Would you buy a T43 today?

[Dekks]

Trying to install mesa-libgl just gives me a bunch of errors:

target not found: lib32-wayland
target not found: gcc-multilib
target not found: lib32-nettle

etc. etc.

i've installed both with no issue and no dependencies, so i'm a bit puzzled. off to google a bit....

in mean time can you pacman -S inxi
then run inxi -Fix

then PM the output to me or link to pastebin/imgur

[kfzhu1229]

Anyways the true performance of T43 can play 720p YouTube video at 30fps, for local files it should be able to play 1080p 21:9 level 3.1 mkv file using MPC-HC if you have Pentium M 770 or 780.

[600X]

Anyways the true performance of T43 can play 720p YouTube video at 30fps

I would presume that is only true if you are running Windows. I might try installing Windows 7 temporarily, just to see if it works then.

[brchan]

Anyways the true performance of T43 can play 720p YouTube video at 30fps

I would presume that is only true if you are running Windows. I might try installing Windows 7 temporarily, just to see if it works then.

This was also true for chromium (even some 1080p videos) on arch linux a couple years ago. Now chromium has gotten even more bloated and only 480p is possible. Palemoon would probably play 720p youtube videos well, but can be a pain to compile and install from scratch.

[600X]

"A couple of years ago", a 600X was also able to play 360p videos on the (then) newest Firefox. Time changes quickly. I've tried a few other browsers, but Firefox still seems to be the best at YouTube, at least in my case.

[kfzhu1229]

"A couple of years ago", a 600X was also able to play 360p videos on the (then) newest Firefox. Time changes quickly. I've tried a few other browsers, but Firefox still seems to be the best at YouTube, at least in my case.

I strongly agree with you. Even three years ago I can do almost anything on my 600 with 266mhz Pentium II and 352mb of RAM (32+64+256) with Windows 2000 and Firefox 12. In fact I still have screenshots on that machine of me using Facebook, shopping on eBay, searching resources for school projects and so much more. Now a fast 1.2ghz Pentium III A30 machine with a full gig of RAM performs like that PII three years ago and I don't see any improvement in terms of website design and stuff. The thing for that machine is it only works with Firefox and IE for the newest version because chrome requires SSE2. Even things like Spotify now requires SSE2. I don't see the point of improvement of enforcing SSE2 as it still runs a bit slow on a T43. Back in the days it was really understandable for websites to require more and more CPU power because they look better and better. Now it requires more CPU power because they are more and more bloated with ads and unwanted Flash. I really don't see the point of the ads taking up to one gig of RAM to display something you don't want to see or they are simply wasted. You cannot leave adblock anymore on these machines. Now a A30 with a really powerful mobile CPU and GPU of its time can barely play 240p for youtube on Firefox while it even handles 720p for my h264 video files. It is also interesting to see on a T43 the ads play laggier than the video itself lol. YouTube is actually one of the better ones, if you try netflix, even a T43 can barely play 240p. I guess the nice thing is that the OS themselves don't get near as bloated as third party software. For example, if you run Windows 10 on a T43, the operating system runs just fine even though it may be a bit slower than Windows 7. However, even Facebook app requires DirectX 9.0c which is not something the X300 or X600 (FireGL V3200) found on T43 support. The ads on Wikia are powerful enough to turn the T43 into a furnace. Thanks God now almost all browsers support Adblock. Microsoft added Adblock support for their latest build of Windows 10. Now the '00 and '10 kids won't understand how Internet was really used to be like comparing to now. And I'm 100% sure they don't understand what is the good of using a black business class IBM ThinkPad T43 which doesn't look cute for the outside and is older than most of themselves. Well I'm pretty sure everyone on this forum knows the truth is that under those not-so-cute looking shells is full of neatness unlike today's home computers. A fingerprint sensor is still something very special on today's home laptops, especially something as accurate as that. The keyboard isn't the best in the world of ThinkPads, but is certainly a LOT better than the ones in macs. The shell doesn't look good, but it withstands decades of wearing and beating and underneath it can be a really flexible option, a crap XGA LCD to a flexview UXGA LCD which packs decent resolution and quality up to today's standard. The keyboard is also 100% removable just by anyone and IBM even called it customer removable keyboard on the FCC labelling. Upgrades is a breeze on these things. I know this gets long and off-topic but I just hope the next generations will understand the good of these things and make their right choice

