004 build 1.3.0 uses real life application tests to generate a combined score by running specific tasks like application loading, game tests, 3D rendering, multimedia encoding, and more. Resolution was set to 1024x768 with all default settings.
PCMark 2005 Advanced build 1.0.1 is the latest update to Futuremark's popular overall system benchmarking program. The 2005 version adds multithreading, DirectX 9, Windows Media Player 10, virus scanning, High Defintion video playback (WMVHD), and a vast number of other tests to its suite. Testing your computer's CPU, RAM, hard drive and graphics card, PCMark05 drives your computer to the max to determine its strengths and weaknesses.
Doom 3 (Version 1.1) using the built-in time-demo, initiated with the console command �timedemo demo1 precache�.
Test1:
| Test2:
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Half Life 2 (Source Engine 7) timedemos Coast 05 and Canals 08 from Anandtech.com with the following tests and graphic settings:
Test1 (Low Image Quality):
| Test2 (High Image Quality):
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Configurations
| Specifications | Thinkpad R52 | Asus V6800V | Thinkpad T43 |
| Processor | Intel Pentium M Processor 740 (1.73GHz, 2MB L2 Cache) | Intel Pentium M Processor 750 | Intel Pentium M Processor 750 |
| Front Side Bus | 533MHz | 533 MHz | 533 MHz |
| Chipset | Intel 915 GM Express | Intel 915 PM Express | Intel 915 PM Express |
| LCD | 14.1" XGA TFT LCD (1024x768) | 15.1" SXGA+ with Color Shine | 14.1" SXGA+ (1400x1050) |
| Hard Drive | 40GB Hitachi Travelstar 5K100 5400RPM 8MB Cache (HTS541040G9AT00) | 60GB Hitachi Travelstar 5K80 5400RPM 8MB Cache | 60GB Hitachi Travelstar 7K60 7200RPM 8MB Cache |
| Memory | 512MB DDR2-533 SDRAM (1x512MB) in Single-Channel Mode CL=4 | 512MB DDR2-400 SDRAM (2x256MB) in Dual-Channel Mode CL=3 | 512MB DDR2-533 SDRAM (1 x 512MB) in Single-Channel Mode CL=4 |
| Graphics | Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 Dynamically Shared Video Memory | ATI Mobility Radeon X600 64MB DDR Video RAM on PCI Express | ATI Mobility Radeon X300 64MB DDR Video RAM on PCI Express |
| Weight | 6.1 lbs. with 6-cell battery | 5.5 lbs. with 8-cell battery | 5.5lbs with 9-cell battery |
| Size (W x D x H) | 12.4� x 10.2� x 1.4�-1.5� | 13" x 10.7" x 1.18" | 12.2" x 10" x 1.0-1.2" |
| Operating System | Windows XP Professional w/SP2 | Windows XP Professional w/SP2 | Windows XP Professional w/SP2 |
| Battery | 4,600 mAh | 4,800 mAh | 7,200 mAh |
General Usage (Business Winstone 2004)
Business Winstone tests a combination of CPU, RAM, and hard drive. The results are clear cut: the T43 wins with its 7200RPM hard drive and the V6V came in second with its faster CPU and dedicated graphics.
Multimedia Content Creation (Business Winstone 2004)
This benchmark is heavily dependent on the CPU and RAM subsystems. Interestingly, all of the machines in our roundup are very close. The T43 has a bit of an advantage with its 7200RPM hard drive, but the R52 and V6V scores are within the expected margin of error; as the V6V should technically have won out with its faster CPU and dedicated graphics.
PCMark04
The R52 falls behind all of the other machines, due to its slower CPU and the drag of integrated graphics on overall system performance.
Here are the associated scores (numbers in bold highlights the higher score):
| PCMark04 | Thinkpad R52 | Asus V6800V | Thinkpad T43 |
| CPU | 3351 | 3587 | 3556 |
| Memory | 3103 | 3157 | 3132 |
| Graphics | 763 | 2162 | 1311 |
| HDD | 3230 | 2868 | 3412 |
and the PCMark04 Overall Score:
PCMark05 Advanced
Since PCMark05 was only recently released, we are including PCMark05 results to compare to the only other systems we current have benchmarked with the new software. Both Acer's have 100GB 5400RPM Seagate drives, 1GB DDR RAM (DDR333 for the 4005 and DDR2 533 for the 8104), and 128MB X700 graphics (the 4005 is clocked higher); the differences lie in the Ferrari's 2.0GHz Turion 64 and the 8104's 2.0GHz Pentium M.
