hello all

i'm at a crossroads with my T43. i really love this computer but it may be time to move on. who's successfully replaced their T43 (or T42) and what with? i'm partial to older style thinkpads (my favorite is a 600x but i can't deal with the slowness ) and i've not been impressed by anything i've seen at the stores (everything seems cheap and very breakable).

actually, this moment reminds me of an anecdote you all might appreciate... my first day of university, my prof walked in complaining that he had just come back from circuit city (yes, it was that long ago) and was very frustrated that he could not buy a new computer without windows (he was a DOS guy) - 'i don't want to pay for windows 95, i just want DOS!'

I'd go for a T60 or T61, they're nice dual core machines with plenty of power for day to day stuff.

I really liked my T42 15" SXGA+ IPS laptop and when I replaced it about 4 years ago it was with a T60 15" SXGA+ IPS which is really a very similar machine in looks and everything. Kind of the same but better - somewhat faster, with a few more ports, a bit more reliable. The T42 went to my sister.

Both machines are still up and running and the T60 is still just barely good enough to be my primary personal laptop (having a fast primary personal desktop and a fast work laptop makes it enough).

So that was a pretty no-brain replacement. Now - what to replace the T60 with - that's already non-trivial.

If you want something that will work in the long run, the W510 or W520 is what to go for, these are the fastest ThinkPads that resemble your T43p.
With four CPU cores up to 32GB of memory, these should be fast enough for a long time to come and their displays are fine as long as you get the HD+ or FHD, especially if they are color calibrated.

Still I'd prefer my A30p, but it's just too slow, and the T43p can't run demanding software, but the W510 can.

The NMB keyboard for the W510/520 is better then the Thai NMB keyboards found on T4x's I think, the ALPS is not too good though.

Not only will the T60 get access to a dual core CPU, but bigger faster hard drives and SSDs, which would go a long way to cure the slowness. My R60e equipped with a SSD works fine as a daily driver, though is no longer a top performer. I guess that'll depend on your needs.

I had a short lived affair with a T60 before i got my R61. Both a T60 and a T61 would be appropriated upgrades. The R61 feels a bit cheaper, although its still has the Thinkpad feel.

I recently had the chance to switch between a T43p and T60p for classes, both have UXGA IPS screens.

The T43p not having a Windows key makes quite a difference to me. I use Windows Key+D a whole lot, as well as Windows Key+R. Some people also prefer not having a Windows key on their keyboard, I do agree for gaming, it can be a nuisance.

There's little distinguishable difference between how smoothly the T43p and the T60p run a clean Windows 7 install, but a lot of different things I do(compiling programs for class, video editing, gaming) the T60p definitely has an edge over the T43p. The T60p is also not very different appearance-wise, and has the same exact profile(not bigger nor smaller. There's 14" and 15" models, just like the T43.)

If you're looking to not advance really far forward, but really want an edge in power and memory, you could go for a T61. Just watch out for the NVIDIA chip issue. Also note with T61s and newer, you will be looking at 16:10 or widescreen Thinkpads.

thanks all for your thoughts so far

i honestly hadn't considered moving into a used TP but it's worth thinking about...

i was thinking of buying new, more specifically something like the T43 (which is 8 years old and were it not for the HD issue would still work for me).

I predict you'll be in for a *very* rude awakening with any new ThinkPad when coming from a T43...

Good luck.

If you want to re-use your optical drives and any HDD trays, the most powerful is a T61 or T61p, but the latter is only available with the nVidia GPU. I would recommend a T61 with Intel GPU. There are lots out there, and notwithstanding George's remark, I find them be be quite good machines.

If you don't care about the Optical drives or existing HDD trays the T400 or T500 are more powerful and more current.

BTW, this reply was typed on a 10 yr old ThinkPad T30.

I'm sure you must have heard about the SATA-mods I do on T43/T43p/R52 machines...
http://www.theboardroom.info/sata_mod.htm
Afterwards you can put in any 2.5" SATA HD or SSD instead of the old IDE drive, and Errors 2010 and 1802 are gone.

I believe that we have a little misunderstanding here...

When I said "new" I meant NEW as in T430/530, W530 or X230.

T61 is a 6-year old platform, and while it may be new for many amongst us, that's not what I was referring to...nothing wrong with a well-kept T61, BTW. Still a very powerful machine when properly provisioned.

I've recently bought a 15" T60 to replace my failed 14" T42.

I know it's a far better machine, and the bigger screen's better as my eyes get older, but I miss the T42. I just liked it...

Windows key's good though.

I've been kicking around the same thoughts concerning my T40p. Flash laden websites are killing it. Still performs the jobs it was designed to do though. Have been considering a T6x to keep the 4:3 screen which I prefer. I have also been tempted by the new T430u although I hear some dissatisfaction from some reviewers concerning the screen. All that said; this T40p has been a very reliable machine and if there were a modern equivalent I'd be on it.

Have you tested the new keyboard layout? Everything else is really a non-issue on new ThinkPads when compared to that IMO...

