Death of a T42 - R.I.P. (What is the most classic ThinkPad?)

[ipso]

While reading a book - in bed by an open October window - I sat the open machine (..as quick Google reference) onto a “mama” pillow where the machine sank and the air duct was covered and it got very hot. I deduced all this after I heard a loud “crack” beside me from inside the machine. (Yikes!)

The machine kind of worked for a while. Then it would just hang or turn OFF at random times, for no reason (except for maybe moving the lid). Then it would not power up at all. Presumed motherboard and whatever the standard T42 death failure is.

The only odd thing is that at one point in the slow death I got the click-click-click-click. I had always though that was categorically a bad HDD, but there was no HDD in the machine at that time, I was trying to boot to BIOS. I think it might be a truncated motherboard “beep”, stuck in a loop.

- I hate throwing machines away. They somehow deserve more dignity for their outstanding service.
- What are the odds of this T42 motherboard being able to be fixed?
- What are the odds of a goofball like me being able to buy a 'new' motherboard off eBay and install it? (special tools?)
- What are the odds of it being fixed (by someone else) for less than another full machine off eBay?

...

- Who deserves the dead body? Who helps people on this forum and just deserves me sending this to them gratis? - to fix for themselves, or parts, or whatever. Anyone stand out as worthy? (PM okay too)

And if you are as half-drunk as I am, you will totally appreciate this on multiple levels - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVtJksRA6iQ

I always assumed the next machine after a T42 would be a T61p (..duh), just like it was at work so long ago. But, it would seem, from reading various threads on this forum, that that is about the only machine with a worse failure rate than the T42. I am crestfallen. I always thought those the two best ThinkPad machines. (What are the two best ThinkPad machines?)

I just picked up a used T420 and another 15” T42 off eBay.

Yeah, I don't foresee that I will ever give up that keyboard. I imprinted on that like a baby duck. I picked up a SL500 first, as a replacement (because it had HDMI), but I felt foolish and incompetent trying to get things done on the different keyboard. (and foolish and incompetent for not even thinking that it might even have a different keyboard.)

Too bad the Carbon X1 doesn't have a PgUp/Dn on the top right – or I would own one.

Too bad the Yoga doesn't have a nub (even without the proper keyboard) – or I would own one of those too.

I still can't believe IBM sold ThinkPad.

The tragedy of it all.

The Question: what is your vote for “the classic” ThinkPad of all-time, with very brief reasoning. (Whatever criteria or usage scenario you want. Make assumptions. Leverage experience.) Your “1967 Cuda” of ThinkPad.

And who wants/deserves this dead soldier?

(I swear - eons from now - people will look back at our culture and the "dancing banana" smilie will stand out as the worst digital kitsch of all time - in a sea of digital kitsch.)

[mikemex]

For me, the Thinkpad 600 is the all time classic. It was well built and its design exuded professionalism. It was very compact and lightweight without sacrificing features or strength. The 600X in particular was a keeper. The performance was amazing for such an old machine, easily making it a decent web surfer (even today) when fully upgraded. It was possible to add a WIFI MiniPCI card and antennas to it to give it internal wireless connection, probably the only missing feature that I consider an absolute necessity nowadays.

The only problem I'm aware of is that the battery didn't have monitoring for each specific cell so if the cells degraded unevenly, the battery lost capacity rather quickly.

P. S. I'd take it from your hands but I live in Mexico...

[RealBlackStuff]

Wait for the T50 motherboard to come out, which can replace your T42 mobo!
See this: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=110787.

Until then you could buy another cheap T42/R51 mobo.
Or get a T43/R52 mobo (require different CPU/RAM/PCMCIA cage).

[pianowizard]

I still can't believe IBM sold ThinkPad.

IBM had no choice. Its PC division was losing $100M to $300M per year between 2001 and 2005.

The Question: what is your vote for “the classic” ThinkPad of all-time, with very brief reasoning.

My vote is also for the Thinkpad 600, and some of my reasons are:

1) Its build quality was (and, amazingly, still is) unparalleled.

2) It managed to pack so many nice features into such a small, light and extremely durable body. It was way ahead of its time. Remember, it was first introduced in April 1998, when the laptop industry was still fairly new -- the first Thinkpad had been announced only 6 years earlier, in April 1992.

3) It still retained the original Thinkpad's boxy appearance.

4) It was IBM's best-selling Thinkpad.

5) My first Thinkpad was the successor to the 600, the 600E, and it impressed me so much that I went on to buy 44 more, including a 600, one more (mint-condition) 600E, and a non-working 600X (just for fun).

But I agree with what mikemex said about the battery, because my first 600E's battery died suddenly.

[Medessec]

Until then you could buy another cheap T42/R51 mobo.
Or get a T43/R52 mobo (require different CPU/RAM/PCMCIA cage).

I have a T43 planar with an X300 on it that I've been trying to sell... but no one took it up.

The Question: what is your vote for “the classic” ThinkPad of all-time, with very brief reasoning.

My personal vote at the moment would be either the 760 or the 770, probably the 760 because I have a biased attachment to that. It was the first Thinkpad to adopt an UltraBay and quick-swap HDD and Battery bay format, and the thing was rock solid and probably the coolest thing to fetch out. The old chunky Thinkpads are always a bit more of an eye grabber than the traditional slim ones to those who used the laptops in the old days. I also really loved the flip-up keyboard and how there's a screen brightness slider.

I've never owned a 600-but I feel like if I did, I'd probably elect that machine too.

[Neil]

My vote for favorite classic ThinkPad would also be the 600 series. I was using a 600X until just recently, and still have a 600E in use. They were very solid and slim (for the time). I carried that 600X with me on the road every day for a long time. But, they are very limited in what you can do with them today.

[Cigarguy]

Of all the Thinkpads that I've owned or used, about 20 total, I'm gravitating more and more towards the Flexview T60. So that would be my vote. Upgrade to a T7200, SSD and 3 GB of RAM and my T60s runs great for my usage patterns. Never owned anything older than a T40 with the latest being a T420.

[ajkula66]

While I'm not a fan of 600 series, I'd tend to say that it likely was the most impressive - especially in terms of build quality - ThinkPad ever.

[ZaZ]

I dunno, but I'd put my X220i up against anything IBM made. It's light and durable. It has a great screen and keyboard/trackpoint(the touch pad sucks, but I don't use it). It gets loooong battery life. Plus, it can do a SSD and hard drive. What's not to love?

[ipso]

@RealBlackStuff
Oh yeah baby!

This dead T42 is mine-all-mine!! Go 51nb & T50! (I subscribed to that thread.) Man, changing out the PCMCIA bay for a HDMI and a couple of USB 3.0 ports would be epic!

(~The average market value of old eBay T4x machines just now notched up another twelve cents.~)

...as did the ThinkPad 600. : )

I want one of everything! (Everything that has the classic keyboard anyway....)

I have three different old machines in rout. I kid you not. First one should arrive today. Wish me luck.

[Medessec]

dang man. You got into it.

But yep-I'm making sure to keep a few T42/43 chassis on hand for when(or if) the T50 motherboards pop onto the Thinkpad scene here.