SXGA or UXGA on a 15" T4X?

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Teerex · #1 Post by **Teerex** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 5:56 am

Hi,

I'm trading in my Z60t for a 15" T-model.

I've looked carefully through the threads in this forum and I could use a little help. I will be using Office-tools for many hours a day since I'm writing my phd the next 3 yrs.

1. Should I go with SXGA or should I pay the extra for UXGA? Some people write "go for uxga if you possibly can" whereas others seem content with their SXGA.

2. Should I consider a T42? Why?

Thanks

Rex

dr_st · #2 Post by **dr_st** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:04 am

The UXGA only comes with the T4x p-models, which also means - faster hard drive and FireGL video card. That, together with the UXGA panel contribute to the price difference.

IMO, SXGA+ is enough for 15".

You may consider a T42 if you get a better deal on it. Or if you are afraid of the potential fan noise issue that's been present on many T43s (although the fan control utility supposedly fixes it).

davidspalding · #3 Post by **davidspalding** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:15 am

Teerex, you can always shop for a T43 that fits your budget and needs, and ask if any owners here have issues with the specific machine-type/model you're considering (see my sigline for example).

Me, I like my SXGA on 14.1". The 15" case is a wee bit bigger than the 14" models, so.... You might get more bang for you buck on a T42, I think the big diff' is: no fingerprint reader, slightly slower memory speed (you won't notice),.. what else, guys?

Frankly, T42s and T43s are about par in my view. If you can get a sweeter deal on a T42, that will leave room for semi-necessities like a Dock, spare or larger battery, security cable, better warranty, yada yada yada. My own feeling is that while the 15" screen with higher res sounds far out on paper, in my hands-on assessment, the resolution made the screen harder to look at. The price difference when you leap up to the T42p or T43p is so much that if you don't, you'll have money for those other things.

Check other forum posts from people shopping, I think SoonerAl or another expert posted a detailed list comparing 42 vs. 43.

Happy Hunting!

dr_st · #4 Post by **dr_st** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 1:18 pm

davidspalding wrote:You might get more bang for you buck on a T42, I think the big diff' is: no fingerprint reader, slightly slower memory speed (you won't notice),.. what else, guys?

There is a fingerprint reader on T42s. The FSB and RAM are faster on the T43. The DVD writers that come with T42s don't write DVD+R/RW. The available video cards are different (T42 has AGP Rad7500 or Rad9600, T43 has GMA900 or PCI-E RadX300). The T42 runs cooler.

I don't think that the T43 is more expensive now in general than a similarly configured T42. It depends on specific deals that you can sometimes get.

davidspalding · #5 Post by **davidspalding** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 5:35 pm

dr_st wrote:
davidspalding wrote:You might get more bang for you buck on a T42, I think the big diff' is: no fingerprint reader, slightly slower memory speed (you won't notice),.. what else, guys?
There is a fingerprint reader on T42s.

Ah, so there is. I was thinking of something that 43s had that was new. It escapes me at the moment.

brainpicker · #6 Post by **brainpicker** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 10:27 pm

Teerex wrote:1. Should I go with SXGA or should I pay the extra for UXGA? Some people write "go for uxga if you possibly can" whereas others seem content with their SXGA.

UXGA huh. Well, how good are your eyes? Here's Yak after a session with a 15" UXGA monitor...

...of course your experience (and age) may vary but before investing THAT much $$$ I'd try to see one first. I loved the pretty pictures on my "p" model but now I'm an XGA man. Yeah sometimes things resemble a "Dick & Jane" book, but after a few adjustments all is well.

Yak

christopher_wolf · #7 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:04 pm

Hmmm, what is this little clear device on my right palm rest?

I find that SXGA+ is a good combination of mobility and screen resolution for what I do. If you really need the extra resolution and it is important (you are viewing a PET/MRI/CAT Image Stack or are doign CAD Design work, etc)

Teerex · #8 Post by **Teerex** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 5:38 am

Thanks for your input!

As I understand what you write, it seems that it won't make sense to go higher than SXGA on the 15" screen?

Merry Christmas!

Rex

dr_st · #9 Post by **dr_st** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 10:03 am

Teerex wrote:Thanks for your input!

As I understand what you write, it seems that it won't make sense to go higher than SXGA on the 15" screen?

Merry Christmas!

