Comparing 15" Powerbook to Thinkpad X41

[iMpathetic]

I bought a Thinkpad X41 yesterday. I got it to resell, at least that's what I told my mom. :D

Anyway, this thing is incredibly small. It weighs 2.7lbs with a battery installed, and has way, way more ports than the Air. Plus it was $350. It's a Pentium M 1.5GHz, with 1.5GB RAM and a 60GB HD. It averages about 0.8 inches thick.

Being bored, I took two pictures of it and my 1.67GHz 15" Powerbook together. As you can see, it is friggin' tiny....

http://img.skitch.com/20080328-cw4xmw1654bfft67p5xdehc9i2.jpg

http://img.skitch.com/20080328-kmsre452ibtnirjygfpnj5n84w.jpg

Oh, and for you guys thinking my hand is insanely large, I ain't grown. :D

[bluedoggiant]

how thick is it?

[iMpathetic]

how thick is it?

1 inch at the back, like 0.6 in at the front. :D

[bluedoggiant]

1 inch at the back, like 0.6 in at the front. :D

the mba still has looks, sexiness, and OS

[iMpathetic]

the mba still has looks, sexiness, and OS

Looks? No. Sexiness? Maybe. OS? Yes.

Now for the IBM:

Practicality: Yes. Cheaper: Yes. More ports: Yes. Better to travel with: yes. Dock: Yes.

[ryannel2003]

I've always been partial to Thinkpads. Nice little laptop.

[iDAG]

My school has Thinkpads for notebooks. They are one of the worse PC's I have ever used. I hate them with a passion (and any PC as a matter of fact). :cool:

[bluedoggiant]

My school has Thinkpads for notebooks. They are one of the worse PC's I have ever used. I hate them with a passion (and any PC as a matter of fact). :cool:

Gimme online 5!:D


Agreed.

[iDAG]

Gimme online 5!:D


Agreed.

Yeah!
109733
Got to love Photo Booth. :cool: Thinkpads are very slow at my school. I remember one day it took 40 minutes to log in and I did no work in English class that day. :D

[iMpathetic]

My school has Thinkpads for notebooks. They are one of the worse PC's I have ever used. I hate them with a passion (and any PC as a matter of fact). :cool:

IBM Thinkpad: Superior hardware, craptastic OS.

I really wish your experience with thinkpads wasn't in school. Schools take horrible care of their laptops, and they're so locked down it's pathetic. :mad:

What are your specific reasons for hating them? I mean, they are utilitarian (read:fugly), but...

Oh, well, it's not their fault they're slow.... Blame the school.

[redrabbit]

I love my thinkpad + Ubuntu. No speed issues and great OS. Awesome for travelling, since I can swap out the battery.

[ryannel2003]

Gimme online 5!:D


Agreed.

You hate anything tech wise that doesn't bear the magical Apple logo...
:rolleyes:

[bluedoggiant]

You hate anything tech wise that doesn't bear the magical Apple logo...
:rolleyes:

haha.



This has to be the best post on MR
:cool:

[queshy]

The air has a C2D and is probably way faster...but the X41 is sick!

[iMpathetic]

The air has a C2D and is probably way faster...but the X41 is sick!

I really hate to be a "traitor", but what the hell. This thing is awesome. It's lighter than an air and has all the power most people need in their computer.

On the other hand, if ol' Stevie dropped an air off, I WOULD NOT SAY NO. :D

You hate anything tech wise that doesn't bear the magical Apple logo...
:rolleyes:

Is it morning where you live? Because I think you've consumed a ROFL waffle.

But, iDAG, this isn't true, is it?

[iDAG]

Is it morning where you live? Because I think you've consumed a ROFL waffle.

But, iDAG, this isn't true, is it?

Every time I have used a PC, it has been a bad experience. I tried to get along with them, but it was never meant to be. I never touched a PC until I was in seventh grade and the first one I ever used was a Thinkpad. Who needs crap when you can have a Mac! :cool:

[Abstract]

The only negative against the current Lenovo equivalent is that the processor is slower, and it's uglier than the MBA. Otherwise, it's a better laptop, and is probably what most people wanted the MBA to be. The same people who don't like the X41 in this thread would have been drooling over the current version of this machine from Lenovo if the outer casing was designed by Apple.

