Previous thread: >>51336834
Other business laptops are also welcome in /tpg/ (e.g. Dell Latitude/Precision, HP EliteBook/ZBook).
If you're looking for purchase advice, READ THE BUYERS GUIDE FIRST. Then post, stating budget and requirements (e.g. size and performance).
Don't buy anything OTHER THAN T, X AND W SERIES if you want the Real ThinkPad Experience™
Recommended models:
T420 - 14", normal size
X220 - 12.5", lightweight
----
No news.
----
Why ThinkPad? (also applies to other business laptops)
>They’re really cheap when you buy a used one.
>Keyboards feel excellent while typing (yes, even the newer ones).
>Great durability thanks to the inclusion of rollcages and use of glass fiber reinforced plastic for the chassis. The keyboard is splash proof and spilled liquids will drain out.
>Utilitarian design - e.g. indicator LEDs, 7 row keyboard layout on older models.
>Docking solutions that easily turns your laptop into a desktop.
>Easy to repair, upgrade and maintain thanks to readily available service manuals for almost every model. Spare parts are easy and cheap to obtain.
>The best trackpoint (that red thing on the middle of the keyboard). Great for those who type a lot or hate swiping their fingers all over a touchpad.
>Excellent GNU/Linux & *BSD support.
----
Used ThinkPad Buyers Guide:
http://ktgee.net/tpg
EPP discount for new ThinkPads (USA only, usually 15%+ off):
http://pastebin.com/TdZByAXS
ThinkWiki - Info on ThinkPads and running GNU/Linux on them:
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki
ThinkPad service guides w/ tutorial videos:
https://www.lenovoservicetraining.com/
I'm seeing a lot of newer x220ts and x230ts on ebay, with better looking processors, but also running the gamut of 300-500 dollars a pop. I'd really like to get one of these tablet models, cause I think it'd be nifty for work. What's the risk of getting a locked bios on ebay?
>>51363614
Ordered 3 used ThinkPads on ebay already and never had an issue with them.
am i going to need an external monitor to run an external gpu with a x220? everything i've found so far has been ambiguous about it.
>>51363640
wat
>>51363640
It works best that way. You _can_ loop it back to the internal display, but it is complicated and reduces performance. Plus, who wants to game on a shitty 1366x768 Thinkpad tn anyways?
>>51363614
if the seller is selling more than a couple of these the chance is pretty slim. as on these cases the units come from descomissioned lots and most companies dont even allow/bother putting bios passwords.
the ones i have seeing with locked bios are units sold by previous sole owners.
To the guy in the last thread: yes, the W520 actually has the AUO screen. Holy shit, this thing just keeps getting better. And even though the processor is the shitty 2620M, at least it keeps real cool. Haven't seen it tick above 55°c even under load. Idles at like 36.
>I've actually got an SD card slot on this machine
Now all I need is a USB 3.0 expresscard and I'll be a real power user.
>>51363955
haha thats actually wicked anon. keep us updated on what you think of it.
W500 4gb ram for 200 dollars worth it? core 2 duo
>>51364312
No.
Are the speakers on the side of the T420 spill proof? I just spilled water on one of them
To the T60 guy who wanted to upgrade to a T61 or better display
>>51363802
It depends, models use the same screens, so you can upgrade the 14.1" widescreen to a 900p display
15.4" models can be upgraded to WSXGA+ and WUXGA.
>>51363955
Nice
>>51364312
...not really, considering a T420 would probably spank it nowdays
>>51364534
Not the speakers.
But you could probably save them if you remove them and let it dry.
You could probably get them for $20 on ebay anyways.
Would a AFFS be worth it or is the TN acceptable
>>51363955
I'm the dude from that thread. that's fucking awesome, I was hoping to hear that.
That temp is good too, I have the 2720qm and intentionally it throttle it to 80% under normal use to keep it at 55C, and only allow 100% when I do CAD or gaming.
X220
>i5 2.60ghz
>IPS display
>8 gb RAM
>Has the finger print scanner
>Comes with a 9 cell, may or may not be brand new
>just the 350gb HDD
>$300
Yes, no?
I can't find any X220 that is as low as $235, like the buying guide says.
Oddly enough, the same seller I am looking at sells other X220s with the exact same specs, except with 4gb of RAM, for $25-$50 less.
>tfw just bought T420 for $153.99
>i5-2520m
>4gb ram single stick
>1600x900
>6 cell that holds 6 hours
i think i did well
pretty weird how my W520 that I resold for like $10 more than I paid was over 3x what this is and it's not really that different.
I'm wondering which used X Tablet I should look for. Can anyone give me some advice?
I won't be playing modern games but I would like to use the tablet for texturing game-models.
I also need to use coreboot with it, I think the newer ones aren't compatable? I haven't looked in a while.
>>51365683
Great pickup but buy another keyboard that one looks like of greasy and sticky
>>51366047
what's going on in this gif? why does it exist?
