Thinkpads Forum

chrisnyc wrote:Does it really make sense at this date -- the 2623DDU was released over a year ago and is being discontinued, has Windows XP not Vista, etc -- to order one of these?

I do really like the 4:3 screen shape -- don't like widescreen, as well as the Flexview screen, this one UXGA and not available on just about any other notebooks ; but still, the idea of buying this when the current notebooks have Windows Vista, a newer processor, etc, seems a stretch to me.

Others thoughts and comments on this appreciated.

The significance of the video card and UXGA IPS display cannot be stressed strongly enough. This is a machine that will not be able to be purchased (through the manufacturer) very shortly due to the fact that the display is IPS and UXGA. Lenovo is phasing that out. <<redundant I know

Both the processor and the OS can be changed by the end-user.
Graphics memory and GPU cannot be changed and other displays cannot be changed because they are non-existent. Only 15" displays may be substituted for IPS Flexview in the T60P model.

So, someone with an XGA or SXGA 15" T60P could upgrade to the UXGA IPS display but no one else. With laptops the price point is established by these two parameters (graphics processor/memory and display resolution). Anyone who has experience with high-end laptops would back me up on this.

This is an awesome buy.
...especially at this time.

chrisnyc wrote:Does it really make sense at this date -- the 2623DDU was released over a year ago and is being discontinued, has Windows XP not Vista, etc -- to order one of these?

I put everything else on hold while I made arrangements to procure one of these (I live in Canada, so I had to jump through a few hoops)... and I just bought a brand-new T60 (15" SXGA+ FlexView with all the trimmings) three weeks ago. That's how good of a deal I think this is.

The deal closer is the 15" 1600x1200 FlexView display. It is unlikely we will see another laptop display of this quality from any manufacturer, until OLED or SED or whatever the next big thing hits. That trumps everything else... and even then "everything else" is pretty [censored] good. I can swap in a Core 2 Duo CPU. I already have a boxed Vista Ultimate that I can install. All my existing T60 accessories will move right over. And it looks like you can stack multiple discounts found on fatwallet.com and slickdeals.net to get even better pricing than what has been mentioned here so far.

I've seen some pretty amazing deals (Dell's one-day sales spring to mind), but this one takes the cake. Heck, I should have ordered a dozen of these and resold them.

Bing0 wrote:This is an awesome buy.
...especially at this time.

So, did you reorder it with one of the discounts we mentioned?

pianowizard wrote:

Bing0 wrote:This is an awesome buy.
...especially at this time.

So, did you reorder it with one of the discounts we mentioned?

I was on the phone 5 minutes after I saw this this morning.
I had a big discount called a TAP discount. I don't think I am allowed to disclose how much it was, but it was a lot.

I am elated. Believe it or not, had not fate intervened with a bad wireless connection, I would have been stuck with a far less attractive deal on eBay just this morning!
Ready to snipe and 15 seconds to go and my wireless has a hiccup.

Do I think it was a good deal? I was ready to forgo a hefty discount from Lenovo to buy an inferior unit on eBay...

.... !!!

I wish I could grab one too but I'm afraid of getting killed by my wife if she finds another notebook and my credit bills.

First of all, great thread Secondly, I put off buying my T60p for a long time because of the meandering availability of 15" IPS models. Now they just don't exist here, at all. UXGA wasn't even remotely possible - the hassle to get one in NZ is, to my knowledge, extreme. The next best thing was the SXGA+ 15" screen, which as of about two months ago Lenovo Australia didn't stock either (or they did and wouldn't tell me).

Now I hear they're getting rid of the 14.1" 4:3 model, which was my next hope...

Sitting on a 14.1" T43 with what I gather is just a TN panel, I thought I'd share that things aren't nearly as bad you might be afraid. This screen suits me fine - it's better than my last one, and I'm not into photography, so I just wanted people to know that it's not the end of the world. I thought it was, and now it's unlikely that I'll ever get a new T60p, in 4:3, again. Talk about going from bad to worse...

ryengineer wrote:I wish I could grab one too but I'm afraid of getting killed by my wife if she finds another notebook and my credit bills.

Wanna come over and check out mine when it arrives?