[Dekks]

600X

This is what vdpauinfo show on my machine. The 3 modes listed at the bottom are all that it's capable of assisting afaik. Even then mpv player craps out on a mpeg2 file saying it cant load vdpau-glx.

display: :0 screen: 0
API version: 1
Information string: G3DVL VDPAU Driver Shared Library version 1.0

Decoder capabilities:

name level macbs width height
----------------------------------------------------
MPEG1 0 16384 2048 2048
MPEG2_SIMPLE 3 16384 2048 2048
MPEG2_MAIN 3 16384 2048 2048

Having poked around for a few hours in archwiki and on the net it's safe to say the X300 support is broken.

My install according to all the info i can find says its installed correctly yet no player can get it to support MPEG2 hardware acceleration via vdpau. It just seems the hardware is too old and I think that the various packages are no longer in sync as to where they install stuff. Some packages are looking for files at user/lib/dri/ yet the g3dvl drivers appear to be in /usr/lib/x11/modules/dri and mpv keeps saying it cant find vdpau-glx which is nowhere to be found.

[danikayser84]

Yeah, the main reason I retired my T23 was the lack of SSE2 and the fact the processor is only a 1.2GHz Pentium III (today I use it as a Windows 98SE gaming machine with a 32GB SSD and 1GB RAM, runs most of my 95/98 collection well, also have some stuff like KernelEx with Firefox 3.6 and the unofficial updates on it) (also BTW, Firefox dropped support for non-SSE2 processors as of the most recent version )

The only thing that will likely kill the T3x/T4x is if software starts requiring NX bit or SSE3 which probably won't happen anytime soon

[kfzhu1229]

Windows 10 already requires NX and T43 is the only one to survive.. I still have the latest version of firefox on my A30 which was updated yesterday. Firefox suggests you to have a Pentium 4 processor with SSE2 support but not necessary. And the other thing that would kill the T3x/4x is x64 support. Now the apps run a bit slow but at least they still work

[Hans Gruber]

I have a T43P with XP and T43P with Linux. Both still work very well. XP still updates the OS, it just doesn't advertise this support up to 2014 updates. It does it automatically. I use Linux Mint for the backup T43P. You just have to limit your expectations of the T43 and then you won't be disappointed.

[kfzhu1229]

Do you actually know where to get the Flexview LCDs for less than $100? I don't trust the eBay guys for the A30 SXGA+ LCD because they may use 20-pin connector instead of 30-pin on T4x/R5x and the seller may get confused of the two

[ajkula66]

Do you actually know where to get the Flexview LCDs for less than $100?

In good condition, outside of possibly this forum, absolutely nowhere. A NOS panel will run you $200 or thereabouts.

I don't trust the eBay guys for the A30 SXGA+ LCD because they may use 20-pin connector instead of 30-pin on T4x/R5x and the seller may get confused of the two

Wait what? A 15" A3x panel works in T4x and vice versa - presuming proper cabling - no questions asked.

Do bear in mind that A3x series used both TN and IPS panels for 15" SXGA+ resolution. You need to make sure that you have the exact model number for the screen in question.

[kfzhu1229]

Thank you. My job then is to find a proper SXGA+ cable and a 15" frame since 14.1" frame is only thicker but shares the same back she'll in the case of A3x. In terms of 14.1" display, I'm 100% sure they use different connectors because I tried to plug the 14.1" T43 XGA cable into 14.1" A30 screen and it doesn't fit.

[TPFanatic]

Where the cables plug into the motherboard is different.

The connector between the cable and the LCD is the same.

[ajkula66]

Where the cables plug into the motherboard is different.

Of course. That's why you have to use an A3x cable on an A3x planar, and a T4x cable on a T4x planar.

The connector between the cable and the LCD is the same.

Indeed.

[kfzhu1229]

I found a listing with pn of 27L0677 and FRU 27L0682, can you confirm if this number is for a A3x SXGA+ cable?

[ajkula66]

I found a listing with pn of 27L0677 and FRU 27L0682, can you confirm if this number is for a A3x SXGA+ cable?

Check the HMM using the link at the top of the page...

[kfzhu1229]

It turns out that part number is 15" non-IPS SXGA+ cable. Will it work with IPS screens?