>>51366248
It saysAC
DC
>>51366047
x201t or x220t
older models like x60t and X61t are too slow for either most modern drawing software and most modern gaymen
>>51366163
>wear from plastic being eroded
>grease
It's not even worth replacing a keyboard unless letters get worn off or the switches don't work. It's not "sticky", in fact it can usually be too slippery when they're that shiny, like a tumbled rock.
>>51366422
I see, perhaps I am the only one that takes pleasure in the bumpy new feeling on a keyboard.
>>51366281
>>51366248
I think it says AGDG actually, as in the /vg/ thread.
Looks like it was made in an engine so that would make sense.
>>51366455
I've bought them before, or found them on really cheap thinkpads that were unused because their fans were fucked up. They're good, but they cost too much to keep replacing, and I have this old shiny T60/T61 keyboard with the ALPS switches, and it's still the best thing I've ever typed on. The switches last years longer than the caps.
Hi /tpg/
I was referred here from /flt/ for info regarding thinkpads.
I'm new to Linux in general, and I'm looking to buy a new machine to run it from exclusively. My plan is to learn the basics, then the command line, then move to other distros.
My friend, who's into making everything he owns run on free software, referred me to this link on the fsf:h
ttps://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/respects-your-freedom
I like the look of these computers, and these guys have done all the work in making sure everything is free. They're towards the top end of my price range, but being that I'm new and have noone to help me and I don't know what I'm doing, I feel that it might be worth it to buy one of these, instead of buying a secondhand thinkpad from ebay and trying to free it myself. Especially when it comes to things like BIOS, I really don't know what I'm doing. What would you recommend?
>>51366286
Would the x201t work for me?
Most intensive thing I can think of putting it through would be some games like Shadowrun Returns, Morrowind, and Pillars of Eternity.
But mostly I'd use it in the office, to run microsoft office and some silverlight applications my job uses.
>>51365188
anyone?
what price do people usually pick up X220s for?
>>51366623
If you're just starting out, you won't need a free bios. Most of the time, starting out is as easy as putting in the live CD and installing, unless you have some specialized hardware that isn't supported. Practically any thinkpad you'll find on ebay or craigslist will work out of the box for 99% of everything, with the remaining 1% documented ~somewhere~ online.
What are you planning on using it for, mainly?
>>51366691
I got my x220t for 181 including shipping, and the only visible defects are a few light scuffs at the very bottom of the screen that are basically invisible when it's on, and half of the v on the lenovo logo is missing. You just gotta look around. Try sorting by price.
>>51366701
As I'm planning on working in software development, I want to use it for testing things on Linux, writing and compiling programs, and general purpose. It won't be for gaymen or anything like that, I expect lightweight games would be all I'd put on it. I also want it for getting familiar with the linux command line and terminals, as well as ricing because I'm an autist.
I'd also rather not have to change it later, and I can see that many of these ebay listings have pictures of the listed BIOS, but I have no idea what I should be looking for. Many of them also say their batteries aren't guaranteed to last and I'm not good with hardware, so I'm not sure I'd be able to replace them.
>>51366722
Just did that and I'm quickly realizing that the non tablet versions with an IPS are going to be expensive. Is this true?
>>51363955
>he has more cpu threads than gigs of ram
top kek
best linux distro for thinkpads wiith nvidia gpu?
>>51366163
You can tell in the other pictures that they basically just wiped it down so it still has so residue on it. It just needs a dry wipe. I'm sure the keyboard is worn, but these are 5 year old laptops.
could anybody please tell me what model is this thinkpad? its only $60
>>51367987
Probably a T40 something or other. But for $60 you should still be able to get something better than that
>>51363955
Still wondering what the fuck is going on with the dual core in a W
>>51367413
Actually, equal. Which makes it all the more bizarre
>>51367045
Depends on your luck. The IPS config in itself was only $80 or so from order anyway
>>51367987
Looks like a T4x or R5x series.
Pentium M, limited to 2GB, PATA drives...
Hard to tell but it looks like a 14" model, so it won't be IPS.
>>51366771
The battery just has a simple latch that holds it...
Get a seller refurb ThinkPad, some sellers show battery life/cycles too.
>>51367987
its garbage, not worth $60. maybe $10 but then its not even worth the shipping.
>>51368059
Can I buy refurbished ones on ebay, then? I live in Aus so distributors for that sort of thing are harder to come by, buying online is preferable but also more expensive due to exchange rates on our crappy dollarydoos.
I to buy a x60t with a SXGA+ screen. How do I know if the computer has a SXGA+ screen? The hardware manual lists:
XGA :
6363-CTO
6364-CTO
6365-CTO
6366-CTO
6367-CTO
6368-CTO
SXGA+:
6364-CTO
6365-CTO
6366-CTO
6367-CTO
6368-CTO
>>51368168
forgot to add that I do not want to contact all the sellers on ebay. Also, I already got a x250 (work computer), so don't suggest buying a modern thinkpad. I just want a classic IBM tank to run GNU/Linux.
http://www.campuspoint.de/lenovo-campus-thinkpad-t450s-20bws2km00.html
This thing
yes or no?
