Previous thread: >>51745634
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/fG23Pm71
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/
>>51787819
x220 or x220t or x201t
Yeah I kind of want a tablet, I want a powerful laptop that I can shove in my bag though.
What should I get?
>>51787881
x220t or an x230t if you can get one.
>>51787897
b-but chicklet keys
Upgrading from my T430s to a T440s this week. Found a deal on eBay I couldn't pass up. Going to be swapping in the T450s touchpad and lite-on backlit keyboard. I mainly needed it since I'm in a condo complex with 25 wi-fi APs and need to move to 5ghz (which the t430s doesn't support without a custom bios or taping off pins and shit, which I don't have time for right now).
My T430s has the FHD conversion kit installed. These are not currently in production and impossible to find. Before I list it on eBay I was curious if any anons were interested. Either the kit alone or the T430s with the kit preinstalled along with a 1080p AU IPS panel. Backlit keyboard. Ultrabay battery and regular battery with low cycle count. New touchpad, touchpad buttons. 12G of ram currently but I was thinking of moving the 8gb module to the t440s and putting in the 4gb in the t430s.
How much would someone be willing to pay for the T430s?
>>51787936
it's a meme.
I actually prefer it to the old-style.
Only thing that's bad is that it's 6-row instead of 7-row
>>51787959
I honestly disagree, I've used lots of chicklet keyboards and while the thinkpads are good, I just love the feel of the old style keyboards :(
>>51787986
The underlying mechanism is the same.
>>51787997
exactly. It's just different keycaps.
And let's face it, chiclet key shape is better suited to a laptop keyboard.
I was the same way >>51787986 you were, until I got a x230 Tablet to replace my T420.
>>51788013
Hrm alright, I'll give it a go I guess, just tried to find the x230 on ebay and can't. I'm presuming their discontinued since it says "no longer available" on lenovos site. damn. Any ideas?
>>51787959
If Lenovo had switched to chiclet keys but kept the 7-row layout, then honestly there would be zero issues and only the most diehard spergs would care. The feel of the two keyboards is different but comparable. I'm personally indifferent but my dad actually prefers the chiclet keyboard on his T430 to the one on his old T400.
>>51788035
x230 tablets can be hard to find. Keep looking.
>>51788053
Alright, appreciate it. What price should I expect to pay? also I'm the (unproud) owner of an x100e, is the keyboard anything like that?
>>51788061
Dunno. Paid 400US$ for mine in yuroland, sounds like a fair price to me
I think ktgee also claims a similar price range
>>51788087
Alright sweet, also was gonna get the x220 or x201 with i7, is the performance increase between i5 -> i7 worth the price?
>>51788104
depends.
In general usage you'll never push the CPU to 100%.
As for games, the HD graphics will be the bottleneck.
Also, i7 consumes more power.
Basically: Unless you plan to do heavy rendering/compiling on it and care about the few seconds/minutes you save: No. Get the i5.
>>51787997
The thing to consider when evaluating keyboards, chicklet or not, is how used they are - especially since the majority of us here are buying secondhand.
I thought even the classic keyboards were a meme on my T61 until I got a new keyboard. The old one was very mushy. The new one was a vast improvement and I finally understood.
>>51787819
what are good sub-12.6" business laptops that arent thinkpads?
>>51788973
>Other business laptops are also welcome in /tpg/ (e.g. Dell Latitude/Precision, HP EliteBook/ZBook).
literally in the 2nd line of the op
do your research
>>51789024
bro do you even reading comprehension?
>>51789029
>other business laptops
>not thinkpads
>>51789039
>sub-12.6"
how dense are you?
>>51789048
do your fucking research, i've given you good brands/product lineups to look in to
is it really that hard to google 'hp elitebook ultraportable'
don't expect to get spoonfed constantly, it shits up the thread when people just *expect* to get buying advice without putting effort in themselves
>>51789073
>hp
kill yourself
>>51789098
So I got my X201 yesterday, and I ran both CPU and GPU stress tests at the same time. CPU temperature peaked at 98 celsius, and both CPU and GPU lowered their clocks from time to time. CPU is idling at about 40 to 45 degrees.
Is this normal or should I repaste the CPU?
>>51789461
repaste
>>51788876
Um... Lenovo uses three different keyboard manufacturers with entirely different internal mechanisms, and each of those manufacturers has markedly changed the mechanism with each new model. The keyboards don't get mushy over time, you just got a different keyboard model.
>>51789461
'nehalem'
'Repasting' won't help much if any, and if you accidentally tweak the heatsink mount so it no longer sits right upon reassembly, you'll be worse off than you started.
* and they didn't use paste to start with. They use phase-change polymer.
>>51787819
When are you guys switching to T430 + T420 keyboard mod for the recommended model?
>>51789587
never because it's broken as fuck
>>51789648
Then the T430, standalone. T420 is starting to show its age
I bought a T520 used off Craigslist, and after running SeaTools on the 500 GB hard drive I found that it has 8,221 power-on hours. Should this be a cause for concern at all? All the SMART readings seem fine and an HD Tune error scan found no damaged blocks.
>>51789587
Honestly it is not really worth your time or money to do the mod on the T430. Yeah, the missing row is a pain, so is the lack of backwards/forwards buttons, but the typing feel is good and it still has dedicated hardware buttons for volume etc.
>>51789687
>sandy bridge
>showing age
pick 1
>>51790080
>sandy bridge iGPU not showing its age
>selection of ports not showing their age
>all available batteries not showing their age (fuck fake chinkshit)
>fucking iphone
shopping for thinkpads in the UK triggers me so much
I know I'll never get a X220 in great condition that's been treated well for a decent price that isn't from one of those eBay shops where you don't even know what you're buying.
