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Thinkpad T42 2378/2379 review

post #1 of 22
6/15/04 at 8:00pm
Thread Starter 
My T42 DXU review--
(2378DXU, 2379DXU)

1.7ghz dothan
ati m10 64mb
512mb ram
7200rpm 60gig
15" 1400x1050 flexview
integrated bluetooth and 802.11b/g
secondary battery in ultrabay slim (same place the combo drive goes in)
dvd/cdrw
standard battery
some misc ibm security things
hard drive protection (like an airbag)
roughly 1.2" tall and 5.9ish lbs.


no pictures now, i don't have a digital camera... i'll try to borrow my neighbor's soon.

cost and shipping:
tax was like $92.xx. the ultrabay battery was $170.00. shipping was free, but it shipped from hong kong. still it only took 5 days to get on the delivery truck, 1 day to canada, stuck there on friday for u.s. holiday, then in louisville for customs, where the FDA (food and drug administration does electronics clearing too i guess) cleared it yesterday, and UPS overnighted the package to my house. the t42 was $2064.xx with the visa discount (a day after i ordered it IBM hiked up the price by a few hundred, whew!). total was $2326.xx.


display:
15" flexview
very bright, great screen for general use. don't know what more to say since i only have one other screen to compare it to, a dell 5100 sxga+ 15". both screens get the same wide viewing angles as far as i can tell, and neither shipped with dead pixels that i can find. ghosting is a problem though. it shows up pretty badly in dvd playback, and games. in office use it only really shows up when you move windows, the window's contents get blury. no glare. err... i shouldn't say no glare, when the screen is all black and i hold my hand near it i can see a small tan blob on the screen, but i wasn't just looking for glare, i was trying to invent it in that case i guess.


dvd playback:
not horrible, but playback does ghost a lot during movement. like if someone turns his head on a close up things get very blury. or when people are walking. i'll get pictures soon. it's annoying, but bearable for me because i don't plan on watching dvds on it often.

gaming performance:
3dmark2001 se score: 9661
most of the games i've run so far are fine showing little to no ghosting:
rise of nations
command and conquer generals
starcraft
i'll get farcry and ut2004 on this machine in a few hours, i don't have them yet .

one game that i've had a problem with:
the free windows pinball game. that little ball gets quite a bit of ghosting. it's bearable, just annoying.


construction:
rock solid, lightweight (5.9lbs i think), thin (1.2"ish)
keyboard feels nice

sound:
very nice in my opinion, espescially for a notebook i'd say. better then my mom's dell 5100.

cool features:
the hard drive protection feature is awesome, shuts down the hdd in the instance of a configurable amound of schock. i've been downloading various patches and mods for games and can move the notebook around without worrying about getting 600mb corrupted files.





good:
fast
solid

bad:
dvd playback isn't great. i'll put up pics of it as soon as i can.

i got this for college and officey use, and to a lesser extent games. i've heard that ut2004 and farcry show little to no ghosting, so i bought it as i doubt i'll ever game anything but those and other, less-demanding games.

edit: i don't know if i'm keeping this one or going with the asus m6bne.
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post #2 of 22
6/15/04 at 8:31pm
Congrats~!!~ You've got a nice lappy man..
Can I ask you couple of questions? How's fan noise and other?
Because I had T40p laptop before, and I had noise problems which are CPU fan and high-pitch noise.
Is it made in Hong Kong?
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post #3 of 22
6/15/04 at 8:40pm
ah, thanks for the review! i hope you're happy with it!

-- how's the heat, noise, and like mercutio asked above-- the fan
-- are DVDs almost unwatchable b/c of the ghosting? this frightens me.
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post #4 of 22
6/15/04 at 8:42pm
I posted my thanks and best wishes to you in your other thread.

I have decided this is not the kind of screen for me.

(back to the drawing board for me, kinda)

Andrew
Austin, TX
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post #5 of 22
6/15/04 at 8:44pm
(back to the drawing board for me, kinda)

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post #6 of 22
6/15/04 at 8:57pm
Well, I am sorry, but I had my credit card out, with the link to the IBM quote open this morning, ready to place my order.
I had seen 10 minutes earlier that rcd was about to get his delivered today, so I waited to hear his review.

More than anything, I want to thank him VERY much for being completely honest and candid.
It has saved me from having to receive and return something that would not have worked for me. I am just too picky about what I see on the screen.

