A few thinkpad questions.

[DeusExMachaera]

I am going to be buying a thinkpad for college this fall and considering the lead time with IBM it's beginning to get to that time of the year. Before ordering, I have a few question:

Can I order now without having a new and improved pricelist come out the following day?

I will be upgrading my memory myself to avoid the manufacturer tax IBM levys on you. THis is the stuff I want to get, right?: http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDe ... ory=BROWSE

Lastly, is it really worth it to get the extra battery? I am not a road warrior and will be returning to my dorm room fairly often. What is the actual, in use, battery life with the default battery?

[jsmit86]

Actually prices do not seem to change that much. A lot depends on the configuration you are using. FWIW, I think the Express models seem to offer more bang for the buck in many cases. I was considering a configured model for a bit over $2000, but I ended up settling on an Express model, and just adding RAM. I ended up spending $1599, plus about $70 for an additional 256mb of ram to take me to a total of 512mb.
You also may get a great deal on educational models, especially through your school.

The RAM you are looking at is the correct type.

I get 3-4 hours of battery life while web surfing using my wireless connection.
I have gotten just over 5 Hours when I was using my T42 to just take meeting notes on MS Word.