Posted earlier already
>>51368284
Kind of a tough call. How long do you plan on using it for?
>>51368299
Ideally a while
>>51365683
except the lcd is god-awful.
>>51368299
OH yea speaking of, what's the difference between the 48wh 6 cell battery and the 72wh 6 cell battery? Are they both the ones that stick out on the bottom?
hey lads can anyone tell me what model this one is? it's $10 on craigslist and I wanted to know if it's worth my time.
>>51368535
heres an additional image because I know that one was shit.
where to find good thinkpad deals in europe/germany ?
im worried in particular about locked bios n hence would like to avoid ebay
>>51368535
560 series.
>>51368535
It's not worth the gas it would take it meet them.
>>51368330
>god-awful
I currently use an R61i with a 15.4" 1280x800 so I think a more recent 1600x900 will be more than good for me, dude. The 1920x1080 FHD was pretty cool, but unnecessary unless you work in visual art IMO. I had to scale a lot of stuff up. I didn't like it.
Can you guys comment on buying batteries? I just won an X220 for $128 and all it needs is a battery and storage drive. What should I do? This was a steal and I won it on a best offer. Does anyone have recommendations?
>2520m
>4gb ram
>everything works
>no chips
>no IPS but oh well
Hey guys I found a riced out T420 with an i7 removed dvd for an 120gb ssd and 6gb of ram. Is it worth $500
>>51368758
lol you need to lurk more if you even had to ask m80 of course it isn't worth it.
>>51368368
Anyone? Help?
pls tell me the X220 Tablet have at least one fullsize minipcie slot/
>>51369004
I'm sorry to tell you this anon, but I don't have the answer to your question.
>>51368109
Please respond
is this legit?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Battery-Lenovo-ThinkPad-X220-X220i-X220s-Laptop-42T4861-42T4862-42T4865-/181725067947?hash=item2a4fa87aab:g:DsEAAOSwBahVOR7L
>>51369143
yeah, but its used.
>>51363557
Just bought 2 t410s for $150 this'd better not be a meme
>>51369004
54mm?
Yeah it does, on the left side, directly above the wi-fi switch.
>>51369160
isn't that better than a 3rd party new?
>>51369166
looks like we got another. good job anons.
>>51369004
Oh, mini pcie
It has one fullsize, one halfsize.
>>51369172
yes.
>>51369166
>two laptops for 150
Well, you could sell one and recoup the entire cost, so ???
>>51368368
PLEASE HELP
>>51369180
t410 doesn't sell for $150 unless it's maxxed out.
>>51369180
Meh I'll just use them t410 series is like a tank
>>51369181
The bigger number is the better one, it's how many watt hours
>>51368368
>>51368849
>>51369181
you're literally a fucking retard to be honest
>>51368368
>>51368849
>>51369181
i kek'd Tbh
t430 or w520? Is a t430 with the i7 and the dedicated gpu better spec wise? From my finding looks like w520 has better screen and keyboard
>>51369219
>>51369208
>>51369232
I don't care about the watt hours, I care about the FORM FACTOR, why else do you think I'm asking. Please read my post next time.
>>51369532
thinking that people ITT can't read is pretty fucking retarded.
>>51369532
if this is bait, you got me.
6 cell is flush.
9 cell sticks out.
>>51368056
oh god it's only a dualcore
why would they even release a dualcore workstation laptop?
>>51369308
is the i7 a quadcore or a dualcore?
because most are dualcores
>>51369785
There is no 9 cell
please
red pill me on the t450
>>51369865
Hm...
Yes there is.
![batt2-jpg[1].108160_.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/ENQoi76.jpg "batt2-jpg[1].108160_.jpg")
>>51369927
Found what I was looking for, thanks for nothing.
How can you tell what screen a W520 has? I mean, other than looking at it, since I imagine all the non-AUO screens look like garbage. Were there specific model numbers? ThinkWiki only lists three TFT screens in different resolutions, is the AUO panel IPS?
>have a bunch of money
>no 1440*900 panel assemblies for X201 family being sold on ebay
I can't buy an entire machine to cannibalize the display, and I can't buy just the panel because the assembly is incompatible with the regular X201 display. Where the fuck do I get 1440*900 for this thing? It seems like it's be a tiny difference, but my Macbook Air has that type of screen and it feels fucking huge.
>>51370937
Might as well buy a X220 and do the 1080p IPS panel swap.
