Prodigal Thinkpadder returns to the fold...

[raisindot]

Hi, folks!

After owning several TPs over the years (my good old i1200 is now being used as a desktop replace for homework by my 10-year son--good thing, because the battery barely lasts 15 minutes these days), which enabled me to do lots of work-work (ugh!) and personal work (like two unfinished novels and three screenplays) on the commuter train, my work situation changed (read: laid off twice) and I stopped using one.

But I'm back working again. and taking the train again, and I felt I really needed to get a laptop.

I made my first mistake by falling for a great deal offered through work that gave 12% off Dell laptops. I impulsively bought a new Inspiron 5160 at a price that was $300 less than an equivlanet REFURBISHED 5160 on the Dell site.

What a mistake! I didn't due enough research and found that the thing weighed over 8 pounds! Plus, the keyboard was cheap and the touchpad (which I had never used before, being a veteran Thinkpad 'nipple' user) was absolutely horrible.

I called Dell to return it. They offered to refund me another $200. I thought about it seriously, but realized that if I was going to break my back lugging this monstrosity around, but did the price matter? So, I returned it.

And, of course, immediately started looking for a Thinkpad. In the end, I got a "new" T40 through Ebay (I sure as hell hope it's new or was sitting around in a box for a year or so--it looks spotless, it was unregistered, and has a couple years left on the warranty) that's less than 5 pounds, is a bit slower than the Inspiron but makes up for it with the wonderful keyboard and the nipple (hey, even the touchpad works great with this thing!). It had 256mb RAM and I bumped it up to 512 for another $25 and I'm all set.

Anyway, I'm glad to be back in the Thinkpad fold, from which I will never stray again!

Jeff in Boston

[Bob Collins]

Glad to have you back.

I have to support one Dell notebook in my office, and while it is quick, the moment you want to go mobile with it, you figure as you noted, the weight is it's death knell. That is why I keep a TP for my personal machine.

Again, welcome back, sounds like you found a sweet machine too!

[Champ]

my first non 386 PC was an IBM so I guess I'm also returning to the IBM fold somewhat heh