Thinkoad T40 recommendations?

I'm looking to replace a stolen laptop with a rather older model (*), and 
the T40 seems to have done well in the eCS/OS2 world.  I wonder if there 
is any anecdotal info I should have.

The T40 XXD got a good reaction on the Russian site
http://en.ecomstation.ru/hardware.php?action=category&section=brand&page
=8
but I haven't found any of those on the market. There are various other 
models that look reasonable (and Lenovo has skeleton specs for eah of them
-- dozens and dozens -- I can dig up a URL if anyone wants it).

There are some models marked as having a Cisco wifi unit, and some with 
Intel. Does anyone have experieince with one or both of these, and trying 
to make them work in ecs?

Also, there are a bunch of vendors of supposedly refurbished machines. 
Some look really undesirable to deal with. Among the ones that look 
possible are
ambry.com
priority computer parts
kaanza
saveateagle

Does anyone have any experience with these?

(*) No objection to new machines with higher performance; in fact, I'm 
replacing a pretty snazzy Asus laptop with something obsolete. The problem
is my preference for anything that I know will *work*. You know: the 
network interface (worked in the ASUS), sound (didn't), wifi (no freakin 
way), power management (maybe someday if 1.2 ever ships and is 
satisfactory). If there is an in-production laptop in which all that stuff
works with no more effort than getting Genmac drivers or a driver or two 
from the 1.2 Beta site, I'd be glad to hear of it.
 
-- 
Dan Drake
dd@dandrake.com
http://www.dandrake.com/

On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 02:49:20 UTC, "Dan Drake" <dd@dandrake.com>
wrote:

-> I'm looking to replace a stolen laptop with a rather older model (*), and

-> the T40 seems to have done well in the eCS/OS2 world.  I wonder if there 
-> is any anecdotal info I should have.
-> 
-> The T40 XXD got a good reaction on the Russian site
->
http://en.ecomstation.ru/hardware.php?action=category&section=brand&page
=8
-> but I haven't found any of those on the market. There are various other 
-> models that look reasonable (and Lenovo has skeleton specs for eah of
them
-> -- dozens and dozens -- I can dig up a URL if anyone wants it).
-> 

For the refurbed Thinkpads you can't necessarily go by the model 
number, as they change them from the original when they reertify them.
 Mine has a sticker on it that says its a 2373-X41, but if you go to 
the Lenova support, and look it up, it was originally a 2373-HTU.  You
can look up a specific model on that site 
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/quickPath.do?quickPathEntry
=2373X41 So a refurbed model may be pretty much identical to one of 
the listed models.

-> There are some models marked as having a Cisco wifi unit, and some with 
-> Intel. Does anyone have experieince with one or both of these, and trying

-> to make them work in ecs?

No idea on the T40 exactly, but there was a Mini-PCI wifi driver for 
these I think.  If the Intel is a 2100b then it is supported by the 
GenMac driver.  There is a 4.5 year old review of the T40 at VOICE - 
http://www.os2voice.org/VNL/past_issues/VNL0703H/vnewsf3.htm

-> 
-> Also, there are a bunch of vendors of supposedly refurbished machines. 
-> Some look really undesirable to deal with. Among the ones that look 
-> possible are
-> ambry.com
-> priority computer parts
-> kaanza
-> saveateagle
-> 
-> Does anyone have any experience with these?


Have you looked at IBM's recertified site:

http://www-132.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?store
Id=1&catalogId=-840&langId=-1&categoryId=2576396

All come with at least a 3 month IBM warranty. Right now it looks like
the T40's they have are out of stock, but for a few dollars more you 
can get a T41 or T42.  I have a T42p (2373-x41) which was a refurb and
other then a problem with the motherboard which was fixed under 
warranty, its still a great machine.  But the "p" models were high
end
and the bluetooth is not supported under OS/2-eCS,and neither is the 
stupid win-modem.  The wireless nic(originally an Intel 2100b, but 
replaced with an Intel 2200bg) is supported by the GenMac driver.  But
the Genmac driver does not support power management, so it traps on 
resume.  Otherwise APM works fine (power shut down, battery optimized 
performance).  ACPI does not work well with this machine.  The Video 
(ATI radeon Mobility 9600, 128MB, 1600x1200) works fine with the SNAP 
driver; Sound works fairly well with the latest Uniaud driver(though 
on occassion it loses sound, but that is rare); the builtin Intel 1000
Pro ethernet works fine with the Intel driver, but I use wifi here 
exclusively any more; and USB also works fine under eCS 1.2 and 2.0.  
The DVD writer works fine with RSJ.

You don't say what your budget is, I assume it is low since you ask 
about a T40, but if is not you might want to look at a high end T43p 
machine, Paul Curtis is selling some with eCS pre-installed at 
http://www.curtissystemssoftware.com/preloadsCssTpad.htm  These 
machines are going for almost half what I paid for my T42p 4 years 
ago.

From what I have read the newer Lenova models like the T60 and T61 
have a lot of issues with video (may be supported by the eCS Panorama 
driver but not SNAP), sound (not yet supported by Uniaud).  Not sure 
about wifi, ethernet and power management (ACPI) on these.


-> 
-> (*) No objection to new machines with higher performance; in fact, I'm 
-> replacing a pretty snazzy Asus laptop with something obsolete. The
problem
-> is my preference for anything that I know will *work*. You know: the 
-> network interface (worked in the ASUS), sound (didn't), wifi (no freakin 
-> way), power management (maybe someday if 1.2 ever ships and is 
-> satisfactory). If there is an in-production laptop in which all that
stuff
-> works with no more effort than getting Genmac drivers or a driver or two 
-> from the 1.2 Beta site, I'd be glad to hear of it.


