T43 or T60 for College Student?

[autologic]

As a student entering college next year, I have a bunch of money to get a laptop with.
My main concern is that it must remain usable, both speed-wise and hardware-wise (durability) for the next four years.

So should I get a T43 with known quality and performance?
Or a T60 that's faster but with questionable build quality?

Thanks for your opinions,

autologic

[christopher_wolf]

Do you have to get it quickly? I got a T43 for myself and found it to be pretty good and I don't really worry about how it will handle 4 years down the line. Now that the T60s are out though, you might want to wait for a really fleshed out T60 to be released...The only thing you would have to worry about at that point would be user-base testing, but that might already be in the works by the time a sufficiently beefed up model comes along.

If you don't need it right away, I would stick around and see what other models get put in the T60 lineup; if you do need it right away, then spec out a T43 to your heart's content.

Welcome to the Thinkpad Forums.

[leif]

I can't wait for the T60 and bought my T43 one week ago. I think T43 is great and it's enought for me to do all my things. Still, I don't think the new T60's price will be acceptable when it come out.

[autologic]

Hmm...
It is a tough decision. I think I'll wait for some T60 reviews - hopefully they'll still offer the T43 as time goes on.

Keep voting

[Aroc]

neither. i'd say this is the wrong formfactor for an on-campus student. I'd get a X41 or if you think we'll want a 7200rpm drive, get a X32 (or wait for the X60). Get the $$$ docking station (docking slice), $$ 4 year 9x5 onsite warranty, and $$ 4 year thinkpad protection (accidental breakage).

That's what I would get (ultraportable) if I were a student again. This is regardless of major. At most schools, if you need access to specialized programs, you are better off using the labs. At higher levels of udergraduate and graduate work, your department will have its own dedicated labs for just this work (not to be confused with general use student computer labs). So you will have access to additional horsepower when you need it, regardless of major (math/sciences/engineering, computer science, liberal arts, finance, etc). Almost anything else (except for gaming) can be done on a X4x or X3x. And ultraportables are far lighter than even a 14inch T series. So you'll better be able to be mobile with it. the only down side is XGA resolution. I don't see a great need to have access to an optical drive outside of the research lab (if you work at one, I did while an undergrade) or dorm room. So to me it's dead weight.

That's my 2c and I'm sticking to it.

[christopher_wolf]

neither. i'd say this is the wrong formfactor for an on-campus student. I'd get a X41 or if you think we'll want a 7200rpm drive, get a X32 (or wait for the X60). Get the $$$ docking station (docking slice), $$ 4 year 9x5 onsite warranty, and $$ 4 year thinkpad protection (accidental breakage).

That's what I would get (ultraportable) if I were a student again. This is regardless of major. At most schools, if you need access to specialized programs, you are better off using the labs. At higher levels of udergraduate and graduate work, your department will have its own dedicated labs for just this work (not to be confused with general use student computer labs). So you will have access to additional horsepower when you need it, regardless of major (math/sciences/engineering, computer science, liberal arts, finance, etc). Almost anything else (except for gaming) can be done on a X4x or X3x. And ultraportables are far lighter than even a 14inch T series. So you'll better be able to be mobile with it. the only down side is XGA resolution. I don't see a great need to have access to an optical drive outside of the research lab (if you work at one, I did while an undergrade) or dorm room. So to me it's dead weight.

That's my 2c and I'm sticking to it.

Good point about the X Series; they are indeed true ultraportables; I found out, however, that you do sometimes need to take your Research/Compute Intensive Program/etc with you to lab meetings and certain other outings where high-end systems aren't immediately available. Case in point, doing a live biological cell membrane simulation in a meeting and displaying the OpenGL graphics in real time.

Also, portability isn't the only factor;you have to consider that most students get only one laptop. So it has to be a very capable desktop replacement as well as a very portable system...The T Series is well suited for that.

[laz]

I'm a CS/Physics major, and if I were to get a new laptop, I'd go with an X series. I'm very happy with my T42 (definitely much better than the Dells and HPs everyone else has), but something a little smaller would be nice.

[dr_st]

Also, portability isn't the only factor;you have to consider that most students get only one laptop. So it has to be a very capable desktop replacement as well as a very portable system...The T Series is well suited for that.

Agree with you on this one. I'm currently doing my M.Sc in computer science, and have to work quite a bit on the PC (programming among other stuff). I'm on a 15" T42. I wouldn't even trade it for a 14" model, if only for the Flexview screen.

Yes, the X41 would be much easier to lug from room to room in one hand, but I rarely must do it. Most of the time I sit and work on my laptop for a couple of hours in one place. Occasionally I move between spots, and it's not a big burden to carry the laptop with me.

