Have a T40 on the way... what should I do to get ready??

[devildog2067]

Well I just bought a T40 from member BobA. He was very helpful, both in building it to my specs and on the price (I drive a hard bargain ).

Should be here early next week. Already found a home for my old T23 (which means that I'm suffering on a Dell Inspiron 2600 that the physics department issued me--this thing SUCKS).

What do I need to do to get ready? Anything in particular that I should read? Any software I need to get other than the fan control stuff?

The system is:
"T40, SXGA, PM 1.6GHz, 60G/7200rpm HD, DVD, WiFi, 512M memory
The original model is 2373-A1U if you want to look it up on IBM's web site. There is no warranty left on it. "

As far as buying stuff for it goes, so far all I've ordered is a new laptop bag (Swissgear Synergy, to replace the over-the-shoulder fancy leather briefcase I've been using--now that I'm a student again I find a backpack much more convenient). What accessories should I be looking for? I think I'm going to want an Ultrabay battery, I don't know about a 9-cell... I don't think I like the way that it sticks out.

Any advice? Words of wisdom for a new owner?

Thanks.

[GomJabbar]

Enjoy!

Can't think of much thats necessary, except I think I remember reading of users who have a habit of picking up the base by one corner sometimes end up with motherboard problems later. The flexing of the motherboard causes a break in one of the copper traces.

[gyoza1]

You might want to look into getting an ultrabay slim 2nd hard drive adapter.

For days when you know you won't be needing the optical drive, putting the empty adapter in its place sheds a few ounces off the T40. This doesn't sound like much, but if you're a student who has to haul all kinds of books and gear around, it really helps.

[pianowizard]

If you don't have a cable lock for it, I suggest that you get one. Also, do you have software for playing DVDs?

[devildog2067]

A cable lock is one of the few things that I was issued with this POS Dell that I can actually use, however, I actually have a private office (for some reason, even though I work for one of the world's largest experiments, I'm in one of the smallest research groups at Northwestern) so theft is not much of a concern for me. It'll either be in my hands or locked in my office, and I don't live on campus (I'm an older grad student, married with kids; I own a house).

I have a legit copy of PowerDVD that came with a system I bought 3 or 4 years ago. Is there better and/or newer freeware DVD software available?

[pianowizard]

I have a legit copy of PowerDVD that came with a system I bought 3 or 4 years ago. Is there better and/or newer freeware DVD software available?

Newer DVD software tends to require more CPU and RAM resources, which is why I prefer using slightly older software like the one you have (I still use PowerDVD 5). However, if your copy of PowerDVD didn't come with an IBM computer, you may not be able to install it on your T40.

[KristianJ]

I'd assume that WinDVD would be installed already...that should be just fine, I'd think, although I've never had the means to compare with any of the other main DVD software apps.

Also, it might be a good idea to download a copy of the T4x hardware maintenance manual for those future upgrades (such as the wifi card to something other than 802.11b) or any other occurrences that mean you need to pull out the screwdriver.