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Looking to buy a laptop....are Thinkpads still the "best"?
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#11
 
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Re: Looking to buy a laptop....are Thinkpads still the "best"? -
05-20-2006
, 01:32 AM
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On Wed, 17 May 2006 20:35:18 +0200, "Jill Jenson" <jjenson (AT) invalid (DOT) com wrote: I'm posting this question here as I understand there are quite a few regulars who are "in the know" WRT computers in general and laptops in general. I am thinking of buying a laptop computer as I am self-employed and have constant need to have my business at my fingertips while in the field. I need something rugged and reliable, with the requirement to just run the OS (probably Winblows) and a few programs, one of them a Winemakers Database. I have no requirements for games as such, but it would be nice for the machine to double as a DVD player while on long flights. :-) Are the Thinkpads still the "best" in terms of quality and reliability? I understand they are no longer made or owned by IBM, but now by Lenovo. To me cost if of secondary importance to ruggedness and quality, although my budget is by no means unlimited. So what are your opinions? Thanks in advance to all. I'm with Keith here - they're still "quality" on case, keyboard, pointing device, general feel and there's a surprisingly wide range of price points even within a single line like the T4x series, which is the best choice IMO. Choose the one for you based on screen size/technology (not sure if the IPS screen is still an option) and the usual memory/HDD size and video chip. For memory I've had good luck with upgrades from Crucial... unless Lenovo has a current deal on the larger memory models. That's one annoying thing about all laptops - seemingly inexpensive feature differences, e.g. DVD-/+RW vs. DVD-CD/RW are inordinately expensive. Take a browse in the Forum at http://thinkpads.com/start.htm to get more info and user experiences. |
Do the T-series ThinkPads have a glossy or matt screen surface?
Many people have expressed dissatisfaction with the new Apple MacBook
switching to a glossy screen.
Currently I can only evaluate the new ThinkPads on their website.
thanks,
Murray.
#12
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nobody (AT) nowhere (DOT) net wrote: should add that the current models probably were developed when it was still IBM or shortly after the Chinese took over, but still by the same folks sticking (at least for the time being) to the same golden standards. What will happen in a few years? Only time will tell. I would think that they would try to retain the high-end niche that they are in. Why pay IBM all that money only to slug it out in the middle of the market? |
to crawl in the mud. BTW, Lenovo does sell a cheaper line (3000 series)
that doesn't carry the ThinkPad or IBM logo.
--
Keith
#13
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On Wed, 17 May 2006 18:07:48 -0400, George Macdonald wrote: On Wed, 17 May 2006 20:35:18 +0200, "Jill Jenson" <jjenson (AT) invalid (DOT) com wrote: I'm posting this question here as I understand there are quite a few regulars who are "in the know" WRT computers in general and laptops in general. I am thinking of buying a laptop computer as I am self-employed and have constant need to have my business at my fingertips while in the field. I need something rugged and reliable, with the requirement to just run the OS (probably Winblows) and a few programs, one of them a Winemakers Database. I have no requirements for games as such, but it would be nice for the machine to double as a DVD player while on long flights. :-) Are the Thinkpads still the "best" in terms of quality and reliability? I understand they are no longer made or owned by IBM, but now by Lenovo. To me cost if of secondary importance to ruggedness and quality, although my budget is by no means unlimited. So what are your opinions? Thanks in advance to all. I'm with Keith here - they're still "quality" on case, keyboard, pointing device, general feel and there's a surprisingly wide range of price points even within a single line like the T4x series, which is the best choice IMO. Choose the one for you based on screen size/technology (not sure if the IPS screen is still an option) and the usual memory/HDD size and video chip. For memory I've had good luck with upgrades from Crucial... unless Lenovo has a current deal on the larger memory models. That's one annoying thing about all laptops - seemingly inexpensive feature differences, e.g. DVD-/+RW vs. DVD-CD/RW are inordinately expensive. Take a browse in the Forum at http://thinkpads.com/start.htm to get more info and user experiences. [snip] Do the T-series ThinkPads have a glossy or matt screen surface? |
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Many people have expressed dissatisfaction with the new Apple MacBook switching to a glossy screen. |
Quote:
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Currently I can only evaluate the new ThinkPads on their website. |
so I stuck with the 'T' (the Core Duo, metal cover, and 1" thickness
mattered too).
--
Keith
#14
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On Wed, 17 May 2006 18:07:48 -0400, George Macdonald wrote: On Wed, 17 May 2006 20:35:18 +0200, "Jill Jenson" <jjenson (AT) invalid (DOT) com wrote: I'm posting this question here as I understand there are quite a few regulars who are "in the know" WRT computers in general and laptops in general. I am thinking of buying a laptop computer as I am self-employed and have constant need to have my business at my fingertips while in the field. I need something rugged and reliable, with the requirement to just run the OS (probably Winblows) and a few programs, one of them a Winemakers Database. I have no requirements for games as such, but it would be nice for the machine to double as a DVD player while on long flights. :-) Are the Thinkpads still the "best" in terms of quality and reliability? I understand they are no longer made or owned by IBM, but now by Lenovo. To me cost if of secondary importance to ruggedness and quality, although my budget is by no means unlimited. So what are your opinions? Thanks in advance to all. I'm with Keith here - they're still "quality" on case, keyboard, pointing device, general feel and there's a surprisingly wide range of price points even within a single line like the T4x series, which is the best choice IMO. Choose the one for you based on screen size/technology (not sure if the IPS screen is still an option) and the usual memory/HDD size and video chip. For memory I've had good luck with upgrades from Crucial... unless Lenovo has a current deal on the larger memory models. That's one annoying thing about all laptops - seemingly inexpensive feature differences, e.g. DVD-/+RW vs. DVD-CD/RW are inordinately expensive. Take a browse in the Forum at http://thinkpads.com/start.htm to get more info and user experiences. [snip] Do the T-series ThinkPads have a glossy or matt screen surface? Many people have expressed dissatisfaction with the new Apple MacBook switching to a glossy screen. Currently I can only evaluate the new ThinkPads on their website. |
T42 I saw was 6 months or so ago. We don't buy that often. The glossy
screen was started by NEC in their monitors I believe, followed by Sony and
a few others now. It was said to improve the image as well as offer a hard
protective surface but the glare is awful.