>>51790098
The iGPU works fine for everything except gaymen, which you would only do on a laptop if you were clinically retarded or massively poor. The port selection is as good as any modern business laptop, and probably better than what Lenovo puts out now. The USB 3.0 issue can be solved with a $15 Expresscard. Good new batteries cost money but provide more than reasonable runtime.
You don't even know what you're talking about.
>>51790581
>purchased my X220 in January for £150
>seller didn't mention the 3G modem and IPS panel
>still had Lenovo warranty left, got a new keyboard for free
Why do I feel the urge to buy a W520 and max it out despite already wanting a x220t and already owning a comfy t420...
Much less the pipe dream of a riced out W701ds...
>>51791537
I have the same problem of constantly looking to get another thinkpad. Already own a x220 and an x200 tablet. Giving away an x200. Sold off the following: T400, T420, x200 tablet.
>T420 INTEL CORE i5-2520M 2x 2.5GHz 4GB RAM 320GB HDD
this the model I should go for?
price is 140 eur
>>51791304
Funny, that's the price I paid for a X230 (without the modem though)
>>51791693
If 1600x900 buy it nao. Super price for Europe.
If 768p like I suspect, still a good price. I wouldn't want get a lower res screen than the 900p tho.
>>51791763
Just bought a T420s, my first Thinkpad ever. Should arrive on monday or so.
Any advice for when it arrives?
Just bought a x220 for £135 with no scratches or damage.
Anyone know a good place to get a IPS screen from/to the UK?
whats the best screen you can put in an x200? currently have 1200x800 but not sure if theres anything better than the boe hydis
>>51791886
the common ones are:
IPS 1280x800 CCFL
TN 1440x900 LED
I have the 1440x900; viewing angles are horrendous, color kinda sux, but the resolution is nice
whats a good sub 12.6" non-thinkpad/non-hp business laptop with a clitmouse?
>>51791792
Wipe that fucker down with isopropyl alcohol
Then check for BIOS password and computrace
is a thinkpad a good laptop for uni?
>>51791980
no, it's shit.
get the acer chromebook
>>51791927
Since when is there a TN 1440x900 LED for the x200? Link please.
>>51792000
comes stock on some X200s and I think all X201s
I have an X200s with one
>>51792032
I don't believe you. Even on a T400 it's an upgrade to the 1440x900. I have never hear of a x200 having a LED panel that has a resolution of 1440x900 on a 12" display.
>>51792085
It's the x200s/x201s that has the 900p screen.
>>51792085
>>51792100
yea its the s models, and theres no big difference between mainboards. they use faster cpus with bigger heatsinks-thats it.
>>51792100
Ok need to get one of those 's' model to play with then... 1440x900 on a 12" would be pretty sweet.
>>51792156
be warned, viewing angles are pretty bad.
>>51791997
acer Chromebook is shit
>>51787944
Probably you should post on the TP Forums, because 80% of these fags are all about buying at a good price and one upping each other.
So they'll probably estimate cheapest parts T430s with cheapest IPS panel and pay you that.
I was going to do the mod, I just want a sub $250 T430s and $100 IPS panel + SSD to sell for $600 hopefully
Using a Lenovo T61. I've noticed youtube videos tend to lag, especially when I have multiple tabs open. The computer gives me the bluescreen and "hardware failure, contact hardware vendeor" when trying to multitask too many programs, as well.
I upgraded to a 120 GB SSD, but I'm still at 2 GB of RAM. Would a RAM upgrade help, and how do I go about picking new RAM if so?
>>51791997
>have to constantly be online
>essentially useless if you aren't connected to wifi
>shit specs
>shit battery life
>>51792543
It's like its meant to be an appliance used for only certain things.
>>51792528
You should upgrade to at least 4GB. DDR2 is the stuff you're looking for. Just get two 2GB modules, 4GB ones are insanely expensive.
>>51792646
OK. Do I need to search for "laptop DDR2 RAM" or is just "DDR2 RAM" sufficient for finding the right stuff?
Are there ram slots on the new Dell Latitude E5470 or is everything soldered in?
>>51791886
The Boe Hydis panel is pretty nice but don't get the glossy one if you can help it.
>>51792528
the lag on YouTube is just because it's getting old, my X200 struggles with more than 1 tab of HD YouTube at a time. (And that's when the CPU isn't locked to a lower speed because of a completely failed battery.) Not sure about the bluescreens, could be GPU if it has the faulty nVidia one or it could just be RAM or chipset.
>>51792687
Yeah, they have to be laptop modules. I don't know that it'll fix your problems (as >>51792725 mentioned it sounds more like you've got a timebomb model on the brink), but 2GB is really destitute these days, especially if you're using Windows.
To maximize battery life should I charge to 100%, unplug and use till it's drained to about 5% and then recharge it?
>>51791959
>check for computrace
how?
>>51792886
To maximize battery life you should try not to leave it sitting fully charged, but besides that it doesn't seem to matter. I got 3 years and 800 cycles out of my X230's battery before replacing it (capacity had dropped to 40%).
>>51792889
Should be able to see whether Computrace is active from the BIOS menus. (You probably want to set it to "permanently disabled" if possible.)
>>51792834
>x200
>HD YouTube
How? Are you using the HTML5 player or Flash Player? My x200 does fine with 720p when I download it then watch (youtube-dl) , but stutters hard when I try to use the HTML5.
>>51792886
no, you'll kill it even quicker
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries
>>51793003
Dude, no need to get so complex. The Power Manager software already optimizes batteries for prolonged life.
>>51793070
>The Power Manager software already optimizes batteries for prolonged life.
No it doesn't, it'll get you 70% of the way there but custom charge thresholds are still the way to go, especially if you have a Sanyo OEM battery.
