Other business laptops are also welcome in /tpg/ (e.g. Dell Latitude/Precision, HP EliteBook/ZBook). ---- 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 ---- 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. ---- Used ThinkPad buyers guide: ktgee.net/tpg
Is it worth it to get the quad-core T460p over the T460? Im only going to use it for web browsing and text editing, but the t460p costs the same as the i5 t460. The quad-core is also more future proof, which will come in handy since I intend to use this laptop for 8+ years. Battery life isn't an issue since both thinkpads have more than 8 hours of battery life.
Jeremiah Barnes
Thanks, I really appreciate your input in this. How can I see if computrace is enabled? I assume the bios password is pretty self explanatory.
Henry Hernandez
Do I need a hard drive caddy / chassis for an X201 Tablet? The one I ordered doesn't have one and it has not yet arrived so I can't test. Probably just going to buy one.
David Jones
>$500 or higher Top spec (Quadcore/1080p/Q2000m) in good shape with 170W adapter and additional goodies included like a fresh battery, a docking station, or other accessories. >$450-$500 Top spec, good condition, AC adapter, no extras. >$400-$450 Acceptable if it's quadcore and quadro 2000m, but not 1080p. >$350-$400 Quadcore/Quadro 1000m/1080p would be around here. This seems to be the category the majority of models on the market fall into. >$300-$350 Okay if either specs are lacking in more than one area, the unit is in subpar condition, or the AC adapter is missing. >$250-$300 Multiple of above problems or very low-spec. >$200-$250 Terrible condition, bad specs, or just a dumb seller who doesn't know what he's got. >$200 or less Probably BIOS locked, stolen, or seriously damaged in some other way. Don't expect fully-functional machines at this price point.
This is assuming US prices, almost everywhere else it'll be higher across the board. Remember to use the specs lookup in the OP when looking at listings. Most sellers are not completely thorough in their listings, but if you can get a picture of the bottom, you can look up the unit's type number to see its exact specs as it left the factory. RAM and storage disparity is to be expected since they're so easily changed by the user, but screen, CPU, and GPU are most likely accurate unless you're dealing with a fellow Thinkpad enthusiast. Happy hunting.
Colton Hughes
So I'm thinking of ordering a t460s or an X1 Carbon.
If I order the t460s with the 2.5" HDD and I wanted to upgrade to an SSD, would I need to buy a 2.5" drive or could I get an m.2 drive?
The FRU guide only has m.2 drives listed, but I want to be sure if it comes with a 2.5" drive it will still have an m.2 slot.
Jordan Moore
I can't remember the exact menu in the BIOS, but "enabled, not activated" or "permanently disabled" is fine for Computrace. You just don't want it to be both enabled and activated. If it is, it's probably stolen and will be remotely kill soon.
Also be advised you can boot to BIOS and ESC past the admin password prompt and VIEW the BIOS settings/options but not change them. A particular shifty nigger may try and turn it on and ESC quickly then turn the screen around and show you it "boots to BIOS".
So, boot it to BIOS and *watch* to make sure there isn't a password prompt, or flip thru the menu and change something trivial and save the setting.
Julian Moore
>1366x768
Tfw you realise that a large portion of Sup Forums are cuckolds
yes swap the trackpad for a t450p's and you will have an amazing computer bretty gud if it's about the same price then go for it Also I think that the t460 has 2 ram slots, while the normal t460 has 4 gigs soldered + 1 dimm slot. if you use an ssd no if you use a hard drive I would highly recommend it. also if you want to be able to get the drive out easily just get a caddy. I bought like 3 of them for $10 a few years back and it's really come in handy a lot whenever I get a new thinkpad without a hard drive. most people either buy t4XX with 1600x900 screens, or they get an x2XX where 1366x768 is perfectly fine. yeah 1440/1600x900 at 12" would be great, but any res higher than that will need scaling.
Michael Stewart
That's good to know, thanks!
William Price
I bought a similar reader (the gemalto one) that fits into the 54 mm port
It says it's compatible to read and write to all ISO7816 cards but no matter what I do I can't get it to work with the SLE4442 cards I have (supposedly conforming to ISO7816-3)
Keep getting errors in GNU/Linux about an unresponsive card. Anyone have any experience with these cards to provide advice? The standards for these are pretty obscurely documented
Hunter Watson
Have about $900 to spend on a Pad.
Any suggestions on which model to get?
Jayden Johnson
>linax and then i saged
Leo Martinez
Windows users are indefinitely dumb, aren't they?
Christopher Jackson
>$900 you're doing it wrong
Oliver Ramirez
How do you know if a machine has a quadcore or not? More specifically - Intel Core i7 1st Gen.2820QM
Jayden Bell
Dunno maybe try a search engine? I have no idea what you should search for though. I'm really out of ideas here...
