Got rid of my T400
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 8:53 am
I think thats the reason I've done it, its due to a bad combo of factors, both concerning the laptop, and other factors. Before I received it, I was asked to pay another 70 quid Uk tax... not that impressed, but nevertheless paid it. From the last few weeks, I've been working with both a T43p, and the T400.
The T43p's fans are always on, no matter how much I try to undervolt, after a while I just ignored it. Not that bothered. By contrast, T400 was dead cool and silent. Kudos to the maker. That said, my config didnt have any powerful parts and I undervolted, while tweaking CPU setting, no 3470, nor 35W CPU; where as the T43p was a top-end spec'ed laptop.
I guess I could say its an okay laptop, just not one as I'd liked, and certainly not something I'd used for the next few years in Uni. I'll be taking the laptop to classes often, and whats better than a thinkpad for that? that said, I also intend to play a bit on the laptop; thus wrongly assumed it was going have better multimedia performance, than the T43p. But speakers still just.... and the screen isn't for movies...
Performance wise, once I tweaked the system to minimum, there was nothing to criticise, just that it wasn't fast neither. These days, any C2D based laptop is fast enough, provided you could tweak the settings. Upon first opening the box, 88 processes at the start was a shock, really a pain to live with - once I managed to down it to 60, its was kinda okay.
Compare the form factor to a good old 4:3 T4x, T400 more like a 15 inch laptop- the screen was much wider, and the bezel is thicker than Steve Jobs, just there, right in your face - they probably even could have fitted a 15 inch screen. Speaking of which, the WXGA+ CCFL screen was barely bright enough in my office, had to stick my head closer to see - also panel was washed out, well, its a Thinkpad... Used Intel GMA setting to sorted it out, eventually.
I'm only used to the UK keypad layout, with the big entre key. But since I bought the laptop from America, the US keypad is plain awkard to use, not to mention, the version I got is the first, so the flex was terrible compared to my solid T43p. While I'm sure the solution is a simple replacement keypad, and some serious tape work; I was just not prepared to open the system up, replace the keypad and get rid of the flex. While I've found taking things apart to be a walk in the park, but putting it back, is a challenge that I just didnt wanna to take on.
The palmrest sounded and felt too plastic when tabbed. And generally the interior plastic bits felt cheap - business looking, but not solid as I'd liked. Think I'll get a Macbook pro 13 next, or most likely a XPS 13; cos a high nit T400 will be just to expensive. Macbook pro too limited. This is the last time I'm importing a laptop...
The T43p's fans are always on, no matter how much I try to undervolt, after a while I just ignored it. Not that bothered. By contrast, T400 was dead cool and silent. Kudos to the maker. That said, my config didnt have any powerful parts and I undervolted, while tweaking CPU setting, no 3470, nor 35W CPU; where as the T43p was a top-end spec'ed laptop.
I guess I could say its an okay laptop, just not one as I'd liked, and certainly not something I'd used for the next few years in Uni. I'll be taking the laptop to classes often, and whats better than a thinkpad for that? that said, I also intend to play a bit on the laptop; thus wrongly assumed it was going have better multimedia performance, than the T43p. But speakers still just.... and the screen isn't for movies...
Performance wise, once I tweaked the system to minimum, there was nothing to criticise, just that it wasn't fast neither. These days, any C2D based laptop is fast enough, provided you could tweak the settings. Upon first opening the box, 88 processes at the start was a shock, really a pain to live with - once I managed to down it to 60, its was kinda okay.
Compare the form factor to a good old 4:3 T4x, T400 more like a 15 inch laptop- the screen was much wider, and the bezel is thicker than Steve Jobs, just there, right in your face - they probably even could have fitted a 15 inch screen. Speaking of which, the WXGA+ CCFL screen was barely bright enough in my office, had to stick my head closer to see - also panel was washed out, well, its a Thinkpad... Used Intel GMA setting to sorted it out, eventually.
I'm only used to the UK keypad layout, with the big entre key. But since I bought the laptop from America, the US keypad is plain awkard to use, not to mention, the version I got is the first, so the flex was terrible compared to my solid T43p. While I'm sure the solution is a simple replacement keypad, and some serious tape work; I was just not prepared to open the system up, replace the keypad and get rid of the flex. While I've found taking things apart to be a walk in the park, but putting it back, is a challenge that I just didnt wanna to take on.
The palmrest sounded and felt too plastic when tabbed. And generally the interior plastic bits felt cheap - business looking, but not solid as I'd liked. Think I'll get a Macbook pro 13 next, or most likely a XPS 13; cos a high nit T400 will be just to expensive. Macbook pro too limited. This is the last time I'm importing a laptop...