T42 questions

I've been looking at tons of different laptops. I noticed that the IBM T42 can be mine with the following specs for $1609 w/ student discount.

Pentium M 735 - 1.7 Ghz
14.1" SXGA+ screen
768 MB Ram
40 GB 5400 RPM HDD
ATI Radeon 9600 - 64 MB
CD-RW/DVD
Wireless B/G

I have few questions about this system. How long is the battery life on this system w/ the standard 6-cell. Is IBM's standard warranty period 3 years? Any other insights and comments are welcome.

 

where did you get that price?

 

I go to IBM.com and click on education link. Then I click on student purchases. Then I put in 2378FVU under item search, which is the model for the 14.1 inch SXGA w/ 64MB card and 1.7 ghz processor. I add a 512 stick of ram and thats the price.

 

fishfood

From what I've read, the battery life on the 15" screen approaches 3 hours on the 6-cell. You can expect better than that on the 14" version. I could be off with the number, but generally the T42 does very well with just a 6-cell battery.

As for the warranty, it seems to vary. US models that I looked at usually had 3-year warranties, whereas Canadian versions tended to have only one year of coverage. Be sure to check with your credit card company...in my case, Visa is adding an extra year to my warranty.

I also researched dozens of laptops before deciding to buy the T42. They're great machines if you can live without a glossy screen, and if you can get one for a decent price, which you seem to have found.

 

Usually the one with the student discount come with the three year warranty. Add the memory after purchase, it is cheaper.






I know things, things that could get me killed


Thinkpad T41:
* 1.6Ghz Pentium M * 768Mb Memory * 40Gb Hitachi 7200RPM * Panasonic UJ-845-B DVD+RW *

 

I don't like the glossy screens. I live in Florida and may be attending law school here. I do a lot of reading/studying outside on nice days and I've read that glossy screens are not good w/ sunlight.

Does 1609 for this laptop sound like a good deal?

zazonz - you say to add the memory after. Do you know where to find a 512 stick that will work with the t42 at a good price. Also will the stick void the warranty? I can get the laptop for $170 less without the added 512 stick from IBM.

 

So, I just checked the VISA discount page and I can get this laptop for $1545 instead of 1609. Is there anyway to get a better price than that?

 

I put this in my T41:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-155-122&depa=0

Works fine. Memory is considered user upgradeable and should not void warranty.






I know things, things that could get me killed


Thinkpad T41:
* 1.6Ghz Pentium M * 768Mb Memory * 40Gb Hitachi 7200RPM * Panasonic UJ-845-B DVD+RW *

 

$1545 sounds pretty good to me. The arrival of the T43 is dropping the price of the T42s, and the performance difference is not all that great unless you're REALLY picky.

I dropped $1950 Canadian on mine...and that was the EPP price. If I'd bought it through Visa it would have run $2500 plus 15% tax! [:0]

It's not here yet, I can't wait to see it. If you haven't ordered yours yet I'll be happy to give my impressions of it at that time.

 

Sure, lemme know how you like yours. I'm interested in the weight, keyboard layout, battery life, and screen quality. Pretty much everything else is summed up in the specs.

 

geeze, i'm torn between this and a d610... let us know how you like your t42.

 

IT'S HERE!

My T42 REU arrived this afternoon. The quick specs:
1.8GHz Dothan
60 GB 7200 RPM HD
512 MB RAM (Will probably add another 256)
15" SXGA (1400x1050) Flexview
ATI Mobility Radeon 9600
Fingerprint scanner

$1998 Canadian with extra battery, extra A/C adapter, Carrying case and 256MB USB2.0 memory stick.

My first new laptop ever.

Well, I admit I was apprehensive taking this thing out of the box. I bought it through the Friends and Family program and that means NO RETURNS unless it is defective. That means if I had dead pixels or didn't like the SXGA hi-res screen, I was screwed...and I'd spent 6 weeks researching machines before I finally bought (The sony S-series came 2nd.)

When you open the box the first thing you see (on the cardboard box flap) is a little multilingual notice that says "You made the right choice." And so far it's bang-on.

