Dell user looking to buy T43---Advice requested

[Shelby Griggs]

I have been using Dells for 5+ years now, I own 2 desktops and an I6000 laptop which was new in May, 2000. It has actually been a very good workhorse, just getting a little dated (P III 600 and 512 Mb RAM). I was going to just buy a mid line Dell to replace it, but am not sold on the wide screen format which is what most Dells have now. The Dells also lack the legacy ports that IBM has options for. So, I am looking hard at a T43. My quandary in deciding which one is the dizzying selection that IBM offers. In comparison to the Dell way, where you can select your options, IBM seems to have a ton of part numbers for each of the configurations and then very few options to that part number. Maybe I am missing something, but I have been studying the tabook for a couple of days and it just seems that they have made this overly complex.

This has probably been discussed here at length, but my main hang-up on ordering one of these sight unseen revolves around the display options.

It appears that all IBM's are either 14" or 15" in a traditional 4/3 ratio. I understand the various resolutions, but am unclear as to what the FlexView option is.

While I conceptually understand the screen sizes and resolutions, I could use some practical advice on what my be best for my needs. I am happy with my old Dell, 15" XGA and am a little reluctant to go to a smaller screen after 5 1/2 years. I am at the point where the eyes may be dimming somewhat, I need reading glasses for some stuff now, so don't want to have an issue with small fonts. I use my laptop for everything business wise, rarely using a desktop any more. I process a lot of data using software specific to land surveying (my profession) along with standard office apps and internet and e-mail. Multimedia or games have zero consideration for 99% of my usage. I travel quite often, but usually by vehicle and have a mount in my work truck to mount the laptop, so weight isn't a huge concern as long as it is reasonable.

With that background, I have seen some reviews and user comments as I have searched the web the past week maybe recommending old folks (hey, I am ONLY 47) stick with an XGA or at most SXGA+ and stay away from anything higher. Help me decide.

On another issue, what differentiates the "P" models?

Am I right in that IBM does not provide an OEM O/S disk? It seems like a huge pain to do a clean install, which I have done on my previous machines many times.

Is a dual boot WIN98SE / WINXP possible on the T43's or would there be some issues with hardware drivers since WIN98SE is quite old now? I have a couple of legacy programs that won't run in XP at all. The usage is rare, but one of them is needed to open old projects that are no longer supported by new software. I really only need to use the IR Port and a basic running WIN98 when I need it.

I have got quite an essay going here, so I will break this off and eagerly watch for some ideas and answers.

TIA
SHG

[cerebral_mamba]

Firstly, about legacy ports, I don't think the Thinkpads offer serial DB9 ports. I am looking at Port Replicator just for that. If you want all the possible ports, then I would suggest an HP. Thinkpads also lacks Firewire support.

About screen resolutions, if money is not an issue, then definitely go for the best, at least an SXGA+. You can lower the resolution on them to make things look bigger and stuff, but in any resolution, it will give you a more clearer and acurate picture.

I agree, coming from the Dell website, shopping on IBM/Levono is a real pain in the ***. They have endless list of part numbers and not all are listed on the wesite. I had to call them and to get one configuration of my choice, I would have never found it on the site. Also, its the best idea to use the "build your own" option. That way you can get most of what you want and that too at a considerably lower price than their similarly configured pc. I don't know why, but when I build my own with everything exactly as listed on their already configured thinkpad, I get a price reduction of over $100 always, some times even $200+. Yet they claim its their great package offer.

The best part is, in between they pop up a survey asking how their web experience compares to others like Dell and stuff. That was a joke for me, as if IBM/Levono is already not aware of it.

But, its a more reliable, beautiful and sturdy laptop than Dell. I don't thnk you will least bit regret the shift to IBM.

[Happy]

Hi Shelby

1) As you was looking into Dell mid line replacement I would opt for a Thinkpad T42p, 15' flexview display beyond SXGA+ as you easily can adjust the font size in XP for menues, desktop icons, startbar etc. You get much more screen estate with (1400x1050 or better) than standard 1024x768 for your business applications - and better performance, too.

Add in a 9 cell battery and 1 Gb Ram minimum and Windows Vista will be an option for you, too.

2) Flexview will deliver a great crisp clear looking display on the expence of a sligthly narrowed down viewing angle.

3) Basically "P" models translate into faster graphic cards with more memory onboard and higher resolutions. Important when Vista comes around.

4) Your Thinkpad will be fully loaded with OEM software and Windows XP to a wide extend with utilities and drivers. You good to go right there.

5) Dual booting WIN98SE / WINXP wont cause you driver problems but consider vmware (http://www.vmware.com) for running both systems simultaneously.

Check out WIN98 drivers here for the T42p -> http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 5386#Video

Good luck picking the right Thinkpad

[pipspeak]

Shelby... you're right that the TABook makes life more complicated than it should perhaps be. Still, at least it's possible to see every configuration available! The best way to choose is to list all the features you need or want, then try to find a configuration that matches. It can be frustrating, however.

