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Why are IBM thinkpad so great?

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And you have to keep in mind that IBM = Internation BUSINESS Machines.

Business users have much different requirments/needs than home users and your typical college student.

A 15" screen is approaching anti-portible. 12"-14" is ideal and on those screens anything higher than 1024x768 is approaching hard on the eyes. Hard drive space isn't a huge deal, 40 gig is more than enough for your typical road warrior.

I don't know what you did to get $3200, but the $1800 one that I linked is MORE than sufficient for 90% of business users and your "power user" college student.
 
Originally posted by: Anubis
ok but for the average consumer they arnt,

lets see here
IBM T42 : 1600x1200 15.1 in screen, Pentium M 1.8 GHz 512 ram XP Pro 60 gig HDD... = ~3200$

Dell Inspiron 8600: 1920x1200 15.4 in screen, Pentium M 2.0GHz 512 Ram XP Pro 60gig... = ~1600$ - we got one last week

nothing about IMB justifys 2x the price
Click to expand...

As others have said the t40 and the 8600 aren't in the same class. If 3 pounds doesn't matter to you, look at the IBM R or G series. You'll save quite a bit of money.
 
IBM is great, especially for heavy users and businesses. If you are a consumer, why bother, you will probably buy yourself a new laptop in two years anyway. If you are a business and you project to use each systemyou buy for 3 - 5 years, then the upkeep, replacement costs, customer service needs to be reliable and predictable. Imagine spending the money to pay an IT person to take a look at something for an hour every month, then the need to in the second year to fix something dumb like a broken speaker; it all adds up to a lot of upkeep costs if you are a business.

My friend is a computer killer, 4 dells later (one each year, and honestly some really just fried) I got her to get in IBM. It lasted her 3 years. Personally, I love ThinkPads.
 
Originally posted by: vi_edit
And you have to keep in mind that IBM = Internation BUSINESS Machines.


I don't know what you did to get $3200, but the $1800 one that I linked is MORE than sufficient for 90% of business users and your "power user" college student.
Click to expand...

ibm.com - products - laptops - Tseries - let me build it - select what I listed Above - total = ~3200 and thats without the 300$ MS office bundel

SuepaFly: the G series only does 1024x769
the R series only go up to 1.7GHz Pentim Ms and a not so great GPU
 
I have a IBM x31 1.7 P-M with a 40 gig HDD, 12.1" screen, 512 megs ram, and yes, the keyboard light. $1700 five months ago. Best thing about it? It's 3.2 lbs and tiny.

The difference between my IBM and my friends' Dells is amazing. The tactile quality of the materials is WAY superior, the fit and finish are better, and the keyboard on mine is second to none. I type on a dell and feel like I'm going to break it - mine feels liek a desktop keyboard.

Well worth the price, IMO.
 
Originally posted by: AntaresVI
I have a IBM x31 1.7 P-M with a 40 gig HDD, 12.1" screen, 512 megs ram, and yes, the keyboard light. $1700 five months ago. Best thing about it? It's 3.2 lbs and tiny.

The difference between my IBM and my friends' Dells is amazing. The tactile quality of the materials is WAY superior, the fit and finish are better, and the keyboard on mine is second to none. I type on a dell and feel like I'm going to break it - mine feels liek a desktop keyboard.

Well worth the price, IMO.
Click to expand...

the keyboard was the main reason I stick with a p3 1.2ghz cpu rather than the new 700m with p-m 1.6ghz cpu.

after all, trackpoint>*
 
I've used Toshibas, Dells, and IBMs.

IBM has a very high reputation, as far as the Thinkpad T-series go. If seen the other G and R series, and they are no better than the Inspiron 8100 I used to have. Very plasticky.

People value the fact that when they call into IBM they get someone in Canada/US, not overseas.

I speak based on experience, not because of simply jumping on the bandwagon like everyone else. If I like wha I see, I'll give credit. If I don't I'll say so as well. I don't get commission from IBM for converting anybody to become an IBM customer.

I believe in getting what you pay for. But I also agree that part of that high price tag is due to their marketing and reputation. It's without doubt part of the price tag goes towards the "IBM" logo. I'm aware of that and willing to pay for it.

