What Would You Do? A Computer Dilemma

[bhurley]

I've been using a ThinkPad T42 as a desktop replacement for a few years, and while I've generally been happy with this solution I'm forever running out of space on my hard drive. My T42 came with a 30-gig drive, which I've since upgraded to a larger one but even that's down to 10 gigs remaining now.

When Lenovo came out with the new A61e desktop machine, I thought it would be the right choice (I'm an environmental consultant, so buying a "green machine" that is recyclable and uses very little energy is important to me)...I would use it as my main computer; it would be faster and have a much more capacious hard drive (160 gigs). The problem is that it came with Vista and my T42 runs XP. I've been using the A61e off and on for a month now and have come to the conclusion that I can't use Vista; I'm running into too many roadblocks with it in terms of compatibility. The company I work for is sticking with XP; at the time I ordered my A61e there was no option to get XP pre-installed although I could of course purchase the downgrade disks if I want to go that route.

But the other issue is this: it's a headache to have two machines. With my laptop as my only computer, there was no need to synch files whenever I need to travel; I just disconnected the laptop from the monitor and keyboard, and I was ready to go.

So I'm leaning toward selling the desktop, but am torn about what to replace it with. My ThinkPad is still running fine, but running out of space. The way I see it, my choices are:

1. Continue using the ThinkPad as a desktop replacement and buy an external hard drive for files I'm unlikely to need while traveling, thus freeing up space.

2. Downgrade the desktop machine to XP and use that as my primary computer, keeping the ThinkPad for travel.

3. Get rid of both the desktop machine and the ThinkPad, and buy a MacBook Pro to run everything (I use both Windows and Mac OSX, currently on separate machines, and I do already own a legal copy of Windows XP Professional. I spend most of my time in Windows and mainly use the Mac for personal stuff, music, photos, etc.). My main concern about going that route is that I'd probably have to buy a new monitor, which makes this by far the most expensive of all the options.

What would you do?

[Brad]

This was not one of your options but you may have thought about it. How about a larger ThinkPad hard drive? You have already upgrade once so you know how to do it.

Brad

[goofyGAguy]

I like option #1 myself.

[bhurley]

This was not one of your options but you may have thought about it. How about a larger ThinkPad hard drive? You have already upgrade once so you know how to do it.

Brad

True, I hadn't considered that. The largest hard drive available for my model is 100 gigs, which is about twice what I have now.

I actually have an external drive but it's one of those portable ThinkPad drives (60 gigs), which turned out to be a bad buy: when I got it there was a warning in the box saying that you're not supposed to keep it connected if you allow your computer to go to sleep. Plus it uses both of my USB ports, leaving me no way to connect my keyboard and mouse; I don't think it works with a dock.

[joester]

Option #1 in a USB 2.5" enclosure with a 100GB/7200RPM drive.

100GB completely portable, under $100, and it fits nicely in a shirt pocket.

Plus, you get to keep your toys!

Joe

[RealBlackStuff]

Toshiba now make a 320GB hard disk in 2.5" format for your TP, which should be available around now
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... _hard.html

[mgo]

I'm forever running out of space on my hard drive. My T42 came with a 30-gig drive, which I've since upgraded to a larger one but even that's down to 10 gigs remaining now.

Another idea would be to buy an Ultra Bay adapter and a nice 200-plus gig hard drive for it. That way you have plenty of real estate for your files and they are all contained on the ThinkPad. No external drive to tote along.

I also suggest an additional, external 2 1/2 inch USB drive (they are up to 250 gig capacity now) that runs off the USB bus, no second USB connection needed.

That would be good for saving your files at home, in case the ThinkPad (heaven forbid) gets stolen while it's out in the field.

[tfflivemb2]

True, I hadn't considered that. The largest hard drive available for my model is 100 gigs, which is about twice what I have now.

RealBlackStuff replied to this as well...the documentation might say 100GB because that might have been the largest drive available at the time. Your T42 will take the largest PATA 2.5" hard drive that they make, which I believe RBA pointed out as 320gb. (I personally was only aware of a 200GB harddrive)

[bhurley]

RealBlackStuff replied to this as well...the documentation might say 100GB because that might have been the largest drive available at the time. Your T42 will take the largest PATA 2.5" hard drive that they make, which I believe RBA pointed out as 320gb. (I personally was only aware of a 200GB harddrive)

Thanks -- I was just going by what Lenovo offers today on their website as being compatible with my model of T42. I guess any brand of hard drive that fits should work, although I swear I remember reading somewhere on this forum that using non IBM or non-Lenovo hard drives in ThinkPads can cause problems....maybe I'm just imagining that.

