Re: Thinkpads vs ?

[Alden S Klovdahl <Alden.Klovdahl@anu.edu.au>]

> On Oct 12, 12:26pm, Alex Judd wrote:
> > Subject: Thinkpads vs ?
> > It is a sad day. After spending two years investing time and money
> > in to Thinkpads, my company has today decided that they will no longer
> > be using Thinkpad machines as our standard lap-top machine.
> > 
> > Therefore I am now faced with trying to find a replacement machine
> > that has all the facilities and power of a TP760ED for our support
> > people, and the screen facilities and light weight of a TP560 for
> > our sales people.
> > 
> > I know this is not the right place for this discussion, but I guess
> > everyone here must have weighed othermachines against the Thinkpads,
> > and have a fair idea what comes second best.
> > 
> > Any advice much appreciated (please email me if you can).
> > 
> > Thanks in advance,
> > 
> > Alex Judd
> >-- End of excerpt from Alex Judd
> 
this is the perfect place for this kind of discussion because it helps to 
highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the thinkpad line. if a few ibm 
people subscribe discussion of weaknesses might lead to some improvement.

my thinkpad 755CE has been by and large a great machine, well worth its
price to me.  support has been good, both locally and in terms of the ibm
ftp site.  however, our software support person, to whom i have given a few 
of the problems (like trying to deal with an infernal Jaz drive) keeps telling
me to get a toshiba or digital because they are more likely to follow 
[ even if they may not set : - ) ] industry standards, and therefore there
is less need for support.  but when i get a new machine, hopefully shortly, i
expect to pass the 755ce onto a programmer i work with, and expect a couple
of more years use from the mahine. 

one thing i find offputting is the dribble dribble dribble approach of ibm to 
its offerings. the 760 came out last november and what did it offer?  a 12.1"
display and a movie clip.  then over the next 3 or 4 months each previously 
offered machine was superceded, bit by bit, dribble by dribble.  no upgrade
path, no (i think) components that you could carry forward to your next
machine (eg, a large hdd), a cd-rom drive. this incremental approach really 
encourages postponed decisions, or changes to machines for which you can say, 
well at least i will have the damn thing for 6 months before it is superceded 
by some feature i'd really like to have (such as a PCI bus in the case of the 
first 760's).

i too am looking for discussions about new machines, of any brand.

regards, al

 Alden S Klovdahl /   alden.klovdahl@anu.edu.au    / fax: +61 62 49 05 25
 Sociology Arts  / Australian National University / Canberra ACT Australia 0200