The design is a bit boring, compared to others, yet at the same time simplistic and professional looking. Remember that it's target audience is business users, not regular consumers.

And the price of mid-high end Thinkpad has dropped considerably since 6mnths ago. As far as high priced laptops go, they've become more reasonably priced and better valued.

The T42p GUU I paid $4200Cdn 5mnths ago can now be bought for $3000Cdn.
 
Originally posted by: aircooled
My ratio of dead thinkpads is higher than any other laptop at work. We no longer buy them.
Click to expand...

Lucky you. We try to steer our people away from IBMs. Overall the reliability of their machines seems to have a [very] low ceiling. When they hit the wall they hit it hard.
 
Originally posted by: Anubis
Originally posted by: DaWhim
but I don't think I go with a T series without SXGA+
Click to expand...

any laptop is worthless to me if it does not do AT LEAST SXGA+
Click to expand...

preach it man!!!

working on a 15" 1400x1050 laptop (SXGA+)

i would have gone for 1600x1200 (UXGA+), but i feel that that would have been TOO hard on the eyes . . .

plus i used the extra money to get other things
 
They are built like tanks. The keyboards are far and away the best out there for a laptop (nothing even remotely compares to a ThinkPad keybaord). They don't have that damned touchpad mouse piece of junk (the TrackPoint is infinitely better). Also, the service and support is amazing. IBM is _still_ keeping the drivers up-to-date for my almost 5 year old ThinkPad A21p.

ZV
 
I just love my thinkpad T42 laptop, its much better than the dell 600m. I purchased a 600M for my mother about 6 months ago and it feels very loose already. The screen wobbles and the system runs slowly, it feels cheap too because it's covered with so much plastic. It's heavier, runs hotter because of inefficient cooling, no S-Video out, crappier video (R9000) and just doesn't feel durable. I got a thinkpad T42 in october and I gotta say it's much better than the Dell 600M or the Sony Vaio PCG F480 that it replaced circa late '99/ early '00. My laptop that I configured normally would have been $2500 but because I got the shareholder discount it was $2100 and well worth it. Here are the specs: http://www5.pc.ibm.com/us/products.nsf/$wwwPartNumLookup/_2379DXU

The one I configured online is much more expensive (not on this link) and had less ram so when I called them up I told them what I needed specifically, and they showed me the link to this one. It was the dream machine and in my budget. This laptop is so nice because I can play farcry on it at 1024X768 with medium detail and gets 40-60FPS. There is seriously no compairison, this laptop is actually good for consumers too because the HDD shock detection feature would be handy for people who don't treat it right. Also another lovely think about this laptop is (agian it shows how much of a buisiness laptop it is) that it comes with little software which equates to no spyware/junk on startup. It comes with everything you need, CD Burner software, utilities, DVD player software, Norton AV, and a few other small utilities. When I got the 600M laptop it came with spyware, aol garbage, tons of popups when you first get the machine asking you to install this, music match garbage etc. It was a mess and it still has this crap.

When people say they format thier machines soon as they buy them I can say it works best on dells because they have no specific software you need and reinstalling can only help. But the IBM it would be dumb because the IBM has useful utilities that come with it and would be no reason to have to reinstall. Theres no junk at startup so the machine always comes clean!

Thats just my experience.
 
You guys have convinced me. I agree on many of the disadvantages you guys have pointed out of the 600m. Not sure if I would pay $500 more for an IBM than a Dell, but maybe $200 more 🙂
 
I have a T42 and after already owning HP, compaq, and a dell, I will only buy IBM from here on out. The construction is just plain solid, the keyboard is the best I have ever used on a notebook. And the customer service...bar none the best I have ever seen. I submitted a few tech questions about the notebook on IBM's website (which they promise to call you in under 5 minutes), and within 2 minutes IBM tech support called me, and resolved my issues very quickly. I spent hours on hold with the other vendors when issues came up, yet IBM calls me within 2 minutes after notifying them of the issues via their website. I was shocked and thought this was a fluke so tried it the following day and the next time it was under 1 minute. Amazing in my book.

