How many of you no longer have Thinkpads?

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pianowizard · #1 Post by **pianowizard** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 10:34 am

I have had at least one Thinkpad since I bought my second laptop, a 600E, on Sep 19th 2002. I am now thinking about selling my i Series 1124, and my T42 may not last much longer due to its loose GPU and I don't intend to repair it or replace it with another Thinkpad. So, there's a good chance that pretty soon I will be without a single Thinkpad, the first time since Sep 2002.

The fact that we are on this forum shows that most of us are or were once Thinkpad fans. But now I am on the verge of weaning myself off Thinkpads, possibly permanently, and when browsing through forum members' signatures listing all their computers,I vaguely remember coming across at least several that listed only laptops of other manufacturers. That got me wondering, who among you no longer have any Thinkpads, and why?

For me, the reason is two-fold. First, I have been downsizing my laptop collection because I have mostly migrated to desktops (all of them Dells). Second, as I look around for relatively modern laptops to replace my aging Thinkpads, none of the current or recent Thinkpads excite me or suit my needs. For example, just several weeks ago when I was shopping for a cheap and sub-3lb laptop/netbook with better-than-XGA resolution, not a single Thinkpad met my requirements better than the HP Mini 5101.

OCT 29TH UPDATE: Even though my T42 still works when hooked up to an external monitor, I decided to sell it for parts locally. Thus, for the first time since Sep 2002, I don't have a single Thinkpad. Sigh...

#2 Post by **Harryc** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 10:49 am

You're not trying hard enough. An X200 with an AFFS mod and a 4 cell weighs in at 3lbs. Cheap...no but it is a Thinkpad. I still like Thinkpads, but these days I just build what I want because there is always something I don't like...usually the stock LCD.

#3 Post by **underclocker** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 11:20 am

I still have many TPs.

FYI, the agressively priced ThinkPad X100e w/3 cell battery weighs just under 3lbs. and has an 11.6" HD display and 2MP webcam. Options include Gobi 2000 WWAN, BT & 6 cell battery (3.3 lbs. w/6 cell). The X100e also has both the touchpad and trackpoint. Hey, maybe I should pick one up!

#4 Post by **dorronto** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:01 pm

underclocker wrote:I still have many TPs.

FYI, the agressively priced ThinkPad X100e w/3 cell battery weighs just under 3lbs. and has an 11.6" HD display and 2MP webcam. Options include Gobi 2000 WWAN, BT & 6 cell battery (3.3 lbs. w/6 cell). The X100e also has both the touchpad and trackpoint. Hey, maybe I should pick one up!

Well good idea, I thought that awhile ago, so I bought one..

Mistake............It uses an AMD processor that runs real hot. Period..The screen was beautiful, keyboard great but the x100e ran hot and personally I wasn't thrilled with the AMD performance....

Oh well, go figure....

Ron

#5 Post by **ZaZ** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:23 pm

Harryc wrote:You're not trying hard enough. An X200 with an AFFS mod and a 4 cell weighs in at 3lbs. Cheap...no but it is a Thinkpad. I still like Thinkpads, but these days I just build what I want because there is always something I don't like...usually the stock LCD.

If you don't mind the outlet or going on eBay, you can probably do a new or refurbed with warranty and the AFFS for $700 or less. That's pretty cheap in my opinion for what you get compared to a $500 netbook with a crappy screen and CULV CPU.

pianowizard · #6 Post by **pianowizard** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:28 pm

I admit the X100e wasn't on my radar during my laptop search that resulted in my HP 5101 purchase. It would indeed have been a highly competitve candidate, with multiple advantages over the HP, e.g. larger screen, a lid that can be pushed back 180 degrees, and more RAM. That said, I doubt it would have prevented me from getting the HP because with the X100e being a current model, even used ones on eBay are still over the price range I was looking for, i.e. well under $300. I paid only $237 shipped for my mint-condition HP, and had it been over $280, I wouldn't have bought it either.