Andrew
Austin, TX


Quote:
Originally Posted by rincewind
(back to the drawing board for me, kinda)
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post #7 of 22
6/15/04 at 10:01pm
Bah.........good luck in your quest for the perfect notebook! Also Rcd congrats on your purchase!
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post #8 of 22
6/15/04 at 10:44pm
Not perfect, of course, it can't be.
A good screen is my prime consideration, however.
Andrew
Austin, TX

Quote:
Originally Posted by xxh0lywarsxx
Bah.........good luck in your quest for the perfect notebook!
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post #9 of 22
6/16/04 at 11:55am
Kinda off topic, but is there something wrong with HP nc6000, aamsel? Besides the price of course. Hard to get a better thin-and-light nowadays...
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post #10 of 22
6/16/04 at 12:55pm
Thread Starter 
there's a little bit of fan-noise. there is definately a high-pitched fan noise, but it's not too bad. other then that a moderately loud fan goes on during intense hard disk usage, but i've only noticed that while installing a game at the same time i was installing some apps from my hard drive.

originally i had thought i could deal with the screen, but i'm having more and more trouble with it. i'll give this thing a little more time to see if i can get used to it (i have 30 days), but i will probably go with the asus m6bne. it kills me to say that though.
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post #11 of 22
6/16/04 at 1:17pm
All that is "wrong" with the nc6000, is that I would only be able to use a plain-old XGA model, and I am concerned because the viewing angles and contrast will be less than the SXGA+ panels on the nc6000 or nc8000, which is a fact. Also, I spent DAYS deciding that I could use an SXGA+ 15" display, so I hate to drop down to XGA on a 14.1" (although it still might be the best for me).
If you have seen the "regular-old XGA" on the nc6000 please let me know your impressions.
Otherwise, I am trying to decide between the nc8000, and spending about $1,000 less on the new ASUS M6Ne (or whatever it is called) and I would get the widescreen with it. I am not a big widescreen "fan', but...
I know what I would be losing, and what I would be gaining ($1,000).
Other than that, I know nothing!!
Thanks,
Andrew
Austin, TX

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommi
Kinda off topic, but is there something wrong with HP nc6000, aamsel? Besides the price of course. Hard to get a better thin-and-light nowadays...
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post #12 of 22
6/16/04 at 1:30pm
It's a lot better to pay $15 in UPS return shipping than to keep something that will bother you over time.
If it bugs you a little right now, it will probably really annoy you later (after 30 days).

I am not an IBM endorser, but, have you considered a 14.1" T42 SXGA+ ?? They do NOT have the Flexview screen, so they should be fine. They are virtually identical to the T41's which were supposedly "tried and true". You have much younger eyes than I do, assuming your vision is good. Also, there should still be T41 14.1" SXGA+ models left over for sale.

Let me know what you decide to get.

I will order an ASUS M6Ne widescreen (I don't want a "cheaper" 15" SXGA+ screen, no offense to anyone that has one), or an HP nc8000 with SXGA+ or HP nc6000 with XGA.
I will have an order placed by Friday afternoon, without fail!!
(well, Monday morning at the very latest)
Andrew
Austin, TX

Quote:
Originally Posted by rcd
...originally i had thought i could deal with the screen, but i'm having more and more trouble with it. i'll give this thing a little more time to see if i can get used to it (i have 30 days), but i will probably go with the asus m6bne. it kills me to say that though.
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post #13 of 22
6/16/04 at 3:57pm
i'm kind of at a loss here...

i thought you wanted to pay the extra money for the IBM/HP because you wanted a business-class notebook with the reliability / support associated with the brand.

now you have switched to the m6n?
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post #14 of 22
6/16/04 at 5:27pm
Well, if you are "at a loss", then I am a complete loss!!!

I am about 90% committed to ordering an HP nc8000 with SXGA+. I have totally blown off the HP nc6000 with XGA, just don't want it. The only reason I have even re-introduced the ASUS M6Ne (or whatever the widescreen model with 9700 is called) for last minute thoughts is just because it is approximately $1,000 less money. Also, I would add on-site and accidental protection to the HP, so it will end up being yet another $400-$500 more on top of the initial $1,000 more.

However, I am just about to go with the nc8000.

This thought process is not total insanity on my part.
I would have already placed the order yesterday morning for the T42, then rcd had his arriving. He posted that, even with the ghosting he was going to keep it. I then posted that, in light of the ghosting I was NOT going to get a T42. This morning, he posted that he is probably NOT going to keep his, so, all in all, at least I avoided ordering and returning one, but am sorry that he has to deal with his.