Owen White
it has a Q :^)
James Davis
linax users can't read?
Angel Long
I have money to spend man.
Levi Gomez
Sure can, but sorry that you are retarded
Aiden Barnes
Fuck me I'm retarded. 2 screws came out easily, the other 2 feel like they've been drilled in by god. Guess no SSD for me today.
Ethan Mitchell
saw and use a flathead, also if you have some wd40 or something spray that first and let it soak in the hole
Justin Torres
Hey /spg/, i tried to clone my main ssd to my new msata and it wouldn't do it because of perhaps physical damage which i assume is on the old drive.
My question is, how do i install windows 7 on just the msata?
Leo Flores
the same way you normally install windows
Thomas Morgan
Can i do it with the regular ssd inside or do i have to take it out so that the installation is on the msata and not the regular drive?
Cooper Cox
>Sure can, but you didn't, retard
Zachary Wood
I just bought a X60 for 60 bucks, how retarded was I?
Ethan King
Fuck I fell for the thinkpad meme
I bought a refurbished t420 for 180$ dollars and it arrived today
[spoiler]holy shit it feels brand new, the case is so nice and jesus christ the keyboard[/spoiler]
Joseph Ward
Instead of wasting everybody's time with some bullshit vaporware "retro Thinkpad" that would obviously never be commercially viable, why doesn't Lenovo just release some classic-style 7row keyboards that are electrically and physically compatible with the newer models? It'd be much less expensive to design and produce than a whole new laptop, autists could get their beloved keyboard back with newer hardware, and normies could keep buying their black Macbooks without either party's preferences being forced down the others' throats. Of course, the keyboard isn't the only difference between older Thinkpads and newer ones, but this seems like it'd be a really obvious step in the right direction. Besides, I don't think there exists any laptops where you can customize the goddamn keyboard. That'd be a pretty neat selling point.
Bentley Stewart
isac, is that you?
Levi Torres
Because the keyboard isn't the only problem with newer thinkpads
Jonathan Jackson
If I put some tape on the bottom of this and make the rubber holders a bit more snug I should be fine right?
Oliver Davis
>avatarfagging
Bentley White
how to tell the difference between core I series laptops 1st gen = 3 numbers 520m,640m etc 2nd gen = starts with 2XXX 3rd gen = starts with 3XXX you get the point how to tell if it's a quadcore or a dualcore: dualcore =(number)m ulv dualcore = (number) um quadcore = (number)qm or hq you can also just google it at worst you can just put the ssd in and struggle to get it out also get a flat head or a philips thats too big, and press really hard don't press too hard, but since you seem to be autismo you probably will. and if it starts to slide stop turning it and just press down for longer. the same way you would install any os but since it's windows take out any secondary drives (unless you use uefi) about right for an x60 it will run, but it's not that great. the only thing you need is a piece of tape that is reliable enough for you to be able to pull the drive out later you can just not use any rails since it's an ssd and it banging around int there isn't bad for it, and it will make taking it out even easier
Isaiah Myers
can't even do what I'm asking about on binbows
Jaxon Ross
I don't see W530 in the guide. Is the W530 a huge improvement or a slight improvement or a decent improvement compared to the W520? Thinking about getting on or the other for school and home use
Caleb Nelson
Very nice. Yeah I think because of the hoopla over the keyboard layout and redesign, Ivy bridge ThinkPads got cheap pretty fast.
I'll use cardboard as the caddy, I'll tape the drive so I could pull it out easy.
turn it on, press F1 (or F2 if ye on a Dell), and search what the processor says. >mfw we have a quadcore i7 E6430 at work that I'm just waiting for a motherboard to flip
Very nice, enjoy your DankPad™
Jason Roberts
I know that. I know that better than most posters here, who are perfectly happy with their X220s and T420s. But the retro Thinkpad was never going to work out. Even if they did release it, it'd cost $2000+ just like they did in the old days and nobody would buy it, because us poorfag NEETs don't have that kind of money and businesses don't give a fuck about anything that we love about old Thinkpads. I think I could learn to live with the rest of the design changes if I could have P50 hardware with a 7row keyboard. I'd still prefer my older Thinkpads, but we have to face facts. They aren't going to last forever. Some day, Sandy Bridge won't be good enough anymore. We're gonna need higher resolutions than 1080p. Replacement parts and off-lease units will become scarce. It's a long way off still, but it will happen one day. This keyboard autism isn't gonna cure itself, and we need a solution.
Ryan Rogers
GPU is supposedly a pretty sizable upgrade, CPU less so, and other than that they're basically identical. Whether the performance improvement is worth the higher price is up to your wallet. I went with a W520 and I'm happy, it does everything I want it to do and does it damn well.
