Can't make a decision...chime in please.

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alternative minimum · #1 Post by **alternative minimum** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 2:31 pm

Thinkpad A:
* Pentium M 1.7GHz Processor
* 1024MB (1GB) RAM
* 60GB 7200rpm Hard Drive
* 14.1in SXGA+ (1400x1050) TFT LCD
* 128MB ATI FireGL T2 Video Graphics Adapter
* Ultrabay Slim 16x10x24x/8x CD-RW/DVD
* IBM 802.11b wireless (MPCI)
* Bluetooth/Modem (CDC)
* 1Gb Ethernet (LOM)
* UltraNav
* Secure Chip
* 9 cell Li-Ion Battery
* Windows XP Professional

Thinkpad B:
* Pentium M 750 1.86GHz Processor
* 1024MB (1GB) RAM
* 64GB 5400rpm Hard Drive
* 14.1in XGA(1024x768) TFT LCD
* 64MB ATI Radeon X300 Video Graphics Adapter
* 24x24x24x/8x CD-RW/DVD
* Intel 802.11b/g Wireless (MPCI)
* Modem (CDC)
* Fingerprint Reader
* 1Gb Ethernet (LOM)
* UltraNav
* Secure Chip
* 6 cell Li-Ion Battery
* Windows XP Professional

Does one have any obvious advantage over the other, besides the size of the battery? Mainly for CAD, some graphic design, and light gaming.

Also, on either of those is the Optical Drive replaceable?

aki · #2 Post by **aki** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 2:45 pm

take A: faster hdd and better vga

jongordo8 · #3 Post by **jongordo8** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 2:51 pm

Take A as well...Hd and screen are much better, plus more video ram

Aroc · #4 Post by **Aroc** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 3:10 pm

Thinkpad B has a XGA (1024x768) screen, this would be limiting for graphics work, including CAD/CAM. Machine A has 1400x1050 (SXGA+). I would want a higher resolution, I don't know about you. Machine B also has "g" wireless in addition to "b," and machine A only has "b." if you plan on moving CAD files or other large files over the wireless network. Machine B sounds a lot like a T43, so it has Sonoma, which includes faster DDR memory, faster bus (more heat) and likely a Dothan Pentium M processor with 2MB cache instead of only possibly a Banias Pentium M processor with 1MB cache. But I'm just speculating here.

Personally I'd choose machine A based on built-in screen resolution alone. If I'm going to go XGA, I'll get a X32 instead. YMMV.

andrey · #5 Post by **andrey** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 3:19 pm

Definitely "Thinkpad A".

Higher resolution, faster hard drive, longer lasting battery. All other things can be upgraded if needed (WiFi, CD-RW, etc..).

nirvana0001 · #6 Post by **nirvana0001** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 3:21 pm

i would go for A with no doubt

christopher_wolf · #7 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 5:56 pm

I would Vote A.; go for A

#8 Post by **RonS** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:09 pm

A for sure. And, YES the optical drive is replacable on the T series.

Navck · #9 Post by **Navck** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:35 pm

A go with A!

#10 Post by **GomJabbar** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:35 pm

I feel like voting for 'B' just to be contrary.

But the 'A' choice seems like a no-brainer.

#11 Post by **daeojkim** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:49 pm

All these years in school we were taught that A is better than B.

So go for A.

But seriously A is much better machine.

IR0NMAN · #12 Post by **IR0NMAN** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 11:08 pm

Definately A!

smugiri · #13 Post by **smugiri** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 11:54 pm

A seems to be a top of the line T40p while B is just a run of the mill T43?.

The 9 cell battery, 128MB FireGL and Bluetooth on A definitely trump the 64MB x300. I would want to argue that the 128MB FireGL trumps the 64MB x300 by itself but that is a discussion best left to experts.

I say go with A

christopher_wolf · #14 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:59 am

Well, you could reverse it too (T43p vs T40) and it would make just as much sense.

I don't think one can really tell the difference accurately. Is there something I am missing?

#15 Post by **underclocker** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:24 am

CAD, graphic design? Not really a tough question, choose A.

smugiri · #16 Post by **smugiri** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:28 am

@christopher_wolf

Well, you could reverse it too (T43p vs T40) and it would make just as much sense. Confused I don't think one can really tell the difference accurately. Is there something I am missing?

I am not sure I understand this: you want us to compare a top of the line T43p with a run of the mill T40?

christopher_wolf · #17 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:51 pm

No, I am just wondering how one could narrow it, from the specs given, to a T40p and a T43. There is a 128MB FireGL card in there for A, so that is a P model of some sort.

davidspalding · #18 Post by **davidspalding** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:20 pm

Chiming in late ... but wouldn't the faster memory of a T43 be preferrable for processor intensive apps like CAD, Photoshop, et al? I like (A) myself because it's got the bigger battery, Bluetooth (admittedly I'm a Bluetooth snob), higher-res display (1400 vs. 1024), and what appears to be a bigger, bad-a** video card (not PCI-E, though).

But ... how heavily will hte X300 PCI-E card and faster memory be an improvement on graphics editing software?

smugiri · #19 Post by **smugiri** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:56 pm

@christopher_wolf

No, I am just wondering how one could narrow it, from the specs given, to a T40p and a T43. There is a 128MB FireGL card in there for A, so that is a P model of some sort.

I have pretty much the same spec in my machine so I just assumed that it was the same thing ...