[iMpathetic]

Every time I have used a PC, it has been a bad experience. I tried to get along with them, but it was never meant to be. I never touched a PC until I was in seventh grade and the first one I ever used was a Thinkpad. Who needs crap when you can have a Mac! :cool:

What did the school do to those poor PCs? Light them on fire? I mean, PCs aren't that bad. XP Pro is a tad awkward at times, but it's lightweight and reasonably stable. What model of Thinkpad did you first use?

Also, it's always good to make yourself comfortable with PCs. You can't spend your life in la-la-land. :rolleyes:
The only negative against the current Lenovo equivalent is that the processor is slower, and it's uglier than the MBA. Otherwise, it's a better laptop, and is probably what most people wanted the MBA to be. The same people who don't like the X41 in this thread would have been drooling over the current version of this machine from Lenovo if the outer casing was designed by Apple.

Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. While I do agree that the thinkpad design is dated and utilitarian, I don't mind it at all. The keyboards are out of this world, and considering I suck at typing, that's a plus.

To take a leaf out of a video's book, "Leave the air alone!" Everyone's whining about it because it's got no optical drive, blah blah blah.... The thinkpad doesn't have an optical drive either, and I don't expect it to. If the air did have an optical drive, it'd essentially be an overpriced MacBook.

At least the X41 has a nice, 1.5lb dock with a DVD drive and tons o' ports.

EDIT: Also, a point I want to stress. i do not expect anything I bought for $350 to be an Air killer. It comes close though.

[chaosbunny]

Personally I'd take the Powerbook out of these 3 (thinkpad, mba, pb). :)

I don't like anything below 15" to work comfortably. These tiny winy laptops are not for me.

[digitalnicotine]

OP: congrats on your new laptop. I haven't seen this model in person before, so the perspective shots are appreciated. I haven't owned an IBM laptop in years (not since windows 98 hehe), but I loved that little workhorse when I had it. I know this isn't anything a guy wants to hear about their hardware, but it's kinda cute (forgive me lol). :)

[kondspi]

If the Thinkpads were utilitarian computers, the argument you guys would be making is that their form follows their function.

This argument is flawed, for it assumes they actually function.

The Thinkpad's intetnded design aesthetic is an interesting one: the Armonkeys have to make a computer that LOOKS like it works. Gratiutious black plastic seems to hide a powerful machine. This is a trick they've been using ever since the days of Big Blue. This is also the trick the Borg attempt to replicate in their design of the Vista and XP interfaces: the "corporate" builds look more serious, even though they are the same exact system, functionally.

At least Apple's design is honest. The more powerful Pro Macs also appear more powerful from the outside than the consumer and prosumer models.

[iMpathetic]

OP: congrats on your new laptop. I haven't seen this model in person before, so the perspective shots are appreciated. I haven't owned an IBM laptop in years (not since windows 98 hehe), but I loved that little workhorse when I had it. I know this isn't anything a guy wants to hear about their hardware, but it's kinda cute (forgive me lol). :)

It sure is! :D I like cute computers. They are cool.

Want some more shots, anyone?

[digitalnicotine]

If the Thinkpads were utilitarian computers, the argument you guys would be making is that their form follows their function.

This argument is flawed, for it assumes they actually function.

The Thinkpad's intetnded design aesthetic is an interesting one: the Armonkeys have to make a computer that LOOKS like it works. Gratiutious black plastic seems to hide a powerful machine. This is a trick they've been using ever since the days of Big Blue. This is also the trick the Borg attempt to replicate in their design of the Vista and XP interfaces: the "corporate" builds look more serious, even though they are the same exact system, functionally.

At least Apple's design is honest. The more powerful Pro Macs also appear more powerful from the outside than the consumer and prosumer models.

Interesting point. I never really thought about it before.

It sure is! :D I like cute computers. They are cool.

Want some more shots, anyone?

I'd love to see more shots.

[iMpathetic]

Interesting point. I never really thought about it before.



I'd love to see more shots.

Anything in specific?

[digitalnicotine]

A side shot to see the thickness? :)

[iMpathetic]

A side shot to see the thickness? :)

Awrighty, any other ones?

[iDAG]

What did the school do to those poor PCs? Light them on fire? I mean, PCs aren't that bad. XP Pro is a tad awkward at times, but it's lightweight and reasonably stable. What model of Thinkpad did you first use?

