A21p Version of the A20 Line
Written: Feb 07 '01
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Quality of Tech Support: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Fully featured. No other laptop has all the bells and whistles like this. Quality.
Cons: Expensive. A bit bulky. Difficult to purchase
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for every feature possible to pack into a tight, portable unit - you have come to the right place. She can even record ANY video.
|
|
|
| jayce_7's Full Review: Lenovo ThinkPad A20 2629 (262962U) PC Notebook |
The Good:
Features. This laptop is certainly packed with more features than any laptop on the market - any. It has S-Video IN as well as out. It has both a mono microphone IN as well as a stereo audio input. It has the biggest speakers I've seen on a laptop. And, depending on which model you purchase, the ethernet port is built right into the computer (all models have the port, but not necessarily the modem to activate it - cost $160 through employee purchase program).
The screen is awesome. UXGA resolution is SO good that you have to change Windows to use large fonts. The work area is equivalent to a 19" monitor or so (probably 18.5", but they don't exist). There are so many features built into the computer that it even has a light that illuminates the keyboard (great for night flights). One note about the light. It's only bright enough when you are on battery power and are forced to dim the screen. It could be a bit brighter, but it doesn't consume much power.
Another great feature is the Thinkpad Configuration. It's an icon in you System Tray that, when double-clicked, puts every configuration at your disposal. From battery schemes to display options, this baby brings all of Windows options at your fingertips.
The Ultrabay is a bay that allows you to exchange devices with ANY T20 or A20 series laptop. They have CD-RW, LS-120 Superdisks, DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, ZIP 250, and a Lithium-Ion battery that can go in it. They are also hot-swappable.
The computer has 2 Type I/II PCMCIA slots which together, combine to make 1 Type III. Your probably expected that though.
One of the reasons I bought this laptop was because of the 16mb video card and video out so I could use it to play movies. The video is decent. It's not anything special. However, if you plan on playing DVDs, it fine. You'll just have to change some options.
1. Change monitor to TV as primary and LCD as secondary.
2. Change resolution to 800x600.
This bad girl also has S-Video IN, mono microphone IN, and stereo audio IN. That equals "able to record anything with a video out". I recorded a clip of the Jason Sehorn interception from my roommates video tape of the game. The computer comes with MGI Videowave III which captures it all. This is a VERY unique feature.
Final note. My dad is involved with IBM Update Connector. This fancy little program checks for updates to your device drivers and stuff. It's a great way to keep your computer functional and, when used periodically, can prevent system problems. It's included with all recent IBM computers.
The Bad:
Not much. However, I will admit, it is quite expensive. I was lucky to get mine through eBay on a Buy It Now. It could have sold for $500 more, but I grabbed it. It is also more bulky than I expected. Although only 2 lbs heavier than the T20, that's all it took. The T20 is about 5 lbs and seems as light as angel food cake. But the A20 series is 7.2 lbs and isn't heavy, but it's not a lightweight either.
This may be a problem with just mine, but the trackpoint wanders if I press to hard on the palm rest sometimes. The good news is that anyone that has owned a touchpad will love the trackpoint. It takes a few days to get used to, but with the toys on this baby, you'll spend enough time on her to learn it in no time and be an expert.
I'm trying to come up with constructive criticism right now as I am peering at my laptop, but I can honestly say - that's it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2800.00
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: 801-900
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 31-40
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
jayce_7
|
|
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.