IBM T43 Hot Price?

[phpguru]

Hey ATers,

Highlights
- IBM ThinkPad T43 2668
- Pentium M 760 2 GHz
- Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
- RAM 512 MB
- HD 80 GB
- DVD-Writer
- Mdm
- LAN EN, Fast EN, Gigabit EN, Bluetooth, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g
- 14.1" TFT SXGA+ (1400 x 1050)
- ATI MOBILITY RADEON X300 - 64 MB

Plus free 512MB stick of memory to take it to a gig. Is this HOT or what? It seems so.

Also: 13 in x 10.6 in x 1.4 in Its 1.4in because of the DVD writer but whatever.

All for $1949+tax after instantly $750 off.

phpguru

 

[imported_Kensai]

I'd say it's pretty good.

 

[DEredita]

This is what I got lastnight from Dell.

I ordered the Dell Inspiron 6000 on the phone and went over each thing in explicit detail, esp. that I wanted a 7200rpm HD.

This is the spec of the system I ordered:

Intel® Pentium® M Processor 760 (2 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
15.4 inch WXGA LCD Panel
1GB DDR2 SDRAM - 2 Dimms
60GB Hard Drive (7200 rpm)
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
128MB DDR ATI's MOBILITY? RADEON X300 PCI Express x16 Graphics
Intel PRO/Wireless 2915 Internal Wireless (802.11a/b/g,54Mbps)
9-cell Lithium Ion Battery (80 WHr)
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home

Total Price when all is said and done: $1388

 

[Tiamat]

Is this from the IBM website? or is this from elsewhere? Also is the coupon something that you have to find a code for?

 

[phpguru]

This deal is straight from IBM. The $750 is from a coupon which is automatically applied when I enter the educational section of the website.

phpguru

 

[mickles]

That's a pretty good price.

 

[ssvegeta1010]

Originally posted by: mickles
That's a pretty good price.

 

[phpguru]

As far as web surfing, emails, presentations, DVDs, mp3 watching.. is the T43 worth it (this deal specifically)? Or will a T42 be better?

phpguru

 

[wisdomtooth]

$700 educational discount? Jump on it!

I got my T41 on a $400 educational discount and I love my Thinkpad.

 

[trikster2]

> web surfing, emails, presentations, DVDs, mp3 watching..

Overkill for your requirements. Get a T42 and save some $$$$$ graphics are the same or faster and your MP3's will look just as good.

 

[DaWhim]

3 year warranty? this can add another $200 to it

 

[phpguru]

From what I've seen, the configurations of the T42 with decent specs is $1800. For $150 more I can get sonoma, fingerprint scanner, better processor (faster) and a DVD writer. Isn't that worth it?

phpguru

 

[eriqesque]

Originally posted by: DEredita
This is what I got lastnight from Dell.

I ordered the Dell Inspiron 6000 on the phone and went over each thing in explicit detail, esp. that I wanted a 7200rpm HD.
This is the spec of the system I ordered:
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 760 (2 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
15.4 inch WXGA LCD Panel
1GB DDR2 SDRAM - 2 Dimms
60GB Hard Drive (7200 rpm)
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
128MB DDR ATI's MOBILITY? RADEON X300 PCI Express x16 Graphics
Intel PRO/Wireless 2915 Internal Wireless (802.11a/b/g,54Mbps)
9-cell Lithium Ion Battery (80 WHr)
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home
Total Price when all is said and done: $1388

But after all is said and done, it's still just a Dell.

 

[wisdomtooth]

Originally posted by: phpguru
From what I've seen, the configurations of the T42 with decent specs is $1800. For $150 more I can get sonoma, fingerprint scanner, better processor (faster) and a DVD writer. Isn't that worth it?

phpguru

YEP!

If I don't already have my T41, that T43 would be the one I go for.

 

[nardvark]

This is what I got lastnight from Dell...(see above)

Also, I'm pretty sure the T43 weights a pound and a half less than the 6000...which could be important if you're actually lugging the thing around.

 

[Fenuxx]

Originally posted by: eriqesque
But after all is said and done, it's still just a Dell.

And what's your point? IMO, Dell builds pretty good machines, especially notebooks. And, if you can get the right deal, its even better. I jumped on that $750 off thing on their notebooks last Thursday, and I got:

--Dell Inspiron 9300
-Intel Pentium-M 760 (2.0GHz, 533MHz FSB, 2MB Cache, 90nm)
-Intel 915PM Chipset
-17" WXGA+ TFT
-256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go6800 (NV41M)
-512MB DDR2-533 RAM
-40GB 5400RPM 2.5" Hard Drive
-DVD-ROM Drive (8x)
-Windows XP Home Edition (SP2)
-Standard notebook loadout (ports, etc.) plus beefier battery
-3 Year Warranty
--TOTAL PRICE: $1,866.00

I only skimped on the HDD, Optical Drive, and RAM, as those can be easily upgraded later. Thats sure a damn good computer for the price, especially since its valued at over $2600.

