Two weeks ago I helped a friend pick out a new laptop and configure it for the California Bar Exam. Her old Dell (only 2 years) had crapped out, with frequent keyboard issues and occasional BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) crashes, and with a task as critical as the bar, he wanted a new machine that would be totally reliable. He also really likes playing computer games, as evidenced by the his old Dell, which was ordered with everything and anything that improves gameplay, and by his desktop, which has a video card more expensive than most computers.

Being very knowledgeable about hardware specs for desktops, but knowing little about laptops (other than which videocards are hot), he took my advice and bought a ThinkPad T42p. Now this is one very expensive laptop, his configuration (Pentium-m 2.0, a/b/g Wireless combo, 14"SXGA+ screen, DVD burner, a whopping 1GB of ram and an ultra-fast 60GB 7200RPM hard drive set him back $3100, and quite honestly, you can get almost the same computer for roughly half that price by buying the regular T42 with a lesser video card, less RAM and more sanity on the options list.

So what does $3100 buy? Well, it isn't the fastest laptop out there, that distinction belongs to the many 12lb monster machines with desktop processors and video cards, some upgradeable, that are on the market. What it does get is the best combination of power and portability that you are likely to find, along with quality and support that really justify the price premium over other brands.

To start, the video is what he put most of his money into, and it delivers, somewhat. The video card is an FireGL, I'm not a gamer so I cannot say what that really means, but he says its good enough, for now. It has 1328MB of video ram, which is about the most you can get in a laptop card these days (even Apple's 17" behemoth has 128MB video ram). Where the T42p dissappoints as a video machine is in the LCD itself. To me, it is about perfect, as the 14.1" size lets the laptop remain portable, but my gamer friend wishes for the widescreen format some other machines offer, to get that home theatre to go feel when watching movies. It also isn't as bright as screens using Sony's new XBrite technology, but it isn't far off, with excellent brightness that is uniform across the entire panel, and no dead pixels, which is tough on such high-resolution panels (1400X1040). My friend has put his games on it and given it the thumbs up, though he says that in a year or two it will no longer be cutting edge, and already is at least behind the front-line desktops.

Of course, he has the serious gaming desktop, and this is a laptop intended for mostly business tasks (he is taking the bar exam, after all), and will only a game machine for LAN parties and business travel. For business, this is one very sweet laptop.

The same 14" screen that doesn't give that home theatre experience, is terrific for actually using at a desk. It is large and bright, and since laptop screens are usually a bit closer to the user than a desktop panel, it actually looks larger than most 15" desktop LCD or 17" CDR monitors do, with the same or better resolution (most desktops are still running 1024X768, I know mine is).

Away from the desk is where the T42p really shines though. He got the extended 9 cell battery, which bumps system weight up to 5lbs (4.6lbs if you get the smaller 6 cell battery), and so configured it runs for an honest 4.5 hours unplugged at full power (IBM claims 6 with powre management), and if you dim the screen and slow down the processor, I don't doubt IBM's claim as IBM has traditionally been the only manufacturer to accurately give battery life.

The machine is only about an inch thick, and is considerably smaller in every dimension than the so-called desktop replacement laptops like his old Dell. I use an ultracompact Apple PowerBook (the tiny 12" model) and side by side, the T42p is the same thickness, and only about an inch deeper and an inch wider. With the light battery, the T42p would even be the same weight as the Apple, while cramming in a larger, higher resolution screen and having a removeable rather than a fixed optical drive. That is serious portability and excellent design in my book.

The keyboard, is, in a word, legendary. IBM has always had a monopoly on outstanding laptop keyboards, and while Apple and ocasionally Toshiba have come very close (the current Apple PowerBook range is equal), IBM has been incredibly consistent, for a full decade, of producing the very best laptop keyboards on the market. The new T42p is no exception.

Everything else is pretty standard. Wireless range is terrific, the Pentium-m processor is fast enough to do anything that anyone would even consider doing on a laptop, and many things, like high end games and video editing that most people would reserve for a desktop. It is sleek, extremely well made, and simply does not crash. Combine that wiht the thin and light case and a build-quality that nobody else in the business (not even Apple) can match, and you have the best laptop on the planet, unless upgradeable video cards or widescreen display are essential to you.

Actually, T42 ThinkPads start at around $1500, and at that price, offer all of the T42p's goodness and portability, making them a terrific bargain.

I guess the ultimate test in the design of the T42p is how similar it is to IBM's older ThinkPads. Good design holds up, and when I set the T42p next to my 4-year-old T22, it is easy to see that the changes are subtle, and carefully considered. The little keyboard light above the LCD is the same, only a bit brighter, yet softer, giving a more even illumination to the entire keyboard. The Access IBM and Enter keys, both of which will get you into the BIOS on boot, are blue and stand out, though the layout itself hsa remained the same.

Even the pointing stick mouse remains, though it now has a small touchpad underneath that can be its own mouse, or a scroll device. Even the little red eraserhead has remained the same, though now you get two other shape and texture options (I love the flat rubber one and ordered one for my T22). Even the size of the case is similar, with the new one a bit slimmer, but otherwise looking and feeling much the same. They only change what can be truly improved, no fancy styling or gimmicks like every other laptop brand out there.

Playing wiht this T42p really impressed me, enough that I've since recommended T42s (the lower spec model) to four other people in my bar prep class (review to come after the test) and configured two. While IBM tends to cost a bit more, you really do get what you pay for.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 3100
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Screen Size: 14 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: SuperDisk
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50