I need a new laptop

[manlymatt83]

Was working fine until late last night. I got on a train and turned the laptop on. Booted into ubuntu fine, but then started getting really slow, and then locked up -- sort of. It was locked up (caps lock key wasn't working), but everytime I moved the mouse, the screen would shake like there was electrical interference. Then, after a few minutes, it just locked up entirely.

Fast forward to this morning - laptop won't even turn on at all. It powers on, lights go green, but nothing comes on the screen. Then, magically, it boots, but the same thing happens again - locks right up after hitting ubuntu, and then starts shaking like there's electrical interference on the screen.

Now I can't even get it to turn on. Fan powers up, but that's about it, and nothing comes on the screen.

I took it apart, cleaned it out, put it back together, and now it works -- sometimes. It still locks up on me a bit. if I move a certain direction or put pressure on the bottom left hand corner, it locks up. Kind of annoying. There's probably something loose or something.

Anyway, I'm looking to replace this computer anyway. I LOVE the T42, and I loved the T23 (but I love the T42 more). The screen size is nice, the mobile processor (Centrino) is nice, the battery life is amazing, and since I only use this computer for work (never any games or anything like that), it's just perfect for me - but it's getting old.

Are there any newer replacements that compare to the T42 in battery life, screen size (not too big, not too small), and weight? Also considering just going with a Macbook, though I'm not sure which Macbook is best for using as an every day machine (not too big of a screen, long battery life, light weight, etc.)

Any ideas on either question?

 

[IlllI]

fubar

 

[corkyg]

Might as well try it with the battery removed on A/C only. And then try booting to a CD.

 

[manlymatt83]

I took it apart, cleaned it out, put it back together, and now it works -- sometimes. It still locks up on me a bit. if I move a certain direction or put pressure on the bottom left hand corner, it locks up. Kind of annoying. There's probably something loose or something.

Anyway, I'm looking to replace this computer anyway. I LOVE the T42, and I loved the T23 (but I love the T42 more). The screen size is nice, the mobile processor (Centrino) is nice, the battery life is amazing, and since I only use this computer for work (never any games or anything like that), it's just perfect for me - but it's getting old.

Are there any newer replacements that compare to the T42 in battery life, screen size (not too big, not too small), and weight?

 

[IlllI]

since you took it apart, whats under the bottom left corner?

 

[manlymatt83]

Originally posted by: clandren
since you took it apart, whats under the bottom left corner?

The PCMCIA slots, underneath that is the motherboard. Looks like the bottom left hand corner of the motherboard is a bit sensitive. I read somewhere that the non-titanium shell of the thinkpads can make it so so sometimes the motherboard bends. Perhaps I damaged it a bit.

I updated the OP because I'd like a new(er) laptop at this point anyway. I'm a fan of Lenovo (I've only ever had the T series but I'd consider something else), but I'm also considering something from Apple.

What do people recommend? Looking for as light as possible, yet durable, not too big of a screen, but not too small, and long battery life. Power isn't as important to me -- I only use it for business.

 

[xSauronx]

get another thinkpad! i went from a t40 to a t60 and am very happy. you could get a used t60/t61 if youre on a tight budget, or a new t400 if you can afford it.

 

[manlymatt83]

Originally posted by: xSauronx
get another thinkpad! i went from a t40 to a t60 and am very happy. you could get a used t60/t61 if youre on a tight budget, or a new t400 if you can afford it.

WOW. That t400 looks really nice. I could afford a new one (well, I use afford lightly - my computer is the way I earn my money, so I need something nice). Those T400's look great, except there are TOO MANY OPTIONS. I hate options - they make me anxious. How am I supposed to know what screen to get? Blah!

T60/61's were nice last I checked, but they seem to have been smaller and shorter battery life than my T42.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: manlymatt83

Originally posted by: xSauronx
get another thinkpad! i went from a t40 to a t60 and am very happy. you could get a used t60/t61 if youre on a tight budget, or a new t400 if you can afford it.

WOW. That t400 looks really nice. I could afford a new one (well, I use afford lightly - my computer is the way I earn my money, so I need something nice). Those T400's look great, except there are TOO MANY OPTIONS. I hate options - they make me anxious. How am I supposed to know what screen to get? Blah!

T60/61's were nice last I checked, but they seem to have been smaller and shorter battery life than my T42.

what size is your T42
i had a 14.1" t40, and have a non-widescreen t60 14.1"

i think all they make are widescreens now. get the 6 cell battery upgrade, its usually a cheap option ($15 or $20) or the 9 cell (more expensive) if you need it

 

[manlymatt83]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: manlymatt83

Originally posted by: xSauronx
get another thinkpad! i went from a t40 to a t60 and am very happy. you could get a used t60/t61 if youre on a tight budget, or a new t400 if you can afford it.

