Thinkpads Forum

My IBM T42 died recently. It seems like the power supply has gone bad. It served me well for about 3 1/2 years. I'm considering 3 different choices for a replacement. I mostly use the computer for email and Internet access. I liked the 14" SXGA+ screen of my T42 and want a similar size one for a new notebook. If I continue with a MS operating system I prefer XP.

1) T400 with a P8400, Windows XP, 2 MB memory,
14.1 WXGA+ screen with LED, stock 80 GB HD (may replace it in the future), CD/RW, not sure which wireless card, 6 cell battery, 3 year depot warranty. This seems like the most similar current replacement to a T42.

2) Refurbished Thinkpad T61.
ThinkPad T61 Refurbished
Part Number: CA8897RF3
Price: $849.00
Now $574.16
refurbished T61 for $574.16

Processor
Intel® Core 2 Duo T5270 (1.40 GH)
Operating System
Genuine Windows XP Professional
Screen
14.1in 1400x1050 LCD
Memory
1 GB RAM
Hard Drive
100 GB HDD
Optical Storage
CDRW/DVD
Wireless
802.11abg
Warranty
1 Year
Battery
6 Cell
Features
1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip
Bluetooth
No
Video Card
Intel X3100

My hesitation about this one is that it has a slow processor by current standards. It seems like it'd be a very cost effective replacement for the dead T42.

3) A Macbook.

What are your pros and cons about the choices?

1. The build quality of this machine exceeds that of the T4x series.
2. You'll want to buy a T6x keyboard (see the "Keyboard Compatibility Chart" thread).
3. The LED screen will NOT disappoint you.

The price on that T61 seems pretty good, you could always buy it and if the processor is too slow for you, upgrade it (if that's within your skill set).

Take a look at this unit as well: http://stores.channeladvisor.com/Lenovo ... efurbished

Frankly, I would not buy a new machine with a 1.4 GHz processor these days. I know it is dual-core, but I would guess that single-threaded performance is going to be roughly the same as a 1.8 GHz Pentium-M. In other words, you wouldn't see significantly better performance than your T42 in typical applications.

If you really want to do this cheaply, just buy a new power supply for your T42. They are $40 from Lenovo and cheaper on Ebay.

If you are willing to spend the money for a new machine, the T400 is very nice. My wife used to have a T40, and my new T400 feels similar in size and weight. My T400 is very similar to the one you described in your post, and I am 100% happy with it.

The low cost refurbished T61 (choice #2) is now gone. Did someone from here buy it? It, or ones like it, had been available for over a week, until recently in the mid $600s. My T42 served my needs very well. If it can be fixed for about $40, it'd be well worth it. Even, just to keep it as a backup computer, if I buy a new one. I think I'd prefer the SVGA+ screen of my T42 to a wider and shorter WXGA+ screen of a new T400 or T61.

See this thread:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=33952

There's a guy on ebay offering to fix the GPU's...

sparta.rising makes a good point. There is a known problem with the T4x laptops where the GPU comes unsoldered from the motherboard and causes intermittent freezes/errors. That might be your problem and not the power supply. Check out the thread he posted for possible solutions.

The AC adapter (power supply) is easy enough to check. Either try it on another Thinkpad or measure output voltage at 16v DC center pin with a multimeter.