Here's my two cents... the Flexview screen is the best screen available on an IBM and is (I believe) based on IPS liquid crystal technology, which is known for giving better viewing angles and more accurate color but is not as good at doing deep blacks as the other panels (which are, I believe PVA or MVA based). Sharpness will be the same (there are the same number of pixels, after all). It's the viewing angle and color rendition that is better.

As for screen resolution, I'm a big fan of SXGA simply because of the additional screen real estate it offers. There are plenty of XGA screens still available among T-series models however. All a matter of choice. Of course, an SXGA laptop will be able to drive an XGA external monitor, and vice versa, and the base font size used by windows can always be increased to hatever you want. That's preferable to running the screen at a non-native resolution (which you can also do if necessary).

If you want a wide-ratio screen, take a look at the new Z-series Thinkpads. They also have firewire ports and a few other bells an whistles. No word yet on whether they have the same long-term build quality as the tried and trusted T-series.

The P models seems to have less and less differentiating them from non-P models these days, but the biggest difference IMO remains the graphics card. I have a non-P T43 model that, frankly, seems to have higher specs (except the graphics card) than some P models.

Dual boot is possible AFAIK (haven't tried it). An OEM O/S disk (or sorts) is also available if you call IBM within a few weeks of receiving a laptop and tell them your machine crashed or something. You can also burn your own version using on-board software. The disks IBM supplies is actually a factory image of the pre-installed hard-drive, which includes the O/S and a ton of other stuff too.

Hope that helps.

[Shelby Griggs]

Thanks for all of the good advice. I will digest this and then buy something by year end, to take advantage of the AMEX deals (up to 25% off) and the free memory upgrade (ends 19DE2005). I am going to a bigger town this weekend, hopefully they have an Office Depot where I can check some of this out in person. In the end I will order a made to order one, just to get exactly what I want.

SHG

[davidspalding]

If a Firewire port is a big issue, take a look at X-series Thinkpads, as I believe even the newest have it.

But you can get that on your T-series, by simply plugging a Firewire 400 (or Firewire 800!) ExpressCard into the appropriate slot, and get phenomenal throughput (alleged). Also: I have a DOCK II station, which I've equipped with a PCI Fireware 800 card.

Also, the Z-series have the wide screen, and some are pretty nice looking... but I personally didn't like the mostly useless Windows keys crowding the traditional left-right Thinkpad CTRL and ALT keys. Also, the Z-series are not svelte. They're hefty.

That's something I think the T42s and T43s have over most others laptops -- they're slim, sleek, solid little performers. I'm amazed at how chunky other business grade laptops are compared with mine.

Definitely let your fingers, and eyes, be the judge when you go a'shoppin'. Best of luck in your search....

[trikster2]

I have been using Dells for 5+ years now, I own 2 desktops and an I6000 laptop which was new in May, 2000.

If you have an I6000 from 2000, keep it, as it traveled back in time 5 years. I6000's came out in 2005.

It appears that all IBM's are either 14" or 15" in a traditional 4/3 ratio. I understand the various resolutions, but am unclear as to what the FlexView option is.

Flexview is an IPS LCD that is only available on the 15". It is brighter, has a good viewing angle, but low response time and sucks battery life like crazy. Display is a step down from my dell Ultrasharp.

I was going to just buy a mid line Dell to replace it, but am not sold on the wide screen format which is what most Dells have now. The Dells also lack the legacy ports that IBM has options for.

Dell lattitude D510 series is 14 or 15" standard, non-widescreen format. The D510 has your legacy ports: 4 USB 2.0 ; S-Video; VGA; Serial; Parallel; Infrared; IEEE 1394; Ethernet(10/100); Modem; Audio In/Out; 1 Type I/II PCMCIA

D610 has printer/serial and D810/M70 has serial but no printer.

These days you really do not need to be concerned about legacy ports, you can get USB converters for just about anything.

[davidspalding]

... buy something by year end, to take advantage of the AMEX deals (up to 25% off) and the free memory upgrade (ends 19DE2005). I am going to a bigger town this weekend, hopefully they have an Office Depot where I can check some of this out in person. In the end I will order a made to order one, just to get exactly what I want....

So, what did'ya get? I neglected to point out that sometimes you CAN'T get what you want by going with some of the "made to order" routes. E.g., I couldn't get one with a Bluetooth/modem CDC that way. I found that making a Needs/Wants list like you do when buying a house is an effective way of narrowing down that plethora of machine-type/models to choose from. And a sale price is another deciding factor!

[Shelby Griggs]

I ended up buying a 2668-92U which is a T 43 with 15" Flexview SXGA+, 2 Ghz, 80 Gb HD, 1 Gb Ram, DVD burner, BlueTooth, wireless ABG, etc. This was $2053 delivered with free 2nd day air. Ordered on 13DEC and got it late on 21DEC. Pretty fast turnaround, picked up on 15DEC in Hong Kong, arrived in Ontario, CA on 16DEC and left Ontario on 21DEC and made it to me the same day. There was a weekend in there for customs, so it might have been even faster during the week. I also ordered a leather case and an AC/DC adapter for travel. This is about $1K less than what I paid for the Dell I5000, PIII 600 in May, 2000. My how times change, way more bang for 1/3 less $.

