Very interested in a T43, need purchasing advice!

[firapira]

Hi I am a college student and after much research on laptops, I have decided that I would like to purchase a Thinkpad T43. I have heard people praise it for its reliability and quality but the problem is that there are tons of models out there and i am just clueless on what to buy.

i'm thinking of a T43 2686DHU here are the specs:

CPU Type: 1x Intel PentiumM 740 (1.73GHz)
Graphics Card: ATI Mobility RADEON X300
Hard Disk: 60GB
Memory Size: 512MB DDR2
Operating System: Windows XP Professional
Optical Drive: DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
Part#: 2686DHU
Screen: 15" TFT XGA
Video Memory: 64MB
$1459 on newegg

Does anyone have this model and can give me some opinions on it, as different models seem to have more problems than others? In general I would like a nice stable laptop for some college work and light gaming, i don't really need anything super nice or top of the line, just reliable and good enough.

Please suggest some T43 models that are reasonably priced and great for college/light gaming. Also, i need some advice of where to purchase a new T43 from, either from the manufacturer or a website like newegg?

Thank you so much!

[christopher_wolf]

Hmmm, that looks like a really good setup you have there; I have a 2668-72U and couldn't be happier. This was at a pretty reasonable price for what I wanted to do on it; that said, even though I use it for University Work...I put a heavy load on it. What Wireless Card were you planning on getting?

[kai920]

Is that a 7200rpm drive? and what's the resolution on the monitor?

As for my opinions of the T43, they can be found in my sig

[firapira]

Thanks for the response, I am planning on getting this setup. I think my setup supposedly comes with a Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG adapter? Though i don't know anything about wireless cards, I don't know the difference between a card you have to insert to one that is already built in.

Also, i can't seem to find the manufacturer's warranty on thinkpads, is it typically base 3 years, but u can buy extended warranty upgrades?

thx

[kai920]

I think the 2200BG would be more than sufficient, and it would be built-in to your T43 already so no need to worry about it. The Fn+F5 shortcut key will allow you to quickly turn off the Wi-fi adaptor...

Warranty: My T43 included 3 years of carry-in service. For a price, I could have changed it to next-day, on-site service.

[ricerocket]

Check with your school if they have an IBM purchasing program. I just paid a little over $1350 w/ tax for a slightly more powerful setup (14" SXGA+, Pentium M 1.86 GHz, 512 MB RAM, only a 40 GB drive, but I have a 80 GB from my T23 ready to drop in). Let us know how it goes.

[davidspalding]

Firapira, the critical diff' between a PC CARD WiFi solution and a mini-PCI card is that the former has a little antenna on the end of the card protruding from the PC Card slot. A mini-PCI wireless card uses antennae which are built into the lid (the monitor part) so you get far better reception. Even if you get a unit with an inferior or non-installed mini-pci card, you can get one and easily install it yourself.

If you search for links on this site for "tabook.pdf," it's a reference that shows all machine-type/models and included equipment. If you find a machine type (say, 2668) which has the mini-pci card as an option on some models, and standard on others, that means the antennae are in there, and you can add the card later. (At least that's my understanding from people who work on these regularly.)