/tpg/ - ThinkPad General

Previous thread: IRC: #/tpg/ on irc.rizon.net

Other business laptops are also welcome in /tpg/ (e.g. Dell Latitude/Precision, HP EliteBook/ZBook).
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If you're looking for purchase advice, READ THE BUYERS GUIDE FIRST. Then post, stating budget and requirements (e.g. size and performance).
Don't buy anything OTHER THAN T, X AND W/P SERIES if you want the Real ThinkPad Experience™

Recommended models:
T420 - 14", normal size
X220 - 12.5", ultraportable
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Why ThinkPad? (also applies to other business laptops)
>Used machines are plentiful and cheap.
>Excellent keyboards - tactile feel and quiet.
>Great durability: chassis uses a magnesium rollcage for structural integrity, with high quality plastic body panels.
>Utilitarian design: e.g. indicator LEDs, 7 row keyboard layout on older models.
>Docking stations that easily turns your laptop into a desktop.
>Easy to repair, upgrade and maintain thanks to readily available service manuals for every model. Spare parts are easy and cheap to obtain.
>The best trackpoint (that red thing in the middle of the keyboard). Great for those who type a lot or hate swiping their fingers all over a touchpad.
>Excellent GNU/Linux & *BSD support.
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Used ThinkPad Buyers Guide:
ktgee.net/tpg

New guides by xsauc:
dankpads.com

EPP discount for new ThinkPads (USA & Canada only, usually 15%+ off):
pastebin.com/DujvzEzU

ThinkWiki - Info on ThinkPads and running GNU/Linux on them:
thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki

ThinkPad service guides w/ tutorial videos:
lenovoservicetraining.com/

ThinkPad wallpaper collection:
imgur.com/a/NlepZ

Other urls found in this thread:

libreboot.org/docs/install/index.html
ebay.com/itm/For-IBM-Lenovo-Thinkpad-T440S-20AQ006HUS-14-0-LCD-LED-Screen-Display-IPS-WUXGA-/172034987674?hash=item280e15969a:g:2KYAAOSwUdlWdmJl
twitter.com/AnonBabble

What are you waiting for in the mail, /tpg/?

the charger for my X200 which I forgot in the other end of the country when I moved last week

My X230

Wish they included a digital video out on the X200/201, would be GOAT X series

You going to do the X220 keyboard swap?

Potentially, I kind of like the idea of the backlight though.

Going to be installing gentoo on my x61, was going to take the battery out while it stays plugin. This is a legit tactic?

anyone here done a cpu swap on a t420?

Set charge limits using TLP

Quad core?

What is the advantage of this over taking the battery out? In the context of installing an OS.

Because taking your battery in and out is a pain in the ass

thinking of buying a t420 and swapping in one
not sure how well it would run on battery though

You could probably limit the power usage

Ah ok. So nothing too real. Will at charge limits though.

Anyone else running gentoo no their x61? Any advice on the kernel config?

>/tpg/ - ThinkPad General
Brought to you by Lenovo inc

Yes....?

It's a community thing user, no shilling going on here, just cheap, durable computers.

>ideal laptop size is 13.3"
>have to choose between 12.5" and 14"

...

...

Good thing these cost like 1usd on aliexpress for 3 chips

What is going on here?
What microcontroller are you flashing and why?

14" is a surprisingly nice size.
It's also the limit for 1600x900 being acceptable.

google libreboot x200
i murdered my factory cihp by accentally electocurting it to death with the wrong voltage pin

I see.

Like resetting an EPROM right?

short out the pins etc.

So I removed the webcam module in my t420 and now it wont sleep when the lid is closed, what component on this board actually interacts with the magnet in the palm?

Im going to put it back in and block the camera lens itself, im just curious.

So I've potentially gotten a deal on a T450 for $300. Is it a good model?

Best chinkpad/elitebook for ~$300 AUD?

I'm not sure which part, but I can tell you it's on the right side of the assembly.

Day 3 and I cant believe I've lived all my life without a trackpoint.
Can't wait to get my SSD. Will it help (much) in keeping the laptop cool? The X220 tends to get warm after a while.

It'll help a little bit. Probably nothing you'll clearly notice though, the X220 is a little fireball.

ThinkPoop cause the SH smells like shit.

What about battery life, considering they use less power? This refurbished unit gives me around 2 hours of shitposting/ film watching. I'm thinking of getting a 9-cell for when I'm out of the house and using the 6 cell at home.

seriously.

is this thinkpad meme worth it?

buy a second hand old laptop?

I am considering it but not yet sure.

Yo /tpg/ I'm thinking about getting a x260 for my studies, are the 1080p screen and size good enough for programming since it will be my only computer where I will be living ?
I could get a T460 instead but I want a really portable laptop.
By the way is the keyboard any different than the one in the T460 ?

>are the 1080p screen and size good enough for programming
nigga, 600x400 is enough for programming

What is the comfiest Thinkpad to use in bed?

x220
yes, lurk more

Oh okay well thanks :D
I thought this pc would be too small but I'm really tempted getting it now !

T601F

They're good laptops for a good price. When you can get a T400 or T410 without even breaking $100, it's not like your life is going to be ruined if it turns out you don't like them.

How good is the battery life on a T601F?

Does the high-res screen not drain the battery?

Good enough, considering the age of the hardware. 3.5-4.5 hours out of a 9cell. Could probably hit 5 or 6 if I shut down everything.

Any thoughts on the X1 Carbon vs the X1 Tablet? I like the look of the tablet, but I'm worried it won't be very durable, so I'm also considering the carbon

Mine's nothing compared to the X61 I had, and I've got the i7-2640M. I did recently replace and repaste the HSF assembly, however.

How big is the difference between the thickness of a T420 and an x201? It's been very hard to find a real life comparison.

T420 is about 3-4mm thicker IIRC.

How are first gen X1 Carbons? Found one near me for $140 with 8GB ram, 240 GB SSD, i7 processor, but no OS. Worth it for a first gen?

Good price I'd say.

I thought so too, but the owner is an hour away, so I might convince them to let me have it for cheaper. I was more wondering about Build quality. Are they sturdy, or closer to consumer grade where one drop will kill it? Looking for a good college laptop, and want to be prepared for any drop.

Not as sturdy as, say, the X, T or W series, but still sturdier than regular ultrabooks. If you want something that's going to survive drops, and you're not concerned with age, look into an X200 or X201.

Why not include the guide to installing Liberboot? It's the best reason to buy an old thinkpad.
Requires some disassembly, a raspberry pi and a special clip but it's not too hard.

libreboot.org/docs/install/index.html

Anyone knows where I can get a Wifi driver for my W520? I'm using Debian & Lenovos official site is not very helpful

Lmao good thing they are cheap to replace. Some people say you need a very precise and stable power source to do it, others say you can just use the raspberry pi 3.3v or just plug the laptop in but don't turn it on.

tfw x200 for $40
no HD but I didn't want one anyway

I'm only concerned about age as far as value goes (finance major). Also, I'm mostly looking at Craigslist right now, so the only good cheap ones I found were the Carbon, a T410 for the same price, and a T500 for the same price, but I'm leaning toward the carbon, just because it's newer.

No one with experience on this?

Ebay is generally a good bet as well, just check seller ratings. If you plan to carry the laptop around all day I'd recommend something in the X series. The older you're willing to go, the more durable they are.

that's bullshit

>X220
>old

That's not old, dumbass.

>half a decade old
>not old

Agreed. Not old.

So what do you use then?

Your mother.

Fresh off the boat, from reddit, kid? heh I remember when I was just like you. Braindead. Lemme give you a tip so you can make it in this cyber sanctuary: never make jokes like that. You got no reputation here, you got no name, you got jackshit here. It's survival of the fittest and you ain't gonna survive long on Sup Forums by saying stupid jokes that your little hugbox cuntsucking reddit friends would upboat. None of that here. You don't upboat. You don't downboat. This ain't reddit, kid. This is Sup Forums. We have REAL intellectual discussion, something I don't think you're all that familiar with. You don't like it, you can hit the bricks on over to imgur, you daily show watching son of a bitch. I hope you don't tho. I hope you stay here and learn our ways. Things are different here, unlike any other place that the light of internet pop culture reaches. You can be anything here. Me ? heh, I'm a judge.. this place.... this place has a lot to offer... heh you'll see, kid . . . that is if you can handle it.