>>51793120
What is your threshold of choice then? In the end you are just sacrificing battery time for long term battery life.
Do you get 2 hours on each charge expecting to make the battery last for 10 years?
>>51792989
Using HTML5 on Chrome. Firefox seems to be a lot worse. (CPU is a Core 2 P8600, you might have one of the ULV ones.)
>>51793176
90% max charge.
Constantly running down li-ion batteries is bad.
>>51789869
Power-on hours are meaningless, what matters is
>damaged blocks
>write errors
>temperature
If all the above are nonexistent / normal, then the hard drive is fine.
Hey /g/urus, I need a little help.
I am looking for a backlit keyboard for my t420. I would prefer green, if possible. Although, just about any color would work with the exception of red. Can't stand red.
Does anyone have a link or few, that could point me in the right direction.
Also, money is a little tight at the moment. So if y'all could help me (without breaking the bank), it would be greatly appreciated.
>>51789869
>8,221 power-on hours
wow it's nothing
>>51793537
Can't be done unless you swap your entire laptop for a T430 or newer (or a newer Ideapad). No one makes transparent keys for the older style Thinkpad keyboards. Why would they?
Even on a T430 if you wanted green you would need to do some serious SMD soldering work, the standard backlit kb is just white.
>>51793537
>put green filter over thinklight
problem solved
also you bought the wrong laptop to be a ricer faggot
First time looking into Thinkpads and I had a question about the X220.
If I find one that comes with a HDD can I easily install a SSD alongside of it (so the computer has both) or does the SSD replace the HDD? I'm pretty sure I read that it has two different slots and wanted to make sure.
thanks
>>51793807
The slot where the HDD goes can accommodate an SSD, full SATA3 speed. The ultrabay slot can fit a caddy, you can put your HDD there at half the speed of SATA3.
Considering buying a t430. Any recommendations for what to look for? I want the best model of it I can buy
>>51793807
With an Ultrabase and HDD caddy for it, yes. Seems that the X220 can't do it without Ultrabase, though.
Poorfag here who just needs a basic laptop for Chinese cartoons and school. Thinkpads seem like they are a bit overpriced for what you get. Is link related a good deal? Keep in mind that the price is in Canadabux, so it's actually more like $75 real dollars:
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-laptops/city-of-toronto/dell-latitude-e6500-core2duo-3-06-ghz-4-gb-ram-250-gb-hdd/1096361422?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
>>51793807
You can get an mSATA SSD and use that alongside a SATA HDD in the main bay, but the mSATA port only runs at SATA II speeds.
>>51793632
It's a legitimate concern. I bought a T400 off Craigslist, hard drive has 8,400 power-on hours, about 920 power cycles and it's starting to die. Fuck you /g/ for lying to me about Western Digital "reliability".
>>51794107
>craigslist
The guy probably skullfucked the HDD and came inside it or something along those lines.
Just got an X220. Is there any way to get a completely clean installation of windows 7 if I don't have an .iso? Downloading a clean iso from Microsoft's website doesn't seem to work with an OEM product key, and the included Lenovo recovery partition is filled with the same bloatware that the laptop already had when I got it.
>>51794182
Yeah, use the current install to download a clean ISO and make a bootable USB stick with it.
>>51794182
Yeah
Use Linux instead
It seems like 95% of all x220 on eBay are the tablet version. How much of a downgrade is it from the normal model? I know that they have guaranteed IPS screens, but lose the 9cell battery option. Anything else? I'm about to just get the tablet version.
>>51791304
where you cheeky cunt
i want to be you
>>51792543
>free open-source bios
>linux stock
>no gay ass windows button or logo
>easy to install whatever lnux distro you want
anon, you are misguided as fuck
>>51794002
serious question: what are you guys doing on this machine that require SATA III speeds? You do realize that only continuous speeeds are affected, IOPS and other things are the same, differences negligible.
>>51792886
NO
thats old info pertaining to like NiCad batteries, *not* li-ion.
>>51792989
I just did a test and watched a 1080p video on my 1440x900 X200s with 1.8GHz CPU. There was almost no stuttering. It played fine.
I dont know what youre doing wrong. What OS?
>>51794278
Same processors, you're not losing computing power. They're just slightly more power-hungry. People seem to like the pen-enabled ones better than just the multitouch models. You can still do 6-cell + slice.
>>51793209
>>51793176
>>51793120
yeah li-ion batteries last a lot longer of you dpnt charge them to full voltage. A 3.7V cell typically charges to 4.2V in most chargers, but limiting it to 4.1V or 4.0V will make it last tremendously longer. Laptop batteries are nothing but 3.6V or 3.7V cells x3 (typically)
>>51793987
>Thinkpads seem like they are a bit overpriced for what you get
About a year ago I got an X200 tablet with IPS screen, 4GB RAM, etc for $80
>>51794278
the only thing i dont like about all thinkpad tablets is theyre significantly larger than the non tablet models
>be me
>get x220 with ridiculous high specs for 220 in an ebay auction
>fell for the meme
>immediately install fedora 23
>somehow everything works out of the box
>no wifi issues
>no bluetooth issues
>no ridiculous cpu usage because of driver incompatibility
>install tlp
>now have 8hrs battery life with a 6 cell battery at 80% of its original capacity
>laptop is faster than any other laptop I have had
>keyboard is amazing
>lasts all day and I have yet to get the 9 cell battery
Christ, I don't know what to say /g/, I have never had so little issue with a linux installation and there is not a chance I would have found thinkpads on my own.
This is probably the greatest purchase I have ever made. And it cost next to nothing for an i7 and a 160Gb SSD. Thanks guys, keep spreading the word.
