Used laptop for graphic & webdesign

[Heliotropen]

Hey Guys

Some of you might remember that I bought a used w500 some years ago ... and was really happy about it
It did my work decently, and I upgraded it with 8 gb ram, and an ssd, bought 3 docking stations for each of my work places to it...

I work as a freelance webdesigner, and graphic designer - that is: I develop websites, and do allot of indesign for print, allot of photoshop, illustrator and so on ... being able to do a little video editing is not an actual requirement, but could be a bonus.

But then one of the hinges broke ..
I actually did the effort (and put in the money) to buy a new magnesium cage & backplate to replace it (ended up paying half of the laptop, and it was such a huge pain to make it work) ...
But now after a year or so it has just broken again, again ...

I have been looking at the macbook retina, and really want one - but has to say that I just can't afford it right now, with the start of the new company and all, and close to broke ... so I'm really looking for a machine to replace this w500 for half a year to a year or so, untill I will buy a new macbook / imac or whatever...

Another requirement is that it need to have a danish/scandinavian keyboard, so that makes the machines allot more expensive, since I have to buy it in denmark ...

Obviously I'm willing to buy a used machine!

I have considered buying another w500 I have found one in decent condition for around 250$, -

BUT I have had to major problems with this machine lately(besides the hinge): 1. the core2duo just feels a tiny bit to slow when I open indesign and so on, even with the ssd. 2. it generate serious amout of heat, that is practially boiling my balls when sitting with it for hours at a time on the lap ... 3. It feels a bit bulky, but I can live with that for half a year to a year I guess..

I especially likes the display, the keyboard, and the trackpoint (I use the [censored] religiously, will seriously miss it when I go Mac) ...

What is my best options here?

Thnx for the help, really, REALLY apprciates it...

- Helio

[RealBlackStuff]

What screen resolution do you want/prefer?

[Heliotropen]

hmm, high enough for responsive webdesign?

This one is 1920 x 1200, - and I really like working on that screen ...but not sure if something like this or above is going to be possible with my budget ...
12xx x something will be to small I think... have never tried 16xx x something, but if someone in here tells me that will be fine for temporarely webdesigning I will take their word for it!

Also half of the time I use an external monitor, with mouse and keyboard ...

I'm very open for suggestions, and open for the fact, that with my budget right now, I will have to make some really big compromises ...

Price is obviously an insanely important thing, as cheap as possible for a machine I can work on for half a year to a year, is they main requirements!

- Helio

[RealBlackStuff]

Problem with most newer laptops are their screens, they are all 16:9 instead of 16:10 (like your 1920x1200).
Comparable 15.6" screens in 16:9 are currently available in HD+ (1600x900) and FHD (1920x1080).
Find them on e.g. T/W-510 and T/W-520.
Higher/newer models (T/W-530 + 540) have impossible keyboards and would be well beyond your (presumed) budget.
If you would be satisfied with a T61 with Intel graphics and a new 15.4" 16:10 LCD (1680x1050), or a W510 with (1600x900) to tide you over, I might be able to help.

[Hierax_ca]

W500 is pretty affordable these days, if you want a better 16:10 WUXGA 1920x1200 -based Thinkpad and can pay more than a W500 then W700 or W701 are the way to go. Personally, I've got a W701 and it is an amazing beast of a machine for Desktop Publishing, the massive 17" screen is hard to beat for layout (size counts here and there's never been a bigger one) and the and RAM and VRAM is pretty beefy. Alternately, you could look at other older models with a 4:3 1600x1200 (they have some of the best quality screens ever!) or newer models with the 16:9 1920x1080 FHD (e.g., W520, they'll can have even better VRAM and CPU than even the W701). Bang-for-your-buck a W500 is best 1920x1200 but, IMO, for quality at 16:10 it's a W701.

p.s., RealBlackStuff, that T601p Frankenpad's 4:3 1600x1200 screen is still something to behold, depends on the task whether it or the W701 gets the nod -- still feel honoured to use it!

