What to choose? t42, t43, or z60t

I have been using a t41 at work for 2 years, but I'm leaving my job and can't take the laptop with me! I'll be in grad school and would like to buy my own thinkpad. I'll be doing school stuff and watching dvds sometimes.

Here are the three I'm considering. I'd appreciate your thoughts about the notebooks.

1. T42 for $1099
1.8GHz Pentium M
14.1" SXGA+ dispay 1400x1050
40G / 5400 drive
256MB DDR ram
CD-RW / DVD
9 cell battery
3 yr warranty
XP Pro OS

2. T43 for $959
1.73GHz Pentium M
14" XGA TFT Display (1280 x 768)
60GB / 5400 hard drive
512MB DDR2
CD-RW / DVD
6 cell battery
1 year system warranty
XP Pro OS


3. Z60t for $1099
1.73GHz Pentium M
14" WIDESCREEN WXGA TFT Display (1280 x 768)
80GB / 5400 hard drive
512MB DDR2
Ultrabay Slim DVD Burner
7 cell battery
1 year system warranty
XP Pro OS

 

Make sure you get 3 year warranty on your thinkpad. If you're used to T41 you can go with T42/T43 or T60. T60 has the latest Intel Core Duo dual core processor. For Vista compatibility make sure you get discrete graphics. For watching DVDs a widescreen notebook with glossy screen is preferred.

 

I like option for one for the high resolution screen, nine cell battery and three year warranty. The Dothan Pentium M in the T42s runs cooler and quieter than the Sonoma in the T43 or Z60. The perfromance gap between the Dothan and Sonoma is small.

 

heard the t42 runs a bit longer than the t43 with the same battery....t42 seems a much better choice here, as the t43 only gives a bit better performance which you won't tell much diff.

Z60 if you gotta have that wide screen for better widescreen movies but t42 overall is better

 

I am not an expert in ThinkPads but, as far as I know, T43's have a lot of problems, especially related to heat. So, I would advise getting a T42, now on sale. Just do not forget that fonts can be small on a 14.1" SXGA+ display.

I don't know about the Z series, but some people suggest that they are not up to the expected ThinkPad quality.

 

I wouldn't be so sure that the 64 MB ATI card on laptops with SXGA+ will run Aero Glass, simply because that amount of pixels needs more video RAM.

So, I wouldn't buy discrete graphics just for the sake of Vista. Especially because, it seems, Intel GMA 950 (with its 128 MB of shared RAM) will run Aero.

 

off topic here but is vista a new windows, like windows xp?

 

Vista is the version of Windows, It is due early next year if you believe Micro$oft.

 

Damm 'boon27' you've been really out of the loop..
As for the integrated intel graphics card, I wouldn't be so sure, they just state that it will run Vista.
On the other hand, the ATI discrete option WILL run Aero on Vista even with 64MB. Because believe it or not, the amount of memory is almost irrelevant if the processing power is good enough.

 

I'd get that T42 and add more RAM

 

Thanks everyone for the advice. I've got the t42 ordered.

Should I get another stick of 256MB RAM or get two sticks of 512?

 

I would go 1GB.

 

Get 1 GB stick, you wouldn't probably need anything more than that for a while.
If you see the need for more just replace that ugly 256 with another 1 GB stick, that will do for at least 4 more years.