Help with wireless option, t43p

[Peter_13]

I am thinking about ordering the T43p 2668H8U. The wireless option confuses me. It says:

Wireless NIC IBM 11a/b/g

In the "Add Options" section, it offers me the 11a/b/g Mini PCI adapter, etc. So my questions are:

1. Is "Wireless NIC IBM 11a/b/g" an integrated solution, is it a PCI-Express card (or neither)?

2. Why would I need the 11a/b/g Mini PCI adapter, if the notebook already comes with the one in (1)?

3. Is "Wireless NIC IBM 11a/b/g" a good adapter?

Thanks.

[pointfielder]

Peter_13,
2668H8U comes preconfigured with IBM A/B/G Mini PCI Adapter II Card.
According to people who have used it, it is one of the best. You don't
need to add any A/B/G card to your 2668H8U.

If the 2.13 GHz proc is not a crucial factor, you could also consider
2687E4U or 2687EJU CTO models that come with 2.0 GHz proc
and configure with memory, harddisk, wireless card etc.
If you search this forum, you will find some people who have taken
this route with only 256MB RAM as IBM overcharges for 1GB RAM, and then
upgrade it by quite reliable memory from crucial.com. This route
can save you quite a bit of money. I was also originally considering
buying H8U model, but opted for E4U instead.

[emorphien]

Peter_13,
2668H8U comes preconfigured with IBM A/B/G Mini PCI Adapter II Card.
According to people who have used it, it is one of the best. You don't
need to add any A/B/G card to your 2668H8U.

If the 2.13 GHz proc is not a crucial factor, you could also consider
2687E4U or 2687EJU CTO models that come with 2.0 GHz proc
and configure with memory, harddisk, wireless card etc.
If you search this forum, you will find some people who have taken
this route with only 256MB RAM as IBM overcharges for 1GB RAM, and then
upgrade it by quite reliable memory from crucial.com. This route
can save you quite a bit of money. I was also originally considering
buying H8U model, but opted for E4U instead.

Basically what I did, but I'm still waiting for the [censored] thing!

[Peter_13]

Thanks to all that replied. I noticed that the 2668H5U comes with :

Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG.

Which one is better, that one or IBM 11a/b/g?

Their WEB site is a mess. It seems that 2687E4U or 2687EJU CTO are no longer available, or I cannot find them. Anyway, this is going to be an educational purchase, with grant money, and upgrading later is not a convenient way to do this.

Something else, off topic. I was very happy (and I still am) with a 4 year old Dell Inspiron 8000. It has an IBM 1600x1200 screen that I love. Once you get used to the high resolution, you will never look back. On the other hand, I hate the new Xbrite, etc., glossy screens. So ThinkPad was an obvious choice for me. The manufacturers seem to forget that there are some people that need computers to do something else than playing games and watching movies.

[Phil_C]

When you are on the CTO site, use the search box to find the 2687EJU or whatever model you are looking for. You won't like the estimated ship date for the EJU, however --- August. At least that's what came up with the options I selected.