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I'm probably utterly alone in this, but my ideal laptop is a 5-10 year old Thinkpad where all the hardware works under Linux and BSD. The latest PC laptops neve
by sigil 15y ago
I'm probably utterly alone in this, but my ideal laptop is a 5-10 year old Thinkpad where all the hardware works under Linux and BSD. The latest PC laptops never do. There's always something new and flaky under the hood (wireless, suspend / resume, sound, etc).
So, I go out of my way to buy the old stuff (T40/T41/T42). These cost about $200 on Craigslist and typically last me 2-3 years.
When it dies -- or more commonly, when I kill it by doing something stupid -- I just pull the hard drive and move on to the next one. It's almost like nothing ever happened.
Macs are pretty nice of course. Carrying around an Air instead of a 6 lb Thinkpad sure sounds like a dream. But from observing folks around me, most of whom use Macs, they also seem to buy a new model every 2-3 years (spending about 10x what I do). And when something fails, or when they need to do a big upgrade, they are often really screwed. (Ie hard drive fails -> send it in -> wait a week -> get it back with everything wiped.)
- pasbesoin 15y agoWhere do you get your batteries?
- sigil 15y agoAmazon marketplace. The 9 cell lithium ions give 5-6 hours. The one I'm using currently is from Energy+. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=thinkpad+9+cell+battery&x=0&y=0 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dap...
- pasbesoin 15y agoThanks! Though, it looks like I am indeed stuck with a battery that's a significant fraction of the machine's (used) price. At least the one you point to (top result, from Energy+) has a majority of good reviews and might actually live up to its specs.
- ImprovedSilence 15y agoI actually really like this idea too. However I'm inclined to install a 64-bit distro on a HD, use it on a newer laptop, but also install a 32-bit OS just in-case I want to throw it in and older computer... Or just stick with the 64-bit, and soon enough, all the older ones (today's) computers will be on that architecture too...
- anthony_barker 15y agothinkpad x200 Linux vmware ssd drive..... very pleasurable and u won't miss the t42p Also interested in the llano and chipset as the apu concept is very cool. Unfortunately the global foundries yields are poor and amd builds aren't great
- pkamb 15y agoSame. Love me some old 4:3 Thinkpads. Indestructible, throw them in your bag without a case. Awesome docks for easy transition between your desk and the coffee shop. Great screens, higher resolution than you can get today. Trackpoints, great keyboards. And cheap.