Thinkpad T43

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Edwardo · #1 Post by **Edwardo** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:44 am

I'm considering purchasing a T43 notebook that still has 1 year of warranty. It will be for my daughter who will graduate HS in May. Is this the type of notebook that will benefit her? Anything that you can tell me about this machine would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

goofyGAguy · #2 Post by **goofyGAguy** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:56 am

The first thing one would need to know is what will she use the computer for?

zdriver · #3 Post by **zdriver** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:02 am

I am sure it is a great choice for her especially with the factory warranty, depending on the price.
If it has only 512mb ram, invest $50 to upgrade it to 1.5gb
If it has the original 40gb drive, invest $75 for a fujitsu 120gb drive.
Provide the 7digit model code of the thinkpad & people will be able to give you more information on your request.

Edwardo · #4 Post by **Edwardo** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:02 am

Sorry that I didn't give you enough to comment on. She will need this notebook in junior college study, word processing, internet access, email, and power point presentation. Very little if any computer games.

Type 1871
M/N CTO

CPU Intel Pentium M Centrino 1.86GHz
60GB Hard Drive
Display TFT 14.1" LCD 1024X768
1GB DDR RAM
Network BROADCOM Gigabit
Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG
DVD/CD-RW Drive
Modem 56K V.90
Original IBM AC power adapter
Original IBM Li-Ion battery holds good charge but no warranty
2xUSB 2.0 ports

I made an offer of $500 and it comes with accessories and a carring case

Thanks again

ajkula66 · #5 Post by **ajkula66** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:29 am

You may wan to remove the serial # from the post, since one never knows who may be reading it...

What are you paying for the machine in question?

Edwardo · #6 Post by **Edwardo** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:03 am

Thanks for passing on that information. I've change my post and added a price.

ajkula66 · #7 Post by **ajkula66** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:10 pm

Your offer is about $100 above the current market value of that machine...just as an FYI.

Edwardo · #8 Post by **Edwardo** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:00 am

ajkula66,

Thanks for your input it is appreciated. However, where can I pickup a good quality T-43 notebook computer that has good features and a 1 year factory warranty for $400?

killer · #9 Post by **killer** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:20 am

Edwardo, I have owned a T43 (1871-FWG) for over 2 years. It is an excellent machine. As zdriver suggested, make sure you upgrade the RAM. I have 1.5GB in mine.

#10 Post by **Johan** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:47 pm

@ Edwardo:

I have seen your search for a ThinkPad for your daughter, and the classical aspect of your question: "Which laptop should I buy?" is of course one that we have all asked ourselves - one or more times! - and a great deal of very valuable discussions is therefore available in the archives here... which I am certain you will draw advantage from browsing! Some people (such as I!) may perhaps from time to time be a bit too lazy to reply in much detail, once again, about what has already been said and shared here, so because of this well-known aspect of the human nature

I want to point your attention to a few threads on this forum, which might be of your interest (as it is not evident how much you have searched the archives, already?). In order therefore to obtain "a better picture" about T43's (and alternatives), have a look in About to buy; T42 vs T43; NOISE, HEAT, 15" SX vs. UX LC and T4 series suitable for gaming? and t43 15" screen too much/big? - just as a start! And, hey, don't forget to follow the links pointed to in these threads! The Search function available in this forum will bring up much more information... such as peoples experience with battery time on different models, weight and portability, potential problems with T42's versus T43's etc. etc. No need to look anywhere else for information about ThinkPad's - than here!

Good luck with your project!

Best regards,

Johan

zdriver · #11 Post by **zdriver** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:24 pm

The key to his deal is the one year of remaining factory warranty. That makes it an OK deal, just not a spectacular deal. Its like paying $400 for the T43 and $100 for the warranty.
It would be very hard to find a T42 with 1 year remaining warranty at this stage of the game.

ajkula66 · #12 Post by **ajkula66** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:47 pm

Edwardo wrote:

However, where can I pickup a good quality T-43 notebook computer that has good features and a 1 year factory warranty for $400?

You are buying a T43 with integrated graphics and XGA LCD, the lowest-end combination possible. Bunch of them on eBay with these specs for around $400, give or take a few bucks. And yes, most of them have warranty remaining, these are still pretty young machines.

