I'm addicted to Thinkpad 600's

[Wingnut]

And its all this forums fault

I started not knowing anything about Thinkpads. I bought a 600 on E-bay for probably too much money. It had an error and I knew nothing about computers, so a friend of mine introduced me to this forum. Needless to say, I got the help I needed & then some.

In the past couple months or so, I have collected an additional 12 Thinkpad 600 series computers. I see them on E-bay and I can't resist. Funny enough, my first one was the most expensive (600). The rest have been better (600e or x) and cheaper. I am quite proud of my 600x for $50. All it needed was a $2 CMOS battery and a HD.

Anyway, just wanted to share my new passion and Thank all of those who have helped me and others in this forum with our sometimes silly questions. Your help & guidance is very much appreciated.

Take care.

[rkawakami]

Ah yes, a familiar story... I too started my TP addiction with a 600-series system. A 600E purchased online from a lawyer/computer laptop salesman in New York. Then came the first of several 600X systems from eBay. A T21 followed. That got me interested in the T23. Several more 600E. A few more T21 and a couple of T22. Many, many more T23, a couple of A31 and A31p, T41 and X22. I'm running out of room and getting backed up on the repair/assembly line!

[Robbyrobot]

I understand you completely . My Thinkpad experience started in 2005, when I bought a 765D on a whim at Ebay from someone who turned out to be a fraud (later convicted), and like you, I paid way too much.

Put it down to lack of experience, since in the meantime I've gathered experience, got information from forums (first the German one, now this one) - and have quite a collection of TPs ranging from a 365X to two T21s. Oh yes, I also have a 600X, but probably also paid too much for it.

Somehow the TP bug really gets you, if you're like me and like to play with them as a hobby. The only problem is the way the computers start to stack up... now I'm starting to wonder whether it wouldn't be a good idea to thin things out by selling a few. I'll start tomorrow .

[andyP]

yeh, I know the feeling. I started with an 600 PII 266 in 2001, it just carried on from there. The addiction's turned into my way of living

[tfflivemb2]

I'm right along with you...I started picking up various laptops for friends back in 2000-2001, and one of them was a Thinkpad 600. I soon realized that they were easier to work on and find parts for, then say the Compaq Armada 700's that I was working on.

I got soooo interested, that I started creating my own museum of Thinkpads, using money that I made on fixing and selling other Thinkpads. I now have about 27 different Thinkpads with only 2 duplicates (a 600E and a 760ED). This doesn't include the few T23's that I am presently working on for resale.

[Harryc]

I'm running out of room and getting backed up on the repair/assembly line!

Ray, do you resell these machines or just collect them?

[dsigma6]

Ray, do you resell these machines or just collect them?

Haha...I'm pretty sure Ray tricks himself into buying ThinkPads in bulk for resale, knowing full well that he just wants them all to himself!!

As to the "ThinkPad bug," I think I was surreptitiously vaccinated.

[Harryc]

Haha...I'm pretty sure Ray tricks himself into buying ThinkPads in bulk for resale, knowing full well that he just wants them all to himself!!

LOL..hey man you never know. I once knew a guy who had every Topps baseball card since 1956.. Some guys collect ...

[vanaya]

I too was bitten by this bug . It started by a friend selling me a 600e. Then about a year later it gave me the keyboard error. Thats how I found this forum.

The only bad thing is, somebody tries to fight the bug and decides to sell his stuff and someone else can't fight the bite..... Thanks HarryC

[pianowizard]

I don't understand you guys' obsession with the 600 series. It looks bulky and old school, and the speakers on the palm rest are annoying. The 570E is about the same price and has very similar specs (though without an optical drive), but is more portable and looks much sexier. If you haven't owned one, check it out! It would cure your addiction to the 600 series.

[Eric Giles]

I don't understand you guys' obsession with the 600 series. It looks bulky and old school, and the speakers on the palm rest are annoying. The 570E is about the same price and has very similar specs (though without an optical drive), but is more portable and looks much sexier. If you haven't owned one, check it out! It would cure your addiction to the 600 series.

I have owned 600's and 570E's, and although the 570 is lighter and more portable, it is nowhere near as solid feeling as a 600. Bulky? Not sure where you get that from. Compared to other machines of the era, it was a very slim unit and still is-especially for it's build quality. I have a few lying here and just picked one up-just very, very solid feeling with absolutely no flex at all-try that with a T2x or even T4x laptop! The machine as a whole just has a feeling of superb quality-something that is somewhat missing in today's Thinkpads.

