THE FOLKS AT Intel sent us a ThinkPad T60 a couple of months ago as an in-the-flesh example of the Centrino Duo platform in action, and it's not hard to see why Intel chose this particular implementation of its technology as a showcase. The T60 is loaded, with more built-in accessories than intellectual property theft via BitTorrent.

We've taken our sweet time testing the T60's performance, battery life, and general usability—so much so that the successor to its mobile Core Duo processor is rumored to be imminent. Before we're totally blown into the weeds by the rate of progress, let's take a look at how this Centrino Duo-based laptop compares to a Pentium M-based precursor. We'll also consider the T60's many virtues, including the Zen of the ThinkPad—that intoxicating combination of build quality and features that somehow makes paying the premium for the ThinkPad label seem like the only rational choice. Read on as I type away on this wonderfully clicky keyboard.