WTB: First Thinkpad. X23 or X24, T23.

[Doom5]

I'm a 21 year old student, looking for an older model, inexpensive Thinkpad, for coding and word processing.

EDIT:

I'm pretty sure I want a X23, X24, or a T23. I got outbid on a T23 with 512MB of memory and SXGA+ screen for $238. Ugh, I should have bid at least $260 on that. Missed an X24 for $218 also, in excellent condition, with cd-rom and floppy.

The Compaq NC610 series also looks fairly attractive, or a cheap Omnibook 4150.

[tfflivemb2]

Welcome to the forum...

Personally, I would suggest a T20 or a T21, given your spending range. With a little patience, you could even get a T23 for just a little more than what you are asking. Some members here have picked up a T23 for 160-180....but they are rare.

The T20-T22 would have the best chance of being upgradeable for you, because the T20-T22 can be upgraded up to a 1.0GHz cpu. The 600 series is limited to 850MHz, though the 600E can hold up to 544mb ram, instead of the 512mb limit of the T20-T22....with the trade off being that a 600E would require BIOS editing to be able to properly run all the way up PIII 850MHz. The 600X, depending on the model, can handle up to an 850MHz cpu, with 576mb ram.

[underclocker]

I will second the vote for a T2x laptop. They are solid and upgradeable. And, in the sub-$200 price range.

For a less upgradeable but much more portable machine, you can check out the X2x series. The X20 & X21's are in that price range, but he X22 (X23 & X24) are noticeably faster due to their increased bus speed and have a few more features, some X22's have internal WiFi. You might be able to snag an X22 for under $200.

Finally, if you're pushed over the line to spend about double, some R5x series machines have sold in the $300 range. These are modern machines with Pentium (or Celeron) M CPU's, USB 2.0 ports, internal WiFi, etc. They also are upgradeable and may even have IBM warranty left. It's something to consider. I currently have two R5x machines, they are truly solid. Even an R50e will blow away any T2x or X2x machine. (R40's with Pentium M's are also modern, but the units I've seen lately are so abused, I can not recommend them - unless you can find a mint unit.)

[Stargate199]

I would also suggest a T2x series. I currently have a T21, with some more parts for it coming soon (I hope). I find them a little easier to work on than the 600 series. My last computer was a 600E. I bought that back in July 06 and sold it in Jan 07. The reason I sold it is that I need a machine that was much more powerful than the 600E. The 600 and 600E use a 2.5MB NeoMagic graphics chip that does 2D well, but does not support 3D. The 600X uses a 4MB version of that card, but the 600X uses Pentium III chips and BIOS edit is needed to upgrade those models. They also have Mini-PCI slots so if you wnated to attempt it, you could put internal Wi-Fi.
The T20, 21, and 22 use a Savage IX8 8MB graphics chip which performs pretty well in my opinion. The T23 uses a 16MB version of that chip. The T21,22, and 23 can use SXGA+ LCDs (note, only T21 that came from the factory with the SXGA+ screen are the only ones that can use it.) Some of the T23 have built in Wi-Fi, but those might be too expensive for your taste. All of them have mini-pci card slots, but it is used by the modem and Ethernet card.
If you are on a budget, look for a 600E. If you want to spend a little more money, go for a T21, or T22. Try not to get a T20, because they have a problem dying out without warning.

[Doom5]

I know this is a bit off-topic, but do any of you have an opinion on the Compaq Armada series of notebooks? I've heard some positive things about them. The M700 looks like a nice machine.

I don't know how they stand up to the Thinkpads in durability though.

[pianowizard]

Preferably, I'd like something light and durable, like a P-II or P-III IBM Thinkpad. The 600 series looks pretty good, as does the T2x series. I don't know much about the other product lines, like the 240 series.

I love the 240 series because it's extremely light (about 3 lbs) and cute. But the problem is that the LCD only has SVGA (800x600) resolution. I strongly recommend to get something with XGA (1024x768), and I think all 600E, 600X, and T2* models have at least that. Some X2* models only have SVGA, so you want to avoid those.

Ideally, the laptop would have a battery that holds a decent charge, and possibly a replaceable CPU if I get frisky and decide to upgrade it. I'd like the total cost to be <$150ish.

It's not hard to find one of the above-mentioned Thinkpads for less than $150, but it would most likely have too little RAM. Upgrading from 128MB to 256MB will cost only around $15, but going beyond that costs a lot more. Another thing is, it's a good idea to replace the existing hard drive with a brand new one (under $50 on Newegg.com), because the old one might not last much longer, and your files are valuable. Taking these into consideration, you will probably end up spending over $200.

Preferably, I'd like something light and durable

If you don't mind not having an internal optical drive, the X2* series is just over 3 lbs and is about 2 lbs lighter than the 600* or the T2*. The 600* is the most durable, followed by the X2*, and the T2* is a tad less durable.

[schen]

I know this is a bit off-topic, but do any of you have an opinion on the Compaq Armada series of notebooks? I've heard some positive things about them. The M700 looks like a nice machine.

I don't know how they stand up to the Thinkpads in durability though.

I've owned and supported a number of them over the years. The high-end (Arima contracted) machines such as the M700 are pretty decent. A number of them even have a trackpoint device. Unfortunatley, the vast majority of them are not very good, such as the Armada 15/17xx series that had bad display/display connectors.

[RealBlackStuff]

My youngest (13) currently uses an old Compaq Armada 7400.
It has only a 300Mhz CPU, 256MB memory and a 6GB hard disk, but it runs XP-Pro beautifully. It's mostly used for browsing, email and Word.
This lappy too has a trackpoint.
I bought it 2nd-hand back in 2001 for my other daughter, who used it for several years, until she changed to a desktop.
It seems to be indestructible, but then, it's also quite heavy!

But it will be replaced soon with my 'old' T23 (see specs below), now that I have my T30 fully up and running.
Don't know yet whether I keep it or not.

[schiesz]

I used a T22 for the last few years that I pieced togather from ebay for well under $200. I just sold it to buy a T23 from the board here. I love these machines, their performance and durability, and will continue to use them for as long as possible. It is amazing to me the abundance of parts available on ebay for the T2x machines. Good luck, though I don't think you'll have any trouble finding something to fill your need for your price range.

schiesz

[Doom5]

If anyone has any Thinkpads they're looking to sell, please PM me. I've raised my budget to the $200+ range.

Thanks!

[upjeeper]

i don't mean to start a pi$$ing match, but i've owned 2 compaqs and one dvd bu rner and after each have sworn i'll never buy another. horrible problems with them and even worse tech support.

the fact compaq (aka HP) outsourced their tech support to india sucks. i can't get anyone who speaks any decent english, knows the product any better then what the flow chart their reading off of tells them and after RMAs the products are still crap.

buy toshiba or ibm!

*(stepping down from my soapbox)

[Doom5]

Bump.

Thanks for all your offers everyone. I'm looking for something higher end now. X23, X24, T23 with SXGA+ preferably.

[ajkula66]

Hate to tell you, but none of the X2 series has an SXGA+ screen, so you'll probably be buying a T2 series.

You may want to consider A20P if you don't mind the weight...those can be found pretty cheap, and do the trick if higher resolution is a must for you.