--
Rgds, George Macdonald
#15
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Dell suxxxx big time. Last year had to deal with Latitude D(whatever number) - did not compare to IBM, except for maybe on-paper specs. The only thing that worked well was the Centrino wireless |
I've also had Dell's in the past. What specifically were you having
problems with? I never had any major issues with any laptop I owned,
except performance (often not enough RAM for the operating system, so
lots of paging).
Yousuf Khan
#16
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On 17 May 2006 22:09:21 -0700, "YKhan" <yjkhan (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote: Sure, why not? I got a T42 at work, and it's just fine. However, recently I just bought myself a Gateway MX6440, and it feels just as fine. I've never found any particular laptop to be bad or good, they were all fine. I wouldn't pay a premium for it, just to get a Thinkpad name. You need a more sensitive touch  PP I wouldn't use some brands evenif they gave it to me free. I'll take it though, so that I can sell it off to pay part of a new Thinkpad pPp |
least until they start getting long-in-the-tooth.
Yousuf Khan
#17
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nobody (AT) nowhere (DOT) net wrote: Dell suxxxx big time. Last year had to deal with Latitude D(whatever number) - did not compare to IBM, except for maybe on-paper specs. The only thing that worked well was the Centrino wireless I've also had Dell's in the past. What specifically were you having problems with? I never had any major issues with any laptop I owned, except performance (often not enough RAM for the operating system, so lots of paging). |
to our office: 1) every time he powered it down it hung our (D-Link D-908)
network hub - also saw this with Linksys NICs in desktop systems; 2)
drifting cursor - extremely embarrassing when he was trying to demo
software with a projector. Dell had it back twice and was never able, or
inclined(?), to fix it. That office switched to Thinkpads after that.
Other makes: I used to think Winbooks were a "good buy" until I realised
that after a couple of trips, the case went all flexy and then things
started to go flakey with hangs, reboots & bad parallel/serial ports. Then
one came back from a trip with a broken sreen - can happen to all of them
with enough force and the right Bozo sharing the overhead (which is why I
advise stowing them upside down) but those didn't take that much force: you
could "touch" the back of the LCD by pressing down on the top with one
finger.
--
Rgds, George Macdonald
#18
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nobody (AT) nowhere (DOT) net wrote: Dell suxxxx big time. Last year had to deal with Latitude D(whatever number) - did not compare to IBM, except for maybe on-paper specs. The only thing that worked well was the Centrino wireless I've also had Dell's in the past. What specifically were you having problems with? I never had any major issues with any laptop I owned, except performance (often not enough RAM for the operating system, so lots of paging). Yousuf Khan |
thereof - that I was issued a laptop only a few weeks after the
company switched the vendor from IBM to Dull. I had a chance to
compare my Latitude side by side with Thinkpads T of lucky guys who
got it a few weeks earlier, and IBM was ahead on everything across the
board, the difference ranging from a bit to quite a few bits. The
screen had the same res and size, but IBM was sharper and just more
pleasant to look at. The weight of the Dull was a bit more, the
battery lasted a bit less, the system seemed quite a bit less
responsive (IBM had the CPU 1 speed grade down, same size RAM). The
port replicator - it was quite an exercise to get Dull docked, and IBM
was a snap. The overall build seemed flimsy next to IBM, and that
silvery-grayish plasticky cheap finish just didn't compare to the
classy matte black of the T. Same to the bag - both made of canvas,
but Dull looked cheap, and IBM somehow didn't. I just have no desire
to get into more details. Maybe that laptop was not that bad as such,
but I was p!$$ed off that the paperwork for mine got stuck and I ended
up with Dull instead of the Thinkpad I expected.
NNN
#19
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The little lost angel wrote: On 17 May 2006 22:09:21 -0700, "YKhan" <yjkhan (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote: Sure, why not? I got a T42 at work, and it's just fine. However, recently I just bought myself a Gateway MX6440, and it feels just as fine. I've never found any particular laptop to be bad or good, they were all fine. I wouldn't pay a premium for it, just to get a Thinkpad name. You need a more sensitive touch PP I wouldn't use some brands evenif they gave it to me free. I'll take it though, so that I can sell it off to pay part of a new Thinkpad pPpReally, I've had no major problems with any laptop I've ever used. At least until they start getting long-in-the-tooth. |
a great car". ;-)
--
Keith
#20
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Other makes: I used to think Winbooks were a "good buy" until I realised that after a couple of trips, the case went all flexy and then things started to go flakey with hangs, reboots & bad parallel/serial ports. Then one came back from a trip with a broken sreen - can happen to all of them with enough force and the right Bozo sharing the overhead (which is why I advise stowing them upside down) but those didn't take that much force: you could "touch" the back of the LCD by pressing down on the top with one finger. |
Thinkpads. In fact, it was the first time I've ever seen the problem
was on a Thinkpad (my old T21), never seen it before on anything else.
It's also there slightly on my newer T42 Thinkpad, though much less
than on the T21.
Yousuf Khan
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