[ltp] Recommended Thinkpad Model? $1500?

[Steven J. Owens]

Hi folks,

     I subscribed to this list last week because (at long last!) I'm
about to buy a new laptop to replace my increasingly decrepit Toshiba
Tecra 8100.  However, most of the traffic since I subscribed is about
thinkpad hardware problems :-).  I'd like to ask for recommendations
on which thinkpad to get.  My budget is in the $1500 neighborhood,
though I can probably beg-borrow-or-steal another $500-$1000 if I
really have to...

     I'm also planning to make this my at-long-last plunge into linux
(debian) as my main desktop OS (I already have three or four debian
boxes for other purposes).  I'll be using this primarily for java
development and other personal use, and it'll be my primary machine.

     The three flavors of laptop I considered were thinkpad, dell
inspiron, and mac laptop.  I'm leaning fairly strongly towards the
thinkpad, obviously, or I wouldn't be here :-).

     I've always respected macs at a distance and I seriously
considered switching to a mac laptop just because mac owners really
seem to feel *good* about their machines.  It'd be nice to feel that
way about something I use day in, day out, and now Macs run a real OS
underneath all that pretty pointy/clicky stuff :-). However, macs
still lag behind in the java department, and since that's what I do
for a living, I'm reluctant to go that way.

     The dell inspirons seem to be a very good deal, pricewise.
However, they also seem fairly accident-prone.  Dell has a really nice
maintenance agreement, but you still have to wait a week while the
laptop is shipped to them and back. I'd rather get a latop that
doesn't break in the first place, and thinkpads seem to have a good
reputation for being durable (I'd love to get a ruggedized laptop, but
those seem to run in the $5K-8K range :-).

     Thinkpads seem to have a pretty loyal following, somewhat like
the Mac laptops, which is a good sign.  They don't seem to have the
mac's problem with java support.  They seem a bit more durable, not to
mention a fair bit cooler :-), than the dells.

     My main priorities in shopping:

     - at least a 15" screen, good viewing quality to reduce eye strain
     - decent battery life 
     - good availability of docking stations (I want to get one for
       home and one for work)
     - I don't have a logical reason for it, but for some reason I
       want to have built-in wireless.


     Factors that aren't as important:

     - Faster CPU and more RAM is always good, but I'm expecting this
       to be a massive step up from my old Tecra, so I'm not too
       stressed about getting the fastest CPU on the market.

     - I'm not especially concerned with weight, though I wouldn't
       mind it being light, mainly for ease of handling in informal
       settings.

     - I've been wanting a multi-mode tablet laptop for ages, but
       apparently I still don't want 'em enough to pay the extra $$$
       for the ones on the market now.

-- 
Steven J. Owens
puff@darksleep.com

"I'm going to make broad, sweeping generalizations and strong,
 declarative statements, because otherwise I'll be here all night and
 this document will be four times longer and much less fun to read.
 Take it all with a grain of salt." - http://darksleep.com/notablog