IBM THINKPAD T42 2379DXU OR 2373CYU

[jordi32]

Hello everyone. I was wondering which of the two thinkpads t42s I should get. Both models are very similar. The only differences are that the 2379 DXU has 1.7 MHZ CPU and the 60 GB HD but no DVD burner whereas the 2373 CYU has a 1.8 MHZ CPU and a 80 GB HD with dvd burner. Both are SXGA 15 inch screens. If I buy the first one and I order the dvd burner separately, the computer price is still about $100 cheaper than the 2373 CYU. I think I prefer the faster HD. Which computer do you think I should choose? If I choose the first one I will have two DVD players (one dvd rom and one dvd-rw) and the faster hd drive but slower CPU but at a little lower price. Is that the way to go? My ideal computer would be a 1.8 GHZ with SXGA 15" with 128 MB GPU and 60 HD but I don't find any model like that. Do you think the 64 MB ATI 9600 is good enough. How about for the upcoming Longhorn windows? Will that suffice?

I would appreciate your input.

Thank you very much.

Jordi

[csv96]

My ideal computer would be a 1.8 GHZ with SXGA 15" with 128 MB GPU and 60 HD but I don't find any model like that.

The 128mb FireGL T2 is only available on T42p models which come with either the 14.1" SXGA+ screen or the 15" UXGA FlexView screen.

The 2378DXU and the 2379DXU are the only non-P T42's that offer the 60gb 7200rpm drive.

The 2379DYU seems to be closer to what you're looking for if you don't mind the higher resolution UXGA screen and slower hard drive.

[jordi32]

Thank you for your reply. Do you know if the t42's have the short or long fan? I am concerned about the reports about the fan noise with the short fan. Other than the resolution and the GPU card, are there any differences between T42 and T42p? Aren't fonts on UXGA resolution too small to read the web? Isn't the 60 GB 7200 RMP HD better than the 80GB HD?

Thank you again.

Jordi

[csv96]

Don't know what type it is, but the fan on my T42p 2379DYU is pretty quiet.

Nope. Those are really the only differences between T42's and T42p's.

I'm typing this response on my UXGA screen. It's small but readable. By the way, the UXGA screen also works beautifully at XGA 1024x768. By beautifully, I mean just about native quality.

The 60gb 7200rpm drive is faster. The 80gb 5400rpm drive is larger. It's really personal preference as to which feature is more important.

[benz]

Thank you for your reply. Do you know if the t42's have the short or long fan? I am concerned about the reports about the fan noise with the short fan. Other than the resolution and the GPU card, are there any differences between T42 and T42p? Aren't fonts on UXGA resolution too small to read the web? Isn't the 60 GB 7200 RMP HD better than the 80GB HD?

Thank you again.

Jordi

1. The T42's do have the better 'long' fan, or whatever its called...either way, the noise issue is NONEXISTANT in normal T42's.
2. UXGA is too small for me, and I have normal eyesight. your best bet would be to see a 15" UXGA in person before making your decision (look around at some typical retail laptops, or see if your local computer store carries a UXGA demo model of something). but the tried and true resolution (that many would attest to as being perfect) is SXGA+ (on the 14.1").
3. The 60 gig 7200rpm is faster and comsumes about the same amount of power as the 80 gig 5400rpm. Again, its a matter of personal needs/preferences: Do you need/want the extra 20gig or do you need/want the faster drive? Just a thought, it is a known fact that hard drive speed is one of the major bottlenecks in most modern computing systems these days....

[jordi32]

I appreciate your suggestions. I have been looking for a retailer that carries UXGA+ laptops so that I can check out the resolution but I can't find any. Would you know where I can go?

Thank you very much.

Jordi

[BillMorrow]

FWIW i love the 15 inch UXGA display on my R50p and i suppose on the T42p i'll replace it with..
in about a week..

i guess you'll need to make that choice..

UXGA or SXGA+...