Looking to identify an older ?400 laptop

I'm looking to buy a laptop for my dad, basically anything dual core, SATA2, and a 14+ inch screen.

Extended battery would also be cool, just for kicks. This laptop isn't going to be mobile, just for him to go down to the pool or not have to be plugged in to make things simple for him.

He had a brain tumor and such, he's been learning the computer now since he's retired, and he likes using facebook to keep in touch with his old students (he was a teacher), so right now he's using my mom's 13" Macbook, but she needs to use it too.

I figure something with a good screen, and good build quality.

I've been browsing the used computer markets here in Beijing, my budget is maby $300 USD but that buys a lot more over here. I've seen some Lenovo ?400's, Maby T maby R, anyways the hinges were still solid and good. It had Silver Rectangle metal hinge thingies, I've been having trouble finding the exact model. It seemed like a good lappie, wasn't too heavy, didn't creak, I just want to figure out what it was so I can read up on it and decide wether to check it out or not.

But that screen size and the fact that it's a Lenovo make me want to buy. Can someone give me some model #'s, and the corresponding processor if possible? There were some good HP's and Dell's in that price range, but they were single core, or had bad hinges.

Is there a good older Lenovo also? Something in the T43p era? There's a lot of those floating around, the tablets are really cool, but I think there were also some 'big' laptops in that era. I think a T60 might be too expensive, I'm just not sure.

Thanks.

 

AFAIK the first Thinkpad model Lenovo started making was the T60, then T61 -> T400 -> T410. So a T60 should be the cheapest to get from all those models since it's the oldest one.
I would suggest buying a 15" T60 for the following reasons:
1) lowest price
2) one of the best screen's ever seen on a laptop. (FlexView IPS panel), while the screens on the T61 and after are below average.
3) It's C2D @ 2-2.2Ghz is enough to handle almost anything.

Again the screens used on the T400 are BAD, if you want a good screen in that price range either get a T60 or a used MacBook? Beware of scams if it's too good to be true it probably isn't.

 

I'm buying the T over a MB because of the build quality, I also own a BlackBook and it's creaky and loose and just bad after all this time (and after using the aluminum MBPs)

Are the T60's also widescreen?
I'll check the prices on the T60's I remember seeing a ton of them in other areas..

Thanks,.

 

$300 USD in Beijing is not going to get you anything decent.

T60 starts at $350 USD for the most basic spec, if you want the T60 widescreen model then you are looking at $500 USD.

If you don't know whom and where to buy in Beijing, then you won't get anything more than a entry spec T43 in Beijing for that price.

There is a good chance that the laptop they sell you is a dud, so go with someone whom knows a bit about them.

A Thinkpad in China is around 20% more expensive than a HP or Dell's similar class laptop, there is no way that you will find a Thinkpad cheaper than those machines, if you do either you are lucky, or something fishy is going on.

 

I dunno but the place I go to has quite a few of the ?400/?500's
They seem to have low spec C2D's or some sort of dual core I couldn't quite get the character. They were maby 350ish around that price.

T43's are cheap as hell, bu usually still in the same bracket because their super small and light.

I'm sure the computers have some crap processor in there, maby a Celeron or something, I have to talk to the sellers but I definitely can bargain the prices down a bit I shop there a lot.

You gotta go to the small dirty places to get deals. Not to any big place or anywhere flashy.

 

Yes, as was stated, you will probably not find a used T60 for $350. Going with a T42/43 will more than likely be your best bet. A T60 with the IPS screen will be even more $$$.

 

don't let the badge fool you... i know plenty of people whom bought one thinkpad and instead got something else........ USA has the cheapest Thinkpads, and there is no way that these people can make any money by selling the T400 and T500 for the price you mentioned. Buyer beware....

If something is too good to be true, it probably is.

 

About 60% of t60s I looked at on Ebay.com were less than 300.00.
Renee

 

The R61 seems like a winner.
I found a few cheap 'uns on taobao so if I go to a store I should be able to get a better price.

I'm going to go back there soon and prowl around, I just wanted some model #'s to read up on so I can at least know a little about the computer.

I'm also thinking about a powerbook lol, I'd so go for one of those big old Metal mac's. The Titanium ones or something... Too bad I can't find them anywhere around here.

 

Powerbook is not very reliable with the G4 CPU and they get pretty hot too....

 

T60p's can be had for under 500 on eBay, and those are usually high specced with the max Core 2 Duo processor possible on a T60p, the T7600 (2.33GHz), and a beautiful screen. I would stay away from the T43/p, i used to use a T43 and i actually liked everything about it but the noise and heat, they are noisy even at "low" fan settings. If you want something in the T43/p era go for a Z series, a Z61p if you need some graphics horsepower, or just a nice little Z61m, it has a 16:10 screen which would be more video friendly. However if he is going to be just web browsing and such, a 4:3 ThinkPad would be the best IMO. I think your best bet would be a T60 or T60p with the FlexView, stay away from the T61p (if you even can get a good deal on one, like i did) since it has a deffective graphics card that will fail in shorter average time than other GPU's.

 

Wow Z61M, there's quite a few that are perfectly priced, hopefully I can buy them in the store and fiddle with them they look great. And high res lol.

Can I stick a newer N capable Wifi card in there? (like miniPCI or whatever it is) Can the old software support it or is it something like, the computer lacks the antennas needed for N.

 

there is an Thinkpad atheros abgn cards that is available.