Got a T23 Off Ebay, Now What?

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flashstar · #1 Post by **flashstar** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:28 am

I recently impulsively bought a T23 IBM laptop on Ebay from a reputable seller. The reason why is that I'm planning on using it in school for taking notes as well as on the go as a media player etc.

Anyway, here is a link to the Ebay page:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... TQ:US:1123

The laptop itself appears to have all of the modular items downgraded. The original 30gb hard drive has been replaced by a (probably slow) 4gb model and the original memory was replaced by a single 64 mb stick. I purchased the following in order to make the laptop at least usable:

I paid an additional $20 for a DVD drive, 256 mb total memory in 2 separate sticks, and a new battery. I plan on using my iGO AC adaptor for now until I get around to buying a real adaptor. The total after these upgrades and shipping came to $172.

Additionally, he screen seems to have a few black specks underneath the LCD. Other than this and a slightly worn keyboard, think that I got a fairly good deal for the cost.

Ideally, I would like to touch on a few older games as well as be able to store a few movies and my collection of music on the laptop so I am going to have to buy a few more upgrades. I'm thinking about the following:

60GB 7200 rpm Hitachi drive- $66
512 mb stick- $60
Ultrabay battery (for extended use without recharging during the day)- $15
CMOS Battery- $5
Possible internal miniPCI a/b/g wireless card- $10

I'm sorry about the confusion with my post, but I also have a few questions.

1. Does this particular model have support for a wireless miniPCI card? If so, which ones can I use? I currently have an 802.11b pcmcia card and I'm curious as to what the benefits are of going with an integrated card.

2. Am I going to need to replace the CMOS battery? The laptop is 6 years old so I'm guessing that I probably will need to.

3. Should I go with a hard drive or RAM first? I don't want to spend more than $250 total, but I guess that I wouldn't mind spending more if it would make this computer a super-speedy system.

4. Will I be able to play games like UT, Quake 3, and maybe UT04? I got this laptop under the presumption that all reasonably priced laptops that I could afford would be relatively slow, but games would be a plus.

5. What might the small specks under the screen be caused by? Is there any way to fix this?

Thank you.

ajkula66 · #2 Post by **ajkula66** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 1:00 am

This model does not support a wireless mini-PCI without modification. Stick with a good PCMCIA card and you'll be OK.

Begin with upgrading the HDD, you don't have to go to 7200rpm, 5400 will do just fine and you'll save a few bucks.

RAM, when you get a chance/funds, should be your next step.

As long as it's not prompting you to re-adjust time/date on every boot, CMOS battery is OK.

Dark spots are pressure marks from keyboard/trackpoint contact and are there to stay.

I don't play games, so I can't help you with that, but don't expect much from a machine that has 16Mb video.

All of that said, T23 is an ideal first ThinkPad. Personally, I love them.

Good luck.

phool@round · #3 Post by **phool@round** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:16 am

I have to second ajkula66's responses to your questions.

He posted before I could (I'm on dialup with my 760XD, taking it out for a walk....) he gave you rock solid veteran advice.....

T23's are very solid machines, they where my first as well. I still own 2 top of the line models, can't part with em.... so have fun with it and post away!!!!!

Here's a link to a great spec's page on the T23; http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T23

And here's a link to the T23 IBM Hardware Maintenance Manual which is an essential, must have; ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... 2p9631.pdf

P.S. If your really bothered by the screen......... take it apart when you've spent some time with your new best friend and find the FRU#. Check in with our "Marketplace" and see if someone has one they'll sell. Trust me, it's "THE" place for quality all the way around.

Phazer · #4 Post by **Phazer** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 6:06 am

Make sure the ram you get is 133 FSB not 100, (100 is more common). It will support 1gig of ram but the consesus here is that anything over 512 isn't a big increase inperformance so buying 2 128's can be done as funds allow. D-link has been mentioned as a good PCMCIA wireless card that receives a strang signal.

As stated, once you get comfy with your new friend, remove the hinge covers and lube the hinges. It prevents some future long term problems with broken drive bay supports and broken palm rests/keyboard bezel.

#5 Post by **rkawakami** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:06 am

Make sure that you can access the BIOS without any password getting in the way. If you don't do that now and your CMOS battery dies (if original, sooner than later) or is removed, then the supervisor password automatically kicks in. By that time you may not be able to contact the previous owner and ask what he/she put in there.