Jaxon Carter
Ok, i was able to install windows 7 but its not detecting wifi or any connection. What do i do to fix this?
Carson Hughes
What do you use it for? What OS are you using? Tried any games?
Cameron Myers
K2000m GPU is where it is at, K1000m GPU will handle tasks fine, it just has less Cuda cores and half of the RAM.
I'm a bit biased though, I'm a fan of Ivy bridge TPs because muh battery and standard USB 3.0
When I had my W700ds, I was thinking about upgrading that to something more sensible. I honestly was waiting for a W530 if I could afford one.
From what I remembered, playing LoL wasn't a big difference either. However I happened to get a nice CPU on the W530 and a fresh 9 cell battery. Shit lasted 5 hours. was great. Paid $250 for W530 because someone needed money badly and $200 on the W520. Sold them for $500 each, W520 sold thru ebay so I had lost some dosh from seller's fees.
Most likely LAN wont be working either. Do you have another computer & USB? I use HWinfo64 (or 32bit too) when I want to check which card I have without opening up the machine. it should be able to identify it under summary (it pops out systems specs first, the summary window is behind it) It will have a drop menu similar to Window's Device Manager.
Caleb Brooks
yes
Leo Walker
How future-proof is the T420s? Will the soldered CPU bite me later on if all I want for this laptop is watching series/using big IDEs/using it as a desktop?
Jack Brown
Does that tool let me fix this?
Matthew Parker
Games, media, and video recording/encoding. I'm running Windows 7, haven't tried anything else. Even the lesser Quadro 1000m Handles Dark Souls and Metal Gear Rising like a champ and the i7-2720qm tears through webm conversions like tissue paper.
Ethan Morgan
>still avatarfagging
David Roberts
I'm still hoping for people's opinions on the e4310 if anyone has one these days.
Luis Green
I should of been more clear, as sometimes I would check what it says on the LAN or Network card and then download that exact driver. Sometimes there are more than two seperate drivers for wifi cards. I think all of them use intel ethernet drivers if you have a ethernet connection.
I think I might of came across a Dell E4300, if not a E4200. Just a smaller E6400... I don't know how performance is, however, there isn't a 13.3" i5 or i7 ThinkPad, X201 or X1 is the closest you can get to that.
I have came across them because I worked at a recycler. But I think because of Dell's bios locks, I didn't sell them for much.
Jason Roberts
Ah, i see. So there is no one stop solution to this problem i'm having and i have to manually install each driver on this fresh install gone wrong on my x230?
Owen James
I just find that the e4310 looks great and its specs do look good not to mention being recycler-tier cheap. It just looks a bit too good to be true
Juan Ortiz
How about just mobos that fit older models like the celestials are doing?
I'd pay damn near new thinkpad price for one that was a direct drop-in for a T4X or T6X chassis.
Parker Martinez
Oh.. X230, I thought you had a T420, I listed the wrong drivers then.
Yeah.. its a pain in the ass sometimes, I'm sorry. >should of gotten Windows 10
Yeah. well I sold a E6410 for like $60 because it had nVidia GPU & 900p display, however the other 720p and IntelGPU unit we had sold for just $38 with one bid.
Its just the current price plummeted. shit is weird yo. :P
I mean the X62 is the closest we can get to that. Some fags at reddit is supposedly getting some overseas.
T4x has been done with a 1st gen i5/i7, but wasn't the greatest.
I remember my father's work E4200 being slow as shit thanks to the early generation SSD and C2D ULV CPU.
Brayden Collins
Why the fuck would you want higher than 1080p on a 14" or smaller screen?
If we're talking about larger docked/external monitors then I get it but otherwise, why?
Owen Williams
>wifi problems This is why the Year or the Windows Desktop will never happen, guys.
Should have installed gentoo like a normal person who wants to be productive.
Ryan Richardson
I wouldn't say all of them, what I do is I get a network one (wifi or ethernet, whichever you will use) and then download ThinkVantage System Update to find the rest of the drivers, without downloading each one.
Benjamin White
I'll bet people said the same thing about 1024x768 when it was the standard. What's gonna happen when everything's designed with the expectation that you'll be viewing it at 4k and you're still using 1080p? It's gonna be worse than trying to use 1024x768 now.
Kayden Moore
Anyone?
Elijah Richardson
I'll just pick the t420 if you're not sure.
David Nelson
Not that user, but there's a limit of comfort for your eyes, stuffing bigger and bigger resolutions into small screens doesn't scale well
Mason Lopez
I'd just pick the t420 over the t420s*
Andrew Harris
I just wanted some info on how it fares with heavy software that doesn't rely on GPU, it feels like there won't be a problem though
Thomas Myers
Yeah, and quality paper prints have 600 dpi because Steve Jobs said so.
