Thinking of buying a ThinkPad T61 7658 SLED - questions

[carmi]

Hello,

I am thinking of purchasing a ThinkPad T61 7658 Laptop with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) version 10.

I like that SLED will work out of the box, but how is T61 compatibility with other Linux distros? I am mainly interested in Ubuntu (with KDE) or PC Linux OS.

How is battery life? Are 6 cell and 9 cell batteries the same size and weight? How bad do the 6 and 9 cell stick out?

Fingerprint reader should work with preinstalled SLED. Should I be able to get this to work with other distros easily?

How much RAM should I get? Will I ever use more than 2GB?

If I buy a faster processor (default is Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T7250 (2.0GHz 800MHz 2MBL2)) will this use more battery power? Recommendations?

All thoughts welcome from current T61 owners. Anything you wish you had bought? (Or hadn't?)

There is not an option to buy a built in camera or microphone correct? Should I buy the Lenovo accessory webcam or just some generic one?

Thanks,
Evan

[basketb]

Welcome to the forum. You probably get better answers for most of these questions in the "Linux question" forum. Have a look there.

I can only answer the one on 6 cell vs. 9 cell battery size:
the 6 cell battery will not stick out of the thinkpad. The 9 cell will by approx. 1 inch or less.

[carmi]

Welcome to the forum. You probably get better answers for most of these questions in the "Linux question" forum. Have a look there.

Thanks, hopefully that is permission to repost there?

I can only answer the one on 6 cell vs. 9 cell battery size:
the 6 cell battery will not stick out of the thinkpad. The 9 cell will by approx. 1 inch or less.

Thanks, I will plan on the 6 cell.

[carmi]

Reposted under Linux Questions
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 397#442397

[phr]

1. I'm running Ubuntu Hardy now, installed with no probs. Also tried Knoppix live CD and that seemed to work fine.

2. There is something called Thinkfinger that works under multiple distros for the fingerprint reader. I haven't tried it.

3. There is no such thing as too much ram or even enough ram. 2gb modules are dirt cheap ($35 each from newegg) while 4gb is just getting affordable ($170). The machine has two slots. So either put in 2x4gb = 8gb right away, or put in 2x2gb = 4gb temporarily while waiting for the price of the bigger parts to come down. I have 4gb in my t61 right now and am itching for that 8gb upgrade.