Still trying to get everything setup, probably be 2-3 weeks before I get everything off of the old Dell with the holidays now.

AFAIK everything works good, no bad pixels, etc. This is a nice screen, however as I suspected I needed to bump up the font DPI to 120 and go to the EXTRA LARGE fonts, also turned on clear type. I think this will work for me, however does anybody know how to make all of the type larger on say web pages? Also I notice that some web pages don't occupy all of the available real estate, don't know if that van be changed or not. I have been on a 15" 1024 X 768 for almost six years, so this is taking a bit of adjustment, as I said no way can I read the small fonts.

The biggest chore so far was getting the wireless network setup and then My Network places with shared folders. For some reason I had a heck of a time with the wireless, finally upgraded the firmware in my old LinkSys router and was able to get it to work, however this is an old router, so only moved from year 2001 to 2002 (the latest firmware) and still don't have anything other than WEP encryption, but at least they finally started talking.

Somehow I got the work group set to something other than my office one, and didn't realize that for a few hours, so now I figured that out and can actually start the data transfer, whew!

Great forum here, I intend to lurk and ask questions as they arise.

Merry Christmas ALL!

SHG

[davidspalding]

Splendid kit, you're due for hours and hours of enjoyment with that. I was tempted by a 43p similar to that, but the math I did let me buy a lesser model, buy more RAM, and a Dock, etc. and squeaked in at almost exactly your price point.

I hope that you made recovery discs soon after unpacking, they are essential. And I've read here that buying them costs $40-something, absurd considering you can make you own with $2 of media.

Yes, the screen real estate is daunting. I played with one of those in the lab and the screen [edit] resolution amazed me. And I've hated Cleartype UNTIL I started using it on mine. I found that fonts need to be a bit bigger with the Cleartype feature, which you've done.

IE has a problem of interpreting bad web page design in which the clumsy or inexperienced webmaster (or web team) has specified a point or pixel size and NOT a percentage in CSS. This locks font sizes on your screen. There's a trick in IE that you can hold the CTRL key down and use your mouse scroll wheel to change the font size as you can with the View | Text Size command. Neat trick, the blue Ultranav button works that way in "standard scrolling" mode. But alas, most web pages' lousy coding prohibits that, and shows the font at the specified size (or if there's a way to override this, I haven't found it - maybe the "always use my fonts" checkbox in Options?). Try on these phpBB pages, you'll see this in action.

My "solution"? Use Firefox (1.07, 1.5) - the "+" and "-" keys truly change the display font size. I also use a mouse with a fourth button which is mapped to a Magnify function (like the Ultranav can do), and this is also handy if you size the "magnifying glass" area to a large portion of the screen.

Hope that helps you.... Indeed, this is a terrific place to lurk, though I've found it impossible to resist jumping in and asking questions. And I've learned a lot as a result.

Have very, merry Thinkpad Christmas!

P.S.: Almost forgot, I have a Linksys WRT54G, perhaps similar to yours? I strong suggest you try WPA or WPA2 (better). I've been trying things with various firmwares, currently on 4.20.7 with no problems. Latest, greatest firmware will allow you to use WPA2 + AES, which is superb security.

[davidspalding]

P.P.S. At the risk of being overbearing, your first Xmas gift for your new TP might be this. (It's an associates link, but you can buy it anywhere, my referral fee would be less than the cost of a soda.) It will slip into a satchel easier than a power brick, puts the keyboard at a more comfortable typing angle, and perhaps most significantly, lifts the notebook off the work surface, allowing a tad bit more cooling and protection from grimy surfaces or accidental spills. I don't go anywhere without mine.

[Shelby Griggs]

David,

Thanks for the kind words and tips. My LinkSys router is a BEFW11S4, I think about 3-4 years old and as far as I can tell only supports WEP. I was on the verge of just buying a new one until I got it to finally work with the new T 43. They have one now that also has the cable modem all in one unit, would eliminate one piece of hardware. May still go that route for the better security.

SHG

[davidspalding]

Depending on your situation ... I'm not sure I'd get a modem/router unit ... what if you move and use a provider (like TWC) which won't support that modem. Can you use just the router/firewall portion? Routers are getting so cheap, they're like toasters - don't like the Toastmaster, just get the Cuisinart, unless the Tfal appeals to you.

Or ... WEP (which Wifi security wonks pooh-pooh) can be kept locked tight. Long, weird passphrase that you change regularly. One of the few benefits that I see to McAfee Wireless Home Security Suite is that it will manage a router for you, and rotate the passphrase/key regularly. And the software is almost as cheap as ... a new router.

[Domain]

Shelby - it does only unfortunately support WEP. (Would it have killed Linksys to put in something better?) It's worked fine with my ThinkPad right off the bat, then again, the firmware may have been the issue.

I'm sticking with WEP myself... my neighbors don't even know how to secure their routers so I'm not deathly afraid of something sitting in front of my house and hacking my new 'Pad.