I plan to buy one more laptop in the near future. This time, my budget will be signicantly higher, and I will want something very different from the HP Mini, because why own two ultraportables when I really need only one? I plan to use this laptop as a mobile workstation, so performance will be very important, and so is a very high-res screen. This time, my weight limit will be 6 lbs, and I may want to have a built-in optical drive. So, for this upcoming purchase, many Thinkpads would qualify, but unfortunately, Lenovo still hasn't come up with a widescreen Thinkpad whose looks appeal to me. Maybe I just like the design of IBM-era 4:3 Thinkpads too much. Perhaps I should have just kept my QXGA T43p, but with the HDD limited to 100GB (larger drives would have caused the 2010 error which I don't like) and the QXGA's insanely high pixel density that's rather uncomfortable to view, I decided to sell it and still don't regret that decision.

#7 Post by **underclocker** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:31 pm

dorronto wrote:It uses an AMD processor that runs real hot. Period.

Do you remember which AMD processor it had? They come with the MV-40, L335 and L625. I was looking at one with the L335. I still might try one, since I am planning on swapping out the HD with an SSD. That should bring down temps. Also, the nice thing about the X100e is that it uses 2.5" SATA drives.

pianowizard wrote:I paid only $237 shipped for my mint-condition HP, and had it been over $280, I wouldn't have bought it either.

Nice price. No, I don't think the X100e's sell in that range yet. Maybe $350 - $375 with an MV-40 and no Gobi or BT.

#8 Post by **Harryc** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:34 pm

They have a couple of fully decked out x100e's at the outlet that might be worth a look see ...
http://outlet.lenovo.com/laptops/thinkp ... dpktd.html

#9 Post by **dorronto** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:54 pm

Harry, I had the MV-40 single core. Beautiful sized netbook/laptop, nice lcd at 11.6"

I think part of the problem was the lack of pwr management for the cpu. Intel has AMD beat by miles..

Ron

pianowizard · #10 Post by **pianowizard** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 1:18 pm

underclocker wrote:Maybe $350 - $375 with an MV-40 and no Gobi or BT.

Bluetooth is essential.

The next time I need to buy an ultraportable laptop, the X100e should be under $200 by then.

chazz · #11 Post by **chazz** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 9:38 am

I hear you...PW
I am eye-ing the new Hp workstation (with the Wide view screen) or the new Sony Z13 looks pretty sweet...power, good screen in a small package
I am waiting for the next new thinkpad line up.if the possibility the IPS screen on the next W series...if not..many good choices of notebooks out there other than TP's..

ThinkRob · #12 Post by **ThinkRob** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 10:04 am

dorronto wrote:Harry, I had the MV-40 single core. Beautiful sized netbook/laptop, nice lcd at 11.6"

I think part of the problem was the lack of pwr management for the cpu. Intel has AMD beat by miles..

I've heard that the MV-40 is substantially worse than the Turion X2 in this regard. No idea if that's true -- I've never owned a machine with either -- but it's definitely something to consider.

I'm looking at getting a X100e as a test machine (and later, to pass on to a family member), but I haven't been able to find one of the dual-core ones at a reasonable price -- or rather I have (on the outlet), but I neglected to purchase it before someone else did.

#13 Post by **underclocker** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 11:52 am

Although this thread was supposed to be about not owning TPs, it pushed me to buy another! I ordered an X100e today to test out.

From what I can tell, the L335 and L625 dual cores are similar in performance. I narrowed down the preconfigured X100e models to the best configured 3508-9EU and 3508-AAU models. They have identical specs (L335 dual core, 2GB, 250GB, Gobi WWAN), but the 9EU also includes Bluetooth. The premium was too high for the 9EU, so I picked up the AAU (I believe I can install the BT module at any point down the line, there is no clearplate to worry about).

I will pop in an Intel X-25 SSD.

I'll post back after I spend a little time with it.

#14 Post by **dorronto** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:02 pm

Well Ed, I've done the opposite of you..(??)

