Need some suggestion in choosing two T43

[Procter]

Guys, I need some suggestion in chosing two T43.

266876U, 2G/512MB/14.1 SXGA+/80G 5400rpm/cd-rw combo/thinkpad wifi II/64Mb radeon x300/blue tooth/ 3 year warranty. $1399

2686DGU, 1.86G/512 MB/14.1 SXGA+/ 60G 7200rpm/Dvd recordable/Intel WIFI/64 Radeon x300/finger printer/ 1 year warranty. $1329, if 3 years warranty added up the price will bump up to $1486

But some of my friends told me that it would not be necessary to buy 3 year warranty from IBM, since the thing is built like a tank. So 1 year warranty+ 1 year extended warran by VISA would be enough, What you guys think about it?

I like the DGU model's configuration a lot, especially for the 7200 rpm hard disc and dvd recordable. Are the differences between 7200 rpm and 5400 huge or not? Actually I feel 1.86G cpu is enough for me and 60G hard disc is OK. Do you guys think it suitable to get that DGU with only 1 year warranty?

Any input is appreciated! I need to place an order within today

THanks!

 

[Makromizer]

My T23 broke down 2 times, both times some mainbard issues. the first time was within the first year, thhe second time wasn't, but I had a three year warranty.
On the other hand, Within one year I never had a problem with my T41p, so it's kinda hard to say if it is worth to pay extra for the warranty extension. And after some years, a laptop isn't worth that much anymore compared to it's new price. Statistically, ThinkPads are among the most reliable laptops there are, maybe it was just bad luck with my T23.
So for me it's kinda hard to say whether you should pay the extra 150$ or not. But if the laptop has any issues and you're not within warranty time, it could be quite expensive, as you can't do that much without sending it in, unlike normal computers where you could just replace the faulty part. Dell is really expensive but I have no clue how much IBM charges for repair...
I know, this answer might not help you that much, but it's just my experience I had with ThinkPads so far.