Novice with an IBM T30 notebook

[donyouth]

Notebook description:

( Based on 2366-JBU: P4-M 2.4GHz, 512GB RAM, 60GB HDD, 14.1 SXGA+(1400x1050) TFT LCD, 24x10x24x/8x CD-RW/DVD-ROM, 802.11b wireless/Modem(MPCI), Ethernet(LOM), UltraNav, Secure Chip(TCPA), Li-Ion battery, WinXP Pro )

Greetings. I recently received a T30 Notebook and this is my first laptop. I am new to this whole forum thing and clueless about notebooks. I need some help and have a few questions:

1) Where can I go to update the software ( drivers and Applications ), to get my notebook update? What things (drivers/programs) should I upgrade first.

Also, can anyone suggest any decent programs to keep the laptop up and running and clean? eg. Antivirus, hard drive tools, firewalls, productivity apps.

2) What hardware can I replace to speed up computer (hard drive, memory, wireless device (pcmcia or mini-pic). Also any good reasonable priced website to purchase hardware?

3) How do I care and keep it clean?

4) Is this notebook any good?

5) What unique problems does it have?

6) What can I do, backup and restore ?

Thanks in Advanced.

Much Love from Kingston, Jamaica.

[dr_st]

(1) If you have Thinkpad Software Installer already installed, you can use it to automatically search and download the updates that you need. If not, you can get the Software Installer off Lenovo's site:
http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.ws ... IGR-4ZKMCT

For antivirus and firewall recommendations you can search the forums, it has been brought up multiple times in the past. I'm personally running on Symantec and Kerio and it feels good.

(2) Your configuration is quite maxed out already. You may get some benefits from upgrading the RAM to 1GB and you can upgrade the wireless to 802.11g over 802.11b (internal mini-PCI or PCMCIA), but none of it will make a crucial difference.

(3) Do you mean physical care of the notebook (in which case, just keep it clean as common sense dictates) or clean as in preventing malware/viruses? If it's the latter - a good firewall, antivirus and occasional manual spyware checks (with Ad-Aware, Spybot, Windows Defender and the like) should suffice.

(4) Yes.

(5) No USB 2.0. Kind of a bummer, but you can add via PCMCIA. Also, the CPU may run hot sometimes.

(6) Acronis and Norton Ghost are nice tools for backup and restore.

Edit: corrected USB statement

[JHEM]

Max RAM on the T30 is 2GB (2X1GB PC2100), not 1GB, regardless of the "official" max being 1GB.

Regards,

James

[Kyocera]

You got a good machine there

[donyouth]

Thank You very much for the very Helpful Information... Much appreciated. Once again, THANK YOU ALL.