A Basic Laptop? This One's a No Brainer. Go for the IBM ThinkPad!
Written: Jul 30 '03
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Pros: Mobile, easy to use, extremely sturdy, industry standard "work laptop".
Cons: A little heavy, heats up like a beast, TrackPoint mouse is incredibly annoying.
The Bottom Line: IBM makes industry-standard laptops for business use and the T22 is one of them. Great, sturdy laptop for cranking out office applications.
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| mrs-j's Full Review: Lenovo ThinkPad T22 (26478EU) PC Notebook |
Introduction
I travel a good bit for my job. Not every day, but I’m on the road at least one week out of the month. I also work from home several times a month. So when I started in my new position, my old wheezy Toshiba laptop was replaced with an IBM ThinkPad T22 model 26478EU.
I have used this laptop for about a year and on Monday, I’m getting upgraded to an IBM ThinkPad T40. So before this laptop goes away for good, I figured I would write a review on how well it has performed in the year that we’ve been together.
Specifications
- Processor: Intel Pentium III 900 MHz
- Memory: 128MB SDRAM (Max: 512MB – Mine was upgraded to 256 MB)
- Display: 14.1 inch TFT Active matrix
- Max Resolution: 1024 x 768 (24-bit color)
- Operating System: Windows 2000
- Hard Drive: 20GB
- DVD-ROM (Read Speed: 24x for CD and 8x for DVD)
- 56Kbps modem
- 10/100 Ethernet adapter and port
Using the Notebook
The first thing I noticed when I picked up my IBM ThinkPad was that it was fairly heavy with the battery installed. The battery installs on the underside of the notebook, underneath the IBM logo.
Opening up the notebook, I noticed the famous little red eraserhead-like ThinkPad mouse button in the middle of the keyboard. The ThinkPad also comes with volume adjustments built in the toolbar right at the top of the keyboard.
I immediately plugged in an Ethernet cable and began surfing the Internet on my ThinkPad, checking my e-mail and reading some of my favorite websites.
I use my T22 for all of my office needs, both on and off the road. I like having the flexibility of both built-in Ethernet and modem ports. I spend a lot of time on airplanes typing in reviews, office evaluations or even updating Visio diagrams. At home I keep the laptop docked at work unless I specifically have work that I need to do at home, or I know I will be working from home.
I don’t have an actual “laptop” bag. Instead I have an old, worn leather attaché case that has been with me since my first days out of college. It’s a nice brown leather, higher quality than the fabric laptop cases, and it holds the laptop and extra accessories perfectly.
After a year of use the laptop still looks nearly brand new, but that’s not because I’ve treated it very well. I lug it around and slam it open and shut at will and it’s never once given or started to fall apart. The case is very sturdy and holds up under quite a bit of abuse.
Ergonomics and the Keyboard
One of the first things I noticed was how easy the keyboard was to use. The T22 is designed with ample space for your hands to rest while typing. The keys are slightly spongy, but responsive, and they aren’t prone to stuttering like my Apple iMac’s keyboard (which inevitably types "uu" for every "u" I enter – if you catch a "uu" in one of my reviews, I wrote it on the iMac!)
Typing on the keyboard is easy and the extended platform makes a big difference when I’m typing up long e-mails or papers. I love having a place to rest my hands. In fact, I find the laptop so comfortable to type on that sometimes I just plug it into its docking station at work, open it up and work directly from my laptop instead of using the keyboard and monitor attached to the docking station!
The Mouse
The little eraserhead-style mouse is quite another matter. I hate that sucker. It’s rough-edged and is contoured so that it’s easy to move about, but I have found that every so often, when I move it into a particular direction it veers, and keeps on veering in that direction even when I’ve taken my finger off the mouse. I don’t know why it “sticks” and multiple attempts to keep it from sticking were unsuccessful. I began to worry that I might break the mouse, and so I gave up on it and every so often just have to guide the mouse in a different direction so it stops sticking. My laptop is docked pretty often so the TrackPoint mouse only really bothers me when I’m out of the office.
The Display
The display is a standard 14.1” TFT Active Matrix display. It’s configurable and you can increase the brightness directly from the laptop keyboard by using the function key with the “Home” and “End” buttons. My eyes don’t get tired when I use the display and it’s plenty of real-estate for work functionality when I’m on an airplane, in a hotel room, or even just on my living room couch.
The Toaster Factor
I can confirm the Epinions reviews that claim this T22 heats up, a LOT when in use. I have to frequently put a blanket underneath the T22 when I’m typing on it from my couch because it gets excessively hot. This, however, is a good feature when you’re chilly. I’m a girl, I freeze in data centers where the temperature is kept low and there’s always a stiff breeze going to keep the computers cooled. I have actually warmed my hands by sitting them on the underside of this laptop while working on it in a data center, and been glad for the warmth.
When I get my T40 I won’t miss the heat though. I guess I’ll just have to remember to bring a sweater with me into the data center!
ThinkPad Configuration Utility
Configuring your ThinkPad is easy using the ThinkPad configuration utility. I have my T22 configured to display and take inputs from both the laptop itself and the keyboard and monitor attached to the docking station when the laptop is docked.
Using the Configuration Utility, which loads up in the system tray upon startup, you can also control and customize:
- LCD Settings (brightness, expansion and display properties)
- Internal Modem (dialer and device properties)
- PC Card slots (you can eject, modify the properties or disable drivers for various profiles, docked/undocked, etc.)
- Device bay and device management properties (you can warm swap devices here)
- Power management (docked/undocked/low battery, etc.)
You can also configure the infrared port, audio, accessibility options and more through this utility.
Docking Station/Port Replicator and Power Supply
The docking station for the ThinkPad T22 is extremely easy to use and carry around with you. It’s very lightweight; to insert your laptop into the docking station you just press it into the station until it clicks. To release it, there’s a large button that you press as you pull your laptop out.
The docking station/port replicator adds parallel, serial, monitor, USB and Firewire ports in addition to the Ethernet and modem ports. On a couple of occasions I have found that my laptop wasn’t fully docked; my monitor would show the laptop but the keyboard and mouse wouldn’t work. I just undock and redock the station and it then works. This has happened probably five times in 18 months and is just a minor annoyance.
Battery Life
I don’t think there will ever be a laptop invented that has a battery life long enough to satisfy a mobile user. And I’m one of those who wishes that this battery lasted twice as long as it did. When I start off with a full charge, I get approximately 1:45 minutes out of my battery (though it says as soon as it starts up that I’ll have 2:20 minutes or so, it never delivers on that promise.) The advertised average life of the battery is 3.2 hours, but I can’t ever recall getting anywhere near that out of mine. Perhaps if I dimmed the LCD considerably, but I doubt it.
Warranty
IBM provides a standard three-year limited warranty on their new laptops. Their certified used laptops have different warranties. Before calling in for service, users should note the serial number, type and model of the machine along with the exact wording of any error messages. IBM reserves the right to repair or replace machines that they deem defective, at their sole discretion. Users looking to obtain support should visit IBM’s support site at: http://www.ibm.com/support/us/.
Summary
This computer’s served me pretty well over the past year or so. Will I miss it? Probably not once I get my new T40. But I have enjoyed using it and bringing it with me to meetings and everywhere else around the office. I can frequently be found lugging about my laptop with a wireless Ethernet card from desk to desk while I talk to people and take notes about various projects. IBM makes good, solid products and this laptop is certainly one of them.
Company Website: http://www.ibm.com
Support Website: http://www.ibm.com/support/us/
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1400
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: 801-900
Screen Size: 14 inches
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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mrs-j
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