Thinkpads Forum

Hi everyone, I'm looking at the possibility of an upgrade since Bill was kind enough to inform us all about the current Lenovo holiday sale.

I have a 2.0ghz A31 2652-PCU with a 60gig 7200RPM HDD and half a gig of RAM. Flex-view 1024 x 768 screen. It is my primary computer, really the only one I use. I love the screen. The unit is starting to show its age, I'm running out of room on the HDD and when I have a lot of programs/windows open it does bog down, especially when I'm using the laptop for music while I'm working.

I could add RAM easily enough, but if I increase the size of the HDD I have to buy at least three so I can rotate backups - my backup regimen involves multiple identical computers and multiple identical HDDs. I'd have to leave that behind for now if I buy a new laptop.

I wouldn't mind a lighter laptop, either. I don't travel with this laptop very often but when I do, I know just how big and heavy this one is. On the other hand, I'd still want a 15" screen as high-resolution screens are tough on my eyes and lead to eye-strain.

And I see some comments here about poor screen quality - will I miss my Flexview?

So, I basically like my A31 but it's 4-5 years old, the question is should I put money into more RAM and new HDDs, or will I like a T61 enough (lower weight, faster response time, USB2, etc.) to justify the upgrade? The model I'm considering is the 15.4 WXGA TFT widescreen with integrated graphics, Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7250 (2.0GHz 800MHz 2MBL2), 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm, Windows XP Pro, and I'd probably add RAM from a third-party vendor as it's so cheap right now. Is 3gig as much as XP can detect?

I do not intend to run Vista at this time. Vista came on a new Dell I bought for my mom, I ended up returning the unit - both it and Vista were absolute dogs, and Dell's support is crap. Just FYI.

Thanks for your help! The sale ends Wednesday, so I need to make up my mind by then.

Deb Suran wrote:I have a 2.0ghz A31 2652-PCU with a 60gig 7200RPM HDD and half a gig of RAM. Flex-view 1024 x 768 screen.

It's not a Flexview screen. I think you should go ahead get a 15.4" T61 with 1280x800 resolution. Things will look slightly smaller, but still pretty big, and you gain 30% of working area. Also, it will be almost 2 pounds lighter.

Since you are only getting a WXGA screen, why not get a 14" notebook, which will offer better mobility when you do need it? I would think there is a better/cheaper way to do backups than rotating three hard drives. I use an external laptop hard drive that I throw all my data onto.

I don't know which Dell you got, but the Latitude D630 is a solid machine. You can get with XP and unlike ThinkPads, it has a three year warranty standard. If you are looking for a deal, the D630s usually start around $700 in the Dell Outlet store. There can sometimes be some good ones in the Lenovo Outlet store for Thinkpads as well.

FredGarvin wrote:Since you are only getting a WXGA screen, why not get a 14" notebook

That's because the OP wrote: "I'd still want a 15" screen as high-resolution screens are tough on my eyes and lead to eye-strain."

Thanks for the replies so far.

It's not a Flexview screen.
Really?! I thought it was but I'm too lazy to check *g*. I still love my screen.

I would think there is a better/cheaper way to do backups than rotating three hard drives. I use an external laptop hard drive that I throw all my data onto.
Easier perhaps, but I'm a professional webmaster, my website has dynamic content, and can't afford to lose data or spend a significant amount of time offline. Even if my house burns down I have a near-current copy of my HDD in the safe at the bank, and an identical model ThinkPad at a friend's house (and they also have the other key to the safe deposit box), I can get back online within minutes of the bank opening on the next business day, no loss of business or data. In theory.

Since you are only getting a WXGA screen, why not get a 14" notebook
Yes, eye-strain. I find my current 15.1" 1024 x 768 XGA screen very comfortable. I'm online a minimum of 10 hrs/day.

Gah I've waited hours to get my account enabled to reply

It's nice to see someone still using an A31. That was my first laptop going into college and served me well. I switched to a Dell 700m and just ordered T61p a few days ago. Personally, I would recommend an upgrade. I can definitely say my A31 (which I use as a backup now) is quite slow and upgrading it (RAM!) simply costs too much. I just wanted to say, if you're not wanting to spend too much, why not go for the T60 offer that's posted in this forum? Sure it's a widescreen, but I think it will fit your needs well. Plus, there's places where you can get an additional cashback reward for Lenovo.

Thanks for the heads-up on that deal, if it was the resolution I wanted I'd certainly snap it up but I know I can't use a high-resolution screen. Bought a new one once, had to sell it at a substantial loss due to the extreme discomfort caused by the screen, not making that mistake again.

Going from Flexview to non-Flexview would be a heavy strain on my eyes.