First time buying a laptop, T43 a good choice?

[dagger25]

This is my first post and I am thinking of getting a T43 the Specs are:

Pentium M 740 - 1.7GHz
512 MB Ram
60GB 5400rpm HD
14.1in 1024x768 LCD
64MB ATI Radeon X300
CDRW/DVD
Intel 802.11bg wireless
Modem
1GB Ethernet
UltraNav
Secure Chip
Fingerprint Reader
6C Li-Ion battery
WinXP Pro
3 Yr Warranty

I am getting it xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx the price is $xxxx Canadian after taxes.

This is my first Laptop and I am a new university grad. Compared to some of the other machines out there with Dual Core and more RAM, will the T43 be sufficient for the next few years of Web surfing, and everyday usage of Office?

Another option I am considering is Lenovo 3000N seriers, however, from the looks of it, the Thinkpads are much better built and higher quality.

Any suggestions as to whether I should get it or not would be greatly appreciated. Are there any other laptops around $1000 that have as good value as the T43?

MOD EDIT: It is against forum rules to discuss EPP pricing.

[EOMtp]

Great choice. Stay with the T43 (or T42, if you can find one). Your price is very good for a new unit from IBM; only alternative for lower price is a used unit from eBay.

HOWEVER: Do yourself a very big favor and get the 14.1" unit with the the SXGA+ (1400x1050) resolution screen. Pay whatever difference that requires; it's more than worth it. If the option does not exist with the offer from your friend, then find another source ... but get the SXGA+ screen.

Also, the price difference between a 7200 RPM drive and 5400 RPM drive is minimal. If possible, ask for a 7200 RPM drive.

Other components (CPU, memory, optical drive) shown are just fine; no need to reconsider. Nothing will augment your enjoyment of that unit as much as the screen I suggested.

Good luck and enjoy!

[pianowizard]

That's such a bargain! But I agree that you should try to get an SXGA+ display. Also, there is a high chance that the unit you end up getting will have a loud fan, and so the computer will sound kind of like a desktop. That doesn't bother me, but if you want a quiet laptop, get something else.

[GomJabbar]

Yes, many people prefer the SGXA+ resolution on a 14.1" display. I have XGA resolution on the 14.1" display of my T42, and I am happy with it. If you have trouble reading small text, then XGA may be for better you, otherwise SGXA+ will be preferrable. On a 15" display, I would not go lower than SGXA+. There are some older threads discussing this. Do a search using the Search button at the top of the page if you want to find those threads.

[pianowizard]

If you have trouble reading small text, then XGA may be for better you

Another thing. From my experience, if you want XGA, then buy a unit whose maximum resolution is XGA. If it's an SXGA+ screen and you reduce the resolution to XGA, the image looks crappy.

[Kyocera]

GomJabbar wrote:
If you have trouble reading small text, then XGA may be for better you

PianoWizard,
Another thing. From my experience, if you want XGA, then buy a unit whose maximum resolution is XGA. If it's an SXGA+ screen and you reduce the resolution to XGA, the image looks crappy.

This is true, XGA is nice on the eyes, SXGA+ is just beautiful.

[dagger25]

Thanks for your help guys.

I do apologize MOD, I read the sticky, but guess I misunderstood the part about posting prices, that or I glanced over it too quickly.

So I should pull the trigger then.

It seems like the Dual Cores are a lot faster if I am multitasking, but else, I believe Pentium M should be good enough and at that price, it seems like a good machine.

[Dimitri_P]

Anybody interetsed in new/used T43 let me know what configuration you want, include your price.

I have couple of used, as well as couple of brand new ones