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Just returned two Thinkpads. Help, please!! - Page 3

post #41 of 87
8/17/04 at 1:55pm
Thread Starter 
The nc6000's here are custom configurable, so you can get XGA with a 64MB 9600. My MAIN CONCERN, however is the screen. As you pointed out, the viewing angles for the XGA are going to be far worse than any of the widescreens. However, I never wanted a widescreen to begin with, so, I am back to not knowing what to do.

The quest for a great thin-and-light goes on, I guess.

Actually, my "gut reaction" is to order a loaded zt3000 with DVD burner and 1 Gig of RAM and be done with it.
Seems like that would be a better overall value than the nc6000, with the only problem being the 9200 (9000) card.

Andrew
Austin, TX

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommi
...I'd give a try for nc6000 with a XGA screen. All US reseller models seem to have 32 MB VRAM, but I don't know if it is a big deal on a XGA screen.
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post #42 of 87
8/17/04 at 2:25pm
zt3000 seems like a good computer, too. You can configure it to have a 5400 rpm hard drive, unlike nx7010. Too bad, it doesn't have quickspecs available, for example to check the technical specifications of the speakers. However, it seems to be an ideal computer for watching DVDs, and the WXGA screen would offer more workspace than a XGA screen.

Good luck with your choice!
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post #43 of 87
8/18/04 at 1:05am
Thread Starter 
Tommi, looks like you don't have the options in Finland that we have here in the US. I can get an nx7010 with up to an 80 GIG 5400 rpm. Doesn't really matter to me though...I have a Hitachi 60 GIG 7200 that I am going to drop in whatever machine I end up with. I plan to order whatever I get with the smallest, slowest drive available, then pull it and toss it in a drawer.

Thanks for all the advice.

BTW, here are the quickspecs on the nx7010 audio:
(if they mean anything to you, the zt3000 and x1000 should be the same, since they are the same system, are they not???)

Audio Output Quality
Frequency Response20 Hz - 20 kHz
Signal to Noise Ratio>94dB
Total Harmonic Distortion0.01%
Play/Record Sampling Rate(s)7 kHz - 48 kHz
AD/DA Resolution16 bit
SpeakersJBL Pro
Amplifier Power2-Watts RMS
Speaker Impedance4-Ohms


All the folks on www.x1000forums have told me that:
THE HP NX7010 = HP ZT3000 = Compaq X1000 (all are the same).
I have tried to get HP to confirm this, but the "Catch-22" is that the business side knows NOTHING about the consumer side, and the consumer side knows NOTHING about the business side, so...
if this is not true (that they are identical other than plastic color) please (anyone) let me know ASAP. The nx7010 costs over $200 more than a zt3000, and only comes with a 1 year warranty standard as well. (no additional warranty like most of the business systems.

Andrew
Austin, TX
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post #44 of 87
8/18/04 at 11:17pm
Hey aamsel,

May I ask how many weeks did it take IBM before they ship your two Thinkpads? Is it a whole month as the status page shows?

Many thanks!
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post #45 of 87
8/18/04 at 11:44pm
Aamsel,

I currently am testing the following systems, all of which you have been interested in (except for the screen resolutions).

1) IBM T42 15" UXGA
2) HP nc8000 15" SXGA+
3) HP nc6000 14" SXGA+

I just recieved the nc6000 and the screen is quite a bit dimmer and has less viewing angle than the 15"ers. The T42 has an amazing screen and is definately the clearest and brightest but at 1200x1600 resolution it isn't very practical. I'm thinking about returning it for the SXGA+.

The one that has really surprised me is the nc8000. It's a bit bulky but doesn't seem much heavier than the 15" IBM T42. The screen is nice and bright and it seems very well built. It also has an extra bay for a 2nd battery or hard drive.

I like the keyboards a lot better on the HP's - the IBM seams a little stiff and makes clicky sounds.

The nc6000 is great for portability. I like it for carrying around every day. The keyboard is a little smaller than the 15" but I got used to it very easy. But it does have a worse viewing angle than the others. But a lot better than a lot of the 14" laptops I've seen at the store - but that might be because it has SXGA+. Haven't seen a nc6000 with just the XGA screen.

The quality on the IBM is great. Great screen, the screen case is strong - doesn't make ripples when you press on the back. It is very thin too. Much thinner than the HP's.

Just thought I would give you my opinion on the ones you've been thinking about. If you want to know more just let me know.

Craig
Sunnyvale, CA
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post #46 of 87
8/19/04 at 2:21am
Thread Starter 
Took 2 or 3 days to ship. About 5 days from date order placed to delivery.

Andrew
Austin, TX



Quote:
Originally Posted by adrenalincreek
Hey aamsel,

May I ask how many weeks did it take IBM before they ship your two Thinkpads? Is it a whole month as the status page shows?

