Netbook wanted / found ThinkPad T420s :-)

[7bit]

Seems nobody cares about my Netbook problem anymore, thanks to dirge's latest daughter.


Nevertheless, thanks to everybody who helped me getting my new netbook:
When I started I had an Asus for 279 EUR in mind and came from E130(~400 EUR), X61(used), X230 (~900 EUR), to a T420s in UK layout (new without box ~600 EUR).



Thanks for mentioning the better keyboard on the X61 and the bad build quality of the E130.

The older models indeed look much better with their blue Return key and non-chicklet key caps.

[RC-1140]

So you did buy a T420? I own a T400, the pre-predecessor, and am very happy with it.

[ne0phyte]

I am still happy with my mid 2007 T61

[7bit]

Thanks!

[7bit]

OK, now that I soon will have my ThinkPad, I need some extra stuff for it:

It comes with UK-layout, so not all key caps are labeled the way I want them.

Does anybody know if key caps from older ThinkPads (like T60/T61 etc.) fit, or do I need them to be from a specific series of ThinkPads?

Do there exist blank keys or is it easy to get rid of the windows logo on the Super key?

Which SSD-s in the 250-500GB range can you recommend?

[ne0phyte]

I can recommend the Samsung 830 and 840 series SSDs. (and Intel SSDs, but those are freaking expensive)
I'm using a 256gb Samsung 830 in my desktop pc myself.

The T420 keyboard is not compatible with the T60/T61 keyboard (as a whole). I don't know if single keys would fit.
The labels should be pad printed (like all the other IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad keyboards) so you should be able to either sand the windows keys or get some black DupliColor matt lacquer and spray them.

Btw, my old 2x2Ghz T61 with a 80gb 2nd gen. Intel SSD boots Linux in around 14s (6s of that is the BIOS POST...)

[7bit]

I know that the keyboards are not compatible as units, but key cpas look the same so chances are good I can swap the keys and sell an UK-ANSI keyboard afterwards. I really hate that they did not make the modifiers all the same size. At least the Fn key gets out of the way, a big problem on most other netbooks, notebooks, laptops or what they are called.

[ne0phyte]

I have a spare T61 keyboard here. I can send you a keycap or two and you can check whether they fit and then send them back to me if you want.

[7bit]

No, Thanks! Just take a picture of its underside.

Then I can check if they look the same.

[ne0phyte]

There are different keyboards for most ThinkPads.
I currently have a German ALPS keyboard in use, the other one is a UK NMB keyboard.
So make sure you get the tright one as all three are different!

Heres a picture of my ALPS board:
And heres one of the NMB one:

For comparison:

Spoiler:

[7bit]

Thanks!

I did not think they come with totally different types of key cap mounts.

So I will have to wait until it's here and then see which I need.

[7bit]

3 different variants for the T420:





here are the 3 variants for T61:





They are most likely different key caps.

[ne0phyte]

Welcome to the world of ThinkPads

[7bit]

ThinkPad arrived. I will post photos later.

I had a hard time to get into the Bios and stopping Windows from asking me for my username.

What I miss is a main switch which turns off the power, so I had to remove the battery.

Trackpoint is quite OK. It seems it does not send a mouse click when I push it down, so it does not work as nice as the RollerMouse.

Keyboard is awfull! If this is the best laptop keyboard, I don't want to ever type on any of the other keyboards.

Display is much better than I thought, but I'm still using 1024x768 at home, so I don't have a good comparision, obviously.

[ne0phyte]

Awful compared to what? What did you expect and what is it like?

I really like my T61s keyboard compared to most other laptop and chiclet keyboards I tried. I wonder if the T420 keyboard is so different compared to the older ThinkPads (doubt it tbh).

[7bit]

I'm typing on a Model M with 122 keys and when I compare both, the T420s' keyboard is too small and feels like typing on mushrooms.

[ne0phyte]

Doesn't each and every rubberdome (and linear mech. switch) feel like mushrooms if you type on a Model M regularly?

[7bit]

I WANT BS-SWITCHES IN MY tHINKpAD!!!!


Otherwise, I really like it. Not such cheapish looking glossy design, as most other laptops have.

[ne0phyte]

T series laptops are tanks. It's great that you don't have to be too careful with them hehe. And yes, the matt, industrial design is so much better than any glossy/silver/red/pink/chrome/neon laptop

The only thing most TPs suffer from is that the hinges develop some slackness after a few years. (doesn't impact the overall stability though)

[7bit]

what is it, you are saying?

Here are some pictures:

[rindorbrot]

What I miss is a main switch which turns off the power, so I had to remove the battery.

Wait, what?

You want to say there's no power button? How about the round button with the On/Off logo besides it in the middle above the keyboard?

I can also set the Trackpoint to Click-mode on the R51e I have here...

[Jmneuv]

If you have to force shutdown - holding the power button for around 5 sec. always worked for me.

[7bit]

Wait, what?

You want to say there's no power button? How about the round button with the On/Off logo besides it in the middle above the keyboard?

I can also set the Trackpoint to Click-mode on the R51e I have here...

It is only some kind of sleep button. When I pushed it it came down. And when I pushed again, it came up right at the same Windows setup window.

I only used the trackpoint in the Windows setup so I had no way to configure anything. Nice that it also works with 'clicking'.

If you have to force shutdown - holding the power button for around 5 sec. always worked for me.

OK, thanks!

[mintberryminuscrunch]

It is only some kind of sleep button. When I pushed it it came down. And when I pushed again, it came up right at the same Windows setup window...

systemsteuerung - energieoptionen - auswählen, was beim drücken von netzschaltern geschehen soll

[7bit]

So I must look into the bios again. Thanks!

Usually I don't want to switch it off when running, just did not want to register the windows installation of the 320G disk. Some crazy people might pay a bit more when there is a certain system installed and not registered ...


Erhem.

[Compgeke]

The button might be mapped in Windows to act as a "sleep" button, if you look under Start>Control Panel>Power Options there's a thing on the left that says something along the lines of what to do when you press the power button (can't tell right now, running Linux). If you change the button to shutdown it'll shut down when you press it.

[7bit]

Thanks but the problem is already solved and I will get a 500G disk tomorrow and install a real system (Debian).

[rindorbrot]

Get an SSD! HDDs are so slow and not suitable for the use-case of a laptop.

[7bit]

I would if I had the money ...

[Compgeke]

SSD speed depends on what you do, it would be pointless for me to have one except for battery life. If you never shut down (sleep mode\suspend to ram\name here) and never close the programs you use all the time there is no real point in having the speed as you'll never see it.

If you are someone that always shuts down all the way or uses hibernation(\suspend to disk\name here) and\or always closes unused programs then the speed of a SSD will be felt a lot more.

For the time being a hard drive is fine, especially if you're going to install Debian. I'm running Xubuntu here and with a 2.93 GHz Core 2 Duo I can cold startup in around 38 seconds, which isn't exceptional, but it's not too bad either.