But, I tried to do some research after the fact to see if I could indeed narrow it down to those 2:

this source made me think that it was a T40p here here since the Family 735 1700MHz PM processor described has a 400MHz bus which screams Banias and I was not aware of any T41s with a Banias processor. My arguments would then be that the T41 starts at 1.733GHz, if we assume the smallest processor available outside of the 735 family. Looking around, the best match I could find on the Intel chart would be a 740 family processor running at 1.733GHz.

However, I just managed to find this site * thinkwiki.org/wiki/Intel_Pentium_M_(Banias) * ( cannot link due to parentheses in the site address, note that the site link includes everything up to the close parentheses, the browser just highlights it wrong ) which has info that seems to conflict with the Intel site. According to the ThinkWiki, the machine must be a T41 since it says a top of the line T40p is a 1600Mhz Banias and states that anything with a faster speed ( and machine A is 1.7GHz ) is T41 or better.

Then to throw everything for a loop, I found a T42 on the IBM site that uses a 735 processor. I also found open bay T41 machines using 735 processors running at 1.4GHz (scroll down the page and look for this text "III. T41 models" ). If nothing else, at best, this throws the info at thinkwiki into doubt and at worst marks it as outright incorrect unless I mis-understood something on the site.

I am actually a little confused now after finding the second site at thinkwiki.org and the T41/T42 offerings on the IBM site. Intel makes me think that the Banias tops out at 1.7GHz and IBM thinks that they top out at 1.6GHz and to keep everything exciting, IBM uses a first generation PM processor ( the 735 family) to make a T42 machine. Not sure if all that is germane though, only thing I can think of is that they did not make any 1.7GHz T40p's which would make this a T41p. Either way, it has to be a T40 or a T41 and definitely has to be a 'p' series. ( FireGL )

christopher_wolf · #20 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 6:45 pm

Obivously a modern day P series, that is for sure. And, yes, I did some searching and came to much the same boggled state. Still, a looks like the better choice here. I noticed that T42 with the 735 ad got even more confused. So I think I will be sticking with the A and B titles for now, although A is indeed either a T40p or T41p as I originally suspected...but I just wondered if I was wrong when you narrowed it down quite quickly to T40p.

I guess I have to look at it even more.

dr_st · #21 Post by **dr_st** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 5:04 am

(A) is a T41p, because the T40p had the FireGL 9000, not the FireGL T2, whereas the T42p didn't come with any B-only WiFi cards, as far as I know. So, unless we're talking about some elusive models, it's probably the T41p, which means Banias. Still, everything else except the CPU and the WiFi card is much better on (A) than on (B), which is indeed your ordinary T43.

davidspalding · #22 Post by **davidspalding** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 1:14 pm

Hm. I just answered based on the the OP's quoted specs. If we're getting down to specific models, then many the OP could share teh machine-type/model info of the laptops he's considering.

For the uninitiated, this is the 2xxx-xxx model name that can be seen on the bottom, or on most sales pages. (Or my sig, for that matter.)

alternative minimum · #23 Post by **alternative minimum** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 4:21 pm

The first choice was a T41p and the second was a T43.

I'm really at a loss as to what difference either will make. I am sure that both choices are great, but I just want the best bang for my buck.

Also: both of these have 4 year warrantees, 1 year through IBM and the rest through Mack. Any thoughts on this? Both are IBM recertified, too.

davidspalding · #24 Post by **davidspalding** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 5:47 pm

"T41" covers a LOT of machine-type/models ... dozens. Reread me ... it helps a lot if you say, e.g., 2668-75u. It lets us see EXACTLY what you're comparing.

dr_st · #25 Post by **dr_st** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 12:41 pm

alternative minimum wrote:I just want the best bang for my buck.

Are both roughly the same price? If so, then (A).

christopher_wolf · #26 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 1:55 pm

Bang for your Buck is, at best, a very subjective term; for what you want to do, Choice A would be a good idea.

smugiri · #27 Post by **smugiri** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 9:38 pm

I am not sure what the Mack warranty is worth: do a search on this site or even google mack warranty and you will see what I mean. I get the impression that they take a long time to get repairs done. I have a 1 year IBM / 3 year mack too but I plan to re-up with IBM closer to expiry late next year if I can. Base your decision on other factors since the warranty is the same on both the machines ....

#28 Post by **bill bolton** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 10:40 pm

Here's a plan... buy both laptops, send them to me and I'll do a 12 month long evaluation on them and tell you which one is best!

Cheers,

Bill

davidspalding · #29 Post by **davidspalding** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 8:34 am

Tie a wallaby down for him, sport, as collateral.

wolfman · #30 Post by **wolfman** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 8:57 am

I was looking to re-up the warranty on an IBM certified used unit and here's what I found out (and why I didn't get the unit or the warranty):

1) They say that the warranty can only be extended by businesses not individuals.
2) You can get around #1 if you have a family member who has a business and is willing to get the warranty in their name. However, for the T41p model I was looking at the warranty was $376 a year...

So it may be possible, but not very practical (at least in this example).

I wish that they would just allow the original manufacturers warranty to be transfered - IE, in this case there was a 3 year warranty from the factory and it was on a 1 year lease...should sell with the balance of the 2 years particularly since it was re-certified...

Can't make a decision...chime in please.

Can't make a decision...chime in please.

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