0/10, too old.

The X series was introduced 16 years ago, and you could get away with using even a 10-year-old model if your needs are light enough. 5 years is young, especially when the CPU still performs very similarly to the newest ones.

Can I install OS X a la hackintosh on my x240 if I only need to use it for iOS development? Should I make a new partition for this alongside my current OS or should I just run it in a virtual machine?

Well said, brother.

what is better? a gen2 i7 or a gen 3 i5?

is the fingerscanner any good?

Is 300€ for an i5 gen2 with 8gb ram and intel gpu good?

The Gen2 i7.

The blue-dotted center mouse button on my x220 came off. I have it sitting there now but it's not secured. Where's the best place to buy a replacement button, or will I have to buy a whole new keyboard?

Just get a new keyboard, they only cost about $15 on eBay.

The i7 might perform a little better than the i5, but it's not worth the extra heat and power usage. This holds true even within the same generation, a third-gen i5 is definitely preferable to a second-gen i7.

The fingerprint reader is mostly a gimmick. The best use I've found for it is being able to turn on my computer and log in automatically while I go get a drink or take a piss or whatever. Pretty much completely pointless if you have an SSD.

ok thanks, and is it worth it to get a nvidia gpu over the intel one?

Yes, but expect extra heat and power consumption to go with it.

Thinking of picking up a T460 for college, what do you guys think, are they any good?

ok... last question: do the 520 models consume more battery than the 420 models? are 520 batteries readily available and what batterylife can I expect?

speaking about the t420 and t520 btw

I'm confused on something, do PCMCIA cards work in the X220?

The 420's sold in greater quantities, so parts for them will most likely be more readily available and a bit cheaper.

No, just Expresscard.

T520 has a bigger screen to illuminate, so it'll have slightly worse battery life than the T420. They take the same battery so there's no difference in availability.

I'm buying a used E4310 to carry around.

Convince me not to dualgoy Win 7/noobuntu.

Fuck, ok thanks.

All these RS232 cards I find are either PCMCIA on PCI or Expresscard on USB lines, do you know of a model that is both Expresscard AND makes use of PCI?

I am a bit undecided about a 520 or a 420...

I am used to a 15.4" laptop, so I am afraid that the 14" will seem too small. I don't know. Is it handy? do you have any experience?

14" is fine but a 15" with 1600x900 is like 1000 times better.

have any of you guys done an eGPU setup on your thinkpads? im thinking of making one

Unfortunately not. For whatever reason, it seems to be a real pain in the ass to find specific expresscard products.

Well I found one, it uses the MCS9901 chipset.

Advanced Dock reporting. It just werks.

>yfw T420 plebs will never ever be able to do this

Lads has anyone had usability problems with windows 10 and the thinkpad x220t?

>voluntarily gimping your device because you suffer from paranoiad schizophrenia
Does it get more autistic than this?

I found this one.
ebay.com/itm/For-IBM-Lenovo-Thinkpad-T440S-20AQ006HUS-14-0-LCD-LED-Screen-Display-IPS-WUXGA-/172034987674?hash=item280e15969a:g:2KYAAOSwUdlWdmJl

I'm kinda confused, does the T440s screen fit in the T420s?

Yes, with the converter board.

The one that guy on the thinkpads forum is selling, right? Yeah I have it

Sounds like you're set, user. I plan to buy the same laptop and do the same thing pretty soon. Love my X220, but I'd like some more screen real estate sometimes.

compatibility*

Oh cool. What processor are you getting? I recommend the i5-2540M since it seems to be the fastest one that's not overheating. Temp for me is idle at around 40 C but since I'm opening my laptop anyway I'm also applying some new thermal paste

Mah T250s
>i7
>12gb ram
>fhd screen
>dat battery life
Oo baby, was only 700 bux