Thinkpads Forum

Some info:
1. I'm half blind, widescreens are just horrible for me (typing this on a 24' display.. on 1280x1024, yeah I know it's not 4:3)
2. I'm looking for at least a 1600x1200 ThinkPad (2048x1536 looks tasty..)
3. I'll be looking at it A LOT.
4. It's going to be a desktop replacement (always plugged in) and portability is not a big issue.

My motivation is:
1. Inability to find decent 4:3 monitors for a reasonable price
2. My X61s screen is too small in size, but not glory, for it to be used constantly.

I've been looking at ThinkWiki and the only models which fit the category are:
A20p, A21p, A22p, A30p, A31p
R50p, T42p, T43p, T60p

Some of my issues are:
1. I don't know any reputable source for one of them (maybe ajkula66 has some around..)
2. I'm not actually sure if 1600x1200 would be actually a good decision. But it feels right.
3. If I'm going for an older model, I'm somewhat worried about performance (mainly firefox, maybe drop it for dillo, if the A-series really are legendary screens..)

I guess that's pretty much it. I feel spoiled for saying this but recommend me a ThinkPad, guys!

Welcome to the forum!

fourthree wrote:Some info:
1. I'm half blind, widescreens are just horrible for me (typing this on a 24' display.. on 1280x1024, yeah I know it's not 4:3)

If your sight is impaired, a 15" 1600x1200 screen might be a challenge, let alone 2048x1536. Have you ever used a laptop screen with this resolution?

1. I don't know any reputable source for one of them (maybe ajkula66 has some around..)

Thanks for mentioning me in your first post on our forum... ...you've just missed on my FrankenPad...

2. I'm not actually sure if 1600x1200 would be actually a good decision. But it feels right.

I would strongly suggest that you try one out before buying. A 15" SXGA+ (1400x1050) IPS might be more palatable.

3. If I'm going for an older model, I'm somewhat worried about performance (mainly firefox, maybe drop it for dillo, if the A-series really are legendary screens..)

Anything older than T60/p is likely to be a pain for "normal" web use...as much as I hate to admit it, A series are just fit to be glorified typewriters nowadays, and T4x are not all that faster...

Ha, just when I was about to sleep. I have some *MAD* respect for you because you really do love ThinkPads and you're still here, like a living legend.

If your sight is impaired, a 15" 1600x1200 screen might be a challenge, let alone 2048x1536. Have you ever used a laptop screen with this resolution?

Impaired isn't the right description. One of my eyes is excellent and the other lacks depth perception. I'm definitely going to scale things up a little bit.
I want a good res so I can multiplex displays. Here's an example.
(And in the case of 2048x1536, I thought they were pretty rare.)

I would strongly suggest that you try one out before buying. A 15" SXGA+ (1400x1050) IPS might be more palatable.

Quite possible! But I can't find many images with text. Upscaling things a bit would definitely help.

you've just missed on my FrankenPad...

Too bad =[
The question is - which one was it? One in your signature? One you've already posted about?

Anything older than T60/p is likely to be a pain for "normal" web use...as much as I hate to admit it, A series are just fit to be glorified typewriters nowadays, and T4x are not all that faster...

Now that you mention it, a typewriter might be exactly what I need. Ever since moving to my X61s as my primary machine I've been putting together scripts in order to reduce overhead. I could use my X61s for internet (or might as well just build an HTPC*, and ssh into it) and put a good machine out of retirement. If Paul Graham is right about distractions, typewriter it might as well be! ("I now leave wifi turned off on my main computer except when I need to transfer a file or edit a web page, and I have a separate laptop on the other side of the room that I use to check mail or browse the web.")

* My other idea was to put an expensive Skull Canyon motherboard inside a ThinkPad.. awesome but impractical.

fourthree wrote:Ha, just when I was about to sleep. I have some *MAD* respect for you because you really do love ThinkPads and you're still here, like a living legend.

Thank you for the kind words.

Impaired isn't the right description. One of my eyes is excellent and the other lacks depth perception. I'm definitely going to scale things up a little bit.
I want a good res so I can multiplex displays. Here's an example.
(And in the case of 2048x1536, I thought they were pretty rare.)

Scaling stuff up makes it blurry IMO. And yes, QXGA LCDs are pretty rare and not easy on the eyes at all, not just because of their high resolution but also because of their low brightness, with 150 nits when brand new...

I'd definitely repeat my suggestion to test before you buy, if at all possible.

Now that you mention it, a typewriter might be exactly what I need.

Well, if that's indeed the case, you have quite a few choices available. Personally, I'd be willing to pay a premium for a machine with a well-kept screen. Everything else is fixable, at least to some extent.

Happy hunting.

