$64,000 question?

[sktn77a]

Well, the old T40 backlight gave up the ghost so I'm looking to replace #2 daughters computer. I've seen a couple of new old stock T43 computers on e-bay with the balance of the IBM factory warranty for around $700. How would these (1.86-2.0MHz Dothan, X300 graphics) compare to a Core 2 Duo based notebook? Am I crazy for considering two year old technology (daughter MUST have the "nubby" - so I think that pretty much limits the choice to a Thinkpad)!

[richk]

IT depends on what she does with it. If she is like my daughter, she spends most of her time watching DVDs, doing email and chats, and she wouldn't notice the difference. Also, if she takes care of it like my daughter, they would both run the same after a soda is spilled into it. If you want to run Vista, the T43 will still take 4GB of memory, but the T60 would certainly boot faster. The core-duo CPU makes a difference if you are running things like Photoshop or Visual Studio, which can use the dual processor. It is also faster if you work on big spreadsheets and recalculate in the background while you do something else.

Do I get the $64,000? Also, if you want to sell the old T40, send me a private message.

[sktn77a]

Thanks Rich: Agree on all counts - she probably doesn't need a dual or quad core to look at myspace.com! I'm just trying to "futureproof" the investment.

As for the T40 - it sold within 10 min of going on Craigslist!

[sktn77a]

Well, with all of the apparent issues with the T43 (heat, fan noise, HDD compatibility, etc), I decided to go for a NOS T42 bottom feeder:

1.6GHz, 256Mb, 40Gb, CDRW/DVD, 14"/radeon 7500, b/g wireless, 3v year IBM warranty, for $699 delivered.

Plan on popping in the 2.0GHz Dothan from the old T40, 1Gb RAM and a 100Gb 7200RPM drive. Now, if it only had the Radeon 9600 graphics chip I would have been a very happy camper

Oh, and yes, it has the "nubby"

[richk]

If the T42 comes with a 1.6 Banias, I probably wouldn't switch, especially if the machine is under warranty. The Banias has a bigger cache. It's difficult to generalize, but I've seen statements that a 1.6 Banias has similar throughput to a 1.8 Dothan. The Banias also uses less power.

[sktn77a]

Actually, it's the other way around - the Dothan has the 2Mb cache and the lower power consumption. I don't think I'll notice much difference between the 1.6 Dothan and the 2.0 dothan but I have it from the old T40 so I'll make the switch anyway.

She's thrilled, as she had the T40 for 4 years and this will be almost identical (she's a creature of habit ).

[wearetheborg]

How did you get the 3 year warranty from IBM ? What is NOS

[sktn77a]

NOS means New Old Stock (new but discontinued). The seller is an IBM/Lenovo authorized retailer so the factory warranty is good on a new computer.