There is a huge sale going on on lenovo. I pick one up at around $1250 with the following configuration,

T7200 2G
1G ram(Ordered another from frys.com at $49.99)
160 hard drive(5400 )
and all other standard configurations

the price comes with: a lot of money - epp(15% off) - Amex(15%) - fatwallet (3.5 % off) = $1259 ( or something around that)

taob wrote:

ryengineer wrote:I wish I could grab one too but I'm afraid of getting killed by my wife if she finds another notebook and my credit bills.

Wanna come over and check out mine when it arrives?

I might, thanks for the offer.

yangkuan81 wrote:the price comes with: a lot of money - epp(15% off) - Amex(15%) - fatwallet (3.5 % off) = $1259 ( or something around that)

That's wonderful! Almost as cheap as the $1,100 UXGA T60p that lucky guy bought on eBay last week.

Welcome to the forum!

yangkuan81 wrote:T7200 2G
1G ram(Ordered another from frys.com at $49.99)
160 hard drive(5400 )
and all other standard configurations

Probably no UXGA FlexView though?

ryeengineer wrote:Kyocera

Have to give credit where credit is due, gator took the time to put this great information together in one spot so we could keep this discussion on track as there were several threads with similar information. I did the hard part and stickied it for him
Gator is a helpful member and not a bad Guitar player either

Thanks gator.

Mike

Thanks for your kind words Kyocera.

i have a T60p 2613 CTO, came with SXGA+ IPS 15". i liked the panel but wanted more real estate so, after reading up on the forum, decided to upgrade. Lenovo charges $846.72 for a Hydis UXGA raw panel. wasn't sure about that yet. looked on ebay and found a seller named "browngranite" who sells grade A refurb panels (grade A means 5 or less pixel defects -- new and good quality). he was selling the same Hydis panels for $250. i reviewed his ebay record and decided to buy. as of wednesday april 11, he said he had 8 Hydis UXGA grade A panels left for that price. this seller also offers a 3 year part warrantee for fairly cheap... under $40 if i remember right.

i got it and had it installed and tested. the quality is new, no pixel defects found. the screen is extremely clear and bright. it was initially a bit more pale in color than my SXGA+, but i was able to tweak that in the ATI control center. also, i've increased font dpi in windows since it's otherwise very small. still, using programs and browsing web pages is more of a concentrated experience. i've boosted font sizes in firefox as well. images including text buttons, of course, are quite a bit smaller and not as relaxed a read as the SXGA+ for me at least. however, the overall graphics quality of the interface is incredibly clear and refined... much more so than SXGA+. there's a measurable good bit of real estate gained as well.

if anyone was looking to do this swap, check that ebay seller while you can. if these IPS panels are becoming a rarity then this may be your chance.

How did you get it installed?


What was the part number for the panel, is it the Lenovo

13N7076 - BOE-Hydis LCD panel, 15 inch UXGA FFS,

or

13N7194 - BOE-Hydis LCD panel, 15 inch UXGA FFS (sRGB)

I also just installed a 13N7076 from e-bay. Installed it myself with the IBM directions. Pretty simple if you are used to messing around inside of computers. Wish I could have found a 13N7194, but that's just obsessing too much. If I did it again, I would probably do the swap with the LCD still on the laptop rather than takeing the whole thing off. I also upgraded from a SXGA+.

I was wondering exactly the same thiing. It seems the 13N7194 panel is nowhere to be found so I am guessing it is the 13N7076. Look forward to learning the answer.

tamx0004 wrote:I also just installed a 13N7076 from e-bay. Installed it myself with the IBM directions. Pretty simple if you are used to messing around inside of computers. Wish I could have found a 13N7194, but that's just obsessing too much. If I did it again, I would probably do the swap with the LCD still on the laptop rather than takeing the whole thing off. I also upgraded from a SXGA+.

A couple of questions - what do you mean by doing the swap with the LCD still on the laptop rather than taking the whole thing off? And why would you rather have the 13N7194? Thanks

WPWoodJr wrote:How did you get it installed?


What was the part number for the panel, is it the Lenovo

13N7076 - BOE-Hydis LCD panel, 15 inch UXGA FFS,

or

13N7194 - BOE-Hydis LCD panel, 15 inch UXGA FFS (sRGB)

it was this one: 13N7076
the sRGB is not easily found. there are still some 13N7076 as stated in my above post. but the 13N7076 is really good quality... i'm impressed with the clarity, detail, and price. personally, i had a really experienced tech do it for me, and he did a flawless job, tested and everything, in only one labor hour. finding this seller on ebay was great since i was actually about ready to buy from lenovo and spend an extra $600 for absolutely nothing.