Also, it's always good to make yourself comfortable with PCs. You can't spend your life in la-la-land. :rolleyes:


Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. While I do agree that the thinkpad design is dated and utilitarian, I don't mind it at all. The keyboards are out of this world, and considering I suck at typing, that's a plus.

To take a leaf out of a video's book, "Leave the air alone!" Everyone's whining about it because it's got no optical drive, blah blah blah.... The thinkpad doesn't have an optical drive either, and I don't expect it to. If the air did have an optical drive, it'd essentially be an overpriced MacBook.

At least the X41 has a nice, 1.5lb dock with a DVD drive and tons o' ports.

EDIT: Also, a point I want to stress. i do not expect anything I bought for $350 to be an Air killer. It comes close though.

I have no idea what model they had. In a world were it is becoming more "acceptable" to use Macs in any environment, I don't think I'll ever need to be comfortable with PC's. :)

Concerning the design of the Thinkpad, the keyboard is not that great. I don't know how I typed before I got my MacBook. Earlier this week I had to use my dad's MacBook Pro to work on his website and Apple really needs to update its keyboard because it's horrible. The latest Apple keyboards are the best because they are firm to type on and the keys feel really solid. Then there are optical drives and ports. The world is becoming increasingly wireless everyday. I've only have use my optical drive to install iWork and import a couple of CD's because my dad bought the physical CD before I could download them. I buy most of my music of iTunes now which is great. The ports are not needed that much either. Right now I only have two things plugged in, the power and an iPod connector. I print over a wireless network and in within a month I'll have a hard drive to hook up to that so I'll have wireless backup. The MacBook Air is the computer of the future and there is no arguing that. :cool:

[iMpathetic]

A side shot to see the thickness? :)

Ask and ye shall receive. The Thinkpad is actually about 0.2" thinner than it looks, cause it has large rubber feet. First shot is a side shot with an iBook G4, and the second is a front shot with my Powerbook.

[digitalnicotine]

Thanks, OP. Thin but not delicate. That's one thing I recall about my IBM laptop. It was sturdy. You have more laptops than I do hehehe.

[iMpathetic]

Thanks, OP. Thin but not delicate. That's one thing I recall about my IBM laptop. It was sturdy. You have more laptops than I do hehehe.

It is sturdy, indeed. When I put it down on a table and type, it feels like it's Krazy Glued to the surface.

My powerbook does that too, because it's an FF class behemoth.

[zap2]

I'll take my Asus EEE over all both of them.

The Air is faster, but this Thinkpad is a bit older, so the task we'll be doing are similar(I'd imagine)

[iMpathetic]

I'll take my Asus EEE over all both of them.

The Air is faster, but this Thinkpad is a bit older, so the task we'll be doing are similar(I'd imagine)

The EEE is friggin' slow though....

I don't know about you guys, but here's what I'm drooling over! :D
http://digital.hmx.net/img/etc/20030706_tp240.jpg

[bluedoggiant]

The EEE is friggin' slow though....

I don't know about you guys, but here's what I'm drooling over! :D
http://digital.hmx.net/img/etc/20030706_tp240.jpg

ewww *sick* :D


lol, I don't have a taste for thinkpads, sorry:o

[iMpathetic]

ewww *sick* :D


lol, I don't have a taste for thinkpads, sorry:o

Let's just say that my X41 looks freakishly huge next to that.

10" screen FTW!:D

[brikeh]

I loooove my T60, in fact...I returned my MBP(after getting 4 faulty ones) for a full refund so I could buy it.

[bluedoggiant]

I loooove my T60, in fact...I returned my MBP(after getting 4 faulty ones) for a full refund so I could buy it.

whats so lovable about them??? They are just black, and look like they're made of cheap plastic!!!

[brikeh]

whats so lovable about them??? They are just black, and look like they're made of cheap plastic!!!

I know theyre not good looking but the feel is great, its real sturdy and the keyboard is possibly the best I have ever used.

[iMpathetic]

I know theyre not good looking but the feel is great, its real sturdy and the keyboard is possibly the best I have ever used.

Also, they're made of magnesium, reinforced by titanium alloy for strength.

Thinkpads FTW!

[chaosbunny]

whats so lovable about them??? They are just black, and look like they're made of cheap plastic!!!

Don't worry, I'm wondering too. :)

Apart from that, we had 2 extremely faulty ones at work 2 years ago.

[ryannel2003]

whats so lovable about them??? They are just black, and look like they're made of cheap plastic!!!

