Help in ThinkPad Buying Advice?

[A31]

I thought you didn't like the 1.8" HDD?

Well I wasn't a big fan of it but I have been talking to Tasurinchi (who owns both the X31 and the X41) over the past few days and he said it didn't make a great difference in speed, just a bit nosier.

He also said look out for the X60 as there may be some good deals on that, and I think he's right as I found this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IBM-Lenovo-Th ... 2401wt_905 I just typed into eBay "ThinkPad X60" and this was the first result. Looks like this laptop still has the 12" screen I'd like, 1GB RAM and an Intel Core 2 Solo at 1.7Ghz, seem a bit better than the X41? Obviously it's got the integrated wireless too. Although it does take a 2.5" HDD as opposed to the 1.8" the X41 takes, it is SATA only, and this one is 40GB which I can probably live with (most likely will be mapping a 2TB network drive on this machine to store stuff on).

Or maybe I should aim to spend a bit more and get this instead? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IBM-ThinkPad- ... 2486wt_905 This one has a Core 2 Duo CPU and a 250GB SATA HDD, but I don't really know if that Dual-Core will make the machine any faster and I'm sure I could get a large 2.5" SATA HDD for about £20-£30 anyway if I ever wanted to upgrade? Dual-Core is definitely better than a Sole-Core and this laptop is a good price for the spec it offers, but is it really worth spending £150 on a 5-year old laptop? As long as it lasts, it will be worth the money, and even today that Core 2 Duo is a pretty decent CPU, it's only recently been discontinued. It's just I don't want another story I had with the A31 where I spent quite a bit of money and time on it getting it going again and then it suddenly dies and all that money is lost. See what I mean? But, anyway, something to think about. So, I quite like the X60 now, especially that Core 2 Duo one but if I am tight for cash I'll go for the Core 2 Solo one.

[pianowizard]

He also said look out for the X60 as there may be some good deals on that

The X60 would indeed be much better than the X41 in terms of performance and HDD options, but both are crippled by their 1024x768 resolution. Even though you may not mind it, you may find it helpful to have a higher resolution. Besides, you have only owned 4:3 laptops so far, right? So, it would be fun to try a 16:10 12.1" laptop like the Dell Inspiron 700m or the HP nc2510p that I mentioned earlier.

[roguetrooper]

I am pretty familiar with UK eBay and pricing and all models you mentioned are available for under £100, you'd ideally be aiming for a Pentium Mobile (perhaps Centrino Branded with WLAN) Model

The X31 can be purchased for £60-70 Buy it Now and Auction style if you are patient, some with docking stations.

The advice regarding the X40, X41 is well founded. Avoid if you can, as the drive issue is problematic, mine was real slow and then failed within weeks.

The difference between 12" and 15" screens is huge, as is the size of a 12" models vs 15" ones. And can be twice the weight.

Of the X series I'd choose an X30/31 or even X23/X24 if your demands are light.

I have an R51 with Intel GPU, 15" XGA, Centrino Branded (P-M 1.7, WLAN), that I find ideal for day to day work. You can often pick one of these up for around £70-80 on eBay. Slightly less than a used T42.

The R51 I find nicer than the equivalent (minus firewire) T42, I prefer the solid plastic casing and personally prefer it as more "solid". I think you might like this model.

[A31]

but both are crippled by their 1024x768 resolution.

True... but like you say, I reckon I could do all right with it. I asked Tasurinchi about it and he said it was OK on a 12" screen.

Besides, you have only owned 4:3 laptops so far, right? So, it would be fun to try a 16:10 12.1" laptop like the Dell Inspiron 700m or the HP nc2510p that I mentioned earlier.

Yes I have only ever owned two laptops before, the R40 (that barely lived 2 days before the motherboard packed in on me) and the A31 which lasted about 5 months before the same thing happened. Dad has an Acer Aspire One netbook which I have used a tiny little bit which I think is a 11" or 12" 16:10? Not sure about that, will have to Google it as I bet Dad doesn't know But yes, I will keep looking around - there aren't many of those 700ms on eBay at the minute but I haven't looked at the HP yet, so I will have a look now.

The difference between 12" and 15" screens is huge, as is the size of a 12" models vs 15" ones.

