Another ThinkPad Newbie With Questions

[teknerd122]

I guess listing em would be easiest. All questions are in reference to the t42p 15" uxga (2379 EZU) with 1gb ram and a 7200rpm drive. Thanks, guys and gals!

1. What's the weight of the computer with the stock battery and the spare Slimline battery installed? 5.9lbs+, I know, but how much, exactly.

2. How quite? Subjective, yes, so let me explain my standards. I work in dead silence, most of the time, and I don't mind being reminded that my computer is on, but I don't want the noise to be at all intrusive. In a room with fluorescent lights, I'd prefer it if the lights made more noise than the laptop (which is the case with my current Apple TiBook). Of course, the occasional burst of air and noise from the fans is fine, but for the most part I'd like my computer to be quiet.

3. What's the battery life like? is the spare battery necessary to keep run times above the 3-hour mark? The high-capacity battery is simply out of the question, due to bulk, but the spare Slimline battery is fine. What is the life expectancy WITH the spare battery? Is the potential gain in battery life worth downgrading to a 5400rpm or even a 4200rpm drive? (it made all the difference on the Apple, but this is an Intel/winXP machine and, in the other threads, people like to praise the chipset/OS as being geared towards mobility, unlike the "power-hungry" and "outdated" G4, paired with OSX).

4. Which docks, if any allow dvi-throughput with a t42? Why can't VGA connectors just go away?!?

5. How's wireless reception? My TiBook has notoriously poor reception, but I still get some spotty connectivity at 30ft and through 4 walls.

Thanks, people!

[T23_Owner]

Ok, here goes:

1. 5.9 ish

2. Very quite. Maybe slight wisper but depends on how hard you push it.

3. With 6 cell (smaller) battery you might just get 3hrs out of it. 5 with 9 cell, but not a minute more.

4. Thinkpad Dock II is compatible.

5. Reception is very good. Puts Tibook to shame.

Cheers.

[Logi7]

what are the battery times for a 14"?


im guessing the screen is what really dictates the battery life....

[blackomegax]

i thought the 6 cells got 4-5 hours, where the 9's get 6-7

[T23_Owner]

No way. I have a 14in T42p and it gets about 5 hrs.

[teknerd122]

When it comes to battery life, I had the 6-cell + ultrabay batteries in mind. The 9-cell, with its ugly protrusion, is not an option.