People have been offering T43p units on this forum for $500...and regular ones with higher specs than your intended one for less...

Just my $0.02...

Edwardo · #13 Post by **Edwardo** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:15 pm

Thanks for the tip.

awolfe63 · #14 Post by **awolfe63** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:16 pm

I recently bought one on Ebay with SXGA+, ATI graphics, and similar other specifications (but with a 40GB drive) for $400 on a buy it now. An excellent value as far as I am concerned. I tend to look for better features when buying a used thinkpad (my 4th used one) since they tend to add very little to the price. Memory and drives are easy to upgrade. CPU's are possible to upgrade. Displays a really hard to upgrade and graphics are never worth the trouble.

#15 Post by **underclocker** » Thu May 01, 2008 7:40 pm

Just my 2 cents...

While the T4x design is still my all time favorite ThinkPad and I feel it's the ideal size/features/battery life/weight compromise, there are other very good alternatives in the $400-$500 range that must be considered.

Z61t's, Z61m's, R60's, R61i's can all be had in that range, with a little eBay skill and effort. All are a newer generation design.

On rare occasions, even T60's close at $500 or below.

Edwardo · #16 Post by **Edwardo** » Thu May 01, 2008 9:03 pm

To ajhula66, killer, Johan, underclocker, and zdriver. Thanks to all of you for your professional opinions and advise. As a result I now have a T43 on its way at a reasonable price. If I have a problem with it I now know just where to go for some expert advice.

Thank you

sjthinkpader · #17 Post by **sjthinkpader** » Thu May 01, 2008 9:28 pm

ajkula66 wrote:...
You are buying a T43 with integrated graphics and XGA LCD, the lowest-end combination possible. Bunch of them on eBay with these specs for around $400, give or take a few bucks. And yes, most of them have warranty remaining, these are still pretty young machines.

People have been offering T43p units on this forum for $500...and regular ones with higher specs than your intended one for less...

Just my $0.02...

Integrated graphic may be a blessing. At least it won't come loose.

My kids went thru college with T20/T22/T23s and they held up. Now they are on T4x and GPU problems popped up.

zdriver · #18 Post by **zdriver** » Fri May 02, 2008 12:48 am

You are most welcome Ed , and best of luck with the new thinkpad.

This forum proves time & time again what a great resource it is.
There are many knowledgeable members here, glad you took advantage of that to help you make an informed decision.

SteveS · #19 Post by **SteveS** » Wed May 07, 2008 7:16 pm

I have had a number of T43’s, along with a couple of T40s, and T42s, and have high regards for the T43. IMO, about the only practical thing newer models offer is wide screen display. While widescreen is better for watching DVDs (I am convinced that is the customer need that drives it), they don’t fit as well on the tray in an airline economy seat.

One thing about the 18xx series versus the 26xx series – the former use the Intel integrated graphics controller which does NOT support DVI output. You need a dock or port replicator to access DVI anyway, but these can be easily purchased on e-bay for under $20. They are a great investment if you go from desktop to “on the road” use often. DVI interfaced monitors are always crisp because the pixels map perfectly. VGA have an analog transmission path, and precise pixel mapping requires that the analog scans in the monitor be exactly set correctly, otherwise annoying Moiré patterns show up when you have a lot of fine text on the screen. The new monitors have “Auto Sync” modes that set this automatically, but can still drift on warm-up. If DVI is important to you, avoid the 18xx series.

davidspalding · #20 Post by **davidspalding** » Thu May 08, 2008 12:00 pm

zdriver wrote:... If it has only 512mb ram, invest $50 to upgrade it to 1.5gb

The T43 will benefit from Dual-channel memory if he upgrades to a same-size chip, e.g. another 512MB. And that would be sufficient for what she's going to do (Office).

In the case of what he's considering, another 1 GB RAM will top it out, IIRC. Don't go cheap and put only 512MB more in there...

Concur with the comment about getting a Port Replicator II or MiniDock. I have 2 of the former, 1 of the latter, and a Dock II, love them all. If the machine's > 2 years old, I'd also ask for the # of cycles on the battery. Getting the daughter a new 9-cell battery to go with it will maximize its usability (she can take it to classes, etc).

I would not pay too much for a 18xx series ... the top of the line T43s are nice, and wouldn't disappoint.

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