Getting my thinkpad t41 soon and I need to know a few things

[lonewollf26]

Hi all, this will be my very first laptop and I have a few questions to ask. There are so many wireless routers to choose from, which one is best for the t41? (it has to be easy to set up for I 'm not all that computer savvy) , I need a new battery for it , which brand is best and do I need that Ultrabay Battery Pack as well ? thanks

[ThinkPad]

Any linksys wireless router would work good. I have been using Linksys for a long time and have never had any issues.

For longer battery life I would recommend an OEM 9-Cell battery.

setting up a network is easier now with software to automatically configure.

[visionviper]

Welcome to the forums!

Basically any wireless router will work with the T41. I personally prefer wireless routers made by Linksys because they work really well.

When it comes to getting a new battery for your Thinkpad there are several available. There is the standard 6 cell batteries and the 9 cell batteries. The 9 cell batteries will provide longer life but are a bit heavier. Just look for a genuine Lenovo battery because they will have better build quality. You don't need an ultrabay bay battery pack - your laptop will run just fine without one. People who buy ultrabay battery packs are looking to give them more usage time out of their laptops, but even then I prefer just having a second regular battery.

[jdhurst]

Let us know, please, what you will use the T41 for. Linksys routers work great for Internet. The later Linksys wireless routers do not work well with VPN's (firmware changes caused problems). So be aware of that as you are making your wireless decision. Belkin routers also work well and don't have the VPN problem. ... JDH

[lonewollf26]

I'll be using it to check emails, listen to the radio, gaming, and browsing in general.

which specific models do you guys use, can I get a website link

[ThinkPad]

I dont know if the T41 would be the best choice for gaming. I would suggest a T42p with FireGL T2 video card.

[lonewollf26]

My son likes to go to neopets, gametap.com ,and y8.com things like that. So the t41 is no good for that?

[cmarti]

For those games is more than OK, but you if are going to play high end games the T41 32mb video card will not be sufficient.

[ThinkPad]

for flash games and such the T41 will serve fine. for more graphic intense games you would need more video memory

[KristianJ]

I dont know if the T41 would be the best choice for gaming. I would suggest a T42p with FireGL T2 video card.

Alternatively, a T41p or R50p would be a good choice to consider. George has an R50p for sale in the Marketplace with the 128MB Fire GL GPU, which will definitely ensure that if you have higher end games, they will work well. Note that the R50p is a 15" model and is a fair bit heavier than a T41p, which is a 14" model, so if you're going to travel with the laptop at i times and are fussy about weight, the T41p would be your best choice.