The laptop is the perfect size, with a large enough screen for plenty of real estate but weighing in at only 5.5 pounds...I can carry it with complete ease and would not mind using it on an airplane or train. Its black magnesium alloy exterior is more attractive than I'd expected. First boot was seamless, windows went through its setup followed immediately by IBM's security software, which helped me set up the integrated fingerprint scanner. This process is manifestly simple, the fingerprint scanner works great once you get a feel for how much pressure to apply.

Everything about the laptop feels rock solid. The keyboard is a joy, with not a hint of flex. The case is strong and the hinges are deliberately shiny to show off the fact that they're metal. The famous IBM Trackpoint is much better than any touchpad, and comes with extra caps for when you wear them down.

The screen is exceeding my expectations. Having seen the glossy widescreens in stores, I did not have great hopes for the matte-style IBM. But the flexview screen is outstanding. The viewing angle is as ridiculous as advertised, the screen is bright and readable from WAY off centre, both horizontally and vertically. There is no sign of the "ghosting" issues mentioned in some forums, a quick screening of LOTR:ROTK showed no noticable artifacts or streaking. I also cannot detect any dead or stuck pixels, though I have yet to run a proper pixel test. The SXGA resolution is causing just a bit of aching behind my eyes, mostly because I'm accustomed to a 19" LCD running at 1280X1024. I will adjust quickly, I'm sure, and I am VERY glad I chose the SXGA. It's small, but not too small, and the high resolution just makes everything that much sharper. If you've got the eyesight, I say go for it.

Sound quality was fine for laptop speakers but nothing to get excited about...of course, the DVD experience was vastly improved with a set of $15 headphones.

The only problem I have encountered is a mild disagreement with the CDRW/DVD-ROM. After playing the DVD for a few minutes (and after it had been stopped), the drive refued to open when I pressed the button or clicked "eject" in windows. Rebooting fixed the problem but this could be an annoyance if it is recurring. That being said, this is the sort of thing that could be easily fixed if the drive is faulty. The drive is also just a bit louder than I expected, but certainly nothing annoying or even noticable after a few minutes.

Well, I've only had it for about an hour and haven't even gone online yet! I will answer any questions I possibly can, though I will be away for the weekend and might be a bit slow to respond at that point.

So far so good!

 

Hmm, i wish you got the 14.1 inch model, so i could get detail on that. Oh well i guess everything else should pretty much be the same.

 

I just bought and received the 14.1 T42 last week. So far, so good. I bought it using the VISA deal using AMEX to get an additional year warranty through AMEX. I did the 512 RAM upgrade, although I probably should have bought it aftermarket. The wireless works great with my Linksys router, I have yet to hook it up to a cat 5 cable. I am surprised at the weight or lack of it. The laptop is extremely light. The notebook runs cool compared to previous laptops i have used.

The keyboard is very nice. The button feel and size are nice. I am getting used to the center mouse, and I haven't been using the mousepad much. The only complaint so far is the lack of a windows key. For most folks, this probably wouldn't much of a deal, but as much as i use keystroke shortcuts, it's kind of a pain.

The keyboard light is a cool feature i wasn't expecting to use much, but I am sure I will. I haven't used the CD/DVD much, only to install Office and Visio. The network setup is also nice. I have set the machine up to use at home and work, both from a wireless perspective. The configuration uses IBM specific functionality. Installing the additional memory was easy. The free leather case is also nice and well built.

The monitor is set at 1200X1028, which is plenty big. I am using large fonts. The 1400 setting was simply too small. The 14.1 screen is plenty big for me. I think the 15 would have been nice, but marginally so. I originally thought I had made a mistake in not buying the 15, but not now. The 14 is plenty big.

On a final note, the irony was that I ordered the laptop on a Monday night, and it arrived by the following Thursday from Hong Kong. Yet, the memory was shipped from California, and arrived over a week later. Also, if you buy online, make sure your pop up blocker is turned off. I had issues when I actually placed the order. I never did get a true receipt. I did print off an order summary, but no Invoice number was on it. It doesn't really matter anyway, the laptop is already registered with IBM, so they know who I am.

Good Shopping!
TJ

 

If I get a t42 with a 15inch screen, what resolutions can I run it at?

