T61 screen - dump or???
Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:19 pm
I picked up a T61 on ebay recently, and I'm incredibly impressed with the rock solid build quality, the superb keyboard, the looks (yes, i even like the way Thinkpads look, what is all that nonsense about them being boring?) and the performance. The size of the machine is just right for me in terms of thickness, weight etc, I've always liked Thinkpads and always wanted to own one.
I do, however, have a gigantic issue with the screen.
it is a 14.1 1440 x 900 screen, the part number is 42T0427, which makes it an LG screen, I believe.
I'm happy at that resolution for that screen size, but the quality of this screen is really, really poor. I don't know, maybe I'm being picky, but it looks like the sort of screen I'd have expected to get on a laptop 10 years ago, and really not in keeping with the quality of the rest of the machine. The colours are washed out, it is impossible to calibrate to make it acceptable, it can be made "bright", but in an all or nothing sense - it is either not bright enough, or too bright.
For example, I have three laptops in front of me, a 2 year old MacBook, a Sony SZ71 (which incidentally is an unreliable piece of junk, but that's another discussion) and the T61. The T61 has the worst screen by an absolute mile.
I'm a bit gutted by this. I love everything about the laptop except the screen, which, let's be honest, is a pretty important link in the chain.
My question is, is there somewhere I can buy a better screen which I can then fit myself / get someone to fit?
Given the chance, I'd like to keep the machine but pay 100 quid or so if necessary to sort the crappy screen. If it isn't do-able then it'll have to go, which will be a real shame.
Any ideas?
Oh, and supplementary question - what is the quality of the T400 / T500 line compared to the T61? I'd be interested in one of those should I move this one on, but don't really want to find myself lumbered with another crap screen!
I do, however, have a gigantic issue with the screen.
it is a 14.1 1440 x 900 screen, the part number is 42T0427, which makes it an LG screen, I believe.
I'm happy at that resolution for that screen size, but the quality of this screen is really, really poor. I don't know, maybe I'm being picky, but it looks like the sort of screen I'd have expected to get on a laptop 10 years ago, and really not in keeping with the quality of the rest of the machine. The colours are washed out, it is impossible to calibrate to make it acceptable, it can be made "bright", but in an all or nothing sense - it is either not bright enough, or too bright.
For example, I have three laptops in front of me, a 2 year old MacBook, a Sony SZ71 (which incidentally is an unreliable piece of junk, but that's another discussion) and the T61. The T61 has the worst screen by an absolute mile.
I'm a bit gutted by this. I love everything about the laptop except the screen, which, let's be honest, is a pretty important link in the chain.
My question is, is there somewhere I can buy a better screen which I can then fit myself / get someone to fit?
Given the chance, I'd like to keep the machine but pay 100 quid or so if necessary to sort the crappy screen. If it isn't do-able then it'll have to go, which will be a real shame.
Any ideas?
Oh, and supplementary question - what is the quality of the T400 / T500 line compared to the T61? I'd be interested in one of those should I move this one on, but don't really want to find myself lumbered with another crap screen!