Firstly can I say thanks for the info you posted, useful buying advice there! Secondly, yes the A31 was a 15.1" and my Dad's netbook is only 11" or 12" so yes I have seen the difference as you say it is huge (OK the A31 was 4:3 and the Acer is 16:10 but still a big difference )

Of the X series I'd choose an X30/31 or even X23/X24 if your demands are light.

So you'd have an X31 over the X60 then? I suppose if an X31 can be purchased with a Pentium M for about £60-£70 as you say and you can get an X60 with a Core 2 Duo for £150 then the X31 would probably come out overall as the better option?

The R51 I find nicer than the equivalent (minus firewire) T42, I prefer the solid plastic casing and personally prefer it as more "solid". I think you might like this model.

When I first decided that I'd like another TP, I did look at the R51. Seemed like a nice laptop, but I like the small form factor of the X-Series, but if I can get an R51 at a good price then I will consider it, but the 15" is large and I'd really like an ultra-portable this time round I think. But I guess the bigger screen of the R51 means a higher resolution which would probably be better to work with.

[Tasurinchi]

If one of the main criteria for choosing the laptop is portability, I would rule out any 15" Thinkpad (unless you're a big strong guy that doesn't care carrying extra weight )

but both are crippled by their 1024x768 resolution

I agree XGA is not the best resolution but if the OP needs just a TP for browsing and checking emails, or even simple office tasks I think 1024x768 would be ok. I don't know models with better resolution available in the price range A31 was mentioning, here in Switzerland there are Dells D420 (1280x800 resolution) in a similar price range than X60's (actually slightly cheaper), but having worked a bit with them in the office I would not recommend them.

It will get tough if more resolution is needed and the budget remains the same, in this case you'll have to jump to a 14" T series probably, but with 14" portability is limited too, see an x60 compared to a 14" T61 (16:9) here and an X40 compared to a 14" T43p (4:3) here (you'll need to scroll down a little). I hope this gives you a generally idea...

[A31]

So at the moment I am looking an X-Series, either the X31 or the X60 but probably leaning over the towards the X60, hopefully one with a Core 2 Duo, at this point in time.

This X60 comes with 3GB RAM and an Ultrabase http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IBM-LAPTOP-LE ... 1178wt_905

[roguetrooper]

So at the moment I am looking an X-Series, either the X31 or the X60 but probably leaning over the towards the X60, hopefully one with a Core 2 Duo, at this point in time.

The X60s runs REAL hot (not sure about the X60), especially the WLAN card under the palm rest. I used one at work and it was a HUGE annoyance so much so I really couldn't use it (it was that bad). It was to be fair however very fast and with Windows 7 was very snappy. It seems a Ferrari engine in a mini.... the fan just never stopped either.

The X31 was and is a fantastic machine, and if your demands are light then I would definitely go for this in the "X" series. I would argue that out of all the X series the X31 is the most highly regarded. It has an ATI 7000 GPU rather than an integrated Intel as well (I think, more knowledgeable members here can correct this I am sure), I also think it can be maxed out with 2GB. Sweet.

I used an X23 and liked it, but the PIII may be too slow for your demands, anyway the price differential on eBay between X23/24/30/31 is not that large.

[dr_st]

The X31 was and is a fantastic machine, and if your demands are light then I would definitely go for this in the "X" series. I would argue that out of all the X series the X31 is the most highly regarded. It has an ATI 7000 GPU rather than an integrated Intel as well (I think, more knowledgeable members here can correct this I am sure), I also think it can be maxed out with 2GB. Sweet.

There is also an option of X32 - equivalent to an X31 only with faster Dothan CPUs. You are right that they have an ATI GPU, but it's not any faster than integrated Intel GPUs, surely not if you compare to the X60 generation.

[A31]

So... I'm a little confused now. The X31 is certainly cheaper than the X60 on eBay as the hardware isn't as current, but still pretty fast and fast enough for Windows XP. I'm getting the impression that people are edging me or towards the X31 than the X60? Not that this is a bad thing as I was looking at the X31 anyway and I've wanted one (or an X series) since the A31 died last March. So, due to lower costs and a palm rest that doesn't get boiling hot, most people here recommend an X31?

Certainly this looks like a very tidy example http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IBM-Lenovo-Th ... 730wt_1139 and may be getting £30 or so today to contribute to my "ThinkPad funds"

EDIT: This one's cheaper http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Thinkp ... 500wt_1156 and even has a port replicator included. Not fussed about no OS installed as I can install XP Pro myself and then put on what I want to put on.