I thought this would be a good link for those still ambivalent about the T60 display. Admittedly the 15" model is an R60, but the screen comparison is still relevant:

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3002

Meaning I should have just removed the lcd bezel and remove the LCD rather than removing they keyboard, palm rest, and the whole screen assembley from the laptop.

WPWoodJr wrote:

tamx0004 wrote:I also just installed a 13N7076 from e-bay. Installed it myself with the IBM directions. Pretty simple if you are used to messing around inside of computers. Wish I could have found a 13N7194, but that's just obsessing too much. If I did it again, I would probably do the swap with the LCD still on the laptop rather than takeing the whole thing off. I also upgraded from a SXGA+.

A couple of questions - what do you mean by doing the swap with the LCD still on the laptop rather than taking the whole thing off? And why would you rather have the 13N7194? Thanks

I'm having difficulties finding out the monitor part number for my T60.
In T43 usually all i have to do is to press that blue thinkvantage magic button and then system information and then warranty and parts. But I couldn't find the same thing under T60.

A little help would be appreciated thanks,

jlingo wrote:I'm having difficulties finding out the monitor part number for my T60.
In T43 usually all i have to do is to press that blue thinkvantage magic button and then system information and then warranty and parts. But I couldn't find the same thing under T60.

A little help would be appreciated thanks,

Click Here

If the link does not work then just go to lenovo.com click support and downloads then parts look up and then enter your Type and Serial #. Alternatively you can get your machine detected automatically and look for warranty info and then parts lookup for your system.

Does it mean that even 14" SXGA+ will be discontinued as well (and replaced by widescreens) ?

Puppy wrote:Does it mean that even 14" SXGA+ will be discontinued as well (and replaced by widescreens) ?

The T61 will still offer 14.1" 4:3 screens, so my guess is SXGA+ will be an option.

Anyone in Houston area with BOE Hydis UXGA?

I would like to compare the IDTECH UXGA and the BOE side by side. And I know a number of members of the forum are interested in a comparison. I've got an IDTECH UXGA system here, i'll bring it by.

okashira wrote:Anyone in Houston area with BOE Hydis UXGA?

I would like to compare the IDTECH UXGA and the BOE side by side. And I know a number of members of the forum are interested in a comparison. I've got an IDTECH UXGA system here, i'll bring it by.

Yeah that would be a cool comparison. Also, to compare the LG SXGA+ Flexview to those other two. I have the LG if anyone in the Philadelphia area wants to do a comparison with the IDTECH and/or BOE UXGA T60 displays. I'll bring my monitor calibrator and calibrate your monitor too!

pianowizard wrote:

chrisnyc wrote:Does it really make sense at this date -- the 2623DDU was released over a year ago and is being discontinued

Yeah, that's why it's only $1800 (through Visa) rather than $2500.

chrisnyc wrote:but still, the idea of buying this when the current notebooks have Windows Vista

Vista still has lots of problems, as many forum members have reported. Many users still prefer XP Pro.

Also, for the great majority of people, there is no real-life difference between Core Duo and Core 2 Duo.

But for many people, 15" UXGA Flexview is miles better than any of the currently available LCDs (of any brand, not only Thinkpads).

If you think of it this way, $1,800 plus tax is totally worth it.

I have run Vista on an identical ThinkPad to mine running XP Pro, it's no contest. XP Pro is still the way to go, for a least another year.

Speed: I agree completely again based on real world comparison with ThinkPads in my office the difference between Core Duo and Core 2 Duo is all but impossible to notice. Only during the most intensive 3D work is there the slightest difference.

I am SO GLAD to have IPS Flexview on both my T60 and T60p machines, as this type of display is simply stunning and so far superior to anything else I've seen.

tamx0004 wrote:I also just installed a 13N7076 from e-bay. Installed it myself with the IBM directions. Pretty simple if you are used to messing around inside of computers.

Hey tamx0004
Where did you find the directions for installing the LCD? Also, was your old one the IDTech? If so, were you able to leave everything the same and just swap in the Boe Hydis?
Thanks,
DenTP4rm

DenTP4rm wrote: Where did you find the directions for installing the LCD?

This information can be found in the T60 hardware maintanence manual. This is found here:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-62733