Heavy or not so heavy?

[ozone]

Hi... new to this forum. I asked this on another forum but haven't had any opinions given, so I'm hoping long time IBM users can "weigh in" (sorry, bad joke...)

I bought a Compaq Presario R3240CA (AMD 3200+, NVidia 440 Go) a week and a half ago and have two more days to return it if I choose. I sometimes walk to work and let's face it, it's pretty heavy - 8 pounds. I used to haul an older tablet around and it only came in at 4 lbs, but it was too small for regular use and underpowered. My other choices? Well, I don't game, and I figure there is not going to be a lot of difference between this 8 pounder and most other 15" screens - they all seem to come in at 6.5 pounds minimum too. However, I had originally considered IBM ThinkPads.

I understand that the 14" ThinkPad T42 comes in at just under 5 pounds, and the 15" ThinkPad T42 weighs in at 5.7 lbs. Not sure if I want move down to the X series: I like larger screens and don't want to bother hooking up monitors, etc. I'm not a frequent traveller: mostly going from home-to-work type scenario, and when I do walk, it's a 60 minute roundtrip. And I hear all sorts of good things about IBM keyboards and trackpoints. The Presario keyboard is pretty decent (no flex, but not as much travel), but very likely not as good as IBM's.

Any thoughts, especially from those of you who have moved between 5 pound laptops and heavier 8 or 9 pound laptops, or the other way around? Did you really regret the heavy laptop after a while? Would a 4 to 6 pound ThinkPad make THAT much difference over the long haul? Basically, I need to consider if the decrease of 2 to 3 pounds and the better keyboard are worth the extra $800 Cdn I'd have to pay to move to an IBM.

If I do choose an IBM, should I select a 14" or 15" screen? I prefer 1400 X 1050 res regardless. I know there has been a lot discussed about this comparison, but unfortunately where I live there are very few places that have either screen available on any brand or model for me to judge. I have decent-to-good eyesight. I prefer smallish fonts and icons, but obviously not too small. I freely admit I'm partial to the Presario's 15" widescreen (1280 X 800).

Thanks! Any comments appreciated.

p.s. What EXACTLY is "flexview"?

[mattfromomaha]

The T-series ThinkPad would weigh MUCH less than the Compaq. I've owned both a Compaq Presario notebook and a Compaq Evo notebook and I can tell you there's no comparision to the build quality of a T-series ThinkPad.

IBM focuses on the demanding business traveler, and the result is a superbly built machine. You'll be happier with both the reduced weight and better construction. Also, if you don't use the CD/DVD/whatever drive much you can pull that out and replace with a $20 plastic insert that reduces the weight even further.

I prefer 14" screen myself because of the smaller form factor when traveling and slightly less weight, but neither is really a big deal to compromise. Remember that IBM Direct has a 30 days return policy, so you can try one screen and if you don't like, get the other. My advice would be to try the 14" and if it's too small return it for the larger screen. BTW, flexview is a screen that I believe just has a greater viewing angle. Personally, when I'm in public I don't like other people seeing what I'm working on, so I prefer the narrower viewing angle....maybe I'm paranoid!

[jdhurst]

I have a T41 with a 14 inch screen. It weighs just under 5 pounds. The screen has always been adequate in any circumstance including one-on-one demonstrations. I like 1024x768 resolution as well.

My bag (leather), the laptop, the charger, two main paper files, my portfolio with my writing pad, my calculator, HP iPAQ, a couple of network and modem cables, plus bits and pieces weighs 10 or 11 pounds. I use public transit occasionally (means walking at both ends) to get to clients, and I don't find the 10 or 11 pounds unwieldy. I sure would not want to carry around an 8 pound laptop.

I once had a 240X and swore I would not carry around more than a 3 pound laptop, but the T41 with larger than X- or 240- screen and integrated CD or whatever in the drive bay was well worth the 2 additional pounds. But at this point, so far as I know, I will not lug around a desktop-replacement laptop at more than 5 pounds. My boss can't make me, either. I looked in the mirror and told him so

[JaneL]

I used to travel with an 8lb notebook, and it got really heavy by the end of the day.

[lvlolvlo]

ok right off the bat i'll tell you the ibm is worth it. my thinkpad t40 was in repair when i went to canada, so i took my dell 600m which is ~5lbs as opposed to my t40 which is ~4.6. i could feel the difference, not only in the aspect that it was heavier but it was a little bit thicker as well, .26" thicker to be exact.

i like my t40, i havent had a solid notebook like that in a long time, the last solid notebook i had was a Fujitsu Lifebook 280.

p.s. when i knock on the palm rest area or grab my dell vs my thinkpad i know why it costs a bit more but it's worth every penny.

p.p.s. the battery life on the dell sucks! i get more just about the same time on my dell as my old 6 cell hald dead t40 battery!

[plucky duck]

The Thinkpad T42p with the slightly heavier batter feels considerably lighter compared to my old Inspiron 8100.

Comparing the T to the X series though, the T series feels like a heavyweight.