Many thanks!
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post #47 of 87
8/19/04 at 2:36am
Thread Starter 
1.) The 15" T42 with SXGA+ was certainly the best of the two IBM's I tried. If I don't figure out anything better, I may re-order one and hope that I like the screen more than the first. Like the UXGA version you got, it was very solid. Much more solid than the 14.1" Thinkpad.
2.) Not interested in a 15" nc8000 personally.
3.) Kind of disappointing on the nc6000 screen.

I don't think the XGA is going to be any better, since the viewing angle specs say:
±40° Horizontal, +20°/-40° Vertical (typical) for the SXGA+
and:
±45° Horizontal, +15°/-35° Vertical (typical) for the XGA.
Looks like they would be worse if anything.

You are saying the nc6000 is "quite a bit dimmer" than the 15" models you are looking at. Someone else told me "The screen is also not great; it's not very bright and has a bluish cast, which you can offset by monkeying with the color settings of the graphics card." and " its keyboard doesn't lend itself to rapid or long typing."
Not exactly awe inspiring as far as the nc6000 comments go, although its professional reviews are fantastic, and it remains PC Magazine's Editor's Choice for a business notebook. Let me know your comments about the keyboard/screen impressions I posted (they were from an Anandtech user).

The other system I am considering seriously is the HP zt3000, also known as Compaq x1000, also known as HP nx7010. It only has an ATI 9200 card (which is truly a 9000 card) but that wouldn't matter to me that much.

Thanks,


Andrew
Austin, TX
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post #48 of 87
8/19/04 at 2:58am
They keys are smaller than the 15" laptops but they seem sturdy. I can type just as fast on it as I can the others.

As far as I can tell there isn't a 14" screen out there that will dazzle. I haven't seen one that has had a good viewing angle. When I say the nc6000's screen is dimmer it isn't by much. The biggest difference is the viewing angle. I think it would be hard to find a 14" screen that would be better than the nc6000 though unless it has xbrite or something very reflective.

I too was most interested in having a good warranty with good support so it came down to IBM and HP for me. The nc6000 fits my need of an easy to carry around loaded notebook.

Craig,
Sunnyvale, CA
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post #49 of 87
8/19/04 at 3:01am
Thread Starter 
So, which of the 3 are you keeping, or planning to keep???

Andrew
Austin, TX
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post #50 of 87
8/19/04 at 3:28am
I'm going to play around with the nc6000 for a while but I'm leaning towards the IBM T42. But I'm probably going to send this one with the UXGA screen back and get just the SXGA+. I really like the nc6000 and it's much cheaper but the IBM has a nice large bright screen and is very thin. The only things that bugs me about the IBM is the disk space they waste with their rescue and restore software and the clicky keys. And the speakers are the worst I've heard but It's for business. The IBM is also built like a tank so I know it will be dependable (at least I'm hoping so).

Craig,
Sunnyvale, CA
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post #51 of 87
8/19/04 at 3:49am
Thread Starter 
Well, you can remedy two issues with the T42:
1.) Order recovery CD's from IBM within the first 30 days. Then, blow away the rescue/restore partition. You can get instructions at: www.thinkpads.com in their new forum.
2.) Go to: http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site...id=SITE-HELP08
and do a parts lookup for the stuff that went into your system. Find the keyboard part number. Then go to the same:
www.thinkpads.com new forum and the T series discussion, and you will see several threads about the T42 keyboards. You likely got the Chinese keyboard, and you can swap it for the Thai keyboard which will give you a much better part.

Can't fix the speakers, of course. The really funny thing is that the 14.1" T42 speakers are supposed to be a good bit better than the 15" T42 speakers. Weird.

Andrew
Austin, TX
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post #52 of 87
8/19/04 at 4:28am
Thanks aamsel,

Wouldn't you know it, turns out I have the chinese keyboard. If I do decide to keep this T42 I'll definately get that switched out. I had also planned to do a clean install with my own windows xp disk. It's nice to have the rescue and restore but not at the expense of 5 or 6 gigs.

Oh, a couple more compaints about the T42. There is no button for the wifi, you have to do Fn + F5 to bring up the program to turn it off and all the connectors are on the sides instead of the back. It's cleaner having all the cords come out the back.

How was the battery life on your 15" T42? I get at most 3hrs.

Thanks,
Craig
Sunnyvale, CA
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post #53 of 87
8/19/04 at 4:32am
Thread Starter 
I didn't keep it long enough to check battery life. If I had kept it, I had also ordered the 9 cell (extended) battery. Adds a little more weight, however.

As for the wi-fi, can't you also turn it on and off through the taskbar icon??

Yes, if you go for a T42, make sure you end up with a Thai keyboard within 30 days. It is supposed to be like the IBM keyboard that everyone raves about. Not sure why they have gone to the Chinese one, unless they can't get enough production out of the Thai supplier, or the Thai is more expensive to produce. Has to be one or the other.