As for the last minute ASUS thoughts, if you look back to where I first joined this forum, the ASUS is a notebook that I have considered from the very beginning. It seems to be borderline as to whether it has the same quality as a top-of-the-line unit (it may very well be as good) but, all it lacks is the level of support of a top-flight company, so that will probably be the killer for it (for me.) I own ASUS motherboards, and have used them almost exclusively for many, many years. Just not absolutely sure about their notebooks.

But, the ASUS is not a last-minute addition to my choices, it has been there all along.

That about sums it up.
Humor me, I will be "done" soon!!

Andrew
Austin, TX

Andrew
Austin, TX
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post #15 of 22
6/16/04 at 5:36pm
aamsel, i'll be very interested in seeing what you end up deciding on a laptop. I was wondering, since I haven't been following many of your threads, if you have been to compusa, bestbuy, circuit city, etc. to see if they have those models you are interested in so you can compare screens??
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post #16 of 22
6/16/04 at 5:47pm
Well, what I will choose will either be the HP nc8000 with SXGA+ and 128MB 9600 or the ASUS widescreen SXGA (new model with 64MB 9700). One or the other, and I lean HEAVILY toward the HP at this moment. Monday morning I will have an order placed, period. (yes, I keep extending my own damned deadline!!) Again, the ASUS would simply be saving $1,000+ and going "cheap" (and NO, I am not saying that the ASUS is a cheap notebook.)

Yes, I have been to CompUSA, Best Buy, Circuit City, and FRY's quite a few times. I "used" the notebooks there to ultimately decide that I could be quite happy with SXGA+ on a 15" screen or WXGA on a 15.4" model. When I started all of this, I was sure that I had to stick to XGA, so that is quite a change, actually. Additionally, until 2 weeks ago, I was running my home and work desktop 19" LCD's at 1024X768!!! I now run them at their native 1280X1024 for the first time, so, yes I have made some progress!!

As for seeing the screens at the superstores, yes, they helped my decision, but, unfortunately the Business HP models and the ASUS are not carried by any of these places.

Will let you know what I decide.

Andrew
Austin, TX

Quote:
Originally Posted by laozx
aamsel, i'll be very interested in seeing what you end up deciding on a laptop. I was wondering, since I haven't been following many of your threads, if you have been to compusa, bestbuy, circuit city, etc. to see if they have those models you are interested in so you can compare screens??
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post #17 of 22
6/16/04 at 5:48pm
aamsel, the reason i've been so confused with your posts is that i thought you were willing to pay a lot more just for the IBM name, which might be justified if you want to use the computer for 4+ years, i guess it would be about the same as buying a completely new notebook at that time if your cheaper system had crapped out by then.

but, HP isn't quite IBM, at least we don't know that yet with their business-class notebooks. is it really going to cost you $1000-$1500 more for the HP than the M6N with comparable specs?

i took a hard look at the m6n, it looks really solid. and asus definitely isnt mitac, i've used their mobos for years also with rock stability.
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post #18 of 22
6/16/04 at 6:14pm
Yes, I have definately been "wishy-washy" (or more) about my decision, no lie!! However, if rcd had liked his T42, I would have had one on order right now.

To answer your questions, Aikeo...
Yes, I would have paid more, and still would if it were justifiable. I like on-site warranties, and accidental damage protection, and I can't add that onto an ASUS, but that, I can live with.

The HP is $1,000 more than the ASUS only because I already have a Hitachi 60GB 7200rpm drive at home from my last notebook, so I could order an ASUS with CPU, memory, wireless, optical, but NO hard drive for about $1,600 vs. about $2,500 for the HP nc8000 with a 40Gig 5400 (that I would also replace.) Both with Dothan 1.7, 512MB (that I would add 512MB to), etc. However, the HP is 3 year warranty. I can't buy a 3 year warranty on the ASUS unless I buy a complete system. A complete system with the same specs, plus the cheapest hard drive is $1,700+, and then you have to add $150 for the extra 2 year warranty. So, then you are at $1,850. Then the difference is just $650. SEE WHAT I MEAN???

As for the HP not being IBM quality, have you actually seen the nc8000, nw8000 or nc6000??? Or read any of the reviews??? They seem to be just as highly regarded business-class notebooks as any Thinkpad.

