Calling all IBM thinkpad users!!

[luvya]

I am thinking of getting the Thinkpad R40, I know this is their low-end model...seems to me most of you people own the T series which is supposed to be lighter and more expensive. Can anyone comment on the differences? Has anyone actually use R40 before? what's your thought on it?

The lowest price I find

 

[Pandaren]

The ThinkPad R40 may be IBM's 'low-end model', but it is still a very good machine. These are the major differences:

Size - The T40 is about 1" thin and weighs 4.9 lbs with battery and optical drive. The R40 is 6.3 lbs and 1.5" thin or so with optical bay and battery.

Materials - IBM uses magnesium alloy and titanium composite in the T40, while the R40 is constructed of standard ABS plastic. That being said, the R40s I have seen are very sturdy due to their thickness.

Screen - T40s have a 14" screen. R40s can have either a 14" or 15" screen, although the 15" screen makes the machine 1.6"+ thick.

Battery - The R40 was designed around a Pentium 4-M platform, and required a large 8-cell battery to keep the P4 fed. When Intel launched the Centrino platform, IBM simply put a Pentium M motherboard in the R40 chasis. The T40 gets about 4.5-5 hours of usage on its 6-cell battery, but the R40 can last 6 or more hours due to its large 8-cell battery.

Firewire - the R40 is targed more at home users than the T40, hence the inclusion of a FireWire port.

Overall I like the R40. It has the same keyboard as the T40, and like the T40, it has a touchpad and a trackpoint. I went with a T40 because I wanted a lighter machine, didn't care about the lack of a firewire port, and wanted a 3-year warranty. Most R40s come with a 1-year warranty, and to upgrade to a 3-year brings the price of the machine close to that of a T40.

Hope this helps!

One word of caution- I strongly recommend buying direct from IBM. You may save a bit by buying through third parties, but if you buy from a third party you can't return the machine if you don't like it or it turns out to be a lemon. You will pay more if you buy from IBM, but you have 30 days to evaluate and return the machine if something is really wrong with it (and you don't want to go to the hassle of having it fixed).

 

[luvya]

Thanks for the long answer. Basically I have this question..the magnesium alloy and titanium composite V.S ABS plastic.......does it really make a difference? Sounds more like a marketing gimmick to me.
About buying from IBM directly...mmm, I would love to but I am not too keen at buying at the retail price. I didn't know the T series comes with 3 years warranty...mmm...could be a deal maker for me

 

[Pandaren]

the magnesium alloy and titanium composite V.S ABS plastic.......does it really make a difference?

The difference is mostly in the final weight of the notebook.

The reason manfacturers use magnesium and titanium materials is that it allows them to make thinner notebooks with the same rigidity & structural integrity as thicker plastic notebooks.

I did find some data (can't remember the link) on these materials. Magnesium alloy has the best strength per unit weight, while titanium composite material has the best overall strength.

About buying from IBM directly...mmm, I would love to but I am not too keen at buying at the retail price

Yeah the IBM prices are kinda high, but in rare circumstances, a notebook will have a lot of problems out of the box, and the certainty of a 30-day return period ensures that you can send it back and order a new one with minimal trouble.

 

[UltraWide]

In a practical sense it makes no real difference unless you are a road warrior, but then you would probably choose an X-series if that.

what they mean by ABS or Magnesium/titanium is the shell, but all notebooks are coated with the same plastic on top of the shell. so, just get whatever you can afford from IBM and gives you the best bang for the buck.

 

[WackyDan]

SOme corrections....

THe R40 can come as an R40 or an R40e.... watch the specs closely -the "e"s will be cheapest.

Not all R40's come with a firewire port- watch that spec by model.

Not all R40's have the touchpad - watch that spec by model.

Finally.....about construction. Not all notebooks are coated with abs plastice as their top shell- and the IBM's are the key example of this. Most other vendor's notebooks are. THe Tseries, Xseries, and Some models of the A's have no plastice in their top layer. Break one.... you'll see. The R series however is ABS as stated.

Only flaw I've found on the R40 is the screen latches being weak and snapping with rough handling. IBM may have already addressed that though.