Mark

-- 
From the eComStation of Mark Dodel

 Warpstock 2007 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada: http://www.warpstock.org
 Warpstock Europe - Valkenswaard close to Eindhoven, the Netherlands: 

First of all, many thanks for the extensive and quick information.

On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:05:55 UTC, "Mark Dodel"
<madodelNOSPAM@ptd.net> 
wrote:

>...
> For the refurbed Thinkpads you can't necessarily go by the model 
> number, as they change them from the original when they reertify them.

Oh goody. And I thought I'd mastered some of the complexities. :-(

>  Mine has a sticker on it that says its a 2373-X41, but if you go to 
> the Lenova support, and look it up, it was originally a 2373-HTU.  You
> can look up a specific model on that site 
> http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/quickPath.do?quickPathEntry
> =2373X41 

Alas, the link doesn't work any more (even when spliced back together 
where the newsreader broke it).

So a refurbed model may be pretty much identical to one of 
> the listed models.
>...
> Have you looked at IBM's recertified site:
> 
> http://www-132.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?store
> Id=1&catalogId=-840&langId=-1&categoryId=2576396

Thanks. Looks like the first place to go to.

> 
> All come with at least a 3 month IBM warranty...  But
> the Genmac driver does not support power management, so it traps on 
> resume.  Otherwise APM works fine (power shut down, battery optimized 
> performance).  ACPI does not work well with this machine.

Thanks for the data. Most looks fine, except for this, since anything 
without fully working power management isn't *really* a laptop. Then 
again, the nice ASUS machine I lost was by this criterion not a laptop *at
all*, so the problem is survivable.

> ... 
> 
> You don't say what your budget is, I assume it is low since you ask 
> about a T40, but if is not you might want to look at a high end T43p 
> machine, Paul Curtis is selling some with eCS pre-installed at 
> http://www.curtissystemssoftware.com/preloadsCssTpad.htm  These 
> machines are going for almost half what I paid for my T42p 4 years 
> ago.

Actually, I'll have to look at those. It's not so much budget as a search 
for specific models that have been specifically recommended by people who 
claim to have used them and that can actually be bought right now. Time to
look at these.

> 
> From what I have read the newer Lenova models like the T60 and T61 
> have a lot of issues with video (may be supported by the eCS Panorama 
> driver but not SNAP), sound (not yet supported by Uniaud).  Not sure 
> about wifi, ethernet and power management (ACPI) on these.

Right: just what I feared.

>...

Off to what looks like a pleasant morning's shopping. Thanks again.

-- 
Dan Drake
dd@dandrake.com
http://www.dandrake.com/

On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 02:49:20 UTC, "Dan Drake" <dd@dandrake.com>
wrote:

> I'm looking to replace a stolen laptop with a rather older model (*), and 
> the T40 seems to have done well in the eCS/OS2 world.  I wonder if there 
> is any anecdotal info I should have.
> 
> The T40 XXD got a good reaction on the Russian site
>
http://en.ecomstation.ru/hardware.php?action=category&section=brand&page
=8
> but I haven't found any of those on the market. There are various other 
> models that look reasonable (and Lenovo has skeleton specs for eah of them
> -- dozens and dozens -- I can dig up a URL if anyone wants it).
> 
> There are some models marked as having a Cisco wifi unit, and some with 
> Intel. Does anyone have experieince with one or both of these, and trying 
> to make them work in ecs?
> 
> Also, there are a bunch of vendors of supposedly refurbished machines. 
> Some look really undesirable to deal with. Among the ones that look 
> possible are
> ambry.com
> priority computer parts
> kaanza
> saveateagle
> 
> Does anyone have any experience with these?
> 
> (*) No objection to new machines with higher performance; in fact, I'm 
> replacing a pretty snazzy Asus laptop with something obsolete. The problem
> is my preference for anything that I know will *work*. You know: the 
> network interface (worked in the ASUS), sound (didn't), wifi (no freakin 
> way), power management (maybe someday if 1.2 ever ships and is 
> satisfactory). If there is an in-production laptop in which all that stuff
> works with no more effort than getting Genmac drivers or a driver or two 
> from the 1.2 Beta site, I'd be glad to hear of it.
>  

I have 2 T42 machines.  The 15 inch T42 was a great machine that has 
recently died (I think the trip to Sudan and back may have had 
something to do with it).  I also have a 14 inch T42.  Both run (or 
ran) eCS very well.

I also have a T61 (dual core) that works well with eCS 1.2 RC4 except 
for the sound card.  The wide screen is supported by SNAP, and the 
wifi runs just fine with GenMac.  Hopefully UNIAUD will catch up to 
the sound card.

-- 
Chuck McKinnis

Chuck McKinnis wrote:
> I also have a T61 (dual core) that works well with eCS 1.2 RC4 except 
> for the sound card.  The wide screen is supported by SNAP, and the 
> wifi runs just fine with GenMac.  Hopefully UNIAUD will catch up to 
> the sound card.

Would you be so kind as to say what choices you made when installing 
RC4?  Also, are the drivers shipped with RC4 the latest appropriate to 
this machine?  (I'm assuming that the T61 is very similar to my T60.)

I have enabled SATA and duo processor in the BIOS.

Regards,
Ted