And, NOW, from everything I have read about the new 15" T42 with Flexview's screen issues, I think that IBM really has a HUGE LEMON on their hands with those models. They are gambling that business-people running day-to-day business apps won't notice the crappy screen's 60ms response time, and they may bite the big-one on it before it is over, who knows.

As for what the heck I ought to do, I don't know, but, I guarantee you, 100% that I will do something by Monday morning!!!

Andrew
Austin, TX

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aikeo
aamsel, the reason i've been so confused with your posts is that i thought you were willing to pay a lot more just for the IBM name, which might be justified if you want to use the computer for 4+ years, i guess it would be about the same as buying a completely new notebook at that time if your cheaper system had crapped out by then.

but, HP isn't quite IBM, at least we don't know that yet with their business-class notebooks. is it really going to cost you $1000-$1500 more for the HP than the M6N with comparable specs?

i took a hard look at the m6n, it looks really solid. and asus definitely isnt mitac, i've used their mobos for years also with rock stability.
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post #19 of 22
6/16/04 at 6:19pm
when i said HP is not IBM quality yet - note the qualifier - i meant that the nc6000/8000 hasn't been around long enough to prove itself in the long run like the thinkpad chassis / architecture has.

I think that the HP business class looks better than the current IBM thinkpad based on a current assesment, btw, but i thought you wanted the years of experience/quality/proof that IBM has with the thinkpad. HP can't claim that-- yet.

if you don't buy a full system from asus can you still get the 1 year manufacturer's warranty?

i dunno, if it were me, which actually it is (i'm going to buy a system in about 2 months) i would consider this situation: i buy the asus m6n, which is by all estimation a quality system that is going to last a long time as long as I don't roll it down a hill or spill coke on it or something. i save $1000 or more because i have the extra HD. I stick the $1000 in my favorite IRA / stock share plan. i get at least $1100 back after a year passes, more if i want to be risky about it. what's the worst thing that could happen to me after a year? the asus completely dies, meaning the screen / HD / ram / everything i can salvage or replace blows up. i now have at least $1100 with which to buy a new system. of course, at this time alviso is probably out, meaning that dothan and definitely banias prices have dropped-- i could probably get a brand new system equivalent to my old m6n for less than $1100.

that's the absolute worst case. i would predict that the m6n would last me around 2-3 years before i got tired of it / it became too slow. now i have around $1500 that i never would have if i had bought the HP/IBM. it's like someone just gave me a free high-end laptop after three years.

anyway, that's just the way i see it.
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post #20 of 22
6/16/04 at 6:56pm
I would get a year warranty buying it without the hard drive. Even the bare bones M6N's without CPU, memory, etc. have 1 year warranties, I am quite sure. So, yes.

This system is a gift to me from someone, so there will be no money to invest if I save $1,000. I can spend the $1,000 on something else right now, or not, but, sorry, no stocks, bonds, etc!!

Andrew
Austin, TX


Quote:
Originally Posted by Aikeo
when i said HP is not IBM quality yet - note the qualifier - i meant that the nc6000/8000 hasn't been around long enough to prove itself in the long run like the thinkpad chassis / architecture has.

I think that the HP business class looks better than the current IBM thinkpad based on a current assesment, btw, but i thought you wanted the years of experience/quality/proof that IBM has with the thinkpad. HP can't claim that-- yet.

if you don't buy a full system from asus can you still get the 1 year manufacturer's warranty?

i dunno, if it were me, which actually it is (i'm going to buy a system in about 2 months) i would consider this situation: i buy the asus m6n, which is by all estimation a quality system that is going to last a long time as long as I don't roll it down a hill or spill coke on it or something. i save $1000 or more because i have the extra HD. I stick the $1000 in my favorite IRA / stock share plan. i get at least $1100 back after a year passes, more if i want to be risky about it. what's the worst thing that could happen to me after a year? the asus completely dies, meaning the screen / HD / ram / everything i can salvage or replace blows up. i now have at least $1100 with which to buy a new system. of course, at this time alviso is probably out, meaning that dothan and definitely banias prices have dropped-- i could probably get a brand new system equivalent to my old m6n for less than $1100.

that's the absolute worst case. i would predict that the m6n would last me around 2-3 years before i got tired of it / it became too slow. now i have around $1500 that i never would have if i had bought the HP/IBM. it's like someone just gave me a free high-end laptop after three years.

anyway, that's just the way i see it.
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