>X250 has the option for a 12.5" 1920x1080 IPS screen which is exactly what I want
>can't forgo the integrated webcam
>have to pay $30 to "downgrade" to Windows 7
>ONLY ONE DIMM SLOT, ALL MEMORY STUCK IN SINGLE-CHANNEL HELL
>ridiculous trackpad without actual buttons, at least the trackpoint buttons exist again but what the fuck
>3-cell front battery seems silly, I'd prefer a design without a front battery that had two DIMM slots and more USB ports
>Broadlel, but that's Intel's fault and not Lenovo's
I just don't understand why new Thinkpads are so shitty. I have an Ivy Bridge X131e that isn't as much of a piece of shit as the X250. Worst screen ever made, but at least it has two DIMM slots. Maybe the X260 will have the 1080p IPS screen, a M.2 slot, USB type-C, and, you know, two DIMM slots.
>>51371601
You can do that? If the X220 has USB 3, that might be the dream machine.
Also, does the X220 support Ivy Bridge CPUs or just Sandy Bridge?
>>51371730
At least it will be cheap in a few years
>>51371750
Sandy only, they're soldered on.
>>51366636
on a x201t
doubt pillars of eternity will run, but SR Returs and Morrowind is a yes.
dont worry about Office and silverlight they will be run okay on it.
>>51366722
is the same guy from this listing by a chance?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301772892342
>>51371601
whats the 1080p IPS panel swap?
Found a "manufacturer refurbished" T61 for 140 eurobucks. Should I do it /g/?
>>51373087
damn, thats expensive as fuck.
you can find T420s for almost the same price
>>51373087
That's fucking awful. There worth 50 tops.
>>51373377
How much a T440 with i5-4300U, 256Gb ssd and 4Gb ram be worth?
>>51364954
The W series seems to run mighty chilly. I don't think any of my other Thinkpads idle this low.
>>51367413
>>51368056
>>51369798
I'm planning to upgrade the processor to a 2760qm or something like that. The XM quads are just way too expensive. $600 for a 4-year-old processor? Fuck me dead.
I suspect they put a dual-core in to advertise a low starting price. Apparently you could also have one of these with an i5, which makes even less sense.
Is there a thinkpad that will sell for $50-60ish? It doesn't need to be good I'm just looking for something to fuck around with linux on.
>>51373524
pretty sure you can find a X60 ot X60t for less than 100 bucks
>>51370153
W520 guy here >>51363955, I had to open up my screen and check the part number. Unless you have a reasonably tech savvy seller who identifies the AUO panel (and will likely charge a premium for it as a result), it's really a matter of winning the lottery as far as I can tell.
My understanding is that the LG panels are not truly "garbage", they're just not as good as the AUO units. Both are TN displays (no IPS) but apparently the AUO has better colour reproduction and wider viewing angles.
>>51373427
About 450 I guess.
>>51373480
>The W series seems to run mighty chilly. I don't think any of my other Thinkpads idle this low.
My T520 does, depending on where it is. Standing on a flat surface it idles around 35C, goes up to about 45C when I'm sitting with it in my couch and probably blocking half of the intakes on the bottom.
>>51373923
The coolest-running one I have is an old R40. It was originally designed to use the P4-M and so it had the corresponding beefy cooling system, but later on they just stuck Pentium M chips in it. I don't think mine ever got above 50C, ever. Never even replaced the thermal paste or anything.
The hottest-running one I ever had was a T61, which regularly got above 90C. What a miserable piece of shit. I can't believe it was the /g/ go-to laptop for so long.
I've been looking for quite a while, but can't seem to find a definitive answer anywhere, so I thought I'd come to you /g/ents.
Is the T420 compatible with Ultrabay batteries? I really want to go with a 9-cell + 9-cell slice + 3-cell UB battery combo for stupid uptime, but I find conflicting reports as to whether or not I can actually do this.
If not, is there any (recent) T-series model with which I *can* do this?
>>51370009
I really do hope you are joking...
>>51374541
I really hope you suck deez nuts
How cool does a x220t run? And is it good choice for my capeshit reading?
>>51374070
T61 owner here. If I pound the shit out of mine with a CPU loader, it will get hot. Max temp at full blast was 67°.
You can do a lot with processor voltage control and fan control. Git gud.
>>51374654
>If I pound the shit out of mine
>it will get hot
if you buy a 4 year old laptop how long should you expect it to last
>>51374894
as long as you are willing to pay upkeep on it.
how do you guys clean the screen/keyboard? Isopropyl alcohol 91%?
>>51375496
If I know anything, I think that would actually stain the plastic gray but maybe I'm wrong.
>>51375496
Windex. Spray it on the cloth, not the screen.
>>51375573
>windex
you know that's for glass m8?
>>51375496
>screen
50-50 mix of distilled water and iso alcohol
>keyboard
iso alcohol. magic eraser for shiny keys
>tried to check tracking of my X220
>Unfortunately we are unable to retrieve your tracking results at this time. Please try again later.
fucking jewdex.
