Constructive opinions neededfromthinkpadophiles for14'vs15'

[bluedoc]

Hi all,

Please help me in deciding which laptop to purchase for school. I have boiled it down to t42 14' FVU vs. 15' DXU ceteris paribus. Price difference is tolerable. My main concerns are the weight difference, portability, and screen's legibility.

While I don't plan to carry the laptop to school everyday, maybe once a week, will the 1 lb difference that big. The 15inch screen is just so tempting, but my old dell 14inch 7lbs+ really made me yearn for something lighter on more than one occasions.

I don't play comp games so will the ghosting/shadowing in the Flex screen affect me? How good is the Flex screen for hours on end of wordprocessing and X-ray pictures reading? What other problems are there in the Flex screen vs. 14' screen.

Bulging LCD? Also in DXU but in a lesser degree? Mamamia! How about creaking palmrest problems on the DXU or FVU? Loose battery in both or just one and not the other? Is the keyboard on the DXU made in Thailand or China?

Can someone point out a web site with more pictures of the T42 15' alone or in comparison? Any new owners with a knack to post pics of their lappy babies? Anyone regret getting a 15inch versus 14inch.


Thanks a bunch for your help guys.

[K. Eng]

The following thread has lots of pics. Don't know if you've seen it yet but these are the best comparison pics I've seen yet.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=1364

If you've used a 7 lbs+ notebook before, either the 14" or 15" will be noticeably lighter. If you aren't a road warrior and need a lighter machine I would go for the 15" model. General consensus is that the 15" model is sturdier.

[Leon]

I bought, love, and wouldn't give up the 14".. BUT if your gonna be reading x rays on it, get the bigger one!!!!

[Leon]

[bluedoc]

I have read and seen the post above but I would like to see some closeup pictures of the 15inch if available.

Reading Xrays is just one of those tasks I have do but not too often. What I do is type and read a lot, will the 15 inch be better for my eyes or anything?

Leon, any construction problems in your unit?

[Leon]

I have no problems with my unit. It is perfect!!! Based on your updated comment, I recommend the 14", See my other thread
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=1469

P.S. Closeup pictures won't help much, as you'll be viewing them on your own screen.

[Guest]

??? the 15 inch screens is not a pound heavier. It is half a pound heavier. According to my schools list.

2373-3VU $2,299.00 XP Pro Pent. M 1.7 14.1" SXGA+ 80GB 512MB 1Gb Y Centrino (b/g) UltraNav 32MB Radeon 9600 DVD-RW 6 cell 3 Yr. Dep. 4.9 lbs.

2373-3XU $2,079.00 XP Pro Pent. M 1.7 15" SXGA+ IPS 40GB 512MB 1Gb Y Centrino (b/g) UltraNav 64MB Radeon 9600 Combo 6 cell 3 Yr. Dep. 5.4 lbs.

[Kludgey]

This thread has a weight reference...

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=930

Cheers,
Kludgey.

[Mofongo]

Although I prefer the 14" form factor to the 15", I got the latter in order to get the Flexview screen. I love the Flexview screen! Although it' is slightly bulkier and heavier when you compare it side-to-side to the 14" unit, in the real world I notice absolutely no difference in how portable I find it. In fact, I am typing this right now while sitting on my couch with it on my lap.

And I know this sounds funny, but even though the keyboard is exactly the same size on both units, I stll find it easier to type on the 15". I think the extra room in the palmrest area makes a difference (I have big hands).

If I were you, I would make the decision based on battery lifetime, since the 15" screen does cut down a bit (30-45 minutes) on the life of a 6-cell battery.

See my webapge review at http://pmw.org/~gardnerj/Thinkpad/

Mofongo

[ian]

I've pretty much the same unit as Mofongo - a 15" CWU - and I'm pretty blown-out by it. I've recentley started wearing glasses to read small print and the 15" screen on my HP Pavilion has a native resolution of 1048x768 which is more comfortable to read WITH glasses. Strangley, the 1400x1050 resolution on my T42 is perfectly comfortable WITHOUT glasses - explain that!

The only 14" I can compare with is my T21 which is just not the same beast at all - no complaints, just prefer the newer screen. Aside from that, the keyboard is super rigid, not bumps or unsightly humps (the laptop, not me...) and as far as I can see with all of two days use, the larger 'footprint' has no disadvantages to me - but it's somewhat personal isn't it - quite apart from the fact I've just blown a huge wad of hard earned cash on a laptop, so I'm not about to trash it now, am I!!!

[Leon]

please verify...it DOES weigh 1lb. more??

[ian]

Haven't the foggiest idea what we're talking about - what weighs more or less than what?

[Mofongo]

please verify...it DOES weigh 1lb. more??

It certainly does not feel like 1 pound more. My friend and I (he owns a T40) performed a blind test on each other where the one closed his eyes and put out his arms, and the other placed a randomly chosen model (14" T40 or 15" T42) in his hands. Niether of us could identify which one is heavier by this technique. Only if you pick it up with one hand by the edge can you actually feel the slight weight difference. I would guess it is more like half a pound difference. My fiance has a Toshiba Satellite 5205 (something like 8 lbs) and my T42 feels light as a feather compared to that.

Like I say, in practical terms, I find to difference in portability between the 14" and the 15".

Mofongo

[yangsta]

I recently purchased a t42 15" and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The screen is amazing, the construction is solid, and the alleged ghosting isn't noticeable in normal tasks at all. I haven't tried playing any fps-intesive games on it, but DVDs and other videos play beautifully.

As for size, the 15" is only slightly wider than the 14" and a bit thicker. The thickness is only in the LCD half of the laptop, i guess to bolster the 15 inches. The design of the 15" model is also somewhat streamlined to make the size difference less noticeable.

The construction of the 15" model, from what i hear, is slightly more solid than that of the 14" model. I have felt both, and I have to honestly say that the difference is almost negligible. However, the thicker hinges on the 15" model better prevents eventual "wobbliness" of the screen, which is nice.

I have read a few accounts about the 1400x1050 resolution differences between the 14" and the 15" models. Apparently, the 15" model provides a drastic increase in readability in the 1400x1050 mode, while the 14" model makes reading hard on the eyes.

Finally, the weight difference. Like some people have said before, the weight difference, in my opinion, is almost unnoticeable. Unless you are incredibly weak (hehe), hauling around the 15" model would be like hauling the 14" with a cell phone too. Basically, all I'm saying is that the 15" model is still very competitive in the weight category, being just under a pound heavier.

I guess in a nutshell, I'm saying that for my situation, the 15" notebook has many, many more advantages than the 14" notebook, and if the price difference is not a big issue for you, you should definitely go for it.

-my 2 cents

[bluedoc]

I have decided on the 15" and according to IBM it will be here a month later. I hope some other posts about shipping date are correct since a month is quite a long time.

Anyone bought the extended battery for the 15"?

Also, what wireless brands would be the least problematic to hook up with my intel 2200?

My backpack are always filled with books so I figured another (note)book with an extra pound wouldn't hurt too much.

[PJR]

Are they planning on making a flexview for the 14 inch screen in the future?