IBM's: The Mercedes-Benz of Laptops.
Written: Nov 30 '03
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Pros: keyboard, track point mouse, performance, looks, size, battery life, quality.
Cons: price is steep.
The Bottom Line: Quality and performance don't come cheap. There's a reason IBM is #1 in notebooks and this is why.
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| chris_baehr's Full Review: IBM ThinkPad T40p 2373 (2373G5U) PC Notebook |
Let's face it, in the notebook computer market there is IBM and then there's everyone else. No other company can hold a candle to the ERGONOMICS found on all IBM ThinkPads.
ERGONOMICS:
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The keyboard is simply the best ever. The keys are full size, the layout is logical with the INSERT, DELETE, HOME, END, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN keys in their usual 6-pack configuration at the top right. All the keys you expect to be larger, are. You get double size ALT and CTRL keys on both sides (just like on desktop keyboards) because these keys are struck so frequently.
The Windows keys are omitted because there isn't enough room for them and their usefulness is questionable at best. Other manufacturers try to cram the Windows keys in there...but they make every other key smaller in the process making the computer frustrating to use. Some systems even change the location of the INSERT and DELETE keys placing them where the ALT and CTRL keys should be. It's a sad state of affairs outside the ThinkPad world.
The TrackPoint mouse is the greatest thing ever invented for notebooks. It's remarkably easy to use compared to a touch pad. Consider this: On a touch pad, your finger has to move a great deal to get very little results. On a TrackPoint, your finger never moves at all. You just gently tilt your finger in one direction. And consider this: You can type and use the mouse at the same time because your fingers are right on the home row of keys, unlike with a touch pad where you have to keep taking your fingers off the keyboard to use it. Brilliant design. IBM even gives users the choice of both thus pleasing everybody. It's a lesson in proper design that IBM is really giving to everyone else.
PERFORMANCE
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Not much needs to be said here, the numbers speak for themselves. The performance is generally top of the line. Although not intended for gaming, the graphic power of this notebook shines through for 3D design work and intense workstation graphical apps.
The Mobility Radeon FireGL 9000 graphics chip makes sure this system is no slouch, although it's been replaced by a faster Mobility Radeon 9600 in the ThinkPad T41p model.
The "p" designation means double the memory, bluetooth capabilities, and that FireGL 9000 graphics chip compared with the base T40 model.
If you're already in this price range for a notebook computer, you may want to look at the T41p model which is the latest and greatest.
For this model, there are no flaws. The display is gorgeous, the hard drive space generous, the memory more than adequate, the battery life exceptional, and all this in a small, lightweight notebook that is easy to carry.
The T-series are my favourite series of ThinkPad notebooks.
In a world of Cavaliers, the ThinkPad T40p is a Mercedes.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 3500
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 14 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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chris_baehr
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Reviews written: 58
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