However, since I often work for prolonged periods of time, I need a laptop that will be comfortable to work without the need for any docking stations and external accessories. I must be able to use it as my main machine (and I do, often even at home where I have a powerful desktop, I work on my T42). The PCs in the labs won't cut it - they aren't mine, I don't have admin powers there, I can't install software, I can't configure them the way I want. Yes, sometimes I need tools that are only available on lab machines, but more often it's the other way around - they don't have Office 2003 with Mathtype. They don't have Visual Studio .NET - all stuff that I need to use for my work.

An X-series wouldn't do it for me. I would be completely stuck without an optical drive on some occasions, and on some it's just a nice thing to have. Small screen, small keyboard - not very convenient for hours of work.

Plus, I don't mind an occasional game or movie. And this is where I start to appreciate the fact that I have my T42 with Flexview and Radeon 9600.

[asiafish]

The X series are really great for highly mobile users, which is the ONLY group they were designed for. If you want a laptop for basic office-type work and are always on the go, then the X-series is about the best you can hope to get.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for something as the original poster is to use as a primary computer, then a serious look at what will be done on the computer is in order. Watching DVD movies on a docked X-series is no problem, even on older X20-series models. I have an X22 and in the UltraBase the quality of DVD audio and video is good enough to enjoy. If you do anything more intensive, however, be it complex medical stuff like the original poster does or games like many others do, then an X-series, ANY X-series, simply won't cut it. I traded my T42p for an X32 and knew going in that most games simply wouldn't run, and I was right.

A 14" T-series is a great compromise for an ONLY computer that must also be portable. With a 6 cell battery they weigh only 5lbs, are quite powerful, and have video cards that are up to playing many semi-high-end games. If your medical apps require it, then you can get an OpenGL certified "P" model, if not you can get a cheaper one with a regular Radeon.

SXGA+ on the 14" screens is a nice combination of real-estate and portability, and while Flexview screens are nice to look at, they have their downsides too. They tend to be poor at fast motion (games and some movies) and use more battery power than conventional screens.

In the end, it is a very personal choice that many others have and continue to struggle with. I thought I could go exclusively X-series and I was wrong, having just sold the X32 to pay for a replacement T42p.

Oh well, such is life. Good luck with whichever machine you decide on.

[ssm0003]

Get an X series an an external USB cd/dvd burner for those times when you need one. Why? For one they're more sturdy than the T series. See when you haul that thing around with a bunch of heavy [censored] books you face the risk with a T series of damaging the LCD, IMHO, and the X series can handle the weight on it better. Two, weight! You'll be hauling a load of books in a backpack from class to class and anything you can do the lighten the load will help by the end of a long day of classes. Three, battery life. Out of the X series out there, I like the X32 because you can upgrade the hard drive to 7200rpm drive unlike the X4* series.

[draco2527]

OK.. I have not read all the posts, so if someone mentioned it above..sorry...

What ever you decide (can't comment...have seen the T60 in pics only) BUT THIS I KNOW:


GET THE ONSITE SERVICE

[christopher_wolf]

I can't see how one can say that the X Series is sturdier than the T Series; also, some X Series models have chassis that have been reported to flex and become uneven after awhile. See; http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Problem_w ... /_Twisting

I have carried my T43 to campus for 8 hours most days with several books and notebooks in my bag; there hasn't been any flexing, bending, grease on the screen from the trackpoint, screen damage, etc.

4:30 hours of battery life is enough for me, and I can put in the extra battery if I need it. If I have to stay in the Lab overnight, I bring the AC Adapter.

The most popular X Series Thinkpads I have seen on campus seem to be the X41 Tablet and the X40; If I was getting an X Series, I would probably get the X41 Tablet simply because, hey, it is an IBM Tablet

[Aroc]

It looks like I stirred up a hornet's nest here!

Anytime I would have needed a T series, (even for undergrad work) the department would have expensed it (and did). If you're doing work like that, generally you have access to funding.

And about admin access. Well get to know the admin! (I'm talking about departmental machines for research or advanced study, not general computer labs).

This is just based on my experience of having been there.

[autologic]

Wow... lots of stuff I didn't even take into consideration.

I might even get an X series now. It doesn't need to be very powerful - I'm majoring in audio engineering - so most of the heavy duty stuff (which I'd need a G5 with 4 gigs of ram for anyways) will be in the studio / labs.

Hmm...the new X60s with core solo processor looks like a good deal...

[dr_st]

The X series are not sturdier than the T series.
The X series do not have better battery life than the T series (the 14" models that is).

That's for the record.

But the X series are great for portability.

[asiafish]

Some X series do have better battery life than some T series, even 14". An X32 with its main cell will run for a bit over 5 hours, while a 14" Tseries with 6 cell will conk-out after about 4 hours. Sure, the 9 cell will equal or exceed the life of an X32 on its 6 cell, but at a penalty in weight.