[roguetrooper]

There is also an option of X32

Sorry, I didn't mention this, the problem with the X32 is scarcity....

It's harder to find an X32 in the UK than the X31's (which are fairly readily available). I agree, it's likely to be a better option than the X31, but have no experience of this machine.

I never liked the X40, which felt inferior in build to the X31. The 4200RPM 1.8" drive failed on me within weeks. Lets face it drives fail, but fairly rarely, so for this to fail almost immediately was really an eye opener for me.

I did like the X23 however, but I am sure the PIII 1.13 Mobile on the X24 had far superior power management facilities (Speedstep for one) than the X23's PIII 866 LV. If that is indeed the case the X24 would be preferable.

[roguetrooper]

So, due to lower costs and a palm rest that doesn't get boiling hot, most people here recommend an X31?

A 2GB maxed out X31 with XP is very nice, but it depends on what you will use it for I guess. The X60s is far more powerful (and expensive), but in my opinion not as well made, and gets very hot, but you may need that power. (This may or may not apply to the X60 I can't say).

I don't believe you could go wrong with a clean X31/X32 (X32 on eBay UK at the moment no bids, 1 day to go or so £60'ish with docking station).

Whilst the X60 series are fast I believe they have sluggish Intel GPU's as well.

But I am sure people will disagree with me.

[pianowizard]

The X60s runs REAL hot (not sure about the X60)...The X31 was and is a fantastic machine, and if your demands are light then I would definitely go for this

That's an excellent point that I usually remember to mention but somehow forgot to this time. Indeed, I hated my X60s so much that I sold it after two or three weeks of ownership (during which I probably used it only twice!). In fact, that experience contributed greatly to my eventual migration to desktop computers, which don't have the problem of warm palmrests.

I have never owned an X31 but am quite convinced that it's a better choice than the X40/41 or the X60s. Not sure about the X60/61 or the X61s.

[A31]

OK then I will get some money today from that handy place called the ATM So an X31 or an X32 is probably the way to go as I'm a bit tight on cash and my demands are fairly light.

Update: got £40 now so I will keep looking on ebay and if I see an X31 or anything else for about that or under I'll keep an eye on it

[Tasurinchi]

Sorry to add more confusion, but I politely disagree with the previous posts, I know your budget is limited, but if you want to keep a notebook for a longer period an X6s would be a wiser purchase. It's much faster than the previous series and upgrades will be cheaper (in case a component fails for example), you can put up to 3GB and you could even put an SSD in a near future (with prices dropping every day), which will give a really big boost in performance.

Now, let me say that owing all the machines in discussion here, I don't want to give the impression that X3/X4 series are not good, I love them all... But in this modern times with flash, HD video/Photo and so on, an X60 will do better...

Yes, the X60 gets hot. But my right hand is still there, unburned, alive & kicking (Should post a picture one of these days...)

Just my 0.02 cents...

[A31]

Right so we can rule out the X4x series because of the 'slow' 1.8" HDD that is likely to fail and expensive to replace when it does fail, so the choice is really the X31 or the X60? I won't really be using the ThinkPad for much, probably just email and internet browsing, so which would provide the best bang for a buck, the X31 or the X60? At the moment I'm thinking the X31, but I am aware that the X60 will probably last longer as it has more up-to-date hardware. It's a tough decision to make really!

This X60 looks good and is about as much as I'm really prepared to spend (£95) - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IBM-LAPTOP-LE ... 1190wt_905 - it has 2GB RAM and I reckon even on a sole core will be fast enough. This one's also all right but has no battery http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IBM-Lenovo-Th ... 2370wt_905 OR this very reasonably priced X31 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-ThinkP ... _500wt_922

Just one question - will the A/C adapter from an A31 or an R40 work with an X31 or X60? If so, as I have two genuine IBM A/C adapters from when I owned the A31 and the R40, I could save money buy buying an X31 or whatever I decide to get which doesn't have an A/C adapter?

[dr_st]

Sorry, I didn't mention this, the problem with the X32 is scarcity....

Indeed! It was a very short-lived model in terms of active production periods. And when I finally get my hands on one, built exactly the way I like it, it dies on me! LOL (still waiting for some free time to mess with it and try to repair it).

