Sold - FS A31P almost new! - Sold

[stevenvh]

Hi all, I'm selling my sweet-P to upgrade to T4/6* series. It's under extended IBM EZServ Warranty until June 18, 2007. I just received a new LCD, keyboard bezel and motherboard for it from a warranty claim. In the 2 + years I've had it, IBM has replaced the keyboard, DVD/CDRW and HDD.
I upgraded the CPU from the original 1.7G to 2.2G.
For the longer version, see below.

Price is $500us firm + actual shipping charges.

Here's the link at IBM:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... ry=2653H6U
(edit: the link doesn't work ??)

Current Specs:
2653-H6U
CPU - 2.2GHz and original 1.7GHz too;
RAM - 2 x 256 Samsung;
HDD - new 60GB 5400/8MB;
DVD/CDRW - new 24x;
VGA - FireGL 64MB;
Display - 15" UXGA Flexview;
original battery.

The details are that I bought this machine off this forum and have used it daily on my desktop at work since. It hasn't been flawless, but it has been excellent and remains my favorite PC.
Currently, the display has a brief, faint red tint when it's cold. Otherwise, it runs great.
I was running 2x512 Crucial, but 1 stick started failing recently and I've included the original RAM here.
I knew my warranty was about to end, so I called EZServ on Thurs afternoon and complained about the display.
Also, it's always had a loose Power Connector, but I didn't want to send it to the dreaded depot to get it fixed. And the palm rest was blemished, but it didn't bother me. I told the EZServ Rep all that, so he sent me an LCD with inverter and cable, keyboard bezel and a new motherboard!
The parts were on my bench at work Fri morning when I got there.
I would actually enjoy installing the new parts, but I just don't have time. Also, I want to carry one machine between three locations rather than having to maintain a PC at each.
when I bought it I dissasembled it, cleaned it and reassembled with new screws. When I upgraded the CPU about six months later, I again cleaned it and used Artic Silver on the heat sink. I blow the dust off and out of it weekly and wipe it down occasionally.
Buyer will receive the machine in it's current condition with all the new parts still sealed in the boxes. No OS will be installed; the drive will be wiped clean.
I guarranty it works well, is as described and the battery holds enough charge to at least act as a UPS.

25-0-0 heatware=http://heatware.com/eval.php?id=9027

PM me if interested and thanks for looking.

[ajkula66]

Anyone looking for an ultimate desktop replacement should be checking their bank accounts and PM-ing Steve right now.

All jokes aside, if I had my hands from 15 years ago, the aforementioned machine would've never made it to this page, because I would've bought it when Steve kindly replied to my WTB posting. However, I am too well aware that I can't replace a LCD anymore, or do any soldering. Therefore, I've passed this in hopes that someone who appreciates these great units would jump on it.

To get anything that is seriously better in the terms of speed, and stay within the UXGA world, you'd have to go for a T42P, which is going to run you $800 or better. And here you're getting a brand new FlexView screen and motherboard as well. Parting this setup out on eBay would probably get you enough money to buy that T42P, and have a few bucks leftover for upgrades.

Once you've maxed the RAM, you'll be able to do just about anything with this machine in the terms of a desktop replacement. And FireGlo 7800 card is nothing to laugh at, even today. Most of us will never need more than 64Mb of video RAM. With parts included, you're good for at least another 5 years of heavy daily use. And if you need an USB 2.0 port that bad, get a PCMCIA card.

I've gone through a serious double-digit number of different A3 machines, most of them being A31Ps, which remains, to this day, my favourite ThinkPad (along with T23), and haven't seen this good of an opportunity to purchase an upgraded machine with two most important spare parts brand new in the box.

If I was selling this I'd be looking for a lot more than Steve does. So someone better grab it before I start teaching my wife/daughter/twin boys/cat how to replace a LCD and solder...

[ryengineer]

I have owned an A31p as well (my very first thinkpad) and all I can say it's a very good, robust and rigid machine. However the price is little steep in my opinion.

[stevenvh]

Hi and thanks for the replies.

Yes, a great machine; I like it so much I was considering getting a wheeled case big enough to carry it (and all my stuff) home at night.

The price must not have been too high, because I've got a buyer in less than 24 hours. I posted it only here and the TP list.
I knew there were some A31P freaks lurking still

And in the same period I resisted Ebay AND PayPal and made a good deal on a T42P to replace it.

Steven

[pianowizard]

The price must not have been too high, because I've got a buyer in less than 24 hours.

I am so jealous. I tried to sell a mint-condition A31p on this forum back in Nov 2006 for $399 shipped but no one wanted it. 2GHz Pentium 4, 256MB RAM, 40GB HDD. Lesser specs, but much cheaper and it was 8 months ago.

[stevenvh]

It's all about timing, I guess.

I knew mine, with all the extra parts, would be irresistable to tinkerer/Technician types (like me!). I didn't expect it to go so quickly though.

And, even more exciting is:

Product: ThinkPad T42p 2379-DYU [change]
Operating system: All [change]

Original description: P M 745, 512MB RAM, 80GB 5400rpm HDD, 15 UXGA(1600x1200) TFT LCD, 128MB ATI FireGL T2, CD-RW/DVD-R Multi-Burner(slim), IBM 802.11a/b/g wireless(MPCI), Bluetooth/Modem(CDC), 1Gb Ethernet(LOM), UltraNav, Secure Chip, 6 cell Li-Ion battery, WinXP Pro

Except for the "XP Pro" part, I think I'm in love.
And I haven't even...sigh...touched her yet.