Expresscard SSD on a Thinkpad T43p

[fatvinny]

I'm looking into upgrading the hdd on the t43.Since PATA hdds are getting fewer and spendy,then there's the 2010 error.I would rather not go used.But.Remains an option.Since performance isn't that much of a issue as long as it stays the same as OEM.Can a expresscard ssd be used as a replacement for the spinner?As the machine's only hard drive. This is the ssd I'm looking at.96GB Wintec FileMate SolidGO ExpressCard 34 Ultra SSD.
Thanks!
15' T43p(2668) running Linux Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric
Hitachi 60gig 7200 rpm
2gig pentium m
2gig ram

[RealBlackStuff]

The T43 and R52 (and also X41/X41t) can be converted from PATA to SATA hard disks, much more efficient.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=94308
There's also a BIOS out that eliminates the Error 2010 in T43/R52:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=92115
Enjoy the reading.

[ThinkPadophile]

The answer to your question is yes and no. Yes, expresscards work well as SSDs in the T43 lineup, but they cannot be used as the boot drive. The laptop needs Windows to load a driver before it can recognize the card. If you don't mind performing some minor surgery on your T43, RealBlackStuff's solution is the way to go. If that procedure is beyond your skill set, the expresscard is a plug-and-play solution that gives near-SSD performance. I used one for some time on a T43p, in conjunction with eBoostr, and it worked quite well.

[fatvinny]

Thanks! RealBlackStuff and ThinkPadophile for the info.I'm sure I could do the MB mod.But I would like to do the BIOS update as well as expresscard,eboostr combo.I don't use Windows rather Linux.Linux(Ubuntu) should load a driver also.But.Until I find out If Ubuntu will be able to accommodate this config.I have an option in case my hdd crashes.Thanks again to you both.This has been VERY helpful!

[lukee]

I sometimes using PCMCIA SD card reader with SD card inserted and if I hit F12 to see the boot list, I can see the SD card there and I'm able to boot from it. So I would expect that ExpressCard slot with any flash memory formatted as a bootable partition will boot. ExpressCard SSD can be also very well used in Windows 7 as a ReadyBoost device to swap kernel on it - this should improve overall system performance.

[fatvinny]

Thanks lukee.I was thinking the same thing.I'm glad to see someone has tried that and it worked.