I know there's the native resolution (1400 by something), but I think it might be too small. I'm running my 19inch LCD monitor at 1280x1024 so I can't see how I would be able to stand a higher resolution with a smaller screen. On the other hand, I can't go back to 1024x768 as there's not enough screen real estate.

So, what are the resolutions in between? And, is it a lot fuzzier or something because it's not native?

Thanks a lot!

 

You may need to check with the IBM web site, but I thought the 15 didn't have the 1400X0000 resolution.

 

I can now get the same laptop for 1482 with a free case and travel mouse. The price just keeps dropping.

 

so can anyone find a better price? do you think that employee discount would be bigger. I know a guy, but dont want to bother him unless it will save me a lot of money.

 

From what I can tell, it's really no hassle for the IBM employees to give out codes for the family & friends site. Here in Canada, at least, they seem to be encouraged to do so.

So far my new T42 remains perfect. I have also confirmed there are no dead pixels...a real relief considering I can't return it.

Oh, and with regard to the 14" screen...I got comfortable with the 15" sxga fast enough that I think anyone with good eyesight should be able to adapt to the 14" sxga without too much trouble.

If I were you I'd try to find out the friends & family price, and then go with the educational price if you can't beat it.

Good luck!

 

How does one get the "education" price? I've searched the IBM website and cannot find where there is a discount for students/educators.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by fishfood

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Juicylicious

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by DarkHound

 

I found the education discount by going to IBM.com and clicking on Education. That brings you to the education site. On the side there it says something like student and faculty personal pc purchases. Click that.

Yea I am pretty much set on getting an IBM or the Asus W3V. I don't know which one yet. I'm waiting until it gets closer to when school (law school, 1st year) starts.

 

If you want the educational discount but do not want to buy one of the ones on the educational promotions portion of the web site, you need to call the 800 number there and talk to a rep. That's how we got a T42 2379DXU.

 

The education web site is http://www.ibm.com/education/us

It's where I bought my T42 2373M3U for $1,895 in Feb. '05.

Today 4/7/05 the education price of a 2373M3U is still $1,895.20 and it's regular Web Price is $2,369.

A T42 2378FVU is $1,376.10 thru the edu.site, and it's regular Web Price is $1,529.

 

Fishhood,

Congrats on your law school acceptance. It'll be very exciting and rewarding ... (On a quick note, make sure you get the commercial outlines, especially the "examples and explanations" series, for your first year courses.)

With respect to your notebook decision, here's my opinion. Before asking the question which notebook to buy, I'd recommend that you give some thoughts to these 2 critical questions. First, do you already own a decent desktop? Second, what are you going to use the notebook for? Most students acquire the idea that they should get a notebook for lawschool for various reasons such as class notes, papers, exams, legal research, emails, etc. (school related tasks) and non-school related tasks. But in my opinion, it is a pain to carry case books and laptop around campus. As it is true with other schools, your school should have a Computer Center. There are two other computer places on campus, which are not as crowded as the Computer Center. Lexis Nexis and West Law. If you do not know what they are, you'll be very familiar with them once you attend school. If you manage to use the Computer Center, Lexis Nexis and West Law centers efficiently, you could very well tackle all of your major school-related tasks, except for notetaking and exams. With respect to exam taking, you have to have a notebook or you can borrow one from school. You'll find out. It's not practical to elaborate on it at this point. Hence, it boils down to notetaking. Students have been using the traditional way to take notes for years without any problem. However, I believe that using a computer to take notes is a little more efficient due to the fact that it is faster and you do not have to retype your notes later (if you incline to do so). I found out that the alternative method to a notebook, within the purpose of taking notes, is PDA and stowaway keyboard. Trust me, you'll love this combo. Besides notes taking, you can use the PDA to manage your busy life and surf the net and checking email, assuming that your school and PDA have wireless internet.

