Laptop is plain, slow - but really well-connected

The Lenovo 360 ThinkPad can hook up to the internet in five different ways. All it needs now is for one of them to be quick.

The range of internet connectivity options laptops have these days is almost bewildering, but surely welcome by mobile business users.

Lenovo's T60 ThinkPad is the first to include an integrated Vodafone 3G Sim card, which means the laptop connects to the internet exactly like a mobile phone.

The Sim card, which plugs into the back of the computer, replaces the need for an additional plug-in data card, although a slot for one is included just in case.

The T60 also has the standard Gigabit ethernet and dial-up plugs as well as wi-fi capability, bringing the total number of possible internet connections to five.

Even the most demanding internet user is sure to be satisfied with the options available.

But the integrated Sim is the T60's main selling point. Unfortunately - for now - it's not a very good one, because slow connection speeds limit its usefulness.

Lenovo's website says download speeds average from 400 to 700 kilobits a second, peaking at 1.2 megabits, but the laptop didn't even come close in tests.

The T60 consistently clocked in at around 120kbs, - about halfway between dial-up and broadband speed - and upload never managed to get above 50kbs. That sort of speed isn't suitable for much more than basic email and web surfing.

To be fair, the speeds should improve significantly when Vodafone introduces its high-speed downlink packet access 3G upgrade in September. Vodafone is promising download speeds of up to 1.9 megabits a second, which would be comparable to most DSL connections today.

With the 3G cellular capability, the T60 can connect to the internet just about anywhere, which is a huge plus.

The T60's other nifty feature is its built-in fingerprint reader, which lets the user log on to the machine with the swipe of a digit, rather than with a password.

The function can also be set up for websites, which means the user can dispense with remembering scores of different log-ins.

External fingerprint readers are available from other manufacturers, including Microsoft, but these take up one of the computer's USB slots. The T60 incorporates a small strip sensor on its bottom right-hand.

It's a little finicky when reading prints, and this requires a little bit of training by the user - the secret to getting quick, accurate readings is all in the finger joints.

The jury is still out on the security usefulness of these readers, as they probably haven't been properly stress-tested by hackers and criminals yet, but the feature is certainly convenient.

It's much easier - and fun - to log into an email account with the touch of a finger rather than by typing out a clunky password. It's these little touches - no pun intended - that add up to productivity improvements for the overall economy, after all.

Bells and whistles aside, the T60 also packs a good deal of power under the hood. It's powered by an Intel 1.83-gigahertz Centrino Duo processor, with 512 megabytes of RAM and a 60-gigabyte hard drive.

The T60 also has a removable battery, which is a nice touch that significantly sheds weight. Without the battery, the laptop can be easily hefted with one hand, which makes for much easier transport if the user knows backup power won't be needed.

The T60, like much of the ThinkPad line, won't score many points with the aesthetically minded - it's plain, black and square, and if there were a beauty pageant for laptops the ThinkPad would probably finish last. However, the the 14.1-inch screen serves its purpose and the computer performs solidly over all.

It's a case of form over function, which clearly shows this is a laptop intended for the business user.

LENOVO T60 THINKPAD

Pros: Every sort of internet connection imaginable; nifty finger-print reader.

Cons: Won't win any beauty contests; 3G internet connection is slow.

Herald rating: 7/10.

Price: $2799