The ThinkPad line just expanded with the addition of the new ThinkPad R500. The R500 has all the things ThinkPad lovers have come to like and love. It sports the classic black casing, though the reviewer noted that the pebbled chassis feels too plastic. Under the lid is still the near-perfect keyboard as well as the ThinkLight LED illuminator for added visibility. The touchpad and its mouse buttons are still small due to the extra button. The R500 features a 15.4-inch matte widescreen available in 1280 x 800-pixel or 1680 x 1050-pixel resolutions. However, the anti-glare coating affected both color pop and vibrancy. Both horizontal and vertical viewing angles are good, with only a minimal brightness shift when viewed from the side. The audio quality is loud and clear, though the bass can still be improved. Because of the 2.53-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 processor and 2GB of RAM, productivity performance is above-average compared to its class. Benchmark scores showed better performance than the average mainstream model. While the extended nine-cell battery added bulk to the unit, it powered the R500 for nearly 6 hours. It may not be svelte nor very stylish, but when it comes to productivity, the ThinkPad R500 is up to the task.