Which is the best laptop in the town?
in [Laptops]
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From: John Doue on 16 Apr 2010 04:48 On 4/16/2010 3:11 AM, ~misfit~ wrote: > [snip Roy / Ganesh babble] > > Jebus but you guys talk to yourselves a lot! > > The best laptop 'in the town', without a doubt, is this one I'm using. I > spent quite a bit of time last year tracking it down and paid as much or > more for it (or more) second-hand as I would have paid for a > similarly-specced new (completely plastic) machine. > > It's an IBM / Lenovo (both logos on it) T60 2007-7KU. It has a matte finish > 4:3 screen (you can keep your reflection-prone glossy screens and trendy > widescreens thanks). Also, the screen is IPS technology (Google it if you > don't know what it is) and relatively high resolution at 1400x1050 for a 15" > screen. It's a treat to use, easy on the eyes, beautiful colours and simply > awesome viewing angles. These IPS screens aren't used in full-sized laptops > anymore as they're expensive to produce, requiring three times as many > transistors as a TN panel, three per pixel rather than one. These days > people buy on price and adding $500 for a top-of-the-line screen isn't > feasible. > > The CPU is a T7400 2.16GHz Core2Duo (which is plenty fast enough for > anything short of heavy-duty computing which should be done on 'heavy iron' > anyway), is 64-bit capable and also has Intel's 'Virtualisation Technology' > which could be essential for future OSes. > > The laptop itself has a magnesium-alloy chassis and feels reassuringly solid > and robust, far more so than most laptops that are simply two pieces of > plastic screwed together. The graphics processor is an ATI X1400 with 128MB > of VRAM. While not a high-end gaming machine it's more than adequate for > some of the older games that I play. (Again, like a laptop isn't made for > heavy-duty number crunching (that's what high-power desktops and mainframes > are for) it's not made for high-end gaming, (that's what gaming consoles are > for). > > As an overall package the 15" T60 with the T7x00 CPU and the "FlexView" IPS > screen is widely held as the best laptop ever made and they command a high > price (if you can get one). It's probably not "cool" but it is a damn fine > laptop. I totally agree with the virtues of the Flexview display. Even though my R51 is relatively slow, I will never move to anything of lower quality in terms of display. Chances are I am "stuck" with my machine for ever ... whatever that means when you are 68 as I! Shaun, if you ever sell your machine, let me know! -- John Doue
From: Roy on 16 Apr 2010 07:37 On Apr 16, 8:11 am, "~misfit~" <sore_n_ha...(a)nospamyahoo.com.au> wrote: > [snip Roy / Ganesh babble] > > Jebus but you guys talk to yourselves a lot! > > The best laptop 'in the town', without a doubt, is this one I'm using. I > spent quite a bit of time last year tracking it down and paid as much or > more for it (or more) second-hand as I would have paid for a > similarly-specced new (completely plastic) machine. > > It's an IBM / Lenovo (both logos on it) T60 2007-7KU. It has a matte finish > 4:3 screen (you can keep your reflection-prone glossy screens and trendy > widescreens thanks). Also, the screen is IPS technology (Google it if you > don't know what it is) and relatively high resolution at 1400x1050 for a 15" > screen. It's a treat to use, easy on the eyes, beautiful colours and simply > awesome viewing angles. These IPS screens aren't used in full-sized laptops > anymore as they're expensive to produce, requiring three times as many > transistors as a TN panel, three per pixel rather than one. These days > people buy on price and adding $500 for a top-of-the-line screen isn't > feasible. > > The CPU is a T7400 2.16GHz Core2Duo (which is plenty fast enough for > anything short of heavy-duty computing which should be done on 'heavy iron' > anyway), is 64-bit capable and also has Intel's 'Virtualisation Technology' > which could be essential for future OSes. > > The laptop itself has a magnesium-alloy chassis and feels reassuringly solid > and robust, far more so than most laptops that are simply two pieces of > plastic screwed together. The graphics processor is an ATI X1400 with 128MB > of VRAM. While not a high-end gaming machine it's more than adequate for > some of the older games that I play. (Again, like a laptop isn't made for > heavy-duty number crunching (that's what high-power desktops and mainframes > are for) it's not made for high-end gaming, (that's what gaming consoles are > for). > > As an overall package the 15" T60 with the T7x00 CPU and the "FlexView" IPS > screen is widely held as the best laptop ever made and they command a high > price (if you can get one). It's probably not "cool" but it is a damn fine > laptop. > -- > Shaun. > > "When we dream.... that's just our brains defragmenting" G Jackson Might be the best for an IBM Lenovo lover.....grin....
