Looking for older, cheap Thinkpad for writing

I'm entertaining the idea of putting off buying a new laptop and looking for an older Thinkpad for writing and writing only. Which would be a good option? My criteria: Windows XP (so within the last five years or so), a classic solid Thinkpad build, cheap.

To put it another way, what is the best Thinkpad build of the "XP Era" that I could get a used laptop for pretty cheap?

 

What's your budget?

 

New thinkpads arent that expensive right now, with a number of coupons out currently, you could get one for 750 new.
But if you want to buy an older one, the x41 was a solid laptop, no optical or touchpad, but it was a good laptop, also the T43 was a good laptop too

 

If you are considering Ebay, the x series (except x30) and the t series still run a little high considering their age. For a better price try R40 or R50, although the R series is a little weighty. The x30 can be had with XP for around $200, but they have usb 1.1, but still a pretty good deal. Prices really jump at x31.

 

Of the T4x series, I think the T42 was the best of the lot. It would help if you defined pretty cheap.

 

Have ou tried looking at ebay

 

T41 Last IBM model.

 

Wrong. T42 was introduced by "IBM" and the T43 is the same thing except for the Sonoma platform. T60 was the first major redesign.

I may have a T42 15" SXGA+ FlexView for sale that would fit your needs - current buyer is being flakey.

 

Asus EEE.

Cheap and if you're only writing.. it's very, very portable.

 

It'll look great next to a Wii

 

No I'm not. T41 was the last one built by IBM. T42 and onwards was manufactured by Lenovo.

 

It's still the same people designing ThinkPads, but now their paychecks say Lenovo rather than IBM.

 

Again, I'm talking about manufacturing.

 

You are wrong on both counts.

First, IBM hadn't manufactured their own laptops in quite a while. The same ODM's that were manufacturing ThinkPads when IBM owned it, were doing it when Lenovo bought the PCD.

Second, the T42 WAS released under IBM's ownership.

From this very site: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=1164 --> T42 released in May 2004

Purchase of PCD announced late 2004: http://www.news.com/IBM-sells-PC-group-to-Lenovo/2100-1042_3-5482284.html

The acquisition was completed in 2005 shortly thereafter the T43 was launched.

I can also vouch that I bought my T42 when it was still a "hot model" in August 2004.

Any other questions?

 

Hi, you need to check your attitude

Yes the acquisition was later. But for the third and final time, the MANUFACTURE was done by Lenovo from T42 onwards.

 

I don’t know which one is best, but I think it’s a fine idea if basic stuff is all you want. I remember this guy that posted found a nice deal on an IBM certified used lappy here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=170666

In a nutshell, he got it from IBM here: http://www-132.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/s...Id=2576396&storeId=1&catalogId=-840&langId=-1

Hope that helps

 

Thanks for all the advice. I'm thinking that I'm just going to wait and buy a new one (or an HP)--a new T61 could be had for about $900, where it seems that the T42s (etc) will cost me around $500...might as well spend $400 more for a new one.

What I was hoping for was a source for a <$200 Thinkpad...but it seems that it would be hard to find.

 

Here's an x30 that just ended on ebay for $160.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ibm-ThinkPad-X3...yZ140083QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem