[ltp] Too many choices!

[Charlie Wheeler]

Newegg has a company listing on their site that upgrades and resells older model thinkpads. I think they’re new(ish) but they’ve maxed out the memory and put in a larger hard drive.

On Thu, May 14, 2020, at 12:13 AM, cr wrote:
> Hi Cindy
> 
> Looks like you might be looking for a used Thinkpad? 
> 
> I found this list very handy for comparing the ages of various models:
> http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkPad_History
> 
> - for example a T540 and a T440 and a L440 and a L540 and a X240 are all
>  the same vintage. (I'd assumed a T520 must be newer than a T440 -
>  not so!)
> 
> You need to do a little research to confirm which features are included
> - for example, a DVD drive (which I personally required) started to go
>  missing in some models from (roughly) the 440's onwards. Of course
>  the X models never had one.
> 
> I think you might have trouble finding a more recent one without a
> trackpad. You can usually disable it in the BIOS - googling will
> tell you how (usually, press Enter immediately on startup to get you
> into BIOS setup, then simply select the appropriate menu entry). I've
> got the trackpad disabled on this T520 for exactly the same reason as
> you.
> Your post reads (to me) as if you're prepared to do a Linux
> installation if you have to - in which case, if e.g. Windows is already
> installed, you may need to access the BIOS to change the boot order and
> allow booting off a USB/CD in order to install Linux... in which case,
> disabling the trackpad is no more difficult.
> 
> In my experience almost all Thinkpads work quite happily with most
> flavours of Linux - my most recent ones being a T400, T520 and L440. 
> 
> Generally speaking, the T series is the standard business laptop,
> typically 14 - 15" screen, full-featured, built like a tank.
> The L series is a budget model of same, but (judging by my
> just-acquired L440) still of good build quality and similar
> performance. 
> The X series is the smaller, lighter portable (but still, as you know,
> pretty solid). I have a X201.
> 
> Within each model, of course, there are a range of CPU's, a range of
> memory and a range of hard drives. Also the wireless capability may
> vary. On Thinkpads memory is easily upgraded and so is the hard
> drive. So I'd say, when looking at a used Thinkpad, check out the
> hard drive size, the memory installed (usually easily upgraded if
> necessary), the CPU (not usually upgradeable), and the wireless if you
> want to do Internet. Re wireless, 802.11g is getting a bit old by
> now, 802.11n is usually fast enough, 802.11ac is the latest, fastest.
> Re memory, 4GB is workable, 8GB is usually enough for most normal use.
> 
> HTH
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> On Wed, 13 May 2020 22:13:14 -0400
> Cynthia <think at dogtrainingthatworks.net> wrote:
> 
> > I've been without a Thinkpad for much too long and was starting to
> > shop for my next one, but realized I had no idea anymore... I
> > usually shop on eBay but I don't know which models to look at. I
> > need something that won't break the bank, but reasonably peppy, a
> > spacious hard drive, not too old, and plays nicely with Linux.
> > Usually my budget likes computers with no OS installed, but it
> > wouldn't break my heart if I didn't have to do an installation. 
> > My favorite Thinkpad was the X61S, which had no trackpad, just the
> > trackpoint and a little mouse button cluster. Before that, I
> > always had a line in the start-up to disable the trackpad because
> > I tend to touch it by mistake and do unintended things. My husband
> > always did that tweak for me; he is gone now and I won't know how
> > to do it... 
> > 
> > I am just looking for recommendations for which models to search
> > for. If there's one with no trackpad but newer than my old one,
> > I'd want to look at that first. Ideas? 
> > 
> > Cindy Eliason
> 
> -- 
> The linux-thinkpad mailing list home page is at:
> http://mailman.linux-thinkpad.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-thinkpad
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