From: Ganesh on 16 Apr 2010 12:04 On Apr 16, 5:11 am, "~misfit~" <sore_n_ha...(a)nospamyahoo.com.au> wrote: > [snip Roy / Ganesh babble] > > Jebus but you guys talk to yourselves a lot! > > The best laptop 'in the town', without a doubt, is this one I'm using. I > spent quite a bit of time last year tracking it down and paid as much or > more for it (or more) second-hand as I would have paid for a > similarly-specced new (completely plastic) machine. > > It's an IBM / Lenovo (both logos on it) T60 2007-7KU. It has a matte finish > 4:3 screen (you can keep your reflection-prone glossy screens and trendy > widescreens thanks). Also, the screen is IPS technology (Google it if you > don't know what it is) and relatively high resolution at 1400x1050 for a 15" > screen. It's a treat to use, easy on the eyes, beautiful colours and simply > awesome viewing angles. These IPS screens aren't used in full-sized laptops > anymore as they're expensive to produce, requiring three times as many > transistors as a TN panel, three per pixel rather than one. These days > people buy on price and adding $500 for a top-of-the-line screen isn't > feasible. > > The CPU is a T7400 2.16GHz Core2Duo (which is plenty fast enough for > anything short of heavy-duty computing which should be done on 'heavy iron' > anyway), is 64-bit capable and also has Intel's 'Virtualisation Technology' > which could be essential for future OSes. > > The laptop itself has a magnesium-alloy chassis and feels reassuringly solid > and robust, far more so than most laptops that are simply two pieces of > plastic screwed together. The graphics processor is an ATI X1400 with 128MB > of VRAM. While not a high-end gaming machine it's more than adequate for > some of the older games that I play. (Again, like a laptop isn't made for > heavy-duty number crunching (that's what high-power desktops and mainframes > are for) it's not made for high-end gaming, (that's what gaming consoles are > for). > > As an overall package the 15" T60 with the T7x00 CPU and the "FlexView" IPS > screen is widely held as the best laptop ever made and they command a high > price (if you can get one). It's probably not "cool" but it is a damn fine > laptop. > -- > Shaun. > Is any company making standard sized Laptop components which allow low priced upgrades? E.g. Keeping the size of the mother board and basic inputs constant can help replace with newer versions.
From: ~misfit~ on 17 Apr 2010 19:36 Somewhere on teh intarwebs John Doue wrote: > On 4/16/2010 3:11 AM, ~misfit~ wrote: >> [snip Roy / Ganesh babble] >> >> Jebus but you guys talk to yourselves a lot! >> >> The best laptop 'in the town', without a doubt, is this one I'm >> using. I spent quite a bit of time last year tracking it down and >> paid as much or more for it (or more) second-hand as I would have >> paid for a similarly-specced new (completely plastic) machine. >> >> It's an IBM / Lenovo (both logos on it) T60 2007-7KU. It has a matte >> finish 4:3 screen (you can keep your reflection-prone glossy screens >> and trendy widescreens thanks). Also, the screen is IPS technology >> (Google it if you don't know what it is) and relatively high >> resolution at 1400x1050 for a 15" screen. It's a treat to use, easy >> on the eyes, beautiful colours and simply awesome viewing angles. >> These IPS screens aren't used in full-sized laptops anymore as >> they're expensive to produce, requiring three times as many >> transistors as a TN panel, three per pixel rather than one. These >> days people buy on price and adding $500 for a top-of-the-line >> screen isn't feasible. The CPU is a T7400 2.16GHz Core2Duo (which is >> plenty fast enough for >> anything short of heavy-duty computing which should be done on >> 'heavy iron' anyway), is 64-bit capable and also has Intel's >> 'Virtualisation Technology' which could be essential for future OSes. >> >> The laptop itself has a magnesium-alloy chassis and feels >> reassuringly solid and robust, far more so than most laptops that >> are simply two pieces of plastic screwed together. The graphics >> processor is an ATI X1400 with 128MB of VRAM. While not a high-end >> gaming machine it's more than adequate for some of the older games >> that I play. (Again, like a laptop isn't made for heavy-duty number >> crunching (that's what high-power desktops and mainframes are for) >> it's not made for high-end gaming, (that's what gaming consoles are >> for). As an overall package the 15" T60 with the T7x00 CPU and the >> "FlexView" IPS screen is widely held as the best laptop ever made >> and they command a high price (if you can get one). It's probably >> not "cool" but it is a damn fine laptop. > I totally agree with the virtues of the Flexview display. Even though > my R51 is relatively slow, I will never move to anything of lower > quality in terms of