Oh, another neat trick with the T42 is to do a Fn + spacebar. That toggles between the native resolution and a lower one. Defaults to 800 X 600. When you are in the lower resolution, there is a magnifying glass on the taskbar, and it toggles like 110%, 140%, 180%. 200%. It is a nice accessibility option, but, of course, the lower resolutions are not as sharp as native. Still, I though it was a very nice shortcut.

Andrew
Austin, TX


Quote:
Originally Posted by krague17
Thanks aamsel,

Wouldn't you know it, turns out I have the chinese keyboard. If I do decide to keep this T42 I'll definately get that switched out. I had also planned to do a clean install with my own windows xp disk. It's nice to have the rescue and restore but not at the expense of 5 or 6 gigs.

Oh, a couple more compaints about the T42. There is no button for the wifi, you have to do Fn + F5 to bring up the program to turn it off and all the connectors are on the sides instead of the back. It's cleaner having all the cords come out the back.

How was the battery life on your 15" T42? I get at most 3hrs.

Thanks,
Craig
Sunnyvale, CA
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post #54 of 87
8/19/04 at 5:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by krague17
How was the battery life on your 15" T42? I get at most 3hrs.
That's rather low... What are you doing when you get that? The HP nw8000 I tested got 3 hours 25 minutes in the DVD test. Enough to watch Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (201 minutes). Need an extra battery for the extended version, though.
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post #55 of 87
8/19/04 at 2:16pm
Thread Starter 
As I said, the 14.1" T42's are supposed to have better battery life than the 15's.

Andrew
Austin, TX
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post #56 of 87
8/19/04 at 3:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mawst95
(...) The guys at notebookreview forums are very positive on fujisu.(...)
Yes, me too. However, those guys are pretty much "Mr-Know-It-All"
They only recommend Fujitsu and HP. Fujitsu and HP. Fujitsu and HP. I think that's because they have them... blah.

This forum seems much more "opened" to different opinions.
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post #57 of 87
8/19/04 at 4:13pm
Thread Starter 
I think that we serve everyone's best interests by truly listening to what the member wants and needs and replying appropriately.

We do NOT serve anyone's interests by constantly recommending:
1.) the notebook we personally purchased, if it is not applicable to the situation.
2.) one particular manufacturer, unless it is applicable to the situation.
3.) one particular vendor.

With that in mind, for example, the CL56 is NOT always the perfect fit for every single user!!!! There are other notebooks in the world.

We can't help but be somewhat biased based on our own personal experience and choices, but please let us not be out to generate sales for a particular make and model.

(off soapbox)

Andrew
Austin, TX
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post #58 of 87
8/20/04 at 1:24pm
Thread Starter 
krague17:

Any closer to your decision on which of the 3 notebooks you are going to keep???


Andrew
Austin, TX
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post #59 of 87
8/24/04 at 2:40am
I'm still stuck and I need to decide fast.

I really like the IBM but I can't seem to get good battery results. I'm barely getting 2 hours. I'm going to call up support and see what they suggest. Maybe I have a bad battery. In your experience how long should a battery last with medium usage. The nc6000 seems to last 3 hours. I don't know how these people that do the reviews get 5 hours.

I've been using the nc6000 quite a bit and I'm getting used to screen. It's actually very bright for a 14" screen and when I don't have it right next to the IBM I barely notice the reduced viewing angle.

I also ran some performance tests and the nc6000 does better in all the test except for the graphics. This is understandable since the nc6000 has only 64mb compared to the IBM's 128.

If I can't get better battery life out of the IBM I'm probably going to go with the nc6000. I'm taking some classes and I travel quite a bit for work so the extra battery life and lower weight would be perfect.

I'll let you know my final decision. It should be in a couple of days as my 30 days are running out on the IBM.

Have you figured out what you're going to try next?

Craig
Sunnyvale, CA
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post #60 of 87
8/24/04 at 3:13am
Thread Starter 
I may try the SONY S Series (without an XBrite screen) but it is VERY expensive for what it is.
It is also just WXGA on a 13.3" screen so I doubt you would be interested in it.

It makes sense that the video is slower on the nc6000, since it is not just the 64MB vs 128MB...the 9600 on the nc6000 is clocked much slower. That has been well documented about the nc6000.

If battery life is a big thing for you, my guess is that you will go for the nc6000. As you have probably read, it is very well documented in professional reviews that the nc6000 has great battery life.

PLEASE, PLEASE let me know what you decide on...I really want to know!!!

I am still very much considering an nc6000 although I would get one with just plain-old XGA. My only other contender is an HP zt3000/ Compaq x1000 although I really wanted small and light all along.

Let me know!!

Thanks,
Andrew
Austin, TX
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