WOW. That t400 looks really nice. I could afford a new one (well, I use afford lightly - my computer is the way I earn my money, so I need something nice). Those T400's look great, except there are TOO MANY OPTIONS. I hate options - they make me anxious. How am I supposed to know what screen to get? Blah!

T60/61's were nice last I checked, but they seem to have been smaller and shorter battery life than my T42.

what size is your T42
i had a 14.1" t40, and have a non-widescreen t60 14.1"

i think all they make are widescreens now. get the 6 cell battery upgrade, its usually a cheap option ($15 or $20) or the 9 cell (more expensive) if you need it

What are the benefits of a widescreen? I don't quite understand.

 

[corkyg]

Widescreen fits current letterbox movie format at native resolution. But, for regular work, requires more vertical scrolling at times. Widescreens also come in the "ultrabrite" glossy finish that many usuers like where reflection is not a problem.

I too have a T60 14.1, but regular screen. I have both the 9 cell and 6 cell batteries, and I rotate them according to use. The 9 cell adds about another inch to the depth of the T60.

I also have a HP with a glossy widescreen. It is nice - but for what I do when I travel, I prefer the 4:3 format over the 16:9. (Digital photo processing.)

When I replace the T60, it will probably be a widescreen. I intend to wait until Lenovo provides one with a built in eSATA port!

 

[manlymatt83]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Widescreen fits current letterbox movie format at native resolution. But, for regular work, requires more vertical scrolling at times. Widescreens also come in the "ultrabrite" glossy finish that many usuers like where reflection is not a problem.

I too have a T60 14.1, but regular screen. I have both the 9 cell and 6 cell batteries, and I rotate them according to use. The 9 cell adds about another inch to the depth of the T60.

I also have a HP with a glossy widescreen. It is nice - but for what I do when I travel, I prefer the 4:3 format over the 16:9. (Digital photo processing.)

When I replace the T60, it will probably be a widescreen. I intend to wait until Lenovo provides one with a built in eSATA port!

My friend has a Lenovo discount program I can use, and so I can get a T61 or a T400/T500 for relatively cheap.

I wish I could fix my existing T42. I'd love to say its the memory, because if I run a memory test, it always hangs at the same place, but bad memory shouldn't cause the battery to lock up if I MOVE it physically, right? As in, if I let the laptop stand in one place (on a desk or something), it won't lock up until I run the memory test. But if I move it around, or tap it in the right place on the left hand side, it will first start the wavy lines through the screen (which ALWAYS happens right before it locks up), and then it will lock up.

The wavy lines continue even after it locks up. But if I put the laptop on a desk, and I'm very careful not to make lots of racket, I can usually get it to not lock up until the memory test is run.

So therefore - I'd love to say its bad memory, and an easy fix, but I'm doubting that, unless bad memory can cause some sort of short somewhere that can make the computer act weird? But I'd be more inclined to say the memory test is causing the bad part of the motherboard to be enabled or something. I wish I knew more about hardware!

In any event, I can buy a really cheap Thinkpad new, but i can't get anything but a widescreen. And I can't even decide whether I need/want a 14.1 or a 15.3. I don't want something gigantic, but I think my current screen is a 15" normal (not wide) screen. It's the T42 type 2378. Are there no ways to tell the size of your screen other than measuring it? It doesn't seem like the screen size is tied to the model #. And I don't have a ruler. Boo.

So yeah, I wish I could fix this current T42, and if anyone has any other suggestions, by all means please let me know - if its worth trying new memory I'd gladly do it.

But even with fixing this T42, I think its time for a newer machine. I can either get a Thinkpad or a MacBook pro. If I'm going to be forced to use a wide screen (which I really don't want to have to do, but I guess at one point I'll have to get used to it), I'd rather get the better deal - I run Ubuntu anyway, but I'd run MacOS X too -- what's the benefit of going Thinkpad over Mac and vice versa?

If I do go with the Thinkpad, is the T series the only thing I should consider? I'm looking for something light-weight, long battery life (I'll sacrifice speed for that), stable, sturdy, and reliable. I don't need a lot of power - my T23 worked fine for me until last year before I got the T42 but I could have kept it going.

Thanks for anyone's thoughts. This is a bit stressful for me and if I can get a new laptop ASAP or fix my current one and be back on track I'd really appreciate that.

 

[manlymatt83]

Oh and btw, what are the differences between the T60 and T61? Does one have longer battery life?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: manlymatt83
I wish I could fix my existing T42. I'd love to say its the memory, because if I run a memory test, it always hangs at the same place, but bad memory shouldn't cause the battery to lock up if I MOVE it physically, right? As in, if I let the laptop stand in one place (on a desk or something), it won't lock up until I run the memory test. But if I move it around, or tap it in the right place on the left hand side, it will first start the wavy lines through the screen (which ALWAYS happens right before it locks up), and then it will lock up.