>>51795224
No worries. Now give us this qt's name pls
X200s /g/ents, what sort of battery life are you getting?
>>51795224
did it have an IPS?
>>51795337
>tfw I'll never be so beautiful that people are almost brought to tears by my beauty
Why live.
Reverse image search friend, she's an actress.
>>51792528
is it a T61p? those gave faulty Nvidia GPUs
also
>windows
>>51795410
No. I am using this exclusively for shitposting and programming so I am not missing out on much. I will say that the screen is much better than I expected however, very sharp display, though the screen real estate is quite small. Again, not an issue for a work laptop, it helps me concentrate. I've never undestood the viewing angle issue with laptops, just move the fucking screen.
I have a U2515H for my main desktop so I will frequently put it through that display if I am working on something and insist on using the nice keyboard.
>>51795407
7 hour 6 cell with tlp and tlp-rdw.
>>51790476
I wish I could get one of those, with that sort of keyboard. Just for fun.
>>51790581
I live in the UK and I literally bought an x220 from eBay less than a month ago. It's in near perfect condition, only cosmetic marks on it, and it's 2.7 Ghz. It's godlike.
I'm sure I saw a couple others on there; when there is some confusion, I usually use the "contact seller" button and it's all sorted out.
Try looking harder.
>>51791304
I got mine for 185 or thereabouts.
>>51795224
How much did it cost ?
>>51795407
pic is evidence
X200s with 9-cell at 84% capacity and 81% charge
I dimmed the screen a bit and had 5.1 hours to empty. If you account for capacity and charge, that would be 7.5 hours
at full brightness with a fully charged full capacity battery, it would be 6.1 hours
So, Id guess about 7 hours at a reasonable brightness with a fresh 9-cell, for standard web browsig over wifi
>>51795552
220 for me, I'm in Europe though, I have heard people get thinkpads like this for 100 or so. Money isn't an issue for me, so perhaps I was coming on too strong when I said next to nothing.
Regardless, I had my high bid set at 400 and was surprised to see I got it for so little.
>>51795224
>>immediately install fedora 23
>>somehow everything works out of the box
>>no wifi issues
>>no bluetooth issues
>>no ridiculous cpu usage because of driver incompatibility
That sounds too good to be true, but I want to believe!
>>51795498
>I've never undestood the viewing angle issue with laptops, just move the fucking screen.
Not that I care that much, but on my 1440x900 X200s, the viewing angle is so bad, that if you adjust the screen for proper viewing angle looking at the middle of the screen, it wont be proper at the top and bottom. Its extremely noticeable on dark videos
>>51795634
Because I'm a student, and I know my 6 years old MacBook Pro will die soon. Therefore, a replacement as cheap as that with those specs looks too good to be true. But the more I've browsed here, the more it seems that these deals are frequent and real.
>>51795636
On an X200 tablet, Linux Mint has even the pen working OOTB
This may not be completely related, but I just got the strangest request and I was wondering if /tpg/ could weigh in on it.
I'm trying to sell my first-gen X1 carbon on Craigslist, and just got an email from a guy who wants me to meet him in his apartment lobby in front of the concierge, AND show him government photo ID, to "weed out shady business practices". I have honestly never had this sort of request, is it par for the course on Craigslist?
>>51795224
>>51795636
I'm the guy in >>51795511 and I'll be installing OpenBSD on it. From the reading I've done, it will be just fine - I'd expect GNU/Linux to work out of the box anyway.
One issue I had though, was ethernet - Windows wouldn't detect it, but GNU/Linux wouldn't either - until I found a solution on the Internet for Ubuntu (I was using an old version, though):echo on > /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:19.0/power/control
is what I had to do. The wireless worked out of the box, though, as did the trackpoint etc.
>>51795691
He's just careful.
Any of you guys bought a KMX1 from that guy? How'd it go? Was it hard to use?
>>51795691
He's just careful, but he should either come to you or pay more for you to come to him.
Unless it's just convenient for you to go to his place, then it's ok I guess.
>>51795691
always meet in public
if he is too nervous about it, sale lost, we can keep looking
the same way a seller shouldn't go to someone's house (and you shouldn't invite them as a buyer), i don't know about walking into someone else's 'territory' with my product and wallet in hand
tell him starbucks or nothing
Anybody looking forward to the skylake T460's next year? Reading these threads get me pumped as it will be my first thinkpad.
>>51795792
i said it backwards the first time, you know what i mean. i don't walk into stranger's houses with cash or expensive electronics in hand. nobody is going to try funny stuff in public.
>>51792100
Most s models do
I did get a T430 that was HD and not HD+
My apologies if I said all of them are WXGA+
just look for the lenovo logo on the left of the LCD bezel instead of the right, WXGA+ panels are on the left.
>>51794107
>not checking hard drive for errors
Plus us saying whatever brand hard drives are good now doesn't mean they were good 8 years ago.
>>51795718
I bougbt one used and haven't used it yet
(8
>>51795691
>and government ID
Fuck that, if he doesn't want to meet up halfway to a public place, he doesn't have enough money to pay for a laptop.
Just sit on it if anything, it sounds pretty shady
Why should he be comfortable in his settings? He probably would have him or someone else rob your shit afterwards.
Plus if they are that paranoid about buying something, they probably are doing something illegal anyways.
Don't bend your ass backwards to the customer if its a private sell.
>>51795817
Just don't ask for price advice or tell /g/ how much you paid for it.,
You'll be shitposted and trolled for it because you bought new.
>>51795224
welcome, brother
>>51795636
Anon, I swear I'm not a shill.
It astounded me too. My desktop gave me more issues thanks to an Nvidia card. Thinkpads are apparently known for this too.