[ajkula66]

It turns out that part number is 15" non-IPS SXGA+ cable. Will it work with IPS screens?

Probably, but I honestly don't recall testing that combination of screen and cable.

[kfzhu1229]

And after me doing some research, unlike T4x series where the 14.1" uses the same connector as 15" even though it may not work if mixed, A3x 14.1" uses 20 pin CCFL connector like all the T2x models while 15" uses 30 pin. I actually got some SXGA+ cable pictures and count the pins one by one and it is 30 where as the one currently on mine is 20 and the connector is smaller.
As of T43, my 15" UXGA is mixed with flexview cable and non-flexview screen and inverter and the result is it still works.

[ajkula66]

. You just have to limit your expectations of the T43 and then you won't be disappointed.

Indeed.

Having said, these machines definitely have some life left in them, especially in a *nix environment. I'm still debating what to throw on my T43pSF apart from W7...there are several distros that I like quite a bit, latest Debian-based-Mint being one of them...

[micrex22]

Having said, these machines definitely have some life left in them, especially in a *nix environment. I'm still debating what to throw on my T43pSF apart from W7...there are several distros that I like quite a bit, latest Debian-based-Mint being one of them...

You could always put OS/2 Warp on it; the T43 runs it quite well.

[ajkula66]

Having said, these machines definitely have some life left in them, especially in a *nix environment. I'm still debating what to throw on my T43pSF apart from W7...there are several distros that I like quite a bit, latest Debian-based-Mint being one of them...

You could always put OS/2 Warp on it; the T43 runs it quite well.

OS/2 will go on my A31p first...

I've read your experiences regarding the combination in question and was quite impressed. Having said that, I really don't know when I'll have time to spare for such an undertaking...

Does OS/2 play with SSDs at all?

[micrex22]

You could always put OS/2 Warp on it; the T43 runs it quite well.

OS/2 will go on my A31p first...

I've read your experiences regarding the combination in question and was quite impressed. Having said that, I really don't know when I'll have time to spare for such an undertaking...

Does OS/2 play with SSDs at all?

I haven't used an SSD in a T43p yet; however OS/2 will blindly run on an SSD like most things. I don't know the reprimands of running an OS that doesn't support TRIM in detail. But if there are any, nobody has mentioned it publicly with old OSes.

[kfzhu1229]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/IBM-15-SXGA-Thin ... SwmtJXVtYn
Very interesting. IPS panel for this cheap...

[ajkula66]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/IBM-15-SXGA-Thin ... SwmtJXVtYn
Very interesting. IPS panel for this cheap...

I'd wait for them to post a picture before saying anything, but if it's the real deal than these panels are a steal...

[kfzhu1229]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/IBM-15-SXGA-Thin ... SwmtJXVtYn
Very interesting. IPS panel for this cheap...

I'd wait for them to post a picture before saying anything, but if it's the real deal than these panels are a steal...

Purchased one of these and I will see how it does in my A30. I hope it is the genuine one with no thing like lines, yellow white color or pink backlight. My $14 best offer was accepted.
He might not even know the value of an IPS display. Just purchase it anyways before he changes his mind or something. By the time the picture goes up this thing may be sold out.

[ajkula66]

Purchased one of these and I will see how it does in my A30.

Good move. Now you just need a proper cable and all should be well.

Just purchase it anyways before he changes his mind or something. By the time the picture goes up this thing may be sold out.

I have no use for a 15" SXGA+ LCD, but am certain that other folks on the forum might...

[kfzhu1229]

Purchased one of these and I will see how it does in my A30.

Good move. Now you just need a proper cable and all should be well.

Now I will also need another frame/front panel because mine is 14.1".
Must I use IPS inverter if I'm switching from 14.1" XGA to 15" SXGA+? Does IPS inverters provide brighter backlight or something? In case the other forum users are wondering, I know that switch is impossible on T4x without changing the entire casing but on A3x you don't need to.

[ajkula66]

Now I will also need another frame/front panel because mine is 14.1".

You'll need the LCD bezel, that much is certain. The rest *should* be the same, as in the lid itself. Not certain about the hinges, check the HMM.

Must I use IPS inverter if I'm switching from 14.1" XGA to 15" SXGA+?

Not a must, but it would be preferred.

Does IPS inverters provide brighter backlight or something?

Exactly.