The wavy lines continue even after it locks up. But if I put the laptop on a desk, and I'm very careful not to make lots of racket, I can usually get it to not lock up until the memory test is run.

So therefore - I'd love to say its bad memory, and an easy fix, but I'm doubting that, unless bad memory can cause some sort of short somewhere that can make the computer act weird? But I'd be more inclined to say the memory test is causing the bad part of the motherboard to be enabled or something. I wish I knew more about hardware!

weird. could be funky memory, or something with the mobo.

In any event, I can buy a really cheap Thinkpad new, but i can't get anything but a widescreen. And I can't even decide whether I need/want a 14.1 or a 15.3. I don't want something gigantic, but I think my current screen is a 15" normal (not wide) screen. It's the T42 type 2378. Are there no ways to tell the size of your screen other than measuring it? It doesn't seem like the screen size is tied to the model #. And I don't have a ruler. Boo.

i have a 14.1" 1400x1050 and love it. look for a 14.1" but get the higher resolution screen. i had wanted to get a large external lcd but im very happy with a small machine/LCD with a high resolution.

But even with fixing this T42, I think its time for a newer machine. I can either get a Thinkpad or a MacBook pro. If I'm going to be forced to use a wide screen (which I really don't want to have to do, but I guess at one point I'll have to get used to it), I'd rather get the better deal - I run Ubuntu anyway, but I'd run MacOS X too -- what's the benefit of going Thinkpad over Mac and vice versa?

everything is a widescreen now. as for me, i love T-series thinkpads because i like the build quality, the trackpoint and the thinklight in addition to the size and weight. i run ubuntu so id never even consider a mac, personally.

If I do go with the Thinkpad, is the T series the only thing I should consider? I'm looking for something light-weight, long battery life (I'll sacrifice speed for that), stable, sturdy, and reliable. I don't need a lot of power - my T23 worked fine for me until last year before I got the T42 but I could have kept it going.

the T series is well-built, relatively thin, relatively light machine. id guess the battery life is probably average. i get 3 hours out of my 9 cell, and i think it got more with windows but im not mobile often enough for me to care.

the R series is more affordable, usually with similar options and its also thicker and heavier than the T series.

the X series are thinner and lighter than the T series. i think some models have a less powerful ULV cpu, but the X series can get pretty expensive.

Originally posted by: manlymatt83
Oh and btw, what are the differences between the T60 and T61? Does one have longer battery life?

im going from memory, but i think the T61's are all widescreens, and they may have a newer chipset and some different cpu options.

if ebay and MS are still doing the cashback thing, you may be able to snag a good deal on something that way. its how i got my t60 and i got $225 back from the deal.

 

[manlymatt83]

xSauronx: I think I'm going to get the Thinkpad. Much cheaper, and I run Ubuntu which works wonderfully for me. Now the question is whether to get a T60/T61/T400/T500, or whether to get something used on eBay?

Question: the X series -- I assume they don't have any screen sizes at 14" or larger? I want a Thinkpad that will be light, durable, but also something larger than a 14". Also do you find the 14" satisfied your need as an every day screen, and you don't need something bigger?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: manlymatt83
xSauronx: I think I'm going to get the Thinkpad. Much cheaper, and I run Ubuntu which works wonderfully for me. Now the question is whether to get a T60/T61/T400/T500, or whether to get something used on eBay?

Question: the X series -- I assume they don't have any screen sizes at 14" or larger? I want a Thinkpad that will be light, durable, but also something larger than a 14". Also do you find the 14" satisfied your need as an every day screen, and you don't need something bigger?

the X series is made to be a very portable unit, so it has a 12.1" and a 13.3" model

i have a SXGA+ 14", and am very happy with it. id want the WXGA+ if i was getting a widescreen now, but to be honest, anything is better than the 1024x768 i had on my old t40

to me, resolution is more important than screen size. we have 17" panels at school and many are 1280xwhatever and i dont care for those.

 

[AsianriceX]

GPU probably needs to be re-flowed. Common issue with T4x series.

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/...em_with_garbled_screen
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=57021

 

[dcdomain]

I just went from a T42 to a T400 (after a brief stopover with a T60 for 6 months). I figured since I do a lot of graphics work that I should really opt for the T400 with the LED backlit screen (the X200s also has that option) and the discrete graphics. But to be honest though, I think I should have just gone with the X200. The T400 feels HUGE compared to the T42. It's much lighter though, but the thickness really bothers me.