[Tfug] Lenovo ThinkPad T40

[Matt Jacob]

To essentially echo what everyone else has said, ThinkPads have the
best build quality of any laptop currently on the market. They're
definitely business laptops, so you won't find webcams or IEEE 1394,
but they're sturdy as heck, and they're built to last.

The T40 was one of the last models in the T series produced by IBM, so
if you've found one in good condition at a good price, go for it.

Matt

On 3/10/07, Ranjan Grover <ranjan.grover at gmail.com> wrote:
> My 2 cents -> Thinkpads are probably the best laptops out there as far
> as hardware compatiblity with linux is concerned. The only problem I
> have with my T42, as Jim mentioned is with the ATI video card. There
> is a problem with getting this card to shutdown during ACPI sleep and
> so the power drainage during sleep is quite bad and drains the battery
> about 5X quicker than it should. So basically if you have a choice
> between getting a T40 with an Intel graphics adapter vs. ATI, I'd go
> with the Intel.
>
> Another plus with thinkpads is www.thinkwiki.org which has
> comprehensive install instructions for most thinkpad models with
> various linux distros. I'd written one myself for Debian/Sid on my
> T42.
>
> http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Installing_Debian_Sid_on_a_ThinkPad_T42
>
> Ranjan
>
>
> On 3/10/07, JD Rogers <rogersjd at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I'll second what Claude said about durability. I don't have any
> > experience with the T40 specifically, but my T20 (700MHz, 256MB) was
> > still my primary computer up until last week. That thing was
> > remarkable considering how much coffee I put it through (or put
> > through it) and how many times I dropped it. I liked it so much, I
> > spent the big bucks on a new T60 to replace it now that I have a job.
> > I know there are occasional hiccups with certain thinkpad models, but
> > hardware is generally easier to get working on a TP that most other
> > laptop brands. I just installed debian on my T60 and the volume and fn
> > buttons all just work. Good luck getting that to happen on a sony.
> >
> > On 3/10/07, Claude Rubinson <rubinson at u.arizona.edu> wrote:
> > > On Sun, Mar 11, 2007 at 01:54:32AM +0000, Earl wrote:
> > > > Does anyone have any comments on this computer, good or bad?
> > > >
> > > > I have a chance to get a used one for a fairly reasonable price.
> > >
> > > I have a T40 and absolutely love it.  Takes Debian pretty flawlessly.
> > > Only a couple of problems:
> > >
> > > - the USB2 controller has a reputation of going bad.  I've only got
> > >   USB1 working on my machine.
> > > - modem requires a proprietary module (slamr) but it works pretty well
> > > - BIOS has a builtin whitelist for miniPCI wireless adapters but it's
> > >   trivial to disable this check.
> > > - You'll need to disable APIC in your kernel config or the machine
> > >   won't completely shutdown.  (I believe that this is still the case
> > >   but am not 100 percent certain.)
> > > - It's a bit large for plane rides.  Whenever I'm on a plane I wish I
> > >   something a bit smaller.
> > >
> > > I'll also note that I've experienced intermittent lockups when
> > > suspending (APM) and I haven't been able to track down the problem
> > > yet.  It almost certainly has to do with the kernel config.
> > >
> > > I think that those are the biggest problems.  On the plus side, the
> > > LCD is beautiful, the keyboard is phenomenal, it's light, and -- given
> > > what I've put mine through -- nearly indestructible.
> > >
> > > Claude
> > >
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