I only paid $1700 give or take, and yes, while it only came with a 40gb HD, centrino 1.5, 512mb RAM, etc, it was well worth the expense and fits my needs perfectly. I can't imagine buying another brand again.
 
Originally posted by: aircooled
My ratio of dead thinkpads is higher than any other laptop at work. We no longer buy them.
Click to expand...
Odd. We have ordered a hundered or so since I started here, 0 DOAs.

About quality, something people may be confusing is the different lines. The X and T series machines are solid. The A series machines can suck it.
 
i have a laptop i bought off my friend. it is about a 6 year old thinkpad

the hard drive died, but i replaced it

it still runs like a champ, and this thing has seen some ABUSE

i am fairly impressed by IBM (although i wish i could upgrade the ram...it only take 256 max)

oh well, too bad they just sold their PC division.....

 
Originally posted by: Phoenix86
Originally posted by: aircooled
My ratio of dead thinkpads is higher than any other laptop at work. We no longer buy them.
Click to expand...
Odd. We have ordered a hundered or so since I started here, 0 DOAs.

About quality, something people may be confusing is the different lines. The X and T series machines are solid. The A series machines can suck it.
Click to expand...

Ours were a20's a21's a22's and a30's, all bought from different batches at different times) literally about 20 percent died in the first year, all mainbord replacements (fine they were under warranty) then within 2 to 3 years we were at a 40 percent ratio of broke thinkpads. The worst part is these are not machines that are on the road alot either, we only have 1 big travel month and the rest of the year they are basically chained to the users desk.
From a corporate decision making standpoint, IBM has lost all our future business, even if their newer product is better now, they were not willing to admit there was a problem or known issue or do anything to help at all (not to mention the down-time).

 
I prefer IBM Thinkpads because of the little red mouse thingie ("Trackpoint"?). Pwns any trackpad by a mile. The more recent Thinkpads have both, IIRC.

Have they come out with a Tabet PC yet?
 
ibm thinkpad are not better than toshiba IMHO.

I have worked with 600e, t21, t22 and they all broke in one way or another.

Toshiba satellite, tecras and porteges have all held up much better.

why not a apple powerbook? I want to return to the apple world.......
 
My company got me a T42 ($2200). The best laptop that I've used. Its has a solid feel to it and slick design. It probably not the best bang for your bucks compared to a dell or hp machine. But think of it this way, thinkpads as to BMW and Dell as Honda. Both are drivable but the feel of the drive is much different.
 
Originally posted by: aircooled
Originally posted by: Phoenix86
Originally posted by: aircooled
My ratio of dead thinkpads is higher than any other laptop at work. We no longer buy them.
Click to expand...
Odd. We have ordered a hundered or so since I started here, 0 DOAs.

About quality, something people may be confusing is the different lines. The X and T series machines are solid. The A series machines can suck it.
Click to expand...

Ours were a20's a21's a22's and a30's, all bought from different batches at different times) literally about 20 percent died in the first year, all mainbord replacements (fine they were under warranty) then within 2 to 3 years we were at a 40 percent ratio of broke thinkpads. The worst part is these are not machines that are on the road alot either, we only have 1 big travel month and the rest of the year they are basically chained to the users desk.
From a corporate decision making standpoint, IBM has lost all our future business, even if their newer product is better now, they were not willing to admit there was a problem or known issue or do anything to help at all (not to mention the down-time).
Click to expand...
I have replaced several mainboards in the A series machines, I feel you there. Worse yet, the purchasing agent "forgot" to buy extended warranties. I have one A series machine that is 13 mothns old with a dead mobo that is a paper weight.

However, I stand by their T/X series machines, I don't think I have replaced 1 bad one since I got here. We have T series machines back to the T20s (PIII-500s) and they are ALL still kicking.

Can't blame you for switching, but just know some of their products are good (damned good at that) and some are bad, just like most companies...
 
I have a A21p that I bought for around $1600 about 3 years ago. That laptop has been rock solid, no problems at all. Been running it at 1600x1200, maxed out the mem 512megs and put XP pro on it. I think its running at 866Mhz

Probably will never by a Dell laptop unless this IBM deal with China results in cheap crap.
 
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