>>51375591
i use Mr Muscle on my X61t screen. shit works wonders on fingerprints
>>51375820
>>51375820
>tfw bought T420 yesterday and get email that some dude took my low ball offer for an x220 that i thought he would add to
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262126527688?euid=f83ea37173504e9c9b73f5ca72c580da&cp=1&exe=13459&ext=34401&sojTags=exe=exe,ext=ext
should I take this or tell him I can't do it? I have the dosh but I'm wondering how different this could be to a t420. All I could see that really matter is 1lb lighter, 1.5" smaller screen and shittier resolution and a couple of hours extra on the battery life. after looking into it, I could easily put a drive and battery on this for a total of $164 or so and I'm sure that i could sell an x220 for more than that if I didn't like it.
>>51375980
oops didn't really mean to reply to that
What's the biggest battery I can get for X201T? Or should I get some SANYO cells and make one myself.
>>51376073
-get a cheap battery
-get your sanyo cell
-pry open cheap battery and replace its shitty sony cells with you sanyo
-????
-call it a day
>>51376073
>>51376166
Dunno about that model but in many the battery circuit stops working if you remove the battery cells, look that up first.
>>51376166
there is more to the battery than a fucking cell
>>51376166
What brands besides SANYO are good? What's the biggest I can get? How to detect chink garbage? Will the charger board properly charge any cells (assuming all of them are same) and learn their capacity? How to open a battery without making much mess?
>>51376219
panasonic is best
lg and sony is ok too
sanyo is shit
>>51363557
i was at starbucks this morning piddling on my mbp and seen this female in active wear sit down with a think pad. I was enamored.
Being only a few people in there, i fired up tcpdump and grabbed her mac/ip to see what she was doing and what thinkpad she had.
Bitch was just doing work with excel.
>>>> trash
deauth'ed her mac and enjoyed my newspaper & coffee until she left.
>>51374423
Anyone here got a line on this sodding question? I don't mean to be rude, but I've gotten rather frustrated after hours of searching, and I thought you guys would have the answer straightaway...
>>51373480
>I don't think any of my other Thinkpads idle this low.
Try me.
>>51376296
T420 has ultrabay batteries I believe but they're shit-tier. First to discharge, last to recharge, and they only give like an extra 30 minutes. Your money would be better used buying a second 9cell and hotswapping it when the first one goes under.
>>51376241
nah, sony are the worst of these. i have 3 diferent bad experiences with sony cells. on one of these chinkbatteries that cost 10usd, on ordering actual cells for beef up a diying battery and on a fucking oem battery. they are shit.
Sanyo is okay, matsushita (panasonic) are best.
>>51376383
how do you hot-swap when there is no internal battery?
>>51376467
I have a question: can I just get cells without those pieces of metal connecting them and solder ones myself with a soldering iron?
>>51376502
I don't have any extra batteries on hand to try it, but there's a "Remove and replace battery" option in the power manager. Seems like it puts the computer in hibernate, then you swap the battery and continue doing your shit. Not really hotswapping I suppose but close enough.
>>51375496
I was planning to sell my Y510p so I'd be curious to know myself. I was just going to use iso alcohol wipes to clean the whole thing off, but I don't know if this will cause any damage or not.
How's the battery life on X220? I can get new one for 300 dollaryroos.
hey /g/
bought an x240 (IPS HD Panel, i5,8gb ram, 500gb shd, backlight keyboard, fingerprint shit, 2 years warranty, 2 weeks used) for 500€
was it a good deal?
Just bought a T540p for company use. Comes with Windows 7 professional and I need to run Windows 7 professional on it. Should I reinstall Windows before giving it to the employee though? What's the news on that botnet lenovo was doing?
>>51377406
10 hours with the 9 cell
What would you guys say is the sexiest ThinkPad available ? No price limit
>>51378056
is it ACTUALLY 10 hours with anything that isn't light use? 10 hours seems insane. T420 with a 9 cell doesn't get more than like 8, right?
>>51377534
enjoy your shit trackpad
>>51378203
you can switch it out for the x250 trackpad.
Are t430us garbage /g/? The screen looks atrocious are they easily replaceable?
http://m.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-T430U-8GB-DDR3-240GB-SSD-Nvidia-GT-620M-1GB-/272021499534?nav=SEARCH
>>51378165
8 is more realistic for both machines yeah.
>>51378165
Mine uses 8-9W while browsing the 4chenz and the 9 cell battery has ~90Wh, so you can just do the math.
>>51378203
meh. than i will switch fucking trackpad
but was it a fucking good deal?
What is the best distro for a T61?
>>51378714
Looks to be fairly comparable to the going rate in US. You got an average deal.
What's the best NEW Thinkpad I can buy?
>>51368668
notebookgalerie is the best imo
Got my t420s there for 200euro
>>51378824
Honestly none of the new ones are all that great. The only one I could see myself buying with my own money is the X250. Otherwise you'd be better off going with Dell (for serviceability) or even Apple (for resale).