I too am not crazy about the speaker placement, but I personally love (and I think you and I have been over this point before) the rubberized palmrest. And I still think the 600 series has probably the best keyboard ever available on a Thinkpad. The weak points are a much out of date video subsystem, batteries that fail within a year, and backlight issues-but install a 7200RPM hard drive and max out the RAM on one of the higher speed 600E PII machines or a PIII 600X, and you still have a very useable machine that will run Windows XP well.

One more note-the 600 series is still the best selling Thinkpad model of all time. It obviously had something going for it to be that popular!

[pianowizard]

Bulky? Not sure where you get that from. Compared to other machines of the era, it was a very slim unit

The 570 and 570E were much slimmer. So, in comparison, the 600 series was bulky.

very solid feeling with absolutely no flex at all-try that with a T2x or even T4x laptop!

That's mainly because the 600/600E were thicker than the T series.

[Eric Giles]

Any normal laptop compared to an ultralight or ultraportable model could be considered 'bulky', but is that really a fair comparison? By the way-I just took a 600E and put it side by side with a T22. They are almost exactly the same thickness-we are talking like a TINY difference-like an eighth or two of an inch more on the 600, which is honestly not even worth noting it is so minute. Now granted a T4x is a good bit thinner, but it is just not as well built as a 600-and I love T4x Thinkpads.

The fact of the matter is-the 600 series is one of the best Thinkpads ever made-and I honestly don't think many people would disagree with that statement.

[dsigma6]

On one hand I absolutely understand the 600 series fanaticism, yet on the other, I'm in the same boat as pianowizard.

The keyboard certainly is the best (in my, and many others opinions), but the size (aesthetics) and weight are too much for my liking. In it's day though, it was a tough machine to compete with. The 600X improved the series, but it's still quite limited.

Since they're so old, they'll appeal to hobbyists because their easy to work on, and they're dirt cheap!

I think soon enough those with ThinkPad addictions and a budget will concentrate solely on the T2X series, as they can keep up quite well with todays computing demands.

[Wingnut]

I think soon enough those with ThinkPad addictions and a budget will concentrate solely on the T2X series, as they can keep up quite well with todays computing demands.

Good point. I became a 600 addict because it was the model I bought on E-bay. I thought at the time I was getting a good deal. But then I had to buy stuff like batteries, a floppy drive to be able to update the bios, a HD adapter to transfer files, etc. SO I had all the accessories for the 600 series already. It made sense to kep buying 600/e/x TP's so I concentrated mainly on those. But if the T2* series have all interchangable parts, I may upgrade to those next year when the prices start to come down a bit.

I mainly buy the 600 series pads to make them useable for kids to play with. You know, a basic 98se install and a bunch of games. Just to get the kids into learning computer basics on a cheap, yet reliable computer. Each of my kids has one and I am building some for my nephews, nieces & I want to give some to my wife to take to school. She teaches pre-school aged kids and this would be a good introduction to computer basics, like point & click games. The 600's are perfect for that.

Secondly, they are also cheaper than most portable DVD players on the market these days. So I can get these things DVD capable and the kids can watch their DVD's on a 13" screen instead of the tiny 8" screens that come on the portable DVD players for those long trips to visit the grandparents & camping trips and stuff. You can't loose with a 600.

[dsigma6]

I see what you're saying about parts and drives that'll work in each machine keeping you with that series.

The good thing about the T2X series is that the ultrabay drives will work in the A2X-A3X, R3X, R40 , X2X, and the list goes on.

[Eric Giles]

Now see what this thread made me do?? I just won a 600X on ebay-500MHz, 196MB RAM, 12GB drive, CD-ROM-with everything but the ac adapter for $56. Never had a 600X, but have always wanted to 'mod' one-I guess this will be my chance.

Wingnut, it's all your fault!

[pianowizard]

for $56.

Wow, that's a super deal! I too have never had a 600X. I had a 600 and two 600E's.

[gator]

Count me in the 600X fan club!
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=46215

It is one of the best looking thinkpads I have seen with arguabkly the best keyboard I have typed on a laptop, and that includes T2z/T41/T60 ! The machine is very solidly built and is a best example of a thinkpad, it reeks (!) of quality everywhere.

If they ever hold a poll for a "re-release" thinkpad, I'd vote for 600X first and S30 next. I'd very much love to have a 600X-like design with newer innards.

[andyP]

gator wrote:

If they ever hold a poll for a "re-release" thinkpad, I'd vote for 600X first and S30 next.

1/2 ditto, I think the plain 600 PII 266MHz was better for the performance/component results, that thing was a flier.
The S30 was never released in Europe, but I was lucky enough to meet someone who owned one and play with it for a while - very very nice!