I build my own computers, and have since I can remember, but laptops are a different story, so I went with the best deal I could find, and that happened to be a Dell. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to buy a Dell over building my own computer, but nonetheless, you have to admit, their machines aren't too shabby.

 

[mickles]

Naw man you have a point. Good specs for the dollar.

 

[computeerrgghh]

GAH thats what I payed for my T42 for nearly same specs (1.7 processor and 9600 vid card). There is not much improvement between new generations from what I have heard, but this machine is a beast. THe 2378FVU has the same specs (9600 = x300 performance wise). The fingerprint in the other models is useful but by no means foolproof. BTW, the T series is made of Magnesium and Carbon fiber, it will survive some rough dorm stuff.

 

[ELopes580]

I'd buy an IBM anyday over a Dell. Dell's quality is low and has gotten lower over the years. I should know I had one that was a POS, and a friend bought one a year or two back who isnt happy with it either.

As the saying goes, You get what you pay for. I've learned that the hard way. In money and time especially.

 

[Fenuxx]

Originally posted by: ELopes580
I'd buy an IBM anyday over a Dell. Dell's quality is low and has gotten lower over the years. I should know I had one that was a POS, and a friend bought one a year or two back who isnt happy with it either.

As the saying goes, You get what you pay for. I've learned that the hard way. In money and time especially.

Right. You get what you pay for. My boss doesn't seem to understand that. He got the lowest-end, cheapest Dell laptop he could get (I believe its the $599 one). If you get the cheapest, you shouldn't expect the best, and he still is having a hard time figuring that one out. That's why I wouldn't buy a "Low-End" laptop, and I was originally going to stay away from Dell, as my budget was about $1500 (the Dell is over $1800 because of the Warranty), which really doesn't translate into much without that spectacular $750 off coupon that I happened to jump on. It should be a great laptop, and it can't be beat for the price, thats why I got it. By no means is Dell "bad" period, just some of their stuff isn't that great, especially at the low end, but the Inspiron 9300 and XPS-G2 are both excellent notebooks, and challenge the likes of Alienware, Voodoo, and Falcon as far as the performance crown goes. Just another ramble

 

[trikster2]

> I'd buy an IBM anyday over a Dell. Dell's quality is low and has gotten lower

Back in the day Dell just sold a few latops and they were rock solid.

I don't think anything they have now matches those laptops but they now have like 80 models covering everything from $500 budget laptops to $3000 top of the line lattitude/precision laptops.

As you said, you get what you pay for. The cheap inspiron laptops are really cheap but the higher end ones are actually really solid. I've bashed a Lattitude D800 around for 2 years now and its taken everything I've dished out without a hic-up.

 

[DarkAmeba]

Originally posted by: trikster2

> web surfing, emails, presentations, DVDs, mp3 watching..

Overkill for your requirements. Get a T42 and save some $$$$$ graphics are the same or faster and your MP3's will look just as good.

agreed

 

[phpguru]

I've looked at T42's recently but it doesn't seem like its worth it. Take a look at the 2378FVU.

1.7Ghz (300Mhz Less)
256M ram (768M Less)
40 GB (40GB Less)
64M 9600 (~Same)
14.1 SXGA+ (Same)
CD-RW/DVD-ROM (T43 has DVD Burner)

1452+tax.

A differece of $500. Am I looking at the right models or is that just not worth it? Both models are from IBM Education.

phpguru

 

[DarkAmeba]

hmm well for 500 more i guess i'd go with the T43...

However, considering the things you listed you need the laptop to do, an 800 dollar iBook or one of the cheaper IBM's (R50 i think they call them now??) would be more than sufficent.

 

[Sm0kes]

phpguru, pull the trigger on that T43 ...... for an additional $500, that's money well spent. I have a T42 1.6/768ram and it is awesome. I crank/pound on this thing 12 hours a day between password cracking, running multiple OS's in vmware (bsd/linux) on an XP host ..... all while lugging this around from client to client. It has worked like a champ.

Get the T43. Now. Plain and simple.

As for the Dell vs IBM quality mini discussion .... it's very easy. IBM's T-series machines are quality and elegance. They are at the top of business/travel/day-to-day use. Dell's laptops don't compare. On the contrary, Dell is typically much cheaper for similar specs / configurations. Which draws the conclusion that you get what you pay for.