I never liked the X40, which felt inferior in build to the X31. The 4200RPM 1.8" drive failed on me within weeks. Lets face it drives fail, but fairly rarely, so for this to fail almost immediately was really an eye opener for me.

My experience with drives is that there is just a (fairly small) percentage of defective ones that fail pretty fast. So I wouldn't rule out all the X4x series based on once incident. X4x are not without their merits - they are slimmer and lighter than X3x. But of course they cannot match the performance.

Sorry to add more confusion, but I politely disagree with the previous posts, I know your budget is limited, but if you want to keep a notebook for a longer period an X6s would be a wiser purchase. It's much faster than the previous series and upgrades will be cheaper (in case a component fails for example), you can put up to 3GB and you could even put an SSD in a near future (with prices dropping every day), which will give a really big boost in performance.

Totally agree. My wife was not happy about some things (palmrest heat, bulk and thickness with extended battery), moving from her X32 and X61, but after some fiddling with the wireless driver, the heat came down to manageable, and let's face it - performance with a full-fledged dual core CPU makes these machines far more relevant than X3x/X4x in today's world. Not to mention that the X61 can actually be configured with 8GB RAM and a fast SATA SSD (especially assuming removal of the SATA-150 limit in the BIOS).

My original suggestion to consider the X3x was based mostly on the budget considerations. If the budget is revised, so that the X6x now fits it, it will definitely be a better choice overall, even considering the minor deficiencies.

[A31]

At the moment, IDK if they will still be on eBay when I come to buy one, there is an X31 for £55 and a dual-core X60 on eBay for £90 - do you reckon I should spend more and get the X60 for the dual-core? think it may be wise as it would make the laptop more future-proof I guess. Here it is http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IBM-Lenovo-Th ... 500wt_1156 (may have already posted the link before but IDK)

[roguetrooper]

The X60 you mentioned is certainly the lowest price you are going to get an X60 on eBay, however it does look rather "tatty" and not particularly well taken care of!

The Solo CPU is also a pretty poor processor, basically as far as I understand a Core Duo with one core hard disabled. Given this the processor performance might not be much better than the Pentium Mobile in the X31.

For £95 you can get a "Grade A" X31 *with* Docking station and DVD I am sure.

As you might have guessed I am biased towards the X31. I loved that machine and it was a fantastic little piece of technology. Well built, reliable and small and sturdy.

You can use an SSD later with the X31, just get an IDE SSD, they are available. You could also get a Dual CF to IDE 2.5" adaptor for £15 and use some 600X CF Cards with it With respect to the previous poster, the X31 is upgradeable, perhaps not as much as an X6 series, but 2G, SSD is sweet for sure.

You could get an X40/41 and use a 1.8" IDE CF Adaptor and a 600X Card. That might actually be quite a machine for some. Smaller, thinner and lighter than a X31, but in my opinion build is substandard over the earlier X series (the X23/24 are better built than the X30/31 which are better than the X40/41 which are better than the X60/1.. well I think so)

[RealBlackStuff]

... Just one question - will the A/C adapter from an A31 or an R40 work with an X31 or X60? ...

The A/C adapter from an A3x/T2x/T3x/R4x/R5x will work with an X31 (requires 16V/56W, better is 16V/72W).
The X60/X61 requires a different 20V/65W AC adapter (better is 20V/90W).

[A31]

however it does look rather "tatty" and not particularly well taken care of!

I thought the one that was £90 with the Dual-Core CPU was in pretty good nick? The one with the Core Solo and 2GB RAM that was rather tatty with broken plastic around the PCMCIA slot...

You could get an X40/41 and use a 1.8" IDE CF Adapter and a 600X Card.

I would as I love the small form factor of the X4x but I really don't want the slow and expensive 1.8" HDD. What is a CF adapter and what exactly is a 600X card?

For £95 you can get a "Grade A" X31 *with* Docking station and DVD I am sure.

I'm certainly sure I could, so that is probably the way forwards I reckon. Got £40 all ready so only need to hope for about another £40 for my birthday and then I can get a good X31. Not really too fussed about the docking station but would be nice to have one if it comes with the laptop and as far as a DVD drive goes, Dad's already got an external one for his Acer netbook which I am sure I can borrow whenever I need to. Looking on eBay, there are a few under £100 X31s for sale (at the moment, sure there will also be some in Sept/Oct too) with 1GB RAM, see here http://computers.shop.ebay.co.uk/Laptop ... 86.c0.m282 I have to say with a weight of 1.6kg, the X31 is certainly very light, didn't think it would be quite that light!