In short, if you already own a desktop, you should consider using it as your main system for school and non-school related tasks. For notes taking purpose, I would recommend you to buy a PDA and a keyboard. These devices should be sufficient. If you think that you still need a laptop for other purposes such as Power Point presentation, crunch-time papers, legal research while you're away from the desktop, playing games, etc. (and can afford one), I think you should get something that is *truly* portable and highly reliable, for you will appreciate its light weight and do not wish to be in a situation where your computer crashes during the exam period. I highly recommend a ThinkPad, especially 2379DXU or 266894. Just go to the IBM's education link and enter these model numbers and you'll get the discounted quotes.

I hope this helps ... and that you are not yawning after reading this long message.

Mike

 

I own a desktop, but its 4 years old now and getting slower by the day. I will probably use my desktop as an extra HDD and play music off it thru my 6.1 surround system at home. I need a laptop for a few reasons.

1. Most law schools require them.
2. Portability. Need to be able to write papers and whenever and wherever.
3. DVD viewing and games while on airplanes/car rides/buses, etc.
4. Replacement for my deskop as primary computer.

I plan on buying a nice LCD screen and using it as my TV and computer monitor too. I was thinking of the 24 inch widescreen dell LCD monitor.

 

(1) You may have to check with your school with respect to requiring its students to own a laptop. As far as I know (my own experience and buddies' going to other schools), there is no such requirement. The school can only recommend, but cannot require its students to own a laptop.

(2) For your first year, you probably end up writing about 2-3 papers at the end of each semester. During your second and third year, this number can dramatically change to higher and lower; it all depends on your class selection.

99% of ABA schools will sufficiently accommocate their students regarding computer needs; thus, it boils down to how high of a priority you would set for your convenience factor and other non-school related factors.

As you desire to use your laptop as a desktop replacement, things can be a little complicated. How would you personally define a desktop replacement? An equivalent of Dell XP2? or at least 9300? where you have a state of the art video card? As you already know, the higher the performance you desire, the more you'll have to give up; i.e., weight, price, battery life, etc. On the other hand, you should think what you truly need a laptop for, within the purpose of being first a law student and eventually an attorney (you probably should take into the transition phase between a fresh grad who needs to take the bar, ethics exam, ... and the 1st yr associate.)

Consider the PDA option if I were you.

On a final note, although it is true that it all depends on which school you attend, it is most likely that you probably will not have a lot of free time, at least during your first year, to play with your system as you would like.

Hope it helps.

Mike

 

2-3 papers = total.
usually you're required to turn them in at the end of each semester.

 

I need it as a desktop replacement in the sense that I will not be using a desktop at all. I need a decent video card, but nothing great. I play age of empires 2, and I will play AOE 3 when it comes out. I need a DVD reader and CD burner. I know that the University of Florida has a University of Florida Levin College of Law Mandatory Notebook Computer Policy, which states: "the Levin College of Law requires that all entering law students (J.D. and LL.M.) own a portable IBM compatible (notebook or laptop) computer"

The other two schools I have to check with. Most likely I am going to U of F, because I am a Florida resident and in-state tuition is only $7,000 per year which is about $20,000 (or more) cheaper than any other institution. Plus I am 99% sure that I want to practice law here and I know that it is best to go to law school in the area in which you will take the bar.

Therefore, I NEED a laptop. I have basically narrowed it down to a T42/T43 or a ASUS W3V. I really like widescreen because I will be using this for DVD viewing quite a bit.

 

Oh yea, free time will be limited. I plan on not getting cable TV as a solution to that. I find the two biggest wastes of my time are video games and TV. I enjoy games more, so I figure I'll cut out TV. I hardly ever watch network TV, so by not paying for cable, I'll save money and make lots of time for studying.

 

very interesting! your school even "subsidizes" for the equipment too ... most schools in ny and ca do not have such requirement ...

anyhow, with respect to your very unique scenario, i can only offer you an opinion from a perspective of a law student in general. My highest priorities are: reliability and portability. Performance is not really an issue within the purpose of legal use with today's standard technology. For gaming purposes, you will have to resort to some compromising resolutions.

btw, your choices are excellent. good luck in school. tell us what you finally end up with. if you have time before attending school, give us your review or impression. i'll be getting my t43 pretty soon. i'll let you guys know my assessment of the system.

 

I plan on getting the notebook a month or 2 before school starts. I should be able to review it.