I'd recommend a minimum of 512MB of memory if you're running XP. I'm not a gamer either so sorry, no advice on those games. But as ajkula66 said earlier, don't expect fast frame rates with the 16MB connected to the S3 SuperSavage video chip.

flashstar · #6 Post by **flashstar** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 1:37 pm

Well, today I got the laptop. The machine appears speedy enough, however it will need some substantial upgrades.

The seller did not mention the following problems:

1. One of the display hooks appears to be jammed.

2. The keyboard is quite worn and is lifting up at the function key.

3. I did not get the free memory upgrade, however I was not expecting this.

Right now, it seems that my order of upgrades has changed. I will need to first buy a 512mb memory stick. (It has 64 mb currently), then I will need to see how I can fix the display and finally, I'm going to need to get a new keyboard or hard drive.

Any suggestions?

I'll post some pics.

Thanks!

Edit: I pushed f1 and was able to get into the bios.

#7 Post by **rkawakami** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:34 pm

Which latch is stuck/broken, right or left? I have a couple of spares. They are fairly easy to replace once you have the LCD bezel removed. You may find that the spring has jammed or the plastic pin on the latch has broken. If the guide/channel attached to the lid is broken then that may require a new lid.

Keyboards are relatively cheap and easy to replace (~$15-$20 on eBay). The "lifting up" near the left corner may simply mean that the keyboard is not fully pushed down beneath the bezel.

512MB PC133 memory modules have been going for around $45-$50 on eBay. If you are patient, they can be had for less.

If the display has dark spots that might be a problem with the backlight or reflector. Black or dark specks can be dust/dirt inside the display or dead pixels.

flashstar · #8 Post by **flashstar** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:05 pm

Here are some pictures describing the trouble areas.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7375/pict5682dc3.jpg
Here is a shot of the stuck display hook.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/5500/pict5680ee3.jpg
Here is a picture of the lifted-up function key.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/2879/pict5676mm5.jpg
Here you can see some of the specks as well as a problem with lighting conformity.

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/2396/pict5678rv4.jpg
Here is a better shot of one of the larger "specks".

Thanks again.

Edit: Are there any specific 512 mb pc133 modules that I should get?

Moderator edit: HUGE 1600x1200 pictures removed; please keep inline pictures <50KB

ErikD · #9 Post by **ErikD** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:26 pm

I don't know, but it would seem to me that for about the same money you could get a T4x laptop which would probably be better suited to what you want.

From those pictures it looks like the laptop was either dropped or taken apart and put back together by someone who didn't really know how to do it properly. Shouldn't be that hard to clean and fix up if you like.

RAM - just any old PC133 has worked for me. It is pricey, so I just look for the cheapest of the bunch and go with that. How much to get is up to you, and how you work. I like 1GB as a minimum because I tend to open a lot of applications and multi-task. I also tried doing some DVD converting for streaming media (converted a DVD to WMV to put on my server) using a T23 and it used plenty of RAM.

#10 Post by **rkawakami** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:28 pm

Left latch: probably fixable as it looks like the latch has been pushed out of the guide in the lid (bezel is sticking out as well)

Function key: looks like the keyboard has not been pressed down enough

Black specks: (first picture) Blurry, but if it's the "squarish" blob just to right of center, don't know what it is. Light non-uniformity could be a problem with the LCD reflector or hot spots in the backlight itself. The second picture appears to show some debris inside the panel. Based on past history, it might move around (a thread from last year had that problem).

512MB memory: Any PC133 module will work (8 or 16 chips). Suggested vendors are Micron/Crucial, Samsung, Elpida... (see: this post)

flashstar · #11 Post by **flashstar** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 5:06 pm

I really wish that I had saved up and purchased the t40 instead, but I already spent the money on the laptop, and the seller said that he won't accept returns so I'm kind of stuck. Next time, I will be more careful on Ebay.

I will purchase a 512mb pc133 stick from Ebay asap, but what will I need to do specifically in order to clean it up? Will I need a new lcd assembly? I already got the manual.

Thanks.