Cheap plastic? The Thinkpad's are some of the most durable laptops on the market. Had I not gone for a MacBook, I was gonna get a ThinkPad T60. If anything has cheaper plastic its that of the BlackBook.

[Deadaim357]

Even though Thinkpads are sturdy and have a bunch of neat features. I think there wicked ugly. I think if they made a halfway decent looking Thinkpad I'd tap that ;)

[iMpathetic]

Cheap plastic? The Thinkpad's are some of the most durable laptops on the market. Had I not gone for a MacBook, I was gonna get a ThinkPad T60. If anything has cheaper plastic its that of the BlackBook.

Yeah, the blackbook was quite literally one of the creakiest laptops I've ever used.

This powerbook is rock solid, though. :D

[bluedoggiant]

Cheap plastic? The Thinkpad's are some of the most durable laptops on the market. Had I not gone for a MacBook, I was gonna get a ThinkPad T60. If anything has cheaper plastic its that of the BlackBook.

what??? whitebooks are made of the same material!! and black has a nicer, smoother, higher-quality matte finish, though i still vote for white, black isn't made of cheap plastic.

[ryannel2003]

what??? whitebooks are made of the same material!! and black has a nicer, smoother, higher-quality matte finish, though i still vote for white, black isn't made of cheap plastic.

I said BlackBook mainly because the Thinkpad is black as well. Both MacBook's plastic cant compare to the Lenovo's. Its simply a better built (and much sturdier) notebook.

[bluedoggiant]

I said BlackBook mainly because the Thinkpad is black as well. Both MacBook's plastic cant compare to the Lenovo's. Its simply a better built (and much sturdier) notebook.

Well, yeah, I guess, MacBook's are the most "faulty" computer's apple has made as in they need a lot of maintenance. but the white and black macbook are made of the same material, black has a better finish (IMO), but back on topic.

[iMpathetic]

Well, yeah, I guess, MacBook's are the most "faulty" computer's apple has made as in they need a lot of maintenance. but the white and black macbook are made of the same material, black has a better finish (IMO), but back on topic.

Yes, back on topic is good.

Does anyone else find that this Thinkpad is kind of the 2005 counterpart of the MacBook Air? Like, cause it only uses LV as opposed to ULV CPUs, has a great keyboard with a light, and was really thin for its time?

[Everythingisnt]

Thinkpads are pretty neat little computers. I definitely sympathize with you over speed issues (my dad's old '06 thinkpad is horribly slow), but they do get the job done.

And for $350, you can't really go wrong, can you? You could buy 8 of those for the price of one MBA!

[iMpathetic]

Thinkpads are pretty neat little computers. I definitely sympathize with you over speed issues (my dad's old '06 thinkpad is horribly slow), but they do get the job done.

And for $350, you can't really go wrong, can you? You could buy 8 of those for the price of one MBA!

Well, first of all, as I recall, your definition of "slow" is horribly skewed, seeing as you have a Mac Pro. :D

First of all, this thing runs XP Pro as welll as the MBA runs Leopard, if not better. I'd say, in terms of overall snappiness, this thing is as snappy as my Santa Rosa Blackbook.

Right now, I'm pulling my hair out... I want to sell my Powerbook for a refurbished X61, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to use such a little computer as my main machine. My trend is to have a fast, largeish laptop and a slower desktop, I guess I'd be okay if the laptop was slower.

Do you know what model of Thinkpad your dad has, and how much RAM it has? You need at least 1GB to run well with a Thinkpad, as all of the software they come with eats RAM for breakfast. (Notice how I don't think it's bloatware.)

[UMHurricanes34]

Looks? No. Sexiness? Maybe. OS? Yes.

Now for the IBM:

Practicality: Yes. Cheaper: Yes. More ports: Yes. Better to travel with: yes. Dock: Yes.

Seriously? The prettiest thing to come out of IBM is the fact that Apple no longer has a relationship with them.

IBM's are hideous and if you think that thing is better looking than a MBA then you're nutsoid.

[iMpathetic]

Seriously? The prettiest thing to come out of IBM is the fact that Apple no longer has a relationship with them.

IBM's are hideous and if you think that thing is better looking than a MBA then you're nutsoid.

Well, I am nutsoid to a point. I think that there's something very good-looking about the thinkpad's no-frills design. To me, the MBA's proportions make it look goofy, almost like a children's toