What's in a Name?
Written: Apr 28 '00 (Updated Apr 28 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Durable, Versatile, Enjoyable to Use, Great Tech Support
Cons: Top-of-the-Line Models Start to Get Pricey
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| Pyanfar's Full Review: Lenovo ThinkPad 380 XD (26359AU) PC Notebook |
I have to fess up - I couldn't add "ThinkPad 365XD", so this one-up forum will have to do. It's the same as mine, just with a couple extras like a bigger hard drive (1 or 2GB to my 810MB) and more MHz to the processor (166 to my 120)...
Have you seen the new ThinkPad commercial? A woman's unpacking her ThinkPad while a voiceover talks about all the meaningful things she's had from childhood on: first doll, first bike, first car, etc.
It's really true with the IBM ThinkPad. I have a deep loathing for the vast majority of IBM, but I truly love the ThinkPad and have for years. I had worked on one and truly enjoyed it, but when the time came for me to order mine, I was just like that woman in the commercial; rapt attention and careful awe as I flipped open the lid for the very first time.
Since then, I've been amazed at how consistently useful this device has been. "ThinkPad" is an apt name because it's so hassle-free, you have the freedom to think about what you need to, and not whether your machine can do it. Like a handy notepad, it's right there at your fingertips, ready when you are and eager to help you out. So it's there at your disposal and you can use it without thinking.
Here's the part that's truly amazing about the ThinkPad - I used it for everything. I didn't have the money for a desktop computer, and my desktop at work was pretty weak (486), so I bought this to have a go-between for work and home, and also to take with me when I traveled. It's been so much more to me since then that I'm quite frankly amazed the thing didn't melt into a pile of plastic and silicon from overuse. At one time I had so many devices hooked up to this (without a docking station, mind you) that every available interrupt was taken (that means, in non-technical terms, that I had a plug in every socket).
In case you're curious, here's my final tally:
- a SparQ removable 1.0GB cartridge drive (which worked so well with the parallel port I could play games on it)
- 28.8 modem
- Adaptec Slim-SCSI PCMCIA card that would allow me to hook up to 9 devices to it
- HP 6200C Scanner, connected via the Slim-SCSI
- extra mouse
- Lexmark 1100 printer
- Sony portable speaker system
- 3.5" 1.44 external floppy drive
But the versatile nature of the ThinkPad extended beyond its hardware capabilities; it was simply much easier to use than other laptops. For starters, it was the first to have a large keyboard, so typing was a breeze. The best feature, though, was that red rubber knob between the keys: the TrackPoint device. You've seen (and perhaps fiddled with) those "touchpad") devices - they stink! For some reason, they'll randomly go off and click on an item, or they'll wear out quickly from users who press too hard, or they just respond sluggishly. The ThinkPad's "TrackPoint" was like pointing at what you wanted and getting it. The device was so much like a tiny joystick that I got to be really accomplished at playing Quake with it! I had to change the rubber caps a few times, but like I say, I was rough on it.
What else do you hate about laptops? That glowing, weird screen that leaves contrails when you move the mouse and is only visible from dead-on. The fact that the screen is usually a small pane in the center of the unit. My ThinkPad has a 12.1" screen, and it's an Active Matrix display that's just as bright and clear as a monitor. Granted, I still gasped in surprise when I finally got my new system's 19" monitor, but I can remember being a good distance-shooter in Tomb Raider II on the ThinkPad. Granted, if you were at the wrong angle, you weren't going to see anything, but the range of motion was still a lot better than the others at the time.
IBM also had practical use in mind when they designed the unit. A lot of other laptops were built so that if you needed to use the CD-ROM, you undocked the 3.5" floppy from the machine and inserted the CD-ROM drive. So you were carrying around internal parts...externally. IBM kept the CD-ROM in the unit, but then made the 3.5" floppy a separate little drive with its own dinky cable and connector, and the whole thing was smaller than a CD Jewel case. This came in extremely handy, because I only had to plug it in when I needed it. But most importantly, if I was using a CD-ROM that needed to access the 3.5" disk (for example, a Virus Checker will make a recovery diskette while installing itself from the CD), there was no problem having both connected at once. Of course, all the pieces on the unit were still easily removable if you wanted to upgrade or replace them. And replacing the memory was a cinch - flip the lid, undo one screw, and swap the memory chips. Close back up and you're done!
Now you're obviously thinking that I'm pretty archaic - a 120MHz Pentium II? Get with the program, Pyanfar - that's just obsolete! Not to IBM. I still get e-mail reminders that IBM has improved the ThinkPad Configuration Utility, or the upgraded the BIOS, or what have you - and I still am able to make these updates smoothly. What's more, I've called them often when I just have a basic question about my ThinkPad or need help getting something to run. I have never paid a nickel for tech support. I've had some pretty good help, even recently, and the unit's being well out of warranty didn't matter a whit to IBM. I even got some professional advice on whether to upgrade the modem, and how to choose a good one!
I made that ThinkPad last as my primary system for 4 years. I still use it often, and it's just great to lug along with me when I need portability. I bought a docking station to handle all the guts, though; it's a lot nicer to be able to surf the web on the couch with just the power cord and the modem cable, then dock it into the base if I want to use the joystick or access the SparQ drive.
Just so you don't think I'm totally out of touch, I've since had a chance to work on the newer ThinkPads, and they have been just as breathtaking to use.
If you're in the market for a new laptop, you can't go wrong with a ThinkPad; they're reasonably-priced, the hardware is excellent and durable, and they are a joy to use. If you're considering specific needs (streaming videoconferencing versus simple e-mail-away-from-the-office), you can find a model to suit your needs. In either case, I recommend the IBM ThinkPad above all other models I have tried.
Recommended:
Yes
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Pyanfar
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Location: Frankfort, KY
Reviews written: 168
Trusted by: 78 members
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