I was holding back but I finally purchased (the last one) a HP Mini 5101 like pianowizard.

I believe it's a better netbook, in my opinion than the Lenovo brand..

We'll see..

Ron

pianowizard · #15 Post by **pianowizard** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:16 pm

dorronto wrote:Well Ed, I've done the opposite of you..(??)

Me too: I just won a top-of-the-line Dell Latitude D820 on eBay yesterday. It will be the first Latitude I have ever owned!

dorronto wrote:I was holding back but I finally purchased (the last one) a HP Mini 5101 like pianowizard.

I believe it's a better netbook, in my opinion than the Lenovo brand.

At only $237 shipped, I have no doubt the HP is a better value than the X100e, but as I warned you, it does have several features/characteristics that I don't like very much. The seller ships quickly, so you will almost certainly receive the HP this week. Please let us know whether you like it better than the X100e.

I posted a for-sale ad to sell my beloved i Series 1124. After that's sold, I will only have half a Thinkpad, the T42 in my signature. It's "half a Thinkpad" because the screen died and so I have removed the entire lid. It's now sending its video output to a Dell 2407WFP monitor, to display sheet music above my piano.

#16 Post by **dorronto** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:30 pm

I've owned a Dell Latitude D410, 12.1" notebook. It was an excellent notebook, and it had a touchpad and a trackpoint.................Use what you want...

Good luck Kwoon with your D820,
Ron

#17 Post by **underclocker** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 2:28 pm

So funny, everyone is buying...again.

I suspect the X100e will run somewhat warm, but with an SSD, dual core, and updated BIOS and drivers, hopefully, it will be tolerable.

Have fun with the HP and Dell. The Dell Latitude (corporate) line has many solid machines. They may not be as elegant as ThinkPads, but they run just fine and they are better built than the Dell consumer line (plus parts are plentiful and inexpensive).

pianowizard · #18 Post by **pianowizard** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 12:13 pm

underclocker wrote:The Dell Latitude (corporate) line has many solid machines. They may not be as elegant as ThinkPads

I received this Latitude D820 yesterday and absolutely love it. A brief review:

1) 15.4" 1920x1200 is simply the most ideal resolution and size. The real estate is enough for reasonable multitasking, and yet the pixel density is much lower than that of the 15.0" QXGA screen and is therefore easy on the eyes. Before this D820, I had had only one laptop (an Inspiron 6000) with 15.4" WUXGA and that was almost four years ago, so I'm glad that I finally have this type of screen again.

2) The above-mentioned Inspiron had mediocre build quality, but this Latitude is top-notch. Its chassis and lid feel as sturdy as most of the Thinkpads I have owned. The hinges are reasonably tight.

3) The palmrest barely warms up, which is really good news for me because I HATE warm palmrests and they are one of the main reasons I now use mostly desktops. It's definitely cooler than the palmrest of a T60 that I once had, and much much cooler than that of the X60s.

4) As far as aesthetics, I agree with underclocker that some Thinkpads look more elegant, but this Latitude looks far nicer than any widescreen Thinkpad Lenovo has made so far. The light gray and dark gray colors match very well, and I far prefer the perfectly centered screen over the way-off-centered screens of most of Lenovo's recent Thinkpads.

5) But there is one thing that I find slightly disappointing: the weight. Dell advertises the weight of the D820 as "starting from 5.9 lbs". I knew that this refers to a minimal configuration with the lowest-res panel, no wireless card, no Bluetooth, and only one stick of RAM. I knew my maxed-out configuration would weigh more, but I was hoping it would still be just under 6 lbs, but it turns out to be 6.26 lbs. The truth is, even if it were 5.99 lbs, I still wouldn't travel with it -- I have my 2.87lb HP netbook for that -- but I may still carry this D820 to Starbucks or McDonald's every now and then, so 5.99 lbs would have been a little better than 6.26 lbs.