>>51795665
Shit, mine isn't that bad son
>>51795669
Is 200+ out of your price range? If not, get it right now. I have never enjoyed a laptop so much. The keyboard is the stuff of dreams and once you set up tlp and tlp-rdw, the battery is great, even at 80% usage I get 7+ hours most days with a 6 cell. You NEED to get tlp though, otherwise it was around 4hrs
I need advice on temps.
I replaced the thermal paste on my i7-2720qm twice, it still idles at 55 and under load its between 60 and 70, occasionally it goes into the 80s under heavy load.
There's zero dust in the case. The fan works fine. Is this just normal for the i7? It does share a heat pipe with the GPU which I also repasted twice.
>>51795741
He wants me to go halfway across my city. Not convenient.
>>51795792
>>51795819
Technically it would not be in his house, it would be in the common area of the tower block. Point taken though.
>>51795823
>He probably would have him or someone else rob your shit afterwards.
This is a thought that crossed my mind, and sort of feeds into the post above. For all I know he could have his buddy ready to jump me on the way out. Overall this guy sounds like a real pain in the ass. But I'm almost desperate for a deal, since just about every other reply has either been a scammer or some Indian asking for a 50% discount.
>>51796004
In which model thinkpad?
>>51796036
>He wants me to go halfway across my city. Not convenient.
Then ask him to come to you, preferably in a public area like other anons suggested.
Being careful is good, but his ass isn't the only one that needs covering.
>>51796066
w520
>>51796036
If you don't find meeting the guy at his (semi-public) place a dealbreaker on principle, bring a friend and pack heat.
Ay yo /tpg/, can I get some of your best ThinkPad pictures so I can hype about mine coming in in the next few days? Thanks.
I just installed Xubuntu 15.10 on my x220. Is there any lenovo-specific software that I should download, or should I be okay without it?
>>51796179
muh T60/1 frankenpad
inb4
>windows
I was testing shit, already went back to Debian.
inb4
>wtf MOC in VM in Windows
fite me IRL
X220 vs. 2560p
>>51796179
hello thinkfriends
my recently acquired x61t refuses to turn on unless it is plugged in? if i unplug the ac after it's booted in xubuntu sometimes it will turn back off other times it will stay on and work as intended
very odd
>>51796036
>He wants me to go halfway across my city. Not convenient.
its standard practice for buyers to come to sellers, or meet at a place set by the seller.
What if he looks at it then doesnt want to pay what you want for it or he doesnt like it? you just drove out of your way for nothing.
some times they may convince you that they really intend to buy it, and maybe meet halfway, which is reasonable
but yeah seller delivering it to the buyer is quite the favor unless you live in a rural area and have nothing better to do than drive through beautiful countryside
>>51796036
Sell it on eBay?
>>51796179
I feel like I post this too much
>>51796434
bad battery connection?
>>51796179
>>51796388
>hp
never
anyone wanna donate some money to my paypal so i can buy some Thinkpad.
I'm secretly living in a public library and I'm worried they're gonna catch onto my posting from the PC's.
help
>>51796545
Why is it not as good, though? I want reasons.
>>51796464
Could be. Bought it from an "authorized" microsoft refurbisher. The battery I bought isn't OEM but has worked reliably and properly for multiple days. Charging the OEM battery that came with it now to see if that's the problem, although I thought "illegitimate" battery detection was only with Windows. Shame that it didn't ship with an OEM 8-cell. The battery life is already bad enough.
What's a good lightweight laptop that still would kick a punch at computation to program simulators on?
I used to have an HP Elitebook but i never used it since it was so bulky and i gave it away a few months ago.
>>51796450
>Sell it on eBay?
Seeing the way buyers operate, no thanks. I don't have the experience to deal with that.
>>51796179
>>51796551
i have a ridiculously long list of bad experiences with hp products. they dont last. theyre made out of shit material. theyre put together horrendously. their customer support is the worse ive ever dealt with
>>51796450
>dat butterfly keyboardB A S E D
A
S
E
D
I'm jealous as fuck, I want one of those just for that cool as hell keyboard
>>51796434
that sounds exactly like what happens when you use a non-tablet mainboard in a tablet. does your bios report the mainboard as X61T, stressing that the T is there?
>>51796434
I had a T60p that I scrapped after the battery charging circuitry on the mobo went kaput. I had a T60 I could charge it on, so I knew it wasn't the battery. Maybe the same unfortunate thing has happened to you.
Could just be a loose batt connection if it works for any appreciable length of time at all after unplugging the AC.
>>51796422
which display? the 1366 one or the 1600?
>>51796815
Not that guy, but based on the size of icons and cursor, I'm guessing 1366x768
>>51796796
Well I've just tried putting the OEM battery back in and charging it for a while and Xubuntu can't seem to figure out the battery capacity at all, when I unplug it it stays on now but notes that the battery is at some critically low unknown capacity.
>>51796784
I'll check in a moment. Everything worked as expected the first few days I got it but maybe I just never noticed.
>>51796815
1600, comfy af, all I use it for is YouTube and shitposting, and my previous laptop was a 15" 768p piece of shit, so upgrades all around. She's too good for me.
>>51796545
Some HP laptops are nice
some
>>51796558
Oh its a windows problem?
Probably, my W700ds for years didn't work on the knockoff battery it had
I installed Ubuntu Studio and Solaris 11, it didn't have the random shutdown.
Also them being an 'authorized refurbisher' I am presuming they are OK'd by Microsoft, all they do is reinstall Windows with a new OEM key, and well test the system, whatever that means.
>>51796799
What about that picture with gunz?
>>51796985
Damn, I was wrong >>51796886
>>51797032
I just let it charge on the OEM battery for a while and after it managed to figure out what battery capacity even is I've managed to get it to turn on by itself with the illegitimate battery, clocking in at 100% charged with 6:30 remaining. Weird.