I recommend you to get a 32" 2560x1440 desktop monitor. Don't think of it as a widescreen, but as two tall screens fused into one screen. Assuming you use Windows, holding the Windows key while hitting the right arrow immediately resizes the current window to occupy the right half of the screen, and holding the Windows key while pressing the left arrow moves the current window to the left half. It's such a pain even for a person with perfect vision to use a laptop screen as his/her primary computer screen, so I imagine you would find a large desktop monitor to be even more beneficial. Both at home and at work, my main monitor is 40" 3840x2160, though you may not want something so big. If you don't want to spend too much money, you can probably get a used 20" 1600x1200 LCD monitor on Craigslist for $15 to $30 -- I sold a bunch at this price range just last year, after upgrading to 2560x1440 monitors. If you prefer a laptop because you want to move it to different rooms at home, it's not too crazy to have one monitor in each room so you can connect the laptop to it. If you want to avoid desktop monitors and insist on getting just a laptop, get tbe biggest screen possible. Sony had Pentium 4 laptops with 16.1" 1600x1200 screens. 17" 1920x1200 laptops may also suit your needs well. Since you dislike shortscreens, it's probably best to avoid anything with fewer than 1200 pixels vertically, e.g. 1920x1080.

Mind you 17" 16:10 laptops are gigantic, and if they're from the 16:10 era they're probably very heavy too. My mom's HP DV7 is the same height and depth of a T42, but the materials in it make it very heavy. Also it's the worst designed laptop for maintenance beyond small component upgrades, for example to get to the fan you have to take apart, well, it's practically the last step in fully disassembling the laptop. It's kind of a consumer laptop though.

Then there's the W700.

pianowizard wrote: If you don't want to spend too much money, you can probably get a used 20" 1600x1200 LCD monitor on Craigslist for $15 to $30 -- I sold a bunch at this price range just last year, after upgrading to 2560x1440 monitors.

Let's keep OP's location in mind...the prices in Israel are not on par with what we're used to around here. On the other hand, the combination of shipping charges and import duty makes getting something from the U.S. a costly experience. Or so my Israeli buyers have told me in the past...

Found a nice looking T43. It's advertised as 14 inch but I think it's 15. Here's a blurry picture, which looks similar to the T43 reviewed in Notebookreview.. I might hit jackpot here. Waiting for their reply. (EDIT: Counting the desktop icons, it might be a 1024x768 one. We'll see.)

The price is about $95 USD (after converting it), comes with a charger and an IBM mouse, battery is weak, 2GB of RAM, and a Pentium M 1.83. Model is 1871-CTO which from what I gather is a custom order. It probably has Intel graphics which I'm fine with as I'll be running Linux on it.

They also have a slim 90W charger for sale (feels expensive at about $65, though..) that comes with a small case. Not sure if it's worth it but it's the first time I see that. My only other use for an extra charger would be for a HTPC with a PicoPSU, but maybe 90W wouldn't cut it.

(Also, it's totally a coincidence between the model number and my username.)

fourthree wrote:Found a nice looking T43. It's advertised as 14 inch but I think it's 15. Here's a blurry picture, which looks similar to the T43 reviewed in Notebookreview.. I might hit jackpot here. Waiting for their reply. (EDIT: Counting the desktop icons, it might be a 1024x768 one. We'll see.)

That's a 14" unit and definitely a 1024x768

They also have a slim 90W charger for sale

You need a 72W one with that T43, with an old-type plug, not 90W or 65W

When looking at T4x/R5x pictures, check the (silver) hinges.
In 15" models they are equally wide on both sides.
in 14.1" models, the left hinge is twice as wide as the right one, a dead giveaway.

This Frankenpad looks amazing, like some of those gone-bad sci-fi utopias that give everyone a perfect life. I wanted to upgrade it even further (okay, I'm definitely getting ahead of myself here, but it's going to last for years to come) and was curious if upgrading the screen to 15" would be possible. The chassis is identical according to an old post by George, but maybe the motherboard could get in the way. Sticking an SSD and perhaps doing some black market deals with George could definitely put a significant dent in my wallet.. but might also give me a nicely tailored machine.

Any recommendations (better than watching random youtube videos..) for getting my hop.. uhm, Frankening it up?

fourthree wrote:I wanted to upgrade it even further (okay, I'm definitely getting ahead of myself here, but it's going to last for years to come) and was curious if upgrading the screen to 15" would be possible. The chassis is identical according to an old post by George, but maybe the motherboard could get in the way.

You misunderstood something. The chassis is not identical between 14" and 15". You would need a full 15" 4:3 shell, screen included, and then transplant the motherboard into it. Motherboards are compatible between 4:3 14" and 15" models in the T6x line-up.

Oh well, me and my pipe dreams..

Don't expect something below $150 for 15" UXGA T43. It may seem cheaper if you upgrade later but you will end up spending more (I learnt it the hard way).
I will be building and selling 14.1" SXGA+ T43 laptops for the near future and there are also other members from this forum that sells 15" XGA models or 14.1" SXGA+ models for much cheaper. If you can lower your expectations a bit (It is not like T43 has huge amount of power to perform very good in UXGA anyways), 15" XGA models are your thing if you plan to upgrade later or 14.1" SXGA+ if you plan to stick with it. There are also 15" SXGA+ options available but I don't think they are too much cheaper than UXGA ones

Well, if needed I've got a perfect shaped T43 w/flawless UXGA from ID-Tech. Assembled "just to have". Strong battery, like-new KB, generally great shape. It only misses SATA mod.

However, maybe a T60 w/15" UXGA might come more reasonable after all? These units are not much more expensive, and you can easily put a sharp UXGA panel (or a flexview IPS UXGA, also have both).

(I feel credited since mentioned George's Frankie is on its way to my home).