>>51369166
I'm expecting I'm going to have to change the screen on these, I've got the 9cell battery, anything else?
>>51369898
>someone do all my research for me and tell me i'm allowed to get the t450 and /g/ won't shit on me for it
>>51379012
You thinking the XPS line?
>>51379191
Absolutely not. Latitude / Precision.
>>51378824
T450s
Specifically the s model.
Just ordered an X200s, should be coming Wed. I plan to go full meme and make it /g/-core. Is the install gentoo wiki a good representation of what the average fag uses?
>>51379824
/tpg/ ≠ /g/
>>51379888
I just want a meme machine to shitpost on
So, there's a couple of Thinkpads at a pawnshop near me at the same price, a X220 and a T410.
Both at around 230 bucks, which one would you thinkbros recommend?
>>51380177
What are the specs? 230 is rather high for an X220, so it depends on what it has. Also, a T410 is definitely not worth the 230, unless it's maxed out completely
>>51380177
neither are worth that much.
>>51380195
>>51380197
I'll go ask about the X220 specs.
Also I live in a third world shithole so every electronics piece of equipment is overprived as hell.
>>51379191
new XPS's are shit, especially if you are a Linux user
>>51379908
Don't actually try to install gentoo on that unless you have a week spare.
>>51380264
for $230 it better have an SSD, 8gb+ RAM, or an IPS display or just forget about it basically unless he will go down to $200. T420 is the best all around thinkpad right now if we consider price. X220 is still overpriced a lot because of
>muh 3.5lbs with 6 cell
>muh 1 extra hour of battery life
even though it has by far the worst screen on any recent thinkpad, shittier design just being an x-series, and worse thrermal stats just based on the size.
as you can tell, i don't care for the x-series. t4xx(T420 especially) is the best thing ever made. That T410 is absolutely not worth that much, though. Find one for $80-$100 in good working shape and then we're talking.
>>51380264
>>51380360
also to add, if you found an american that would be willing to eat the shipping to send you something for these low american prices, that'd probably be your best bet. I found my T420 in perfect shape with good specs and a new battery for $150.
>>51380360
thanks, I'll keep fishing for one
Anyone have experience with HP elite book 8440p? The place I work at is throwing them out at the moment, and anyone is allowed to take them. Would it be worth the cost of buying a HDD/SSD for one?(the original HDD is removed)
I just got a t450s and overall it seems very sturdy but there are a few places where things don't seem to fit together as well as it should.
In pic related:
- keyboard is raised between the space bar and the right alt. there's a small tab there that looks like should fit under the palmrest but isn't.
- trackpad is flush with the palmrest on the left side but there's a gap on the right side
- trackpoint is offcenter. evident with the backlight and i've tried with multiple nubs.
- glued on part of the screen bezel is a loose in several spots
Should I get this replaced or am I nitpicking too much?
>>51381199
How much did you pay for it?
>>51381270
New from Lenovo. Around 1.2k canadian dollars so around 900 usd as of today.
>>51381199
>or am I nitpicking too much?
I don't think so. Call lelnovo up and they'll shipped you a new kb and for the screen bezel you probably gotta send it in.
>>51381199
the trackpad thing is pretty normal. i think you're sort of dumb for buying one of these brand new, though imo at first glance.
>>51363557
Is Architect a good installer?
what buntu do i use with thinkpad
>>51381573
windows 7
>>51381573
Whichever one you prefer. I like Mint XFCE personally, but it always comes down to personal preference.
>>51381591
>>51381621
which ones more ricable
>>51381640
>ricing
you people are so fucking dumb it's sometimes annoying. the fact that people actually come to /tpg/ to buy a thinkpad just to put some linux distro on it to rice and then post in some ricing thread is so fucking lame i can't believe cancer like you even breaths the same air that I do
and mint
>>51374711
belated keks
>>51381434
With the EPP discount, cad-usd exchange rate, import charges, buying from ebay is marginally cheaper at best and I didn't think it's worth the hassle.
I knew the build quality of thinkpads is worse now but I still didn't expect this sort of thing.
>trying to get gf to buy x220
>"it looks old"
>"I want something stylish and can do many things"
>mfw
What the fuck do I get her
She doesn't want a macbook
>>51381703
yeah, I guess so. I just don't think any laptop is worth buying past a few hundred dollars so i'm not the guy to ask.
>>51381726
>What the fuck do I get her
a new boyfriend.
>>51381758
>a new boyfriend.
But anon this is what he should get for himself.
>>51381726
>She doesn't want a macbook
Riiiiiiiiight.
>>51378742
Crunchbang++ if you're lazy. DIY Debian Openbox+Tint2 if you're not.
I only say that because that's what i use, which is completely subjective. There is no best distro.
A T61 will run anything. I put Winbloat10 on it for keks for a few months. It *might* cry a little if you shit it up with a ton of visual effects and animations in KDE because the GPU is weak.
