My old trusty laptops are dying on me - time to move up?

[dwilsonfl]

Hi guys, my T60 wide screen (personal laptop) died a few weeks ago from a blown fuse and now my 15" 4:3 T60p dies from unknown causes. Is it time to move upstream to a generation newer? That'd be the T400??? My old eyes need the 15" screen but I'm pretty low on the pecking order when it comes to funds. Keep thinking I should just fix both and stay in the T6x range. I have a Z61t but it's a 14"

I use these both at home and in my third grade classroom so just trying to keep as many going as possible.

Thanks for the insight,

David

[ZaZ]

If you're low on funds, a new motherboard should cost less than a T400 provided you can do the swap yourself.

[Medessec]

If you can figure out what's wrong with the T6x laptops you have, then indeed fixing them would be preferable. There's absolutely nothing wrong sticking with T6x at this point. Parts are cheap and they run modern applications beautifully.

What's going on with your T60p? You press the power button and absolutely nothing happens?

If you can't help your old goats, then indeed, T400/T500 would be the Thinkpads you're looking at if you plan on moving up a generation. T510 and T520 I would recommend if you want something very new.

[ajkula66]

Time to build a FrankenPad from that 4:3 shell, Dave...

For the other one - widescreen - just pick a replacement planar and call it a day...

[dwilsonfl]

T60p - Yep, push the button and nothing. I have green lights on battery and AC. Pulled the ram get beeps. Swapped the RAM around, pulled one stick then the other - I can get a partial boot - lights come on, HD light included - but then it dies.

George, the Frankenpad is just swapping a T61 MB for the T60? I know the T61 has video issues at times, if I do that what boards should I avoid?

My ideal TP would (don't shoot me 4:3 fans) would be a widescreen 15" with flexview. The 4:3 15" (T60p) I have seems heavy in comparison. The 14" wide like the Z61t I'm typing this on is light, but the screen is small and dim compared to the Flexview.

Guess I've got to go research Franken pads and find a 15.4" MB for the widescreen.

In other news, another teacher dropped her old Acer 5050 off at my classroom yesterday saying it was jacked up and I could have it. Took 15 minutes. All it needs now is a "R" key and I've got another laptop for my students to use or I could sell it and buy another Thinkpad.

[ajkula66]

George, the Frankenpad is just swapping a T61 MB for the T60? I know the T61 has video issues at times, if I do that what boards should I avoid?

If you don't need superior graphics performance, a board from 14" (4:3) T61 with Intel graphics would serve you well. There is some minor cutting/frame modification required, but it's not that big of a deal.

My ideal TP would (don't shoot me 4:3 fans) would be a widescreen 15" with flexview. The 4:3 15" (T60p) I have seems heavy in comparison. The 14" wide like the Z61t I'm typing this on is light, but the screen is small and dim compared to the Flexview.

Yeah, my wife has been interested in a screen like that to mount in her Z61m...no such bird, unfortunately.

[dwilsonfl]

I would use a 14" T61 MB in the T60p 15" case George?

[ajkula66]

I would use a 14" T61 MB in the T60p 15" case George?

Yes sir...from a 4:3 (not from a widescreen) T61.