please help with which should i buy? T42 2373K1U or 18714BU

[jmagbita]

currently i am using my dad's old T22.. now it's time for me to get one of my own. i'm looking at the T42 2373K1U or the T42 18714BU. they are pretty similiar except for a few things..

Both have:
XP Pro, 512 MB, 40 GB harddrive, Bluetooth and Fingerprint reader.. also, both are 14.1" model

as far as the 2373K1U:
Intel Pentium M 735, 1.70 GHz
1024X768 32MB STI
Mobility RADEON 7500
Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG

the 18714BU has:
Intel Pentium M 750, 1.86GHz
1024x768
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900
Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG

price difference between the two isn't that much, i guess the only deciding factor would be processor and which has better display.. as far as processor, does going from 1.7 to 1.86 make a huge difference? and how about the graphics card, which would be better? oh, by the way, is there a huge difference between 14.1 and 15"? right now the one i have is 14.1 and i'm happy with it.. i want it to be light and portable but at the same time 15" is a bigger screen.. dunno!? will size affect battery life?

other than those two, is there a better one you guys could recommend? i'm looking for something i can use with work.. i use company programs that create proposals and does financial calculations.. also, i guess watching a dvd every so often would be nice so something with a good screen counts too! are 32MB screens horrible? should i look for something with 64MB? (in all honesty i'm not even sure what the difference is exactly!)

any other factors to consider? like things that'll make it a good notbook for the next 3 years or so without becoming obsolete?

thanks so much!!

[anthean]

I'm a pretty strong believer in always getting a real graphics card, so of the two Thinkpads you mention, I would pick the 2373K1U.

[jmagbita]

even if that means going from 1.86 down to 1.7? and can you please explain what you mean by "real graphics card" thanks!

[dfumento]

Hi,
First of all you might really consider getting a SXGA (1400 x 1050) screen. It is very popular in this forum and I'm typing to you from one now. If you decide to get such a model, the 2378FVU fits the bill (but you'd have to ask for Bluetooth when you order it or you can order the parts and install it yourself). See the Buyer FAQ in my signature....

Secondly, it is best to get a good graphics accellerator. The "900" is an integrated accelllerator and you are better off with a discrete one.

Windows Longhorn is coming out in a year and a half, and it requires DirectX9 and at least 64MB Display RAM for its best graphics. For a T42 that would be the ATI 9600. The 7500 doesn't provide for Longhorn. The 2378FVU comes with ATI 9600.

The difference in processor speed is hardly imortant. What is more important is having at least 512MB RAM.

Good luck,
David

[davidlg16]

I would also second the recommandation for the 2378FVU. just add a 3 yr warranty and buy a 512mb memory stick.

By "real graphics card," he/she meant get a graphics card that is NOT integrated onto the motherboard. Both the Mobility Radeon 7500 and the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 are integrated.

The Radeon 9600 on the 2378FVU, however, is a discreet graphics card which is usually lot faster compared to integrated ones.

[RonS]

18714BU is a T43 model, not T42.

[kev009]

I would also second the recommandation for the 2378FVU. just add a 3 yr warranty and buy a 512mb memory stick.

By "real graphics card," he/she meant get a graphics card that is NOT integrated onto the motherboard. Both the Mobility Radeon 7500 and the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 are integrated.

The Radeon 9600 on the 2378FVU, however, is a discreet graphics card which is usually lot faster compared to integrated ones.

[Mobility] Radeon 7500 is not integrated. The GMA900 uses a portion of system RAM instead of a dedicated (usually faster) video RAM like the Mobility/Radeon cards. Advantages are too many to count in favor of the Mobility cards over an integrated. The advantage the [Mobility] Radeon 9600 to the 7500 lies in the ammount of video RAM (64MB compared to 32MB) as well as hardware DirectX 9 and superior archeticture/speed GPU and RAM. These features are only heavily used in graphics rendering and gaming but it doesn't hurt to have since they really cannot be upgraded in the future.

[davidlg16]

my bad, i can be clueless sometimes and make some negative contributions as u can see

[JHEM]

my bad, i can be clueless sometimes and make some negative contributions as u can see

We look upon those as opportunities for enlightenment!

Hey, if we all knew it all, none of us would be here in the Forums.

Regards,

James