A newbie question on which Thinkpad...

[yudalicious]

Hey all, this will be my first Thinkpad, I'm having trouble deciding which model to get. A background on what I'm looking for:

A sturdy and high quality notebook that will last me 4-5 years for graduate school. I'm not a klutz but I also don't treat notebooks like babies, so the occasional bang will happen so that I'm willing to pay a bit for something sturdy. Functionally, I just want your basic net surfing, word processing, music and movies from time to time, and a game of Starcraft (13 year old game) from time to time.



At first I was looking at the SL series, but decided I want a better processor and from online reviews of the SL it seems it feels a bit more plasticky than other Thinkpad models. At that point instead of upgrading an SL I decided to just go for an R or T. Lenovo's site is actually pretty confusing in terms of listing the features of different models, specifically, the type of roll cage (am I correct in assuming that this is the same as the frame?). I called Lenovo and the rep said the R series is a plastic frame while the T is a titanium one, and advised me on the T series for what I want. Basically he R or T series has all the features I'd want, I just want to get some third party opinions on whether or not the T is definitely more sturdy than the R or SL models. Thanks!



btw I searched the forums a bit but couldn't find something that answered my question definitively.

[tomartom]

I'll jump in however others I am sure may be better qualified.

I have owned three Thinkpads, a R40, T21 and new T61 and all have been strong and robust in their own right.

Here in Australia there has been a 'run out' of the T61 model offering $700 + dollars off in the past couple of months.

My advice to you would be to see of there is any redundant stock by an authorised IBM reseller in your country of residence and which comes with a full warranty. You may verywell grab a bargain!

I like some others had some concerns of quality issues with the transfer of ownership but I am happy with the T61.

[ArtShapiro]

I think the T42 might well be considered a high point in the Thinkpad history. An SXGA+ T42 would easily have the horsepower you need and the inherent sturdiness. However, I can't speculate whether a 3 or 4 year old machine would reasonably be predicted to last your specified number of years.

At least here in the States, such a machine wouldn't be particularly expensive on the used market given the number of subsequent models that have been released.

Art

[basketb]

From the OP's requirements, it seems that any current R or T model will do the job just fine (or even the "old" T61(p)/R61 models will do). I do not believe that the roll cage will make that much of a difference (rather get longer warranty -> see below).

No matter what model you decide on, get extended warranty; preferably as much as you can afford but at least 3 years (on-site if you will depend on the Thinkpad and can't afford to be without it for a week). Also consider the accidental warranty upgrade (the one which covers drops, etc.).

If you are going to carry around the Thinkpad a lot, choose the one with the least weight (e.g., T400) and get a mini dock and a 24" external monitor for work at home.

[pc4pplwmd]

I have had 11 thinkpads and I love them. I currently have a R61i and it is awesome. so quiet you cant hear it. Doesn't even get a hint of warm. Very fast and great 4 multi tasking - several tabs up. The best laptop I have ever had.

[fschwep]

You may want to go smaller than a T-series. Although a T42, for instance, is great typing machine and reasonably portable especially when compared to modern-day widescreen/full keyboard laptops (I would say 'luggable desktops with batteries'), if you are going to carry yours around a lot to school, look at an X-series. They are about a kilogram lighter than a typical T4 series.
For word processing and general web use, a refurbished pumped-up X31 or X32 may be a good choice (look in the Sales corner here, you may be able to put a truly beefed-up X31/32 together with a huge harddisk and lots of RAM). They have the same titanium frame as a T-series, but have even less flex as they are smaller. Screen resolution (12-inch 1024x768) is decent and they look quite sharp due to the smaller pixel size. Most have wifi antennas in the screens, and either already have a good wifi card or are ready to accept one.
Combine an X31/32 with a media slice/dock underneath and you will have extremely long battery life plus the option of a DVD burner for a similar total weight as a T42 (a portable USB burner is far cheaper though, and will find a place in a corner of your backpack).
A small machine like that won't need a special laptop backpack or case. Put it in a good protective sleeve inside a generic bag and you won't be obviously carrying an expensive laptop. And they are truly small enough to use them on your lap while lying on a couch or wherever.
For the model ranges there is a rule of thumb: in terms of specs/speed an X31 is equivalent to a T41 which is like an R51 (not in every detail, as an R may have shared video ram instead of dedicated video, but the main CPU, RAM and harddisk specs will be in the same range, the more important differences being in the case designs. X=small/titanium without optical drive but with card reader, T=slim, titanium with swappable optical drive, R=plastic case midweight budget model with sometimes non-swappable optical drive). Similarly, X32 equals T42 equals R52. For similar production periods, the model lines have roughly comparable capabilities (CPU, RAM, HD sizes) but go in size from the ultraportable Xs through the slimline Ts to the thicker budget Rs (pricewize, it is just the opposite: the smaller the machine the higher the price...)

[schen]

For the model ranges there is a rule of thumb: in terms of specs/speed an X31 is equivalent to a T41 which is like an R51 (not in every detail, as an R may have shared video ram instead of dedicated video, but the main CPU, RAM and harddisk specs will be in the same range, the more important differences being in the case designs. X=small/titanium without optical drive but with card reader, T=slim, titanium with swappable optical drive, R=plastic case midweight budget model with sometimes non-swappable optical drive). Similarly, X32 equals T42 equals R52. For similar production periods, the model lines have roughly comparable capabilities (CPU, RAM, HD sizes) but go in size from the ultraportable Xs through the slimline Ts to the thicker budget Rs (pricewize, it is just the opposite: the smaller the machine the higher the price...)

Excellent synopsis and recommendations, however there are a couple of items that are a little off:
* The R5x series and T4x series didn't come out at the same time and therefore their numbering system to specification equivilency is a little bit off.
* The R50 came out a little bit after the T40 and therefore is actually the internal twin of the T41 (400mhz fsb, Banias CPU), The R51 matched up with the T42 (400mhz fsb, 7x4 Dothan CPU), and the R52 with the T43 (533mhz fsb, 7x0 Dothan CPUs). There are of course, some variation to this general pattern, but it's basically set up this way. These were all PATA HDDs even though the T43/R52 had a PATA to SATA bridge onboard to allow the northbridge chip to work with the PATA drives and they used DDR2 RAM.
* That's where the series ends and both Rs and Ts moved on the the R6x and T6x machines which ran the Yonah chips and had SATA HDDs.

Hope that clarifies things a little more.