questions about Intel 3945 and screen res

Hi,

Im in Canada and really itching to buy a t60 from visaperks.ca, so i can use it on my vacation ill be taking soon so i can do some school work.

Model in question: 2623K5U

Basically the two things that are holding me back are:

Intel 3945 a/b/g wireless card:
Because ive read from google several horror stories about it not working very well with linksys routers ( I have linksys, but reflashed with DD_WRT firmware) and dropping connections; though some users have been able to resolve their issues by turning off some settings, still im worried about this card.

1400x1050 screen resolution:
On my old r32 i had 1024x768 and it worked just fine. Im thinking this screen resolution is going to be too much for my eyes. Heck on my 19'' crt i dont even run a resolution that high, only at 1152x864.

The other alternative is to order from America, where i can customize exactly what i want and get it shipped to a friend, (the tax rate in most states is half of what id normally pay here) the only caveat there is that i probably wont be able to get the system in time for when i need it, because of the memory backlog.
(or i could just configure with 256 and buy my ram locally)?? an idea maybe

Do you guys think my issues regarding the Intel card and screen res are worthy?

 

Remember, high res will be more tolerable on a LCD than a CRT. Also, Vista will have a few more resolution compensation options from what I've heard although this is hearsay.

 

I have the 3945 card and a sxga+ screen. I have not had any issues with my wireless, either here at school, or at home on my linksys 54g router. You can always switch to the Atheros card later via ebay/reseller if you don't care for the intel card.


I went from a 17 inch desktop 1024x768 to wxga 15.4 inch laptop and it was a bit of a change at first, and then another change when I went from the wxga 15.4 to a sxga+ 14.1, but after an adjustment period I love the extra space. It's really personal preference though.

My .02

 

The Intel card doesn't have an issue with Linksys routers from my experience. I owned one for a few years until it died, and never had an issue. I actually prefer Intel cards over others.

Just make sure you let XP handle the WiFi connectivity. Intel's app is really poor and doesn't deserve to see the light of day; that might explain those horror stories.

Also, regarding the screen res: Oatman is right that an LCD is more tolerable then a CRT. If you aren't happy with the resolution I might suggest lowering it (same aspect though!) or adjusting the DPI settings.

 

Why would you say a TFT at 1400x1040 is more tollerable that a CRT running at at the same resolution. LCD's are really bad at scaling resolutions so you really must run it at its native to look decent.

If i ditch the Intel utulity, which i plan to, Can i still use the IBM/Lenovo software to connect and configure my wireless network connections? On my old r32 though..i found the IBM utility sucked and i used the windows program anyways..lol.

I did some research.. the Intel card drops connections because of some power-saving thing when its on battery..solutions seem to be available. Connection strength shouldnt be an issue..since its only my house and i could easily get singal with my old r32 on 802.11b, besides i can also boost transmit and signal power on my router.

Thanks