>>51381818
She knows enough from what I've told her that she doesn't want Mac.
Just any good, cheaper windows laptops that are actually reliable and good?
>>51381726
>trying to get gf to buy x220
I don't understand guys that try to do shit like this. This is guy shit. You will never see a qt3.14 hunching over on a 5 year old thinkpad doing pro work. We don't care that they're ugly as long as they perform. Most girls care about aesthetics. Just get her some decent new Asus or some shit. Stop trying to make your girlfriend like some old crap that all of us only buy because they're a good deal for what we want to do. I bought a T420 for $150 because I'm a student with little cash and need something that will last and I can easily repair myself/ I like the keyboard, weight, screen res. and the battery life is fine. Your girlfriend might just not like it and she doesn't have to. Get her something that she fucking wants that you know will perform well enough for what she wants to do.
By the way, she probably does want a MBP/MBA but she's too nice to sound like a spoiled brat and ask for one. We all know how expensive they are. Who knows though, maybe she legitimately doesn't like them. I don't know faggot, why don't you talk to your own fucking girlfriend and ask?
>>51381818
Well, to be fair, Macbooks are disqualified if she needs a laptop that can "do many things".
>>51380475
I have one for work. Specs are comparable to the T420. I give it a beating at work and its not that bad. For the dumpster diving price of free, I'd use it.
>>51381860
She's literally so tech illiterate that she wanted a chromebook because it looked good.
>>51381905
>so tech illiterate that she wanted a chromebook
A chromebook is perfect for her then. Also what's "can do many things"? email and facebook?
>>51381726
Get her a CB3
>>51381905
buy her the chromebook
then throw both of them in the bin
>>51381905
if she literally just goes on facebook and watches youtube videos then yes buy a CB3. if she's a student and maybe has to use office then buy some mid-range ASUS like a fucking zenbook.
>>51381860
>>51381726
>buy an X220T
>"Wow anon, thats so cool. I want one!"
God damn. There's a reason I married this girl.
Will my x240 make girls notice me? What stickers should I put on it that would be conversation starters?
>>51382058
apple sticker
>>51382058
stickers from you're favorite animes so you can have something in common to talk about and cool dragon stickers so she knows you're a badass
>>51381726
Make sure it has an i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a decent screen and you're done. That will be enough to do more than "many things"
wth guys, got an x220 and battery life is fucked.
>>51382095
batteries are perishable items i don't know why you're surprised the battery in a second hand 4+ year old laptop is close to dead
>>51382095
Batteries are never guaranteed. Get a new one, problem solved. Or
>>51376166
>>51382108
>he fell for the x220 battery life meme
>>51382058
get a Thinkpad yoga 12 (yeah, i know the yoga isn't 100% thinkpad but you can flip it into a tablet).
>>51381946
>what's "can do many things"
in a few words, she wants to run every possible application you can imagine while keeping facebook, youtube without any slowdown.
>>51382131
Speaking of which, what's the rules for buying batteries for thinkpads? I have an X220t and the 9 cell battery that came with it only lasts 3-4 hours.
>get my t420 finally
>dat shitty 1366x768 screen
>dat shitty battery
Should I just return it or upgrade this shit myself?
>>51382294
Honestly, I would just return it and get a better one with that refund
>>51382292
There is no 9 cell for the X220t. The one that sticks out is a 6 cell due to the hinge
>>51382292
x220t
>9 cell
I thought that they never made 9 cell batteries for the tablet.
>>51381726
Get her an x220 tablet
spin it around at her
let her type on the keyboard
if she doesn't like it, you've got an x220 tablet for yourself.
>>51382260
Quad-core something with 8GB RAM.
>inb4 she bitches about battery life
can't have it both ways
>>51377629
1. Make a recovery disc set with the built-in utility, then remove the partition to gain some space.
2. the lelnovo's "botnet" is easy to remove.
Go to task scheduler and find something called "customer feedback program 64" and remove it.
3. You can leave Power Manager(very useful), System Update, APS, and Comm. Utility(to control webcam and microphone processing)
>>51381673
I just want my thinkpad for a linux learning laptop and maybe some vms for forensics, all the pros in my industry use w541s and waiting on p50s
>>51382332
>currently building 12 cell 10AH batteries for X61T
Are 9-cell compatible batteries okay? Because the OEM ones are super expensive, but I'd still like battery life
>>51363557
i cracked the front bezel of my t420.What material is it made of? much appreciated so I can buy the correct plastic welder
>>51382720
from what I can tell, they will most likely have like 75% of whatever they advertise. and not be accurate when telling you how much is left etc.. I think. If it's going to be your main computer, I'd go for a new genuine. It will last you years if you follow the 80-40 never full never dead rule.
Is this a ThinkPad?
>>51382768
A good number of them also just don't work or stop working after a cycle or two.
Most of the 'third party' batts being sold are old reclaimed IBM/lenovo batteries with recycled cells tacked in. Sometimes they put a new plastic shell on the outside, but the cheapest refubs jobs don't even do that. Then the slap a new label on and sell it for new.
The cells in these things are... terrifying. Mismatched. Dented. Rusty. Missing the jackets. seeping. Tabs spotwelded over tabs spotwelded over tabs. No spacers. No thermisistors....
There are good battery refurb resellers out there (like ENERGY+), but a good refurber's batteries will be (surprise!) almost as expensive as the OEMs.
>>51382889
I wish /tpg/ would have a list of reputable places to buy batteries.
>>51382916
The list is pretty short really.
1) Lenovo
...
>>51382939
Does lenovo sell brand new 6 and 9 cells for these old thinkpads? That'd be nice.
>>51382939
FUCK that. Also, what the fuck?
>>51381726
holy shit
I don't think I've met a bigger cheapskate.
>>51382953
Back to X200/T400/T500 as far as I can see. X60/T60 batteries were made up to just a year or two ago, so there are still plenty.
>>51383014
wait till you see how much a 9 cell costs
>>51383014
Problem is it's hard to tell the good from the bad until you get some and crack them open. You can get an idea from the outside if you have something that can talk detailed SBS protocol, but that's specialized stuff.
>>51383035
>$160 for a new T420 9 cell from lenovo's website
fucking hell even the 6 cell is $140
>>51383075
Oh, they're overpriced to be sure....
I wish there was a better way to tell a quality $50-ish battery from a fire-waiting-to-happen too.
I'm getting an HP so I can feel like a spaceman.
>>51383094
[hell, the monsters I'm building for X61 series only cost about $60 in brand new cells. I'm even buying the cheap chinese jobbies just to harvest working controllers and shells. I immediately toss all the cells in them.]
>>51383094
I think that's what the other anon was say. Some of those ebay batteries are alright. If only we could keep track of which batteries people have had good luck with from which sellers.
>>51382314
Well, I'll try it out for now. I have 60 days to return it anyway.
>>51383122
if anyone ITT reading this wants to speak up and say what ebay vendor sold them good batteries, that'd be good...
>>51383122
Oh sure. Like I said, I wish we could... but I've never seen a reseller last a whole year unless they're almost as expensive as OEM (ie, not worth it).
>>51383146
Like I said, Energy+ was OK. Their rebuilds looked solid inside, they used Sanyo cells.
I bought a few from eShopSino a few years back that were also decent. But I don't think they cared much about what they were selling and I got lucky.
>used x220
>i5, 8gb ram, 128bg ssd
>$220 shipped
>comes in absolute perfect condition
>no scratches, not even wear on keys
>fresh install of xubuntu
>boots in 3 seconds
>can go from power-down to browsing 4chan in like 7 seconds
>tfw fell in love with trackpoint
I was worried this would be a meme (/g/ shills xubuntu and x chinkpad all day) but this is definitely the best and most comfy portable computing experience I've ever had. Worth every dollar, and I've been through Dell, Asus, and Apple which all cost upwards from 4x more.
>>51383207
don't be too obvious anon
How fast should I expect an SSD to go on a sata2 port?
I've never seen my SSD go past 150MB/s sequential writes.
I don't really mind tho, my x200 boots in 8 glorious seconds after the grub screen,
The POST literally takes longer than the OS.
>>51383170
Will try
>>51383152
I think I'm just gonna buy and return X220 batteries until I get something decent and post that information and maybe people will want to add their experiences.
>>51383260
It's not a bad strategy. Decent rebuilds are out there.
Just be careful not to pull that on any places from China, return shipping is more than the batteries. There's a reason they will offer refunds no questions asked!
You know what? Fuck all this shit, I think I'm just gonna try to recell a battery myself. Any good guides?
>>51383342
>You know what? Fuck all this shit, I think I'm just gonna try to recell a battery myself. Any good guides?
It's tricky, and the lenovo batts are ultra paranoid. Like, if you remove wires in the wrong order, they will literally, intentionally, permanently blow a row of fuses to isolate all the cells (as well as marking in nonvolatile flash memory this has happened).
I can give a sequence that works on some (maybe most) of them.
>>51383342
Hope you got a tab spot welder.
>>51383374
...the way that works on all of them is to make sure none of the sense lines ever lose power. You'll need a bench power supply and some resistors.
...but if you slip or mess up, game over. it will blow the bolts.
>>51383384
tab welder is the right way to do it, but you don't need one. If you've got a decent iron and decent skills, you can solder to cells safely.
>>51371601
>220 panel swap
This exists?! I was actually thinking of telling someone such a thing as a troll post somewhere, but is this real? I've grown attached to my X201, though, and I like 16:10 a lot. The X220 takes half-cards, but the X201 takes full-cards AND half-cards, so I can fit my libre wi-fi card inside.