I hate Flash with a passion. To me it just means designers showing off rather than thinking about the user. However, Firefox plus Flashblock means no problem.

I'm also with you on 4:3 screens. Widescreen's fine for movies, which I only watch on the TV, but useless for day to day use.

well, i opted for a rescue mission and briefly had the T43 back for a few days but my last surviving ATA drive died so now i am without a laptop once again. not sure why this one died (no magnet was involved in its death).

i got to looking around for a replacement and i'm so lost. my last purchase was the T43 in '05 so needless to say, things are just a bit different now days. lenovo has really messed things up with their 'improvements' (yes, i feel like an 85 year old).

Stories like yours are an incredible testimony on how well T4x generation was - and in many respects still is - loved.

There is something - probably more than just one thing - that just feels so right about these ThinkPads when you use them...

As for Lenovo's current offerings...I've already spilled my vitriol in quite a few places...your thread is not the right spot to continue with that practice...

Could you tell us the specs of the old T43 you have and the tasks you perform on a computer? That should allow us to give more specific advices for your situation.


If you want anything remotely "new", you'll have to take a widescreen. For that, a T420/T520/W520/X220 from Lenovo Outlet would be a good choice. They still have the classic 7-row keyboard layout and most of the traditional ThinkPad traits.

well, in terms of tangibles, the main things are the build quality and the solidness of the thing. the keyboard and the screen ratio are also important to me. i also appreciate the fact that i bought this in 2005 and it has continued to be relevant and usable for 7+ years.

i don't do super heavy work on mine, mostly word processing and some light excel stuff. its more about having a quality machine that will last.

One last thing: is your T43 a 14" or a 15" unit?

sorry, i meant to mention that, it's a 14" (not a fan of the bigger screens)

Your best bet in my opinion would be a T61 with Intel graphics and a 14" conventional 4:3 LCD, not a widescreen.

With a SSD, these should be good for several years.

The T61 is the last ever 4:3 ThinkPad. If you do want a 4:3 screen, it's probably your best bet as George said above. It is a very robust and capable machine if you max it out with a Penryn CPU, plenty of RAM and an SSD (in fact I have one as my daily machine), but do keep in mind that it is 5 years old.

and if i wanted to go with something new, what's the closest to 4:3 and the other features i mentioned?

Honestly, nothing.

Any laptop of today will do what you need it to do, power is not an issue these days.

You should go to BestBuy or something along those lines and get familiar with what these things look and feel nowadays...having to move from 4:3 to 16:9, some preparation will be required...

Good luck.

There is no new laptop with a 4:3 screen. Some Apple MacBooks still have 16:10, and everyone else have 16:9. (The Chromebook Pixel has a 3:2 screen, but that's a Chromebook, not really a PC laptop in my opinion.)

The current lineup of ThinkPads (T430, etc.) have a revised 6-row keyboard layout and island-style keys, which is very different from the old 7-row layout: Ins Del Home End PgUp PgDn are now scattered around the keyboard instead of having its own block, no more page-forward and page-back keys near the arrow keys, etc. The key depth and action is still pretty good, but if you like the old layout this could be a deal breaker.

You can still get some last-gen ThinkPads (T420, X220, etc.) new from Lenovo Outlet. Those will have the classic 7-row keyboard, although still 16:9 widescreen.

In terms of build quality and robustness, the T-series and X-series ThinkPads should still be pretty good, although I have no first-hand experience.



A couple more questions for you:
What's the screen resolution of your T43? Do you have / want high-resolution displays?

I don't know if it's because it's a 15", because it's a Lenovo rather than an IBM or just that's how they are but in use my T60 feels more like the 15" R51e than the 14" T42. It hasn't got the same feel of precision, just feels more plasticky.

I recommended to a mate that he bought a 14" T60 a couple of months ago and he's very happy with it but as he lives 2 - 3 hours away I haven't seen it yet.

I totally agree. Back in 2006, I upgraded from a T43 to a T60 and didn't notice much improvement in speed, so I think it's better to go with a T61. Upgrading the HDD to an SSD should further ensure that you will feel a speed increase.

If you are willing to consider a non-Thinkpad, the Panasonic Toughbook CF-Y7 is also worth looking into.

I'd recommend a T61. I have personal machines and thanks mostly to the folks on these forums (their info helped me mix and match parts)I quite like the result. I use Intel GPU units with 8GB and 4GB RAM (four is enough for most things, but I like VMs) and 1TB spinner drives.

I put an SSD in my X200 and when higher capacities become affordable I'll go SSD main/spinner in the Ultrabays on my T61s.

Still, realblackstuff can build you a VERY NICE machine and since you know what you like, and the price is very reasonable, why not try one?

I wouldn't bother with Best Buy etc. I'd rather have a used Thinkpad than a new consumer grade lappy, and for the price of a new Thinkpad I can have several used Thinkpads which better suit my needs (surfing/torrenting using Linux, Win7 for school, shop PC, and one extra for drive recovery and testing parts. I also have a nice Dell XPS studio with an i7, but I detest the keyboard.