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In case my internet connection fails, here's a Wayback Machine snapshot: https://web.archive.org/web/20220110074515/https://ounapuu.ee/posts/2022/01/09/why-i-we

In case my internet connection fails, here's a Wayback Machine snapshot: https://web.archive.org/web/20220110074515/https://ounapuu.ee/posts/2022/01/09/why-i-went-back-to-using-a-thinkpad-from-2012/ https://web.archive.org/web/20220110074515/https://ounapuu.e... I really appreciate your feedback, thoughts and own experiences that relate to this post!

bradfa 5y ago
I still use my T420s as my daily driver laptop. I'd like to get something with a better screen and faster CPU but it's still reliable so it's hard to justify. What batteries have you had good luck with? My main and ultrabay batteries are both down to around 50% of original new capacity now.
microtonal 5y ago
I had similar experiences with the T14 AMD that I used for over half a year. On Linux the Trackpad would often not come back after sleep. Also, the battery would drain very quickly in S3 suspend. The laptop would take off during video calls (though the fan noise was definitely not as bad as with many Intel models). In the end it was really a thousand of paper cuts, especially with Linux, despite the laptop being certified with Linux. The hardware itself was pretty ok and worked fairly well with Windows (I just don't like Windows). In the end I went back to MacBooks. First an M1 Air, now a MBP 14" with an an M1 Pro. They are insanely fast, while staying cool. The fan on the Pro only spins up during long builds, but even then it's barely audible. If you don't like macOS, getting an old(er) ThinkPad is probably the best option.
- zibzab 5y ago
  Note that Linux certification applies only to specific distros/versions. Ubuntu LTS works flawless on my thinkpad but some stuff break on Ubuntu 21.10.
fsflover 5y ago
All the same advantages, plus 64 GB RAM, hardware kill switches, thin metal design, Coreboot and no compromises: https://puri.sm/products/librem-14 https://puri.sm/products/librem-14
- the_only_law 5y ago
  Well… maybe aside from price. It is kinda cool that I can get it shipped with Qubes though, which I assume means hardware support is solid.
  - fsflover 5y ago
    How much did it cost to perform all your upgrades?
einpoklum 5y ago
Is it possible to make the more tricky upgrades (CPU, display, fan) on similar models but from the X-series ? X201, X210, X220? I would love to do it on mine.
- evandrofisico 5y ago
  At least for the x220, there are display and fan upgrades (mine uses a x230 fan), you can max ram at 16Gb (the manual says 8Gb, but 16Gb works just fine), but the CPU is soldered, so no upgrades on that.
  - hddherman 5y ago
    Reportedly there have been people who have managed to upgrade the CPU on the X230, it just requires a lot of time and effort to do it properly, BGA-s are a pain to solder and requires specialized equipment to do it reliably.

bradfa 5y ago

I still use my T420s as my daily driver laptop. I'd like to get something with a better screen and faster CPU but it's still reliable so it's hard to justify. What batteries have you had good luck with? My main and ultrabay batteries are both down to around 50% of original new capacity now.

microtonal 5y ago

I had similar experiences with the T14 AMD that I used for over half a year. On Linux the Trackpad would often not come back after sleep. Also, the battery would drain very quickly in S3 suspend. The laptop would take off during video calls (though the fan noise was definitely not as bad as with many Intel models). In the end it was really a thousand of paper cuts, especially with Linux, despite the laptop being certified with Linux. The hardware itself was pretty ok and worked fairly well with Windows (I just don't like Windows). In the end I went back to MacBooks. First an M1 Air, now a MBP 14" with an an M1 Pro. They are insanely fast, while staying cool. The fan on the Pro only spins up during long builds, but even then it's barely audible. If you don't like macOS, getting an old(er) ThinkPad is probably the best option.

zibzab 5y ago
Note that Linux certification applies only to specific distros/versions. Ubuntu LTS works flawless on my thinkpad but some stuff break on Ubuntu 21.10.

fsflover 5y ago

All the same advantages, plus 64 GB RAM, hardware kill switches, thin metal design, Coreboot and no compromises: https://puri.sm/products/librem-14 https://puri.sm/products/librem-14

the_only_law 5y ago
Well… maybe aside from price. It is kinda cool that I can get it shipped with Qubes though, which I assume means hardware support is solid.
- fsflover 5y ago
  How much did it cost to perform all your upgrades?

einpoklum 5y ago

Is it possible to make the more tricky upgrades (CPU, display, fan) on similar models but from the X-series ? X201, X210, X220? I would love to do it on mine.

evandrofisico 5y ago
At least for the x220, there are display and fan upgrades (mine uses a x230 fan), you can max ram at 16Gb (the manual says 8Gb, but 16Gb works just fine), but the CPU is soldered, so no upgrades on that.
- hddherman 5y ago
  Reportedly there have been people who have managed to upgrade the CPU on the X230, it just requires a lot of time and effort to do it properly, BGA-s are a pain to solder and requires specialized equipment to do it reliably.