Here are the associated scores:
| PCMark05 | Thinkpad R52 | Acer Ferrari 4005 | Acer 8104 |
| CPU | 2274 | 2833 | 3200 |
| Memory | 2630 | 2691 | 2853 |
| Graphics | 711 | 2945 | 2724 |
| HDD | 3317 | 3067 | 2854 |
Somehow the Thinkpad's hard drive won in this testing, which is very odd considering the higher areal density of the Seagate 100GB drives. However the rest of our results are again as expected. The R52 is sufficient, but not mind blowing in performance.
and the PCMark05 Advanced Overall Score:
3DMark 2001 SE
3DMark 2001 is usually a CPU limited benchmark, but we clearly see the deficiency of integrated graphics despite the system CPU and memory components.
3DMark 2003
And again we see the frutility of gaming with GMA900 on recent gaming platforms...
3DMark 05
Even the V6V's X600 graphics don't fare well in 3DMark 05, but is nothing compared to the slideshow of the GMA900.
Some of you may notice that we did not include real world gaming benchmarks. To get a numerical idea of the results, take a look at our Sony FS550 benchmarks. But we decided that it was not worth our editor's time or yours to watch some pretty slideshows of Doom 3 and Half Life 2.
Battery PerformanceWith the included 6-cell battery, you can get almost 4 hours of normal usage with WiFi on. With WiFi off and screen brightness turned to its lowest, one could break 4 hours; for a standard 6-cell battery that is rather respectable. Under more active usage, like that simulated in the BatteryMark Conditioning Test, battery life drops to a meager 2 hours. For users looking to run more intensive applications on battery, the 9-cell battery would be a worthwhile investment. We have included both 6-cell and 9-cell results.
The BatteryMark Conditioning benchmark tests a laptop�s battery life when running at extreme loads. The results of this test are really a showing of battery capacity than anything else. With the CPU and hard drive having load on them almost constantly, the display or GPU has less effect on battery life.
The Batterymark Life benchmark simulates normal laptop usage, performing simple tasks. Here is where you will see the difference made with screens and GPU's. The V6V ends up last, due to its larger screen and more powerful GPU. The T43 falls short of the R52 as well, mainly due to the discrete GPU and slightly brighter screen on the T43. Regardless, near 6 hours of use on a 9-cell battery is respectable.
We neglected to include the battery results from adding the UltraBay Slim Battery, which you would use in place of the optical drive. As a rule of thumb, the UltraBay battery adds about 30 minutes of life under high load or about 2 hours under light usage.
ConclusionPros:
- Rugged case & design
- Innovative hardware/software features
- Best of the best keyboard
- UltraNav & touchpad pointing options
- Latest technology: ExpressCard, Dual-Channel DDR2
- Battery options
- Modular drive bay
- Runs cool & quiet
Cons:
- Poor viewing angle
- Lack of Start key
- Poor speakers
- Thick, somewhat heavy
Recommendation
The specifications and size of the R52 are none too impressive. The mid-range CPU, 5400RPM drive, and integrated graphics won't wow anyone or attract any gamers. But Lenovo delivers a solidly built machine for a reasonable price. The R-series features high build quality and the unrivaled software features of the Thinkpad family, but the best machine you can get has a 15" SXGA+ display and X300 graphics. No 7200RPM drives are offered and even the 15" display is not a FlexView screen, which offer better brightness and an unbeatable viewing angle. At best, you can get a mid-range performing machine with top notch build quality and worldclass support & features.
Most users will not find much value in the R52 or most other R-series, but small business owners or professionals who want a no frills, no complications machine will definiely appreciate the R52. You get all the IBM quality, more than enough performance for general usage, and IBM's top notch support. For someone who relies on their notebook in a professional role, you can't beat on-site service or at the worst 1-3 business day depot service. The August refresh of the R52's adds Fingerprint Scanner support, bringing almost all of the T-series features to the R-series lower price point. While we can't give the R52 a LaptopLogic award, as its value really is only evident to one group, one can't ignore the T-series quality and features in a slightly larger, less expensive package.
Availability/Warranty
The Lenovo Thinkpad R52 is available now starting at $979. Our particular model will run about $1349 with a 1 year warranty. Lenovo offers a standard depot repair warranty, on-site service, and accidental damage coverage in varying lengths.
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