[precip9]

You can never lose by using a W500 (or any laptop) until it just can't be used anymore. I think the heat is going to be there regardless of your choice. Wait for this:

http://wccftech.com/intel-14nm-skylake- ... a-express/

[brchan]

Getting another W500 may work, but the hinge or lcd roll cage may snap again (a known design flaw of the T500/W500 series). I would probably go for a W510/W520 with FHD display. Sure, you lose some vertical pixels, but the screen itself is excellent, especially when calibrated properly. Additionally, the W510/W520 suffers from no structural issues and is much faster.

[Heliotropen]

You guys are the best!!!

My biggest problems with the w500, is the hinge(would die if it happened the 3'rd time) and it's the reason I need a new machine ASAP ... the heat(cooks my private parts), the core2duo (a tiny bit to slow? vs an i3 or i5) - the graphics and the screen is perfect!

The w510 I can find, seams a bit to expensive ... I have found a t510 with 1600X900, i3 2,4 GHZ, 4 gb ram that is acceptable in price though...

RealBlackStuff, I would be really interested in the w510, but don't we get the problem with the danish keyboard? - can I move the keyboard from my w500 over in it?!

How many of the parts of my w500 can be used in those other machines, ssd, ram, keybord, screen etc? :/

What if I bought a t500? would I be able to move some of those parts from the w500 over in it? (t500 is really inexpensivem half the price of the w500 almost)...

I just need a cheap temporary work machine as fast as possible..

- Helio

[Brad]

Good luck in your quest.

The SSD can swap between the W510 and W500. The keyboard was revised with the W510 so that won't work. The memory could work but would be slower that what the W510 calls for.

All the W500 parts would be compatible with the T500.

Brad

[RealBlackStuff]

Sorry, that W510 has already been sold outside the forum.

Look for a T500/W500 with a broken screen.
You can then transfer your existing parts into the new machine.

[Heliotropen]

Sry guys, couln't help myslf, ended up buying the 13" macbook 512 ssd :/
Allready know I will miss the thinkpads ...

- Helio

[Hierax_ca]

For Heat, look at getting a laptop/notebook cooling pad -- I've got a Coolermaster NotePal U3 Plus and it greatly reduces the heat levels when I have it on the desk; there are some that are better for actually having it sitting on your lap.

[Heliotropen]

The 13" macbook pro retina that I got is mostly rather cool actually the thinkpad was always burning my private parts - sometimes it can get really hot however - so any cooling pad suggestions for a macbook pro retina? (properly the wrong forum right?)

A few notes: the transition was not so hard as I expected, the mackbook is really nice and osx is alright also - and I have almost accepted the keyboard and touchpad, though still missing the red nub allot - esp I now use my laptop on bed and places I would never use the w500 ... it was ridiculous expensive I bought the 500 gb ssd version - could have gotten 6 used w500 for the same price...

The biggest thing to say was that I was actually a little disappointed, - I thought the jump from the w500 to the macbook would be bigger ... it actually makes me think that that w500 was no so bad after all ... same thing with the retina thingy - in practice I had more screen estate before: I have not been as woowed by the retina screen as I expected I would (moving from such old a machine) ...

I have used allot of time in diffrent versions of linux, I always thought windows sucked - but the programs I use (read: adobe) always made me dual boot (wine is just not good enough when you do serious work in indesign, illustrator and photoshop all the time) - now moving from windows 8.1 to yosemitte - I'm actually thinking that windows was not as bad as I thought ... yes I like OSX a little better, but it's much more "little" than I expected ... and a few things is just irritating on OSX (like no cut option in finder, though you can cmd drag a file and so on) ...


But overall I'm still glad I made the shift ... but that w500 for sure in hell gave the need to shift to a macbook a run for it's money!

- Helio

[brchan]

Most cooling pads for laptops are very gimmicky and rarely work. Also, the macbook air barely has any vents, so a big fan on the bottom is unlikely to help significantly.

[Heliotropen]

Most cooling pads for laptops are very gimmicky and rarely work. Also, the macbook air barely has any vents, so a big fan on the bottom is unlikely to help significantly.

I was not really thinking about cooling the macbook, more placing a cooling layer between the macbook(pro not air) and my private parts

I've heard of cooling pads with cold material (no fans) ... but haven't been able to find someone who sells them anymore (found some old discontinued ads though)...

-Helio

[RealBlackStuff]

C'mon, let's keep this decent and leave the meaty bits out in future, OK?