My i Series 1124 was sold yesterday, and now my only Thinkpad is a T42, which again is really just half a laptop.

sanjuro · #19 Post by **sanjuro** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 5:36 pm

Last Thinkpad I bought was X300. Paid nearly the full price for it. I liked the keyboard and the light weight. Also had fun turning it into a hackintosh. One of the best portable computers made during last 3-4 years in my opinion. Too bad not many people noticed X300 and its replacement X301.

Now X301 is discontinued. Unless things change, X300 will be my last Thinkpad.

#20 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 4:09 pm

pianowizard wrote:My i Series 1124 was sold yesterday, and now my only Thinkpad is a T42, which again is really just half a laptop.

I assume you'll be moving on to a Dell forum next...

pianowizard · #21 Post by **pianowizard** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 5:31 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:I assume you'll be moving on to a Dell forum next...

LOL! Actually, I have been a member of Dell.com's forum for a long time, but I rarely participate in their discussions, partly because the layout of that forum isn't very user-friendly, and partly because the people on Thinkpads.com are more fun to "hang out" with! Even though I no longer have Thinkpads, I will still come here frequently because people will continue to talk about the (older) Thinkpad models that I like, and general computer-related topics pop up from time to time.

#22 Post by **dorronto** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 5:50 pm

I'm glad we're still fun to 'hang out" with Kwoon..always a pleasure my friend..

I tried the Dell forum too and "yechhhhhhhhhh" not a good experience..

Talk to you soon,
Ron

pianowizard · #23 Post by **pianowizard** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 8:27 pm

It's official now: my last Thinkpad, the semi-broken T42, was just sold locally through Craigslist. I will definitely be without a TP for a while, but possibly not forever, because when the X201s drops to below $500, I will probably buy one. It remains the only 12.1" laptop to have 1440x900, it's light, and it's one of the better-looking widescreen Thinkpads Lenovo has offered so far. But it will be years before it becomes less than $500!

dorronto wrote:I tried the Dell forum too and "yechhhhhhhhhh" not a good experience..

I just went there again and looked up "D820". I got lots of results and many of them had helpful responses from knowledgeable people, so if you go there to get help for a specific technical issue, it's a decent site. But I didn't see any fun, general laptop/computer topics, the kinds we have on our "Thinkpads news, comments & etcetera" forums. That's why I go to the Dell forum only when I need technical help, and since all of my Dell products have worked quite well since Aug 2002, I rarely go there!

Yesterday, I was doing a Google search for the HP nc6220 laptop (which ajkula66 had introduced me to) and I think I came across some sort of a forum on HP.com. But I didn't look closely and so I am not sure. Ron, do you know if there's indeed such a site? Now that you have an HP, perhaps it's worth finding out!

#24 Post by **JaneL** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:44 pm

pianowizard wrote:Yesterday, I was doing a Google search for the HP nc6220 laptop (which ajkula66 had introduced me to) and I think I came across some sort of a forum on HP.com. But I didn't look closely and so I am not sure. Ron, do you know if there's indeed such a site? Now that you have an HP, perhaps it's worth finding out!

Yes, HP has a Lithium-based forum at http://h30434.www3.hp.com/

bigbadbrad · #25 Post by **bigbadbrad** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:14 am

I have Ron's D410 Latitude. It's a fantastic little machine that sees a lot of use as the key part of my mobile office. It's light, durable and has a very bright screen. I keep it charged and ready to go in a backpack along with a few other niceties. The only thing I've added is a built in bluetooth module that I got for under 15 bucks on ebay. Couldn't be happier with it.

At the house, though, my T60p is still very much in favor.

canonman · #26 Post by **canonman** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 5:15 pm

I have just got myself an IBM Thinkpad T42 and warranty of 6months for £130 and i have to say i am 100% getting another thinkpad, used or new...

I could now say that now matter what i will be purchasing another thinkpad.

I love it, it goes everywhere with me, i just shut the lid and pop it into my bag.

#27 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 6:08 pm

canonman wrote:i just shut the lid and pop it into my bag.

NOT a good idea. The laptop will overheat very soon!

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