Thinkpads Forum

I have been reading alot on this forum now for awhile.Seems like every system has there pro's and con's.
So i got to thinking,what thinkpad system out there has the fewest problems with it?
OR what is your best , problem free thinkpad you owned?

I only have had about 5 or 7 thinkpads over the years. But i would have to say for my the Thinkpad 390E/C366,256ram,12gig,dvd-rom.Bought it new in (i think) 1997 for $1499.99CDN. Had it for 5 years and never gave me any problems.Always been there when i needed it.Even when i had it ontop of the TV(about 6 feet high) with the S-video out to the TV for watching a dvd.The dog ran and got tangled up in the power cord and halled the thing off the top.It fell to the floor,the dvd/floppy went one way and the bat went the other.The system turned off.But when i put it all back together it powered up and ran fine .

In order from best to worst:

T43. Well, it was so new that it's unfair to compare to the older models. Great machine, but did more than I really needed.

The ThinkPad that gave me the least trouble was my 600E. I only wish it was faster, and I never would have gotten rid of it.

Next was the T23, well one of them. My first T23 didn't give me many problems, but I sold it because I got another. The second T23 sucked for a while, but it has been working without problems for about 3 months.

Last is the R40. Granted it was just one machine, never sent in for service, but it ran hot 70C, and the HD frequently climbed to 70C+.

My 570 ran well but didn't have it long enough to develop problems.

Overall, despite some pretty big headaches here and there, I'm sticking with ThinkPads.

My best thinkpads: 600e, T30, T42, R52, T60

My worst thinkpads: none.

All have performed and are still performing, Dan the one (600) you sold me is still working well, Pianowizards 600 is still working all the other 600 series I bought and sold are still working. The T42 I hated to sell is still working, my GF has my T30 in AZ right now still working. Currently my R52 and T60 are performing flawlessly. If you don't get rattled about a little software issue now then and just get down and figure out the problem and fix it and keep them updated and perform some routine maint then they should keep working.

My best ThinkPad: It's a tie between the 600E and 380ED. They both have excellent keyboards (even by IBM standards), great form factors, very clean, simple and practical designs and a high level of user friendliness. The two models are also some of the most durable laptops I've used.

The work ThinkPad I've ever owned: An A30. The form factor has too many structural weak points.

My favorite was the 240X.

I guess because a 240 then later 240X were my first ThinkPads. They were so small! I have a couple of X23 now, keep thinking about picking up another 240-series unit just to mess around with.

The *BANE* of laptop longevity though is the LCD. We all know the backlight is going to dim and die eventually. Why, or why, couldn't the makers have it designed so the light-bulbs are easier to replace? That's my primary reason for Ebaying the older models every few years and moving up to a slightly less-old unit. I am forever 5 years behind the bleeding edge.

I've owned over 20 Thinkpads. In terms of having absolutely no issues, and overlooking their slow performances and low display resolutions, these are the best:

240 (I've owned three)
T20
X22 (I've owned two)

All other Thinkpads have had some minor problems, e.g. The T60's warm palmrest, the X60s's even warmer palmrest, the T43's noisy fan and flexes, the X40's HDD clicking noise, one T23's occasional BSOD, another T23's charging problem, the 240X's occassional freezing, etc.

In terms of overall satisfaction (i.e. taking performance and resolution into account), the T60 I currently own may be the best I've used, as long as I don't try to carry it because it's quite heavy. For ultraportable laptops, I really haven't found anything satisfactory yet. The X-series non-tablets only have XGA, and the SXGA+ X60 tablet is unacceptably heavy. For this reason, I am now temporarily using a Dell Axim PDA as my travel companion, and am praying that a sub-3lb SXGA+ or WXGA+ ultraportable laptop will be available soon.

Pianowizard, have you tried a Pansonic 12" (CF-Y5 or something like that)? I saw one on campus and it is very very nice, pretty light and comes with a optical drive.

gator wrote:Pianowizard, have you tried a Pansonic 12" (CF-Y5 or something like that)?

I have been raving about the Y5 on this forum for weeks. The specs are amazing, but the price is prohibitive!

I did write about it too:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=37679

It is a very sturdy laptop and the keyboard and the screen are very nice. It is expensive though, but I think it is worth the price. I am going to keep panasonic in my sights when I buy my next laptop (after a few more years )

GO GATORS !!!!

kingman99 wrote:GO GATORS !!!!

Wrong thread.

:::

I like my Z60t. Becasue

- Widescreen IBM
- lighter or same as T series 14" but more resolution. (WideScreen)
- matte screen
- 3.5hr 4cell or 5 hr 7 cell long life.
- since it's Widescreen, easy on plane
- carbon fibra housing, light & strong.
- more ports than T60, like S-Video, IEEE.
- DVD writer can be remove to save weight more.
- first IBM Widescreen model.
- Finger Printer Reader



:::

t60p... the only thinkpad I have ever owned. Never looking back, I just wish the thing had a flexview 14.1 and was wide screen.

I know i should know this but what is this FlexView i here alot about??
I looked on IBM but dont realy say or go into much info about it.

SaberX wrote:I know i should know this but what is this FlexView i here alot about??

This article that Puppy found shows a bunch of photos contrasting Flexview displays and non. In a nutshell, Flexview provides a wider viewing angle, higher contrast, and better color reproduction. Your A31 might have Flexview. What's the 7-character product number?

It's model --- 2652-J3U

SaberX wrote:It's model --- 2652-J3U

These are your specs:

P4-M 1.6GHz (512KB), 128MB RAM, 20.0GB HDD, 14.1 XGA(1024x768) TFT LCD, 24x-10x CD-ROM, Modem(CDC), Ethernet(CDC), TV out, Li-Ion battery, WinXP Pro

Unfortunately, you don't have Flexview. Only some of the SXGA+ (1400x1050) A31 models and all A31p models have Flexview. None of the XGA A31's have it.