display. Chances are I am "stuck" with my machine > for ever ... whatever that means when you are 68 as I! > > Shaun, if you ever sell your machine, let me know! If that day comes it'll be snowing in hell and pigs will be flying. However I'll be sure to let you know. <g> I still have my R51 with a SXGA+ FlexView as a back-up machine (or maybe a display-donor if anything happens to my T60 display, research on forums.thinkpad suggest that the R51 display will work in the T60). Hehee! A while back I managed to snag an 18 month-old 20" Dell 'Ultrasharp' 4:3 desktop monitor, one of the IPS ones, UXGA in excellent condition, for NZ$180. I remember when they were released at around NZ$1K, reading reviews of them, and the ensuing 'Dell lottery' when Dell started selling some with S-PVA panels. (The only way to tell for sure what panel you have fitted is from the serial number.) Imagine my surprise on researching the Dell to discover that it's still sold here at $750 new, but there's talk that they even fit TN panels to some of them now. Although I rarely use my 'heavy iron' it's a real treat to look at this awesome monitor in action. IPS rules! Anything less is a poor compromise. -- Cheers, Shaun. "When we dream.... that's just our brains defragmenting" G Jackson
From: ~misfit~ on 17 Apr 2010 19:43
Somewhere on teh intarwebs Ganesh wrote: > On Apr 16, 5:11 am, "~misfit~" <sore_n_ha...(a)nospamyahoo.com.au> > wrote: >> [snip Roy / Ganesh babble] >> >> Jebus but you guys talk to yourselves a lot! >> >> The best laptop 'in the town', without a doubt, is this one I'm >> using. I spent quite a bit of time last year tracking it down and >> paid as much or more for it (or more) second-hand as I would have >> paid for a similarly-specced new (completely plastic) machine. >> >> It's an IBM / Lenovo (both logos on it) T60 2007-7KU. It has a matte >> finish 4:3 screen (you can keep your reflection-prone glossy screens >> and trendy widescreens thanks). Also, the screen is IPS technology >> (Google it if you don't know what it is) and relatively high >> resolution at 1400x1050 for a 15" screen. It's a treat to use, easy >> on the eyes, beautiful colours and simply awesome viewing angles. >> These IPS screens aren't used in full-sized laptops anymore as >> they're expensive to produce, requiring three times as many >> transistors as a TN panel, three per pixel rather than one. These >> days people buy on price and adding $500 for a top-of-the-line >> screen isn't feasible. >> >> The CPU is a T7400 2.16GHz Core2Duo (which is plenty fast enough for >> anything short of heavy-duty computing which should be done on >> 'heavy iron' anyway), is 64-bit capable and also has Intel's >> 'Virtualisation Technology' which could be essential for future OSes. >> >> The laptop itself has a magnesium-alloy chassis and feels >> reassuringly solid and robust, far more so than most laptops that >> are simply two pieces of plastic screwed together. The graphics >> processor is an ATI X1400 with 128MB of VRAM. While not a high-end >> gaming machine it's more than adequate for some of the older games >> that I play. (Again, like a laptop isn't made for heavy-duty number >> crunching (that's what high-power desktops and mainframes are for) >> it's not made for high-end gaming, (that's what gaming consoles are >> for). >> >> As an overall package the 15" T60 with the T7x00 CPU and the >> "FlexView" IPS screen is widely held as the best laptop ever made >> and they command a high price (if you can get one). It's probably >> not "cool" but it is a damn fine laptop. > > Is any company making standard sized Laptop components which allow low > priced upgrades? E.g. Keeping the size of the mother board and basic > inputs constant can help replace with newer versions. To a certain extent, yes, amongst their own range. I read forums.thinkpad a lot and there are several accounts of 'FrankenPads" where people have put different planars (motherboards) into machines from different model ranges. I know a guy who made a FrankenPad actually, he wanted a combo of features that wasn't available from IBM / Lenovo so fitted a planar from a different model to his machine. I've built up two ThinkPads myself from parts bought on NZ's version of ebay (Trademe.co.nz), starting with simply a 'base', which contains a planar. People buy bases as donors for laptops that are BIOS locked. It's next to impossible to defeat a ThinkPad's password lock feature (unlike a recent Toshiba that I unlocked the other day which just needed a 'jumper' shorted on power-up) so there are people who sell 'bases' for different models. I had spares for my R40 and also for my R51 so I ended up buying a base for each, then using some of my spares plus buying parts and built up working machines. -- Shaun. "When we dream.... that's just our brains defragmenting" G Jackson |