Advice - Want a laptop, hard to ignore Dell's lower prices

[TarzanBoy]

I originally made a WTB post in the marketplace forum for a used thinkpad, but I am starting to get confused over the route I want to take.

My T22 (i'm second owner) died on me all of a sudden (mobo) a few months ago, and so now I am looking for a replacement/upgrade.

I was thinking very seriously about getting a used T43 for ~$900 but then a friend (also in the market for a laptop) told me that the price sounded high and that I should look around.

Laptops around the specs I want are available from Dell (new) for ~$$600-$650. I am trying to find out if there is a convincing enough reason to spend so much more money for a USED thinkpad vs a NEW Dell.... after all, the $300 I would save could buy a used T22 in addition to a Dell laptop.

I guess my question boils down to this: Are Dells really that bad, or are Thinkpads really that good?

I know that most everyone here is a thinkpad fan (i'm one too), but i am trying to get past the fan-boy remarks to some concrete info/advice that will help me make an informed decision.

The specs I want are: 64MB video card, ~4 hr battery life (if possible) ~1.4GHz processor with at least 512MB ram.

[Paul Unger]

I've got a Dell Inspiron 8000 and an IBM T42, so I may be able to speak to this. Maybe not. You judge

Two things: 1. the keyboard on the T42 is outstanding; the keyboard on the Dell is dead (to be replaced); and 2. the monitor on the T42 does not wobble when the desk it is on is nudged (or when it's on my lap, for that matter); the monitor on the Dell shakes like a leaf in the wind when I type on it, let alone when the desk is nudged or when it is picked up. These two things--both of which are very visible, user interface kinds of things--are enough for me to spend the "extra" $ on an IBM.

Now, admittedly, the Dell is an older machine, but I've seen enough recent Dells to believe that they haven't changed their LCD hinge quality substantially in the past few years. In fact, there's not a notebook I've seen that compares with the IBM on this point.

The rest of the stuff--I mean the chips and the cards and the drives--either works or it doesn't, in my humble opinion. One wireless card is the same as another. I know this could make or break the deal for someone else, but if I can't read what I'm typing because the monitor is shaking--forget it.

For what it's worth,

Paul

[sparta.rising]

I work for tech support for my univesity's LAS college. We always recommend our professors by Thinkpad T42's. They're great. The T43 has some issues, I have one, so we're waiting for Lenovo to get settled with the T6x series before we start recommending those.

But sometimes professors go against our advice and buy whatever they want. Dells die in about a year. Something fails. Usually the mainboard. Broken or not, the cases are always cracked and the LCDs are always damaged. And like Paul said, they wobble like a metronome.

I havent seen a T42 fail yet (that hasn't been dropped on the curb). And when they are dropped IBM replaces them right away. The specs on the T42 are still very good and competitive with a new Dell.

We have a couple profs still using T22's. My grandfather still has a few 12 year old IBM laptops. They're all running perfectly and in great condition.

Support wise, it depends if you are a buisness or a home user. Buisness wise, Dell has great support. They'll overnight parts or deliver them in person without question. Home wise, you get Hajitech. They won't replace anything without charging you an arm and a leg. Their personel aren't knowledgable and barely speek English.

With IBM support, home or buisness, you get some good old boys in Atlanta. Sure they've got just as much of an accent as Hajitech, but at least they speak english. Home or buisness they'll send you a replacement part without quesiton and will overnight it. Their personel is knowledgable and friendly.

O, and Toshiba is worse. Again someone went against our advice and ordered a $2000 Toshiba. They mailed it, the prof opened the box, and the LCD was broken. So we called Toshiba, they said haha we don't care, we'll fix it for $1200. We were like snuh? It broke in your shipping. They said haha. They didnt fully insure it, so we had to go to UPS, they gave him $500, their maximum minimum insurance.

[JaneL]

With IBM support, home or buisness, you get some good old boys in Atlanta. Sure they've got just as much of an accent as Hajitech

Hey, now, don't be dissing our good ole boys and our accents!

O, and Toshiba is worse.

I'm always up for some Toshiba-bashing. They're slime. I've opened brand new-in-the-box sealed notebooks sent to a Fortune 500 where the serial number on the box didn't match the serial number on the notebook. I've had end-user tech support people call and complain about missing parts (not little things - things like the CD drive).

Our Toshiba sales rep hated me. The feeling was mutual.

[KristianJ]

Now, admittedly, the Dell is an older machine, but I've seen enough recent Dells to believe that they haven't changed their LCD hinge quality substantially in the past few years. In fact, there's not a notebook I've seen that compares with the IBM on this point.

I've got a Dell that's even older, but I second this unreservedly. The cracking around the hinges of mine is so bad that I couldn't really take it anywhere for fear of damaging it even more when opening and closing it. Plus a couple of years ago it "suffered" a slight bump when my laptop bag slipped off my shoulder, and the rear cover cracked.

Needless to say, buying my T40 a few weeks ago was a no brainer when I read the reviews of the sturdier construction quality.

[Jmmmmm]

With IBM support, home or buisness, you get some good old boys in Atlanta. Sure they've got just as much of an accent as Hajitech, but at least they speak english. Home or buisness they'll send you a replacement part without quesiton and will overnight it. Their personel is knowledgable and friendly.

LOL, you notice the OP is in Atlanta

I've owned two dells and one thinkpad, and I have to agree with the above posters. I really liked both of my dells, and I think they are generally good computers. I recommend them to most people, and if I couldn't have afforded a thinkpad, I would have gone with a dell.

However, dell's keyboard and cases tend to be mediocre to subpar. Both of the hinges on my first laptop broke after about 2 years, and the flimsy casing of my second dell lead to the motherboard failing after only a year. The keyboard on both of my dells were pretty good, but I've used several dells (especially 600m's) whose keyboards were awful - it felt like typing on a trampoline they had so much flex. And, of course, the thinkpad's trackpoint is unbeatable.

That said, I think a lot of people have good experiences with Dell, and you could too. I would pay more for a thinkpad, but there has to eventually be a line for how much more it's worth paying. The new latitudes (d620 and d820) seem like a step in the right direction with their magnesium frames and metal hinges. I have heard that the hinges are still sort of weak and the you get waves on the screen if you push on the back, but that's not the end of the world.

Would I pay 10% more for a thinkpad? Absolutely. 30% more? Hmmm...depends on how much my bank account is hurting.

[micah]

I was thinking very seriously about getting a used T43 for ~$900 but then a friend (also in the market for a laptop) told me that the price sounded high and that I should look around.

Where can you get a T43 for ~900? I'd love to get a T42 for that price, but I can only find them for > $1100.

[TarzanBoy]

guy on this site was selling it, but he sold it already

[aspaceintime]

I had 2 dell laptops, one had so many problems, they gave me a replacement. It too has problems. For work I have a t42 and it takes lots of abuse, travel, unplug from docking station each day, etc.... Built like a tank. I liked so much I bought t43 for home and its great. I'd buy without question, plus I got a discount from work for <***** T43 266849u

MOD EDIT: Please do not post prices or information on Employee Discounts, per forum rules.