The A/C adapter from an A3x/T2x/T3x/R4x/R5x will work with an X31

Thanks for that, as that means I *may* be able to save money by buying an X31 which does not come with an A/C adapter, also guessing an A3x A/C adapter can be used with an X41 too (just in case I change my mind yet again?)

One question about operating systems this time - I like XP Pro, it's reliable and can be fast once you've set it up correctly, but I was wondering how Ubuntu runs on a netbook like the X31 or the X60? Does Ubuntu support all of the drivers needed for the X31 (which is probably what I'm going to try and get) or is my best bet with drivers to just stick with XP Pro? Not really looking to use any software that only works on Windows, obviously Microsoft Office doesn't run great on Ubuntu but you get LibreOffice in Ubuntu 11.04 now. Maybe if the HDD was big enough I could create a dual-boot between the two? We'll have to see

[pianowizard]

Just get the X31. It will be sufficient for your needs for at least three more years. I get the impression that you are very young and rely on your parents for "pocket money" (yeah, I grew up learning British English). The X31 would save you some money, not a lot of money by "adult" standards but a lot for you. It's a good thing for young people to learn to be financially responsible; don't start the bad habit of spending all you got. Once you start working, then look for a more powerful laptop.

How old are you BTW?

this very reasonably priced X31 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-ThinkP ... _500wt_922

This one looks good. The seller's feedback is 100% positive; you can use your 1GB RAM; and you can upgrade the 40GB with your bigger drive.

[roguetrooper]

It's never too young to own a ThinkPad

I agree though, an X31 in my opinion is the best way to go. Other options are either more expensive, and possibly you won't use that extra power, or less spec. (X23/24) but not much price difference.

A nicely kept X31, 1GB RAM, and a future upgrade to 2GB, and an SSD is a nice combination. Perhaps with a Docking station thrown in with DVD. It'll run XP just fine, facebook, youtube, browsing, email etc.

Take good care of it and you'll likely get a good resale value, although used on eBay the X31 was around £180 in 2008, now I feel they won't get much lower in price than around the £70 or so that they are currently at, they simply offer too much value. Even X23/24 go for similar prices. I just think these will not depreciate much more. We have hit the bottom here!

[A31]

OK I will get the X31. Thanks for all the posts and advice people have given me... much appreciated. How much were these X31s when new back in 2005? One site said £1,000+ ?? Seemed a bit excessive? Just interested to see how much they have dropped in price.

I have had a look round my room very quickly and found the 80GB Seagate HDD I was using in the A31 before it died (looks like it still has XP Pro installed on it) along with all the other 2.5" HDDs I have, but I cannot for the life of me find my 1GB RAM module! I must've been an idiot and thrown it out along with the A31 but I am almost 100% certain I kept it. Maybe I donated it to somebody else or something I really can't remember now but I will still keep looking for it, so when I get the X31 I'll try to get one with 1GB RAM.

[roguetrooper]

I'm not sure as back in 2004 I was not in the UK, but Moscow, Russia. I think I paid $2000 USD for the X31, might be wrong though. The X31 might even be a late 2003 machine, its certainly 2004 vintage.

I'd be interested how you find the X31 when you get it, maybe you can make a post. For us older guys (well 30's ) who were raised on Pentium 100's and such I'd expect the younger generation to not know what an older machine was like (but you did say you owned an A31)

I use a similar CPU today as in the X31 (a Pentium M 1.6 in my R51) and with 1GB RAM find it OK to do most things. No, it's not "fast" but it does the job. I doubt you'll feel too frustrated by the speed.