[Dark Savant0]

Count me in the 600X fan club!
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=46215

It is one of the best looking thinkpads I have seen with arguabkly the best keyboard I have typed on a laptop, and that includes T2z/T41/T60 ! The machine is very solidly built and is a best example of a thinkpad, it reeks (!) of quality everywhere.

If they ever hold a poll for a "re-release" thinkpad, I'd vote for 600X first and S30 next. I'd very much love to have a 600X-like design with newer innards.

Sometimes I wonder if we could even juice out like 10+ hours of battery life on that machine with more modern components. It would even be lighter too! And for what these do, they don't need the best of the best. I suppose a 1GHz processor would suffice, and may even be too much for what is done on them!

LENOVO! LOOK AT THESE FORUMS AND DELIVER TO US!

[Eric Giles]

I agree-I would love to have a modern day, up to date 600 series. Just a PIII-M CPU would be fine, basic intergrated Intel video, etc. The 13.3" screen is fine with me too, even at XGA resolution-although SXGA+ would be nice for an option. With todays improvements, it could be slimmed down ever so slightly-but not too much so that you give up the solidity! Forget the modern rollcages-it doesn't need them. Keep the keyboard, but do put in a modern Trackpoint system-you can tell the newer Trackpoints are much more refined than the ones on the 600. And keep the rubberized paint that covers the entire unit-that makes a big difference in the perceived quality of the unit.

All of this could be done-but Lenovo would probably charge the same price as what a 600 was 8 years ago-due to differences in design in comparison to current models. But hey-it's nice to dream isn't it?

[rkawakami]

Ray, do you resell these machines or just collect them?

Almost missed this post from all of the responses this morning...

A little bit of both. I've only sold a couple of systems, more probably due to my being so anal about testing everything beforehand (ask gator and AlphaKil470). I'm in the middle of checking out a system now so there will be one less T23 in the inventory in a little while.

As noted elsewhere, the 600X has almost the same footprint as a T2x system, but if I had to type up a novel, I'd go with the 600X. Yes it's half the speed of a T23, has half the memory capacity, has a smaller display, but with the feel of that 600X keyboard along with how solid it seems to be put together compared to the "flexy" T23, that would be my choice.

I do have to admit that I'm not using the 600X too much at the moment. I bought several of them as backups when we all were using them. One daughter has graduated to a T23 (like I have) and the other daughter is still using her 600X but has already said she wants the X22 as a replacement. A slight backward step in my opinion but she thinks it is "cute" and "cool". My current need for one (a 600X) is using it to program some portable transceivers as the program is DOS-based and requires the use of a serial port.

edit: Clarified "current need" as talking about a 600X

[Robin Mutoid]

Yes.. I blame the Forum for my addiction problems as well! It all started with a simple, harmless $20 365E (My first ever computer!) about four years ago; look at the bloody list now:

380XD x 2
380Z x 3
600 x 4
600E x 4
600X x 3
760C x 1
760ED x 1

PLEASE don't tell me I have to start on the T** Series next!!

WHY do we do it?

Still reckon the 600X is my pet favourite..

Beep Beep,

Robin

[Wingnut]

I did it again.....I bought a lot of 2 600e's for $51 + shipping. And I am about to buy another 600x for $34 + shipping.

Somebody stop me

[Eric Giles]

I did it again.....I bought a lot of 2 600e's for $51 + shipping. And I am about to buy another 600x for $34 + shipping.

Somebody stop me

And I thought it was ME that needed help! Sounds like a great deal on all of them, so why not? Hobbies and addictions are never free!

[Dark Savant0]

I did it again.....I bought a lot of 2 600e's for $51 + shipping. And I am about to buy another 600x for $34 + shipping.

Somebody stop me

WHERE DO YOU FIND THESE! I have been all over ebay and haven't found any! Where are you looking!

[rkawakami]

I have been all over ebay and haven't found any! Where are you looking!

From the looks of it Wingnut is doing what I've been doing with T23s... grabbing cheap units which only need a few new parts (like CMOS batteries) and fixing them up.

[Dark Savant0]

I have been all over ebay and haven't found any! Where are you looking!

From the looks of it Wingnut is doing what I've been doing with T23s... grabbing cheap units which only need a few new parts (like CMOS batteries) and fixing them up.

I've found no such cheap units. Like, I have parts from a 600E I can swap, and would do it if I found such cheap 600Xs...

Someone needs to pm me with a link or something! *grumbles*

[rkawakami]

Someone needs to pm me with a link or something! *grumbles*

Quit grumbling and read your Inbox ! YGPM!