upgrading from a 15" UXGA T42p?

[spotter]

My T42p is dying (just replaced the fan, that was cheap, but looking to move on before it goes kaput for good)

Any recommendations on what to upgrade to?

I don't need heavy duty 3D (primarily a linux workstation), but need the resolution (hence like the UXGA screen), hence in truth integrated would be find (and cheaper)

If the T400 came with a WSXGA screen like the 14" T6x's did, I'd get it, but it doesn't seem to. Any ideas if it will in the future?

If the T500 came with a WUXGA screen, I'd strongly consider it (Albiet I believe all the WUXGA screens were T6xp's and hence W series now).

The W500 series is managable, but the most expensive of the lot.

It would also seem that the W500 screen and the T500 screen are the same with the W500 being the T500p in practice. Is that correct?

anyways, any reccomendations would be appreciated.

[pianowizard]

I think one important thing to consider is pixel density, which will determine how small things will appear on the screen. These are the pixel densities of the various high-res Thinkpads currently available:

15.4" @ 1680x1050 = 128.6 Dots Per Inch
15.0" @ 1600x1200 = 133.3 DPI
15.4" @ 1920x1200 = 147.0 DPI
17.0" @ 1920x1200 = 133.2 DPI

I can tell you that when I moved from a 15.0" 1600x1200 screen (same as your T42p) to a 15.4" 1920x1200, it took me a pretty long time to get used to the significantly higher pixel density. If you don't mind getting the massive, heavy and expensive W700, I think its 17.0" 1920x1200 would be ideal, due to its high resolution and a pixel density that's almost identical to your T42p's.

Also, in terms of pixel count, 1600x1200 has 8.84% more than 1680x1050, so if you get a 15.4" 1680x1050 T500, you would lose some real estate. I use 1600x1200 LCDs on a daily basis and used to have a 1680x1050 LCD, and I've found the former to be much more useful for tiling multiple windows and for text documents.

P.S. I just sent you a PM.

[spotter]

The weight of the 17" would be too much for me (I carry my laptop with me everywhere). Even the 15" I survive with by having an AC adapter in the main places I go and only take a battery when I know I'll be wanting to use it on battery (and keeping 1 battery in each of the 2 primary locations I use it)

[Utwig]

You can also consider:
X300, it's as wide as UXGA T42p but lower and has 1440x900 pixels

X61 tablet with SXGA+, it's hard to find. Don't know how Linux is with tablets these days.

W500 has switchable graphics, you can also consider T61p and Z61p

[schen]

My T42p is dying (just replaced the fan, that was cheap, but looking to move on before it goes kaput for good)

Any recommendations on what to upgrade to?

I don't need heavy duty 3D (primarily a linux workstation), but need the resolution (hence like the UXGA screen), hence in truth integrated would be find (and cheaper)

A "near-term" cheap solution would be to pull the MB and put one from a T43 that would drive your screen. Then nothing changes except for the fast 533 vs 400 bus, probably faster CPU (even if you have to upgrade that, they tend to be cheap on eBay than the 400mhz Dothans), much cheaper to upgrade to a full 2Gb on DDR2 than the DDR 2700.

Just an option, that might allow you to take a little more time in waiting for Lenovo to come up with just the right model in a newer series.

[spotter]

Can't seem to get the T61p with a WUXGA screen anymore (at least online).

The X300 is a bit more expensive than I'd want.

[spotter]

Already have 2GB in the T42p.

My desktop is a quad core Q6600 with 4GB of ram and a 24" 1920x1200 lcd. So what my laptop needs to be able to do is

a) run linux
b) compile code
c) write paper (latex/emacs/vi)
d) read papers (pdfs) and hence web
e) IM and email for communication

So what matters to me is

a) weight
b) screen real estate

I like to be able to read a pdf with a full page on the screen. I don't need high end graphics, I just need a minimum of an SXGA resolution. which basically means right now a 15" and if I'm going 15" I might as well go WUXGA.

[schen]

Sounds to me like you are a screen realestate junkie which I am too, just not to that extent. I'm more of a portability guy that values the footprint no large than a sheet of paper. This pretty much means SXGA+ resolution (barring the UXGA 14" screen that a few guys have tried).

There are a number of solutions that you might want to examine that some of the other high resolution guys have tried. So you might want to look up some posts by Underclocker or Piano Wizard, but of whom have some experience playing with high res. screens. If you don't need a lot of GPU horsepower, but want the high resolution plus the flexview screen, you might want to look into the Intel GPU MB swap. The Intel GPU's R52 MB will run the SXGA+ Flexview screen and it would be a direct replacement on a T chassis. Of course that would involved swapping screens to a lower res than you already have, so I'm not certain that it all that useful in your situation. I mentioned it to illustrate the options that there are out there other than to go to a new machine, especially now that Lenovo has no Flexview options available in their lineup.

[spotter]

I should note, the main reason I'm looking to upgrade is that this laptop is now a year out of warranty and out of AmEx extended year.

I'm hard on my laptop, I take it everywhere with me, so like to keep it in warranty (though never paid for the insurance, and never had an issue that seems to have needed it, seems liquid damage is the main thing that requires it)

[schen]

I should note, the main reason I'm looking to upgrade is that this laptop is now a year out of warranty and out of AmEx extended year.

I'm hard on my laptop, I take it everywhere with me, so like to keep it in warranty (though never paid for the insurance, and never had an issue that seems to have needed it, seems liquid damage is the main thing that requires it)

In your situation then, I'd agree that "new" or at least new enough to be warranty upgradeable would be the way to go. Since your machine is still in working condition and of the coveted "p" type, you should be able to sell it for enough of an amount to give the new purchase a boost. I've seen T6x and R6x for sale all the way down into the sub- $500 range. You'd just have to find one still under warranty. On occasion you can also find the rare "bigfoot" like find; a T43 broken, but still under warranty that can be repaired for free!