The ThinkPad Z series was initially a very short-lived series of laptop computers focused on multimedia features and capabilities that came about after the Lenovo acquisition in 2005. It introduced a few features to the ThinkPad brand, including 16:10 displays, and webcams (only Z61m and Z61t). The series was introduced in 2005 with the Z60m and Z60t (which were equivalent to the R52), which are 15.4" and 14.1" respectively. Z series would however eventually get merged with T60 and result in a new widescreen model (15.4" only, however) being announced in November 2006, effectively invalidating its existence at the time.
In 2022, Lenovo released new variants in the Z series in the form of the Z13 and Z16. The brand was marketed as a true slim and light premium device that showcased AMD's Ryzen 6000 series mobile processors, in line with the X1 Carbon. It was meant to compete against a similar offering in the form of Apple's MacBook Air and the Dell XPS 13. Due to the last generation being released at the tail end of 2023, some question whether the line has become abandoned once more.
The ThinkPad Z60m and Z60t were announced on 20 September 2005. Reviewers praised them for their design, including the new titanium lid, as well as performance with the then-current Dothan architecture Pentium M and, for the Z60m, Mobility Radeon X600 graphics. On the 16th of May 2006, the first two models were replaced by the Z61m and Z61t, featuring a new architecture built around the Intel Core platform, a 0.3mp webcam, as well as a proper 16:10 aspect ratio screen for the Z61t instead of the somewhat uncommon 5:3 screen of the Z60t. The cost reduced Z61e was also announced then, using the chassis of the Z61m, although lacks a trackpad, dedicated graphics, among other features, as with the R60e to the R60
The new Z61m and Z61t were also quite well received, although NOTEBOOKCHECK noted that the Z61m was oversized, while a user on forum.thinkpads.com pointed out that the Z61t was smaller than the 14.1" widescreen T61. Later models came with Core 2 Duo processors.
The new high-end Z61p model was announced on the 18th of July 2006. It introduced a higher resolution 1920ÃÂ1200 screen, ATI FirePro V5200, and came with the option of newer Core 2 Duo CPUs right from the start. However, like the Z61e, it lacked a titanium lid option.
On the 28th of November 2006, the Z61m and Z61p would be replaced by the 15.4" widescreen T60 and T60p. The Z61t wouldn't get properly replaced until the 9th of May 2007, when the 14.1" widescreen T61 was announced, based on an updated architecture. It would also get a 15.4" widescreen and 14.1" 4:3 release, though the latter was very short-lived