T42 and disappointment

I'm a college student that has been able to avoid purchasing a laptop for more than a year. I've just reciently begun to consider getting a laptop, and this morning I decided to check out a T42 from my school library to see how a laptop would fit into my life. I have to say the the T42 is suprisingly thin, but also suprisingly heavy. It also runs incredibly warm. Even with a Pentium M, it's too hot to use on my lap. It is also incredibly inconvienent to not have any kind of a scroll bar. I do like the build and keyboard, but I still get the feeling that I wouldn't want to drop this laptop. Are all of my observations correct? Are these problems that are associated with all laptops? It's a little hard for me to know because I've never used a laptop before.

Thanks,

 

Mine only gets a little warm. Nothing I would consider too hot to use on my lap.

 

No scroll bar? If you hold down the middle mouse button directly under the spacebar and push up and down on the trackpoint, you scroll up and down.

 

the T42 is still being sold? it's pretty old now, a 2004 model for sure.. its been replaced by the T43, and that's been replaced by the T60..

I did own a 14" T42 with an ATi 9600. It was thin, much cooler than the Fujitsu I replaced it with, and quiet. No flex and a perfect keyboard. Scroll bar wasn't too much of an issue since I used the IBM mini travel mouse that came with it.

 

i would suggest all the first time notebook buyers get dell first. if dell doesn't fit you, consider thinkpad.

 

What? That's quite silly.

 

You must work for Dell.

 

I use my T42p on my lap all the time. I wouldn't suggest doing so naked or anything, but it feels fine sitting on my jeans.

The T's aren't designed to be the lightest. They are supposed to be a nice compromise between power and portability. If you want a light laptop, look at an X. The new X60 is light and powerful with a Dual Core processor.