>>51796985
>1600
jelly as fuck, my T420 is 1366. I'm looking to change the display tho
>>51797072
Pretty strange, sounds like the chip is giving a wrong reading...
Must be fun when it randomly shutdown and gives that SOS signal
>>51797032
>What about that picture with gunz?
oops replied to wrong person.
meant:
>>51796179
see
>>51796684
>>51796273
>>51796422
>>51796450
>>51796520
>>51796684
>>51796700
Thanks everyone, I am appreciating these a lot.
>>51797062
Eh, the cursor is some custom one I downloaded off XFCE-look, and the dock is probably bigger in that pic then it is now.
>>51797074
It's worth it, I kinda want to eventually do the 1080p mod, but I'll probably just end up getting a W520, ricing it, and keeping the dankpad relatively stock.
>>51796422
Looks nice all black without the stickers. I'm thinking about removing mine but I can't get myself to do it because I feel like stickers give more value
>>51797106
I've never gotten it when the system is actually up and running. Battery readouts are accurate.
>>51797032
can you recommend a Dell with clit-mouse thats about comparable to an older X-series? Basically, if I go to a thrift store, I know exacty if I want a certain ThinkPad, but am clueless about Dells.
Passed up a T40 for $10 and and R50 for $20 today, neither in particularly good condition
>>51797072
Eeeh, that's a bummer, m8. I hope you figure it out. Something bad is afoot.
>>51797193
If you're not going to sell it, there's no value to it.
Think of it like a car you're going to drive "til the wheels fall off". Once you make that determination, all bets are off.
>>51797193
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdfY25gDjK8
>>51797208
I don't know what you're considering "old", but I had a Latitude D410 that was indestructible and pretty based for a Pentium M.
Does anyone know of any way to disable computrace? I found an X220T that I really want to get for $215 but it has computrace enabled. It does boot to BIOS though
>>51797306
kekold
>>51797349
Personally, I'd avoid it. I bought a T60p that ended up having Computrace enabled and it died (wouldn't turn on at all) shortly thereafter. Luckily I was only buying it for parts and was transplanting an Intel T60 mobo anyway.
I have zero experience with Computrace and don't know if its untimely death was related or not.
>>51797118
Good save :)
>>51797309
Yeah, I think D420 and D430 were Core2Duo machines.
>>51797208
What sucks about the D400 series is that they need 1.8" ZIF drives
I don't know much about Dells, I got a D630 and I like it a lot, but its an uglier machine than a T60 or T4x
>>51797349
Who are you getting it from?
Computrace is annoying as recyclers won't most likely have information from the business they had gotten that system from.
Is Computrace activated? It can be disabled and permanently disabled if you can test it.
Its just annoying to see when going through the bios, but its strange if there's no bios lock, might of just been something the IT team did without much thinking.
>>51797398
From what I have read on some forums, there are ways around it. But it seems to kill a lot of things... And this was a nice looking machine too
>>51797461
what is this semon demon?
>>51797461
No BIOS lock. You can literally do everything except change the OS to Win10. Everything else is fine. Win10 gets wiped, oddly enough.
http://www.freakyacres.com/remove_computrace_lojack
Does this seem legit?
Anyone got the new Latitude 5470? What's the build quality like? 35% discount on Dell makes it seem almost reasonable pricewise
>>51797309
Pentium M is fine; thanks for thought on D410
>>51797502
I'm pretty dumb when it comes to bios settings but I am not sure if its changed since then.
>>51797499
X130e
>my favorite photo I took of a T420
>>51797349
I bet this would work:
https://www.coreboot.org/Board:lenovo/x220
>>51797461
>>51797732
thoughts on the X130e? Do you have any other AMD CPU ThinkPads or thoughts on them?
>>51797908
literally pieces of shit.
T430 i5 3320m 4gb 1600x900 300GB for $275 good deal?
>>51796422
i dont know why but this picture makes the thinkpad look very sleek and modern. How's the screen quality been holding up? Good enough for casual media?
>the x220 on ebay I was looking at finally went out of stock
Well, hopefully another takes its place by the time I'm ready to actually buy one.
By the way, is it worth it to spend the ~$20-$30 extra for 8gb of RAM over 4gb?
>>51798286
4Gb DDR3 sticks are cheap, especially if you're willing to buy used. I just picked up two Samsung PC-12800 sticks for $16 each, used.
$20-$30 (so a $4-$14 premium) isn't really an unreasonable price to pay for someone else installing and testing that extra 4 gigs for you.
That's assuming the 4 gigs comes as 1x4g. If it's 2x2g then you'll have to spend a bit more because you'll need to replace both.
4gigs is fine for linux but I'd go 8gigs as soon as possible if you're planning on running VMs or installing Botnet 10.
>>51798570
Any particularities as to what sticks are accepted by thinkpads? T410 here and 8gb sounds nice, even though 4gb works great.
>$160 for a new t420 battery
I can just buy a new referb'd unit for that price..
>>51798286
Depends entirely if you're using it as a normie-machine or not. 4GB is fine for an OS and browser. If you plan on doing more with it and/or are caching your browser temp in RAM, then 8 or 12GB will certainly give you some headroom. DDR3 RAM is cheap.
/g/ I've never owned a laptop before. How common are locked bios/security scams on eBay? I want to break my cherry with a X220. I've never run anything but windows on my desktop. How hard is it to install Linux? Can I run Visual Bloat 2015?
>>51797959
Enjoy that shitty keyboard
So, a graduating friend is offering me an x220 tablet, with an i7 and 8gb ram for 450.
The screen has a ding in it, but it's just superficial, the touch screen still works fine.