Rex

It might make sense for some, but there is nothing crucial about it. Get the SXGA+ and be happy.

leeferna · #10 Post by **leeferna** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:27 am

I have both an UXGA T42p and a SXGA+ T43. The T42p is my corporate-issued laptop and honestly, even though you can increase the font size via the DPI setting as well as the Appearance Display tab, some web pages (like this one) are tough to read because the fonts do not scale. On the other hand, the T43 is slightly louder due to the fan. The keyboards have a slightly different feel too, probably because the T42p is a "premium" model and the T43 is an Express model (the T42p has a quieter, more responsive keyboard).

Teerex · #11 Post by **Teerex** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:37 am

This thing about the keyboard - could it be that the 'looser', 'clickier' keyboard on the t43 is Lenovo-style and the t42 is IBM?

I experienced a looser and clickier keyboard on my z60t also.

Rex

christopher_wolf · #12 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:43 am

No; it has nothing to do with Lenovo vs. IBM. If you search around the forums awhile, you will discover that there are, primarily, three types of keyboards used in the T4X Series; quite possibly on the Z60 as well. It is generally agreed upon that two otu of the three (NMB[Thai] and Chicony[China/Thai?]) are considered very solid keyboards to type on whilst the other, also from China, is more "loose" and makes a charcteristic clicking noise. You can find part numbers for these keyboards as well.

I have the NMB Keyboard on my T43 and consider it in *Excellent* Quality; as per what I would expect of IBM/Lenovo Standards. It has a very good tactile response, low noise, firm touch, and very little leeway for a mistype event. Overall, perhaps the best keyboard I have ever had the pleasure of using on a laptop, especially a Thinkpad.

Teerex · #13 Post by **Teerex** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:48 am

christopher_wolf wrote:No; it has nothing to do with Lenovo vs. IBM. If you search around the forums awhile, you will discover that there are, primarily, three types of keyboards used in the T4X Series; quite possibly on the Z60 as well. It is generally agreed upon that two otu of the three (NMB[Thai] and Chicony[China/Thai?]) are considered very solid keyboards to type on whilst the other, also from China, is more "loose" and makes a charcteristic clicking noise. You can find part numbers for these keyboards as well.

I have the NMB Keyboard on my T43 and consider it in *Excellent* Quality; as per what I would expect of IBM/Lenovo Standards. It has a very good tactile response, low noise, firm touch, and very little leeway for a mistype event. Overall, perhaps the best keyboard I have ever had the pleasure of using on a laptop, especially a Thinkpad.

Darn that was a quick response. Thanks for your reply!

I'll see if I can find the partno. for the NMB and then see if I can order it on my machine.

Rex

christopher_wolf · #14 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:09 am

No Problem

Here is a thread you might want to look at as well:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... boards+nmb

Some people said there were problems with ordering the *exact* keyboard model; some said that it was easy to order the keyboard from IBM/Lenovo. There are also some hints there as to how to go about checking your keyboard without removing a bunch of stuff or whatnot.. HTH

Teerex · #15 Post by **Teerex** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:11 am

christopher_wolf wrote:No Problem

Here is a thread you might want to look at as well:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... boards+nmb

Some people said there were problems with ordering the *exact* keyboard model; some said that it was easy to order the keyboard from IBM/Lenovo. There are also some hints there as to how to go about checking your keyboard without removing a bunch of stuff or whatnot.. HTH

That was a great link!

Good to see that other people are as picky/quality-minded regarding their keyboards as I am

I also found that i have the Chicony on the z60t which I'm not very content with so I'll try and order an NMB on my new machine.

Thanks for your help - again

Rex

christopher_wolf · #16 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:16 am

I am very glad that link proved useful.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting with your new Thinkpad.

davidspalding · #17 Post by **davidspalding** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 9:01 am

leeferna wrote:... some web pages (like this one) are tough to read because the fonts do not scale.

Try Firefox (currently 1.5, but 1.07 was fine too). Problem solved.

christopher_wolf wrote:No; it has nothing to do with Lenovo vs. IBM. If you search around the forums awhile, you will discover that there are, primarily, three types of keyboards used in the T4X Series; quite possibly on the Z60 as well.....

The Z60 has a different keyboard; maybe someone who has one can disassemble theirs and tell us where the keyboard's made. [edit]OOps, looks like Teerex already has.

In fact, I learned of the "new" shortcuts that I posted here from looking at and playing with 2-3 Z60s in that lab I was in.

SXGA or UXGA on a 15" T4X?

SXGA or UXGA on a 15" T4X?

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