Was in the University library today and all the students had Macs or Acer/HP Netbooks with glossy screens. No ThinkPads. You should be proud to be different... and better

[A31]

I'd expect the younger generation to not know what an older machine was like (but you did say you owned an A31)

My first machine was a 1990s Pentium 350MHz 64MB RAM desktop machine running Windows 98 SE I think Last year for several months I also owned a 1998 DAN machine with a 350MHz Pentium II CPU, 128MB RAM and a 4GB HDD (when I got it I upgraded that to 384MB as I had some spare compatible RAM laying around!), running Windows XP when I got it but I put Windows 98 on it and later put 2000 on it, and kept switching between the two;) I wish I had kept now but oh well, can't change history (I kept the HDD), and I have also used a machine with a 850MHz Pentium III, 384MB RAM which did have XP, then 98, and then I reinstalled XP on it last August I think. And yes I have owned an A31 (see my signature for specs). Also owned some computers from the 2003/04 era, an IBM ThinkCentre A50 being one of them, as well as several Fujitsu T-Scenic desktop machines, and then I've owned some more modern PCs such as a 2008 (I think?) HP dx2200 (P4HT 3.0GHz, 2GB DDR2, 160GB, GeForce 8400GS, XP) and then my custom-built PC from 2010 which is in my signature too. Not to mention Dad has a collection of classic computers such as the ZX Spectrum and Dragon 32 and stuff like that in the loft which I have used once or twice before. So, I know what most generations of machines are like... Never really used a Mac before though, but I don't believe what Apple say about them, especially now they're getting more popular so they are becoming a bigger target for the 'hackerz'.

maybe you can make a post

Don't worry I will and post some pictures too just like I did with the A31 and the R40. Sadly I don't really have any laptops to compare it to since we use desktops in our household but I may be able to get some pictures comparing it to Dad's Acer Aspire One netbook just to see the size difference.

I use a similar CPU today as in the X31 (a Pentium M 1.6 or 1.7 in my R51) and with 1GB RAM find it OK to do most things. No, it's not "fast" but it does the job. I doubt you'll feel too frustrated by the speed.

I've used and owned machines with far lesser specs and they've coped fine so I'm sure the X31 will be fine for me.

Was in the University library today and all the students had Macs or Acer/HP Netbooks with glossy screens. No ThinkPads. You should be proud to be different... and better

Most of my friends have stupid Toshiba laptops, nowhere near as good as an X31 which I'm hopefully going to buy. They keep going wrong, infamous 'white screen of death' (not Windows related, hardware I guess?) on one of my friend's Toshibas. As far as Acer goes.... hmmm... not too reliable! Not sure if this due to user error (probably) or just bad hardware. But yeah, I'd prefer the ThinkPad all the way.

The one thing I really want from this X31 is for it to last really. I don't want to spend what's for me, quite a lot of money (could never afford a brand new laptop and I saved up for months to get and build my Quad-Core desktop) on it and then it suddenly die within a few months, I want it to ideally last for several years. I didn't really mind about the other two ThinkPads dying as I got them for free (they were only going to be chucked out anyway) and I was told that they had been written off, so I knew they wouldn't last forever, but I'd really like to see the X31 to last a long while if you know what I mean?

[Tasurinchi]

Good luck then with chasing for a cheap X31. Be careful not to crack the bezel around the PCMCIA slot on the left side, it's a typical weak spot. See if you get a plastic dummy card to insert at that point. The corners of the bezel (the ones towards "you") are also weak spots that can break easily. It doesn't affect the function of the TP at all but it's annoying to have cracks like that (at least for me)

I've read some other X31 users claiming that the LCD bezel could crack too at a point closer to the hinges, but mine is still intact

[A31]

I'm sure it will be fine, yeah I'll see if I can get a dummy card if not then I do a have a real PCMCIA but I won't be using this if the X31's integrated wireless works. As I say guys, thanks for the help and information, I will start saving up for an X31.

[pianowizard]

Be careful not to crack ....

Since A31 is going to buy this X31 with his hard-earned money, I am quite sure he will baby this laptop. He won't break anything.

[A31]

I am quite sure he will baby this laptop. He won't break anything.

Couldn't help but laugh a little at this No in all seriousness I will

[roguetrooper]

Good luck then with chasing for a cheap X31. Be careful not to crack the bezel around the PCMCIA slot on the left side, it's a typical weak spot. See if you get a plastic dummy card to insert at that point. The corners of the bezel (the ones towards "you") are also weak spots that can break easily. It doesn't affect the function of the TP at all but it's annoying to have cracks like that (at least for me)

Interesting as I just saw an X31 on eBay with just that problem (crack on the upper bezel by the PCMCIA slot).

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBM-Thinkpad-X31- ... 5644d61aea

Last photo.

Thanks for making me (at least) aware of this "weak point"!