[tfflivemb2]

<snip>...although I swear I remember reading somewhere on this forum that using non IBM or non-Lenovo hard drives in ThinkPads can cause problems....maybe I'm just imagining that.

You know what....you're right. I thought that it was for the T43 only, but there might be a "whitelist" on the T42, also. I would search the forum pretty quickly for "T42" Hard drive" (all terms) and read through there. There might be a list in there somewhere...

[gator]

AFAOK, there is no whitelist for the T42.

[ajkula66]

Even if there is a "whitelist" for T42 (which i doubt, because I've had a variety of drives in my T42 and T42p machines, including some manufacturers that were NEVER supported by IBM/Lenovo), you could still pop it in through an Ultrabay adapter, and run it as a 2nd hard drive with no issues, regardless of manufacturer or size. People have done this even on T43s where the compatibility issues are evident.

Not too many laptops beat a nice, upgraded T42...and these that do, cost a ton of money....

[iamdmc]

If you're not huge on portability, make an external hard drive (3.5")

NexStar 3 eSATA/USB case = $30
500GB Seagate SATA II = $80 (average price $100)
750GB Seagate SATA II = $150
1TB Seagate SATA II = $200

*prices are taken from the latest sale on NCIX.com, now sold out but likely to return soon.

I have a 500GB HDD, and I never worry about space on my laptop's hard drive. I also recommend having at least 80GB of space on a laptop HD, preferrable at 7200RPM or 5400RPM.

Otherwise, just pump a few bucks into RAM for the T42, and she'll run like a charm. No need for a new Macbook unless you really want a shiny new toy (nothing against that - it's why I bought my X61s)

GL

[bhurley]

Thanks, everyone -- there seems to be a consensus!

I will probably go the external drive route, although the Ultrabay option is interesting too; the advantage to having an external drive is that I can use it for backups and it can stay here when I travel. But I have a REV drive that I use to make offsite backups (I give the disks to a friend who keeps them at her office), so either way I should be fine.

[dsigma6]

OP- I don't see how your #3 is a solution...It's like "sell the T42 and buy a ranch in southern New Mexico."

[bhurley]

OP- I don't see how your #3 is a solution...It's like "sell the T42 and buy a ranch in southern New Mexico."

Not really -- the MacBook Pro has been rated (by PC magazine, I believe) as the fastest Windows laptop on the market, and it runs Windows natively, not in emulation, making full use of dual core etc. A MacBook Pro is actually cheaper than a comparable ThinkPad (I've compared the specs and prices recently; just check prices on Lenovo.com and Apple.com for laptops with comparable speeds, RAM, and hard disk capacity and you'll see the MacBook Pros are either the same price or cheaper); the thing that bumps the Mac's price over the ThinkPad if you want to use it as a Windows machine is the additional cost of purchasing Windows. My current Mac (a PowerBook G4) is starting to show its age so I'm going to have to replace it in the next year or two anyway, so I was thinking I could kill two birds with one stone.

My reasoning behind this option was hardware consolidation. I could have all my files and programs on one computer instead of two. But I'd probably run into the same hard disk space problems pretty quickly because I'd be storing my music and photos on the same machine as all my work files (which is not currently the case).

[whizkid]

Something else to consider is that Apple notebooks are not of the same build quality as a ThinkPad. I know a LOT of programmers who use Macs (Ruby on Rails, anyone?) and the machines are nice, but they keyboards are not as good, and they don't last as long. That's not a problem if you have to buy a new machine every couple of years as programmers do.

And parts are not as available.

Just something else to think about.

[bhurley]

Something else to consider is that Apple notebooks are not of the same build quality as a ThinkPad..

This true in my experience. I've been using Macs since the mid 1980s and every one of the ones I've owned has had quality control issues or developed problems within two years of purchase. In contrast I have had zero problems in the hardware department with the four ThinkPads that I've owned. I love my Mac, but I love my ThinkPad too. They're both great machines.

[k2jsv]

250GB Western Digital External drive.

Best Buy $139

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... 7113149231

[bhurley]

A lot of people here had good advice on this.

In the end here's what I did:

I figured, hey, I have this brand-new ThinkCentre A61e that has a nice big hard disk (160 gigs) and dual-core chip, and the only reason I can't use it is because it's got Vista and I can't use Vista due to a number of incompatibility problems. So I looked into the downgrade service to XP that Lenovo offers, and it turns out it's free because my machine is still under warranty. So I'm doing that...I will keep my ThinkPad T42 for travel and use the A61e as my desktop computer. It does mean I'll have to synchronize the ThinkPad before each trip so I have my latest files with me, but beyond that it shouldn't be a big bother to have two computers.