Grayson Martinez
Where can I buy an i7-2920XM/2960XM for a reasonable price?
Joseph Cruz
Will you ever put thinkwiki.org in your OP-post? Tons of newfags asking stoopid questions over and over again.
Nicholas Jones
It's in the second pastebin.
Liam Morales
Well, I just got this mailed back to the dumbfuck that shipped it loose in a flat rate box. Full refund, but what a waste of a good thinkpad. It was in really clean shape otherwise.
I couldn't find another X1 for as good a price/condition, so I ended up getting a X230 for $250. i5,4GB (I have 2x8GB for it though), 240GB SSD.
Adrian Green
>Not that user, but there's a limit of comfort for your eyes, stuffing bigger and bigger resolutions into small screens doesn't scale well
>buy a high ppi laptop >use an OS with shit scaling
James Foster
This was my point exactly. But around here, people sitting half an inch away from 8k screens and still bemoan the pleb quality. They're the ocular equivalent of audiophiles whose opinions should be summarily dismissed.
Connor Hernandez
>what is 10, 12-bit color >what is amoled >what is contrast >what is refresh frequency There are alot more options to be a screenphile of.
Christopher Moore
>amoled Enjoy your burn-in.
Austin Baker
You will keep saying that until you try to wear Oculus for 4 hours.
Joseph Wood
What's autism? Where are my nuggies? my nuggies no more
Anthony Lee
install the drivers from the lenovo website. google (laptop name) support and click the lenovo one that hopefully says drivers somewhere. quit stealing my name, misspelling it, then being a weeaboo that's device manager and possibly, just run windows update and it will get most drivers. when everything is designed for 4k it's going to be designed for 4k at 200% scaling which would make it 1080p. and even 1080p on a 15" display is entering the non comfortable area if you sit back. imo 1680x1050 for 14/15" laptops is perfect leave 1080p for the 17" fuck hueg laptops >extreme edition cpu >reasonable price maybe in 10 more years. just get a 2840/2860qm. I was able to get a 3840qm for about $150 on ebay last year for a different laptop. amoled won't be common on laptops for a while hell even IPS isn't that common, and it uses much less power in the real world
Easton Bennett
People still ask whats a good price for laptops, despite my website being linked :P
Carter Clark
>leave 1080p for the 17" fuck hueg laptops And 640k RAM is enough for anyone :^)
Hudson Thompson
Atenshun hore pls
Jacob Miller
News flash: Non-technical bottom of the barrel consumerist retards that are terrified to pick up a screwdriver and install their own OS that comprise the majority of /tpg/ don't read.
Film at 11
Landon Carter
:)
James Morgan
You mean, profile pic homosexualling?
Carson Brooks
Opinion time: X201 with an i5-560M or X61 with a T7300
I want a laptop that I can have sitting around in my 4WD that's small and reliable that I can watch movies on while I'm camping, and has good battery life.
Xavier Anderson
x220 or x201 I'd be careful with keeping a laptop in the car, especially during summer and winter when it gets really hot/cold
Levi Morales
X61 is based, but if you're doing primarily media consumption, a screen suited for the ratio and more powerful/power efficient is better. If that's your use case and those are the two options, then X201.
I'd agree with that x220 is a better choice, with a 9cell+slice battery for longer times away from power out in the sticks.
Jackson Johnson
wouldn't it have been better to tell him to pay for a new screen.
Gabriel Bailey
I won't be leaving it in the car during summer (or doing much camping for that matter), given it gets as high as 45C in the shade in my state, but winter isn't a problem.
Good point, the X220 seems like a nice alternative - I'm used to using the normal trackpad on laptops, so having that would be good.
I've found 12V chargers that I can plug directly into my car's cigarette lighter port, too, but good battery life is something I'd definitely prioritize - is there anything better than the X220 for under ~$500 with superior battery life?
Elijah Howard
You could go newer, like a X230. They're slightly more power efficient and still have the slice battery option. With the extra money, pick up another 9-cell or two and call it a day. If I were you that's what I'd do, brother.
If you're handy you can do a battery authentication bypass that will let you charge the slightly less expensive x220 batteries. Also, if you don't care about chiclet keys, you could probably benefit from the backlit keyboard option for the x230 too. Again, if you're handy you can swap the x220 keyboard too.
I don't want to be put in the camps for meme defeatism, but you might could go with a Chromebook for your use case. ARM processors are ridiculously power efficient but IIRC the batteries are internal so you'd lose the ability to swap for spare cells. Personally I'd want that tactical reload.
>tfw my x220t died last year >not hdd >not battery >moving it/touching it etc would cause issues sometimes where it'd shut down or force reboot >all things point to the mobo
>turn it on the other day >no issues >happened today you served me well, little buddy.