ErikD · #12 Post by **ErikD** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 6:33 pm

My first step would be just to take the screen assembly apart, clean everything up, and carefully put back together. Looks like it might just be dust/debris caught between the sections. When putting back together work carefully to make sure everything is fit together as it should be and see if any parts are actually broken.

flashstar · #13 Post by **flashstar** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 7:10 pm

I guess that I will need to do that. What should I look for in order to isolate the LCD conformity problem?

I also found the original auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0169211552

btw, I apologize for the large pictures previously.

Moderator edit: Shortened URL to prevent horizontal scrolling

phool@round · #14 Post by **phool@round** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:59 am

I can't load the pics since I'm using dialup (28.8k) and they are mondo massive (insert dramatic expression of your choice _________ ) with my chugging connection....... my prob.

From what I saw of the auction pics, the large, dark shaded area of the screen might be front bezel twist or lid bulged putting pressure on the screen. Removal will identify. Correcting, I dunno. Have to wait and see what gives.

Yes, with the bucks spent/planned you could have picked up a modest T4X. BUT......This is a good OJT laptop. You'll gain mucho wisdom.....and it will hopefully nullify ALL FUTURE buying impulses......

flashstar · #15 Post by **flashstar** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 12:22 pm

Thanks for the help. I got a $15 refund from the seller, so that helps a little... Also since I'm not going to have a laptop sitting around doing nothing, I ordered the following parts from Ebay:

1x 120gb Seagate Momentus 5400.3 $75 inc shipping
1x 512mb ram stick $55 inc. shipping
3x new trackpoints $5.55 inc. shipping
1x 14.1" XGA LCD $70 inc shipping
+ $155 inc. shipping for laptop

So, the total currently is $360 which isn't too bad and is still less than a good T4X.

Anyway, I'm going to crack her open today and do a full rebuild. I'll tell you what happens.

Edit: I found another good deal on Ebay, a new 14.1" XGA screen from a working T23. I order it for $70.

#16 Post by **schen** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:29 pm

You've already gotten a lot of top notch replies to your OP already from some of the forum's "old pros", so I'm not going to add much. It sounds as though you've already jumped into this thing with both feet as well so there's no real purpose in discussing the relative merits in low end of the T30/40 vs. upgraded T23 either.

I'm in the DFW area (I'm certain you know where Forney is), so I'd be happy to help you with any glitches you might come across or little parts that you might need and don't want to hassle with getting on ebay to buy a $1.00 part and pay $12 shipping! I probably have a few things (such as a port replicator) you could have as well that's not really worth my while to try and sell.

Good luck with your new ThinkPad. I loved my T23 before I moved on to a newer model.

flashstar · #17 Post by **flashstar** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:44 pm

Thanks schen for the info. I thought after buying the laptop that I might as well get it working since I'm planning to use it for about 2 years. I have practically purchased everything that it needs, but I am still looking for some Ultrabay devices like ultrabay batteries and hard drive adaptors. The port replicator sounds interesting too. Anyway, if you have anything that you want to get rid of, send me a message.

Btw: I play paintball sometimes in Forney.

Edit: I talked to one of the other owners of my T23 and I guess that it used to be at a corn processing plant for several years. During that time, it was supposedly stepped on, probably with a boot.

I'm really surprised that it's still intact!

phool@round · #18 Post by **phool@round** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:42 pm

That would explain the dark area(s) on the screen..........

#19 Post by **schen** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 1:13 pm

In terms of expansion, you can go in 3 different directions. Connect a bunch of devices, put different Ultrabay adapter in the Ultrabay or get a Dock/Port Replicator. Port Replicators are limited by design since they are really only there to facilitate connecting and disconnecting your external devices from/to you machine. But if you get into the Dock (Model 2631 for the T23), then you have a whole different kettle of fish since they have a regular PCI slot as well as more PCMCIA bays as well. It gives you the ability to convert the whole she-bang into a desktop when you are connected, even to the extent of having better video performance (if that's what you have in the PCI slot).

John H · #20 Post by **John H** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 7:51 am

I may have an FDD and a CDRW/DVDR drive for the bay (leftover from a bunch of T23s I gifted children with a couple years ago) if this is still alive.

flashstar · #21 Post by **flashstar** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:23 pm

John H, sent pm.

Got a T23 Off Ebay, Now What?

Got a T23 Off Ebay, Now What?

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