R50 vs T42

[Droosh]

Besides generally lower specs, less build quality, materials and weight, what are some of the differences in design?

I have a newly designed T42 15" model on order, but was recently disturbed to find it has no firewire port. The lower end R50 even has a 4-pin firewire port. They both have a legacy parallel port which they could lose (IMO). Are they saving more major chasis changes for the T%)?

Pictures here: http://www.trustedreviews.com/articles.aspx?head=36

Also, why does the R50 have a different keyboard layout? Is this what we can expect to see in the T50?

What other differences are there with the 1400x1050 15' models?

[Conmee]

I don't believe the R50/R51/R50p have Firewire at all... R40 does as that is the model I bought for a family member. But I think the R50/R51 use the same motherboard design as the T Series...

As to why IBM doesn't include Firewire and a 9 pin serial v. a parallel (the former of which I feel are much more useful), I have no idea.

There are plans to introduce a new chipset, PCI Express, Serial ATA, and AGP8X support in the T5x models planned for Dec 04-Feb 05 timeframe. Perhaps they'll incorporate IEEE1394 at that time too, and get rid of the parallel port.

[stgreek]

Thinkpads are primarily intended as business notebooks. Therefore a firewire port is pretty useless, while a parallel port can accomodate much more useful devices, such as laser printers. IMO a T42 with a PCMCIA firewire will be a much better choice than any R50 and justify the extra cost. The feel of the notebook is completely different. T series looks like a high-end executive business tool, R series looks like an ordinary notebook.

[Txiasaeia]

There are plans to introduce a new chipset, PCI Express, Serial ATA, and AGP8X support in the T5x models planned for Dec 04-Feb 05 timeframe. Perhaps they'll incorporate IEEE1394 at that
time too, and get rid of the parallel port.

What about the Azalia sound system? Does anybody know if it's going to be integrated into the T50? BTW, I heard that the Sonoma/T50 release was supposed to be second half of 2004, but is it *really* as late as Dec04/Feb05?

[Greg Gebhardt]

Thinkpads are primarily intended as business notebooks. Therefore a firewire port is pretty useless, while a parallel port can accomodate much more useful devices, such as laser printers. IMO a T42 with a PCMCIA firewire will be a much better choice than any R50 and justify the extra cost. The feel of the notebook is completely different. T series looks like a high-end executive business tool, R series looks like an ordinary notebook.

I fully agree. I traded my T40 for the R50 for the screen size but the build quality of the R50 and it "feel" leave me cold. I am going to get the 2373KXU just as soon a Bill can get it to me. I think I will then have the build quality of the T40 with the larger screen. I need the Flexview as I use my TP to display digital images to 5-7 customers at a time. The larger screen is a must and increased angle of view is a real plus!

[K. Eng]

I don't think they look all that different. At least from the pictures on the web. But I have never seen an R50 up close (only R40s).

Maybe the T looks more professional because you know it's built with stronger materials.

Thinkpads are primarily intended as business notebooks. Therefore a firewire port is pretty useless, while a parallel port can accomodate much more useful devices, such as laser printers. IMO a T42 with a PCMCIA firewire will be a much better choice than any R50 and justify the extra cost. The feel of the notebook is completely different. T series looks like a high-end executive business tool, R series looks like an ordinary notebook.

[Lmax]

BTW, I heard that the Sonoma/T50 release was supposed to be second half of 2004, but is it *really* as late as Dec04/Feb05?

IMO, I don't expect the T50 until Feb or March 05. The T42 will have to be upgraded and suffice till then.

Intel WILL delay the next Pentium M just as the did the Dothan you can count on that.

The rumor is that the T50 will have a new never before done thing, a choice of colors. Personally I wouldn't mind colors, though I think it would be hard for me to depart the traditional and professional looking black to spring for something like blue. I love the black and I will NEVER understand why people say ThinkPads are unattractive and dull. They are very attractive and i think they are the best looking laptops on the market. I am weird, I have a thing for flat black, always have, I think it looks fit and professional like a new black business suit. If anyone who has ever spotted a ThinkPad and just thought it was just like all the others, that burns me up. However, for the most part people I know when seeing a TP say it is like seeing an Apple iBook or PowerBook it is just obvious it is not like "all the rest."

The great and properly fitted and suited T series ThinkPad in one's imagination looks like a PC in a tux, and a very handsome one at that.

Max

[JaneL]

>The great and properly fitted and suited T series ThinkPad in one's imagination looks like a PC in a tux, and a very handsome one at that.
>

And I think it looks like that staple of every woman's wardrobe - the little black dress that can go anywhere! ;-)

[K. Eng]

The T50 will launch whenever Intel launches the Alviso chipset. I don't know what the next generation Pentium M has to do with this - the 2d generation Centrino platform consists of the Dothan Pentium M, Alviso chipset, and Intel a/b/g wireless.

It is possible that IBM will keep the T4x chasis and simply design a new board using the new parts. In this scenario, it would probably be a T43 (similar to the T22 to T23 transition).

IMO, I don't expect the T50 until Feb or March 05. The T42 will have to be upgraded and suffice till then.

Intel WILL delay the next Pentium M just as the did the Dothan you can count on that.