Warranty Differences Between 2378 and 2379

[Tim McNellie]

Why do 2378 Thinkpads ship with a lesser warranty than 2379 models. The upgrade is also somewhat more expensive.

Is the difference just marketing or are repairs to 2378 models more frequent or more expensive?

I ask because I've narrowed my notebook seach to the following:

-T41 2379DKU -- $1890 -- PM1.6, 512MB, 40GB, 14.1" XGA, 3yr warr.
-T42 2379DWU -- $1684 -- PM1.5, 256MB, 40GB, 15" XGA, 3yr warr.
-T42 2378FZU -- $ 1839 -- PM1.7, 512MB, 40 GB, 15" XGA, 1 yr warr.


I was leaning toward the 2378FZU, but now I'm thinking I can save $ by purchasing the T2379DWU, upgrading the memory myself and saving on a warranty upgrade.

The 2738 is a Dothan 735 comp. Does that account for the warranty difference?

Thanks for any input.

[edelrc]

I would not get a laptop with less than 3yrs warranty (for peace of mind and resell value purposes) So, if you update the Warranty for the FZU to 3 years that will be extra $110.

the dilema now is this:
Does $265 ($155 difference in price + $110 warranty extension) justifies:
- 256MB extra RAM in 1 Slot. (This has more value than if you add the other slot with these 256MB!)
- equivalent to 300MHz more (~10% increase)

I would look for sources in how to get the FZU cheaper (Bill!?!) and that would acomodate the extra $110 (if not more) for warranty extension... if not, get the 2379DWU

[edelrc]

By the way, 15" and XGA? What a waste of state!

Unless you have noticeable problems with sight, I wouldn't do that combination. If you want to be in the lower end of resolution go with a 14" XGA or 15" SXGA+, but 15" XGA... that is the lowest end extreme as you can get!!!

[Tim McNellie]

I know how a lot of people feel about that, but for my work I do a ton of word processing and Web surfing. Even on my home machine's 17" monitor I can't deal with a resolution higher than 1024x768. The fonts are just too small to read for any length of time.

I'm still considering a 14.1" screen, but I've seen a number of posts indicating that the 15" case/keyboard feels sturdier, even if it's a little bulkier.

[hausman]

Even on my home machine's 17" monitor I can't deal with a resolution higher than 1024x768. The fonts are just too small to read for any length of time.

Presumably that's on a CRT screen. LCDs are much crisper, especially at native resolution. See if you can find someone with a ThinkPad that has a higher than XGA resolution and do a live test. Make sure the test TP runs WinXP and that ClearType is enabled. You'll probably find that you can use a higher resolution, SXGA or SXGA+ if not UXGA, without strain.

IMO the screen is the most important part of any computer configuration decision, desktop or notebook. Before you buy a notebook (where you can't change the screen later), you owe it to yourself to make sure you get the best one you can.