Worth it?
>>51798659
Pretty uncommon. Just make sure the seller says it can boot to BIOS and 9 times out of 10 you're fine. Non-autist linux distros are just as easy to install as Windows. I think the normal recommendation is to stick with Windows if you're going to run Visual Studio.
>>51798687
>[current year]
>not swapping the XX20 keyboard
>>51798726
overpriced unless you're a Europeasant
>>51798641
Instructions on how to cache browser temp in RAM? sounds comfy.
Linux/Firefox
>>51798687
>for 450
double what it should cost
>>51798762
what browser?
>>51798762
>>51798783
disregard, i suck cocks
http://lifehacker.com/5687850/speed-up-firefox-by-moving-your-cache-to-ram-no-ram-disk-required
>>51798726
Definitely not.
>>51798641
Honestly don't know the extent to which I'll use it.
I'm only a freshman engineer in college right now and so far have only needed a computer for online homework, paper writing, and programming.
What kinds of software do electrical/computer engineers use in more advanced classes? Of course, I have a powerful desktop with me, but who knows what I will need outside of my dorm.
So, I'm looking into buying a used enterprise laptop, and I'm trying to decide between a Thinkpad and its equivalent Dell Latitude.
The advantage of the Dell is that my dad has a lot of Dell parts lying around because his company uses the Dell Enterprise line. However, i'm under the impression that Thinkpads are somewhat better.
Any pointers toward the right direction?
>>51798687
disregarding the quality of the keyboard (I like it) is it a good price?
why don't you own a x220 tablet?
>>51799035
>1366x768
That's why.
>>51799062
Don't meme.
768p is fine on 12.5 inches
>>51799035
>frog
That's why.
Just got my T430 today. There's a high-pitched whine coming from around the fan in the top-left of the base. Has anyone encountered this before? I found an article that said disabling CPU Power Management in BIOS would help. I would try, but I'm currently running Windows updates. Are there any drawbacks to disabling this feature?
>>51799096
it's not a bout pixel density you retard its about real estate, you can't do jack shit with a resolution that low, multitasking is impossible, writing papers is even horrible
>>51798659
Don't buy a laptop unless the seller at least one photo of it turned on.
Don't worry about low RAM since if you're like me the first thing you'll do after receiving it is to max it out. 2 x 4G DDR3 sticks are cheap, and if you want 16g you're almost certainly better off upgrading it yourself since the seller will probably be asking a crazy premium for it.
Don't worry too much about the hard drive either, since they've gotten so much better that a $50 SSD in 2015 is almost certainly better than literally any HDD it could have shipped with. Only pay a premium if the prev. owner put in something nice like a big Intel SSD or Samsung EVO.
Make sure it comes with the processor you want, since swapping is usually impossible (soldered) or impractical (requires custom bios).
Probably make sure it has the screen you want if you're a noob, since swaps are often possible but a pain in the ass with delicate cables and stuff.
The meme models are all several years old at this point so you should basically plan on buying a new battery for it regardless of what the seller says. Ask us for advice and post a link before pulling the trigger on a new battery, lots of chinkshit out there. A few threads back some anon helped me find a new genuine 9-cell for my x200 for $43 and I am very happy with it.
This is a long way of saying don't be afraid of Parts/Not Working listings. Just make sure the seller has at least one photo of the computer booted to BIOS or a live usb and that you can live with the cosmetic condition, screen, and processor.
for x220 models, only the i7 has USB 3.0 (but apparently you can get a $5 expresscard for this)
>>51799114
>multitasking is impossible, writing papers is even horrible
No, no it's not. I have never owned a laptop with a resolution above 768p, and I have never had a problem with work. Not saying it wouldn't be a lot better with a higher res display, but it's not fucking impossible. Not even close.
>>51799114
>>51799114
Don't call him a retard in my thread.
>>51798939
Haven't a clue for engineering software/hardware recommendations, but 4GB is fine for paper writing and light programming. If you have a legit desktop, you're probably not doing a whole lot on the go and I don't see any reason to upgrade RAM.
>>51799035
because the x230 has better graphics performance
>>51799062
>>51799114
Posting from SXGA+ and it's a waste for shitposting and media. If you're legitimately using it for paying/school work , anything x768 a shit and has been for a decade. This isn't news. Most people aren't so poor that they only own one computer.
Laptop = only good until you get to your desktop, same as handgun = only good to fight your way back to your rifle.
>>51799212
>because the x230 has better graphics performance
and what exactly are you going to do with this
also shit keyboard
>>51799229
they keyboard is objectively better minus not having a 7th row
>>51799108
Upon further research it looks like I'm on BIOS version 1.20 when the latest is...2.69. And 2.50 changelog mentions improved fan noise. I'll see if that helps at all.
>>51799244
fuck off
>>51799244
>the keyboard is objectively better minus the fucking retarded layout
Too bad the layout is 80% of what makes a laptop keyboard good, huh
>>51799229
futureproofing the platform for another 2 years or so
>not swapping the XX20 keyboard
inb4
>being a POO2LOO codemonkey that can't get past key remapping
I clearly said anything x768 as your only machine *for work* was abysmal and if you're not living in a fiberboard shack you already have an ext monitor and/or a desktop.
>>51799244
IMO chiclets a shit. sorry, senpai
>>51798730
Follow up question. With fresh installs of (whatever OS) on eBay do they come with the keys for the OS license or is it expected that I buy my own OS if I'm a frequent reformater?
>>51799295
>>51799297
>can't even adapt to a slightly different keyboard layout
have you even used both keyboards?
>>51799344
>futureproofing
>1366x786
>intel 4000 graphics
>>51799432
>le 1366x768 is bad
I love this meme
>>51797745
I'll look into it, thanks.
I just got home with a T420 with the nice screen that that same guy was selling with Computrace disabled. Has an NVIDIA card in it, too. $220. Not bad, I think. Computrace is permanently disabled. I still wanna get the X220T for the lady of the house, though. However, he has an HP 2760P Tablet. What is the general opinion on this machine?
>>51799382
>>can't even adapt to a slightly different keyboard layout
And why would I ? I have a perfectly good almost mint condition T520 that does everything I need it to with a comfy 1600x900 screen.
The only reason I'd have to downgrade to a newer model would be to get an X1 Carbon for muh thin and light, but that's entirely too expensive for me to 1) afford, and 2) justify the price of if I could afford it.
And it's not exactly just a "slightly" different keyboard layout, they went from having objectively the best layout ever seen on laptops, to having one of the worst.
Louis Rossmann has an awful lot to say about it, and he's right: http://www.rossmanngroup.com/new-lenovo-thinkpads-terrible-one-button-trackpad-keyboard-layout-going-away/
>>51799352
License keys are usually on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop (some aren't, pay attention to the individual auction). Just because you have a fresh install from the seller, don't assume it's activated with the OEM key. If you install with the right ISO, I don't see a problem of using the OEM key.
No offense, but "how do I install/activate Windows" is >>>/sqt/, not /tpg/.
tl;dr - there is no reason to ever buy a Windows license, it's too easy to pir8.
>>51799432
>people aren't still using T43s (released literally a decade ago) today on the modern web
>screen real estate is imperative to every use case
oh, to be this young and provincial again
>>51799467
goddamn it, that was supposed to be >>>/g/sqt
i suck cocks
>>51799467
Alright cool I was just wondering. I reformat around every 4 months just because I enjoy the process and like having a fresh PC. Idk why, I pirate tons of shit but having a pirated OS sketches me out even though I know its an irrational behavior.
>>51799510
>pirated OS sketches me out even though
check the sha-1 hash of your file against the ones published on msdn
then you know if it's been tampered with
>>51797908
The X140E is pretty nice (considering the price). Sturdy as fuck and the keyboard is surprisingly good for a modern Chinkpad.
>>51798726
>x220
>$450
wow no not even close
are you capable of checking eBay?
thats literally double what it should cost
>>51799108
probably a worn fan. no big deal. if it bothers you replace it, or try lubing it
>>51799448
>resolution is a meme
i had more vertical resoution on my desktop in 1995; 20 fucking years ago
>>51794278
Biggest downgrade for me is I believe the tablet versions don't have mSATA slots, meaning you can't have a fast mSATA drive and then a large HDD as well, for hueg storage.
Also, no 9 cell battery I think, and yea it takes up more power.
Having said that I'd love a touch enabled laptop, especially with a pen, and the folding screen. Just gotta think about what you want the most.
Any update on the retro thinkpad, or any word on the X260/T460/W560 model specs and keyboard+trackpads?
And how useful are these thinkpad docks? X220 can only display 2 screens right? Can an eGPU allow more than 2 screens?
Should I buy the X1 Carbon? I want to get a premium laptop. Yes I know the memory is soldered in will be getting the 8g version.
Did the x201i ever come with a 1440x900 panel?
So what's the general opinion on buying a relatively fucked up auction and nursing it back to health?
>>51799753
1st or 3rd gen only.
>>51800179
Short answer - buyer beware. Could get a good deal and flesh it out, or you may get keked and spend a fortune making it right. Whether or not it's a good deal is up to you
>>51800230
This might be a regarded question but can I install any 2.5" hard drive in an x220t? Is there some sort of buying guideline I should follow? I'd like to get an SSD
>>51800435
7mm ones, thats pretty much every ssd but almost none of hdd
>>51800179
see
>>51799159
"Fucked up" meaning stuff missing that you were going to replace anyways is fine. HDD, RAM, OS, battery. Missing power adapter is fine too since many old models share compatibility.
Cosmetic stuff like cracked corners, shiny keys, chipped palmrest, stupid stickers is is in the middle as you can either fix these with a bit of money and/or time or just decide to live with it. Right now I have a $10 palmrest on the way because mine's chipped at the corner and I decided it's worth it to bring the laptop back to mint.
Red Flags:
Missing keys is a red flag to me because wtf how does that even happen. They either treated it like shit or were total hacks who didn't know how to repair shit and who knows what else is lurking under the hood. Spare keys can be surprisingly expensive.
Broken/glitchy screen is a no-go for me, especially if it's a model with dGPU. Would have to be like $10 for me to justify it.
I can't stand scratched screens, personally. Especially on a non-touch model it's like what the fuck were they even doing with it? Clear sign the owner was a retard or it was abused as a signature pad for a business or something.
Locked BIOS: if you were the kind of person to be able to clear this you wouldn't be asking this question.
Can't boot sometimes/randomly turns off: no-go
Loose power jack is also a red flag for me, unless you specifically know ahead of time that it's replaceable or on it's own daughterboard. Would have to be a killer deal for me to attempt desoldering and replacing a jack on the motherboard.
A red flag machine might be worth it as a parts machine for $10, but I wouldn't bet on one being usable.
>>51800600
No HDD, No HDD caddy/cover, no battery, no adapter, does boot into bios. Says 4gb of ram but I have no idea if that's 2/2 or not. I plan on upgrading to 8gb ram and an SSD. the thinkwiki doesn't list the x220t power supply can I assume its the same as the x220? These eBay auctions seem to be mass business sales since there's a fuvk ton up for the same price and I'm guessing they stripped the HDD because of customer data or something.
They're $49.99 right now.
Does anyone else just remove the trackpad "sticker" once it's really worn? Thinking of just taking mine off.
