Thinkpads Forum

If docks for r50/51 ,600, x30/31/32,x20/21/22/23/24,t30,x30/31,390/570 were to become available some new in box and some used what would you all pay for them?

here are the fru's quantities description
13r0292 - r50,51 2 mini dock
12j2480 - 600 1 Selectabase
74p6735 - r50,51 9 ATXR PORT REP II
91p9025 - x30,31 6 ULTRABASE
04p3304 - x20,21,22,23,24 2 ULTRABASE X2
08n1536 - t30 8 ATX PORT REPLICATOR
12p4362 - x30,31,32 5 UltraBase X3 Media Slice
05k4645 - 390,570 2 PORT REPLICATOR


The reason I ask is the prices jump up and down [$30-$200+]depending on what site your on and condition - new or used. I have access to all of the above and would be willing to sell them for a modest profit for my foundation - http://pc4pplwmd.webs.com/index.htm , to help with the everyday expenses of running it. I do not make any money from this foundation, it all gets put back into shipping a [Hugh expense] , gas for pick up and delivery,and buying parts needed to complete units for people with movement disorders who are on low or fixed incomes and can not afford a pc.

Please be honest and fair with what you would pay. We are not looking to get rich here just generate some income from the excess parts we have. I was thinking at starting some of the units at $40 + shipping [est. $10 maybe more depending on size]. We get a lot of our products donated but we do also have to purchase some times, these were purchased in a group lot out of my pocket and I would like to make my money back and some extra for the foundation. I will be posting a lot more part here once I get all of them and separate what I can use and what I don't need.

The list will include motherboards, plastics, keyboards,hd covers, inverters, bezels , and some lcd's. most of this will be NIB in perfect condition. I also have several other brands of extra parts I may include also. All of this stuff is top notch extra's not salvage parts, they are hand picked parts I try to not deal with salvaged units.

Thank you for helping me out and watch for more parts to come in the next week or so. I should have a lot of R and X goodies up for sell.

I use a T42 as my main desktop, sitting in a minidock all the time. It gives me more connections to external hardware, as both the dock's 4 USB ports and the two left-side ports of the T42 itself are active, giving me six USB connections (for external drives, printer, wireless mouse, ISDN modem, USB key etc.). Then there is sound to external speakers (used rarely but available), external video to a CRT monitor I use occasionally for photo work (better colour fidelity than an LCD) and the option to attach network and modem cables all from the back while keeping the desk around the machine clear.
It also keeps the machine lifted up a bit, which is better for prolonged typing (I write for a living), and it keeps it cooler as well.
All our Thinkpads in the house (T42, R51, X30, X31) fit this dock, which makes it relatively easy to keep large amounts of data stocked on an external harddisk, including backups of machine-specific stuff, and transfer what we need to work on simply by taking one machine out of the dock and dropping another one into it.
Another advantage is that when thunderstorms start, I can rapidly pull my Thinkpad out of the dock and it will be completely safe.
Older model minidocks and media slices should not be very expensive when bought empty (that is, without a battery, drive or other hardware inside). Anything 3 figures is too much.

Docking stations seem to depreciate much faster than anything else. I've just shipped a 570E with docking station, docking adapter, and ultrabase to Austria. I also previously shipped a similarly equipped 570 from CA to the East Coast. Its barely worth the cost of shipping for these older models.

I have my T42P docked at work because its mainly a desktop replacement. I have a monitor, about 5 USB devices, and a keyboard hooked up. I undock it only when I travel for work and that's not too frequent.

For other machines at home I use the dock as a way to elevate the bottom of laptop to help with the cooling.

virge wrote:Docking stations seem to depreciate much faster than anything else. I've just shipped a 570E with docking station, docking adapter, and ultrabase to Austria. I also previously shipped a similarly equipped 570 from CA to the East Coast. Its barely worth the cost of shipping for these older models.

Thank you for your honest answer. That is my thinking also. I get docks all the time and it is kinda like pulling teeth to give them away. It seems only the purest laptop user knows what they are and will actually use them. I am just wondering if it is worth my time and money putting them on ebay and they just sit there or someone buys 1 for $0.15 + the shipping charge.

virge wrote:For other machines at home I use the dock as a way to elevate the bottom of laptop to help with the cooling.

I have an X30 and generally it is quite cool, but as soon as I put it on my lap it gets annoyingly hot. I want to buy X3 Ultrabase to cool it down a bit. The thing that bothers me is the way ventilation in the X3 works... I mean, there are some vents under the CPU and GPU but on many pictures of X3 from the internet I can't see anything that would somehow get fresh air from the environment.
So the question is: is it really going to cool down my IBM and if so - is it possible to mount a fan inside?

look up, I have 6 of the x3 ultra bases for sell cheap.
and I don't see how you could put an extra fan in it because they are so small.

pm me if you are interested

PC4PPLWMD

@ Marco665: Some models like the 570 series Ultrabase (I'm pretty sure, but am not home to double check) have vents in it. The main benefit of the Ultrabase or docking station for cooling is that it keeps the hot bottom of the laptop away from insulating materials (like your lap, sheets on your bed, etc). With the Ultrabase attached, my wife uses our X24 on the bed without any heat problems at all. If you want something to keep your X30 cooler while on your lap, then the ultrabase is the way to go.

Also, keep in mind the X3* ultrabase can hold an extra battery for extended unplugged use!

@pc4pplwmd: Good luck selling the docks. The availability of docks are one reason I love Thinkpads. Consumer grade machines generally don't have this option.

I purchased a port replicator for my T42 for the PS2 and serial connectors, as well as for the stability/lift that others have mentioned. Price was quite low: $18 including shipping w/new box, so actual unit cost was ~$10.

Should this be in Marketplace? There may be more interest there.

I'd also love my Advanced Mini Dock. I bough it for cable management, and currently use it as a glorified USB hub, but I do plan on using other peripherals with it. I'd have bought the Advanced Dock if it weren't so expensive, but this does great.

MODS PLEASE LOCK AND I WILL MOVE TO MARKETPLACE

TY AND SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE

virge - that's the answer I was looking for, thanks . I'm ordering X3 tommorow but in the meantime I made something to cool down my IBM .

Marco665 wrote:virgeI'm ordering X3 tommorow but in the meantime I made something to cool down my IBM .

That is pretty neat!

pc4pplwmd wrote:MODS PLEASE LOCK AND I WILL MOVE TO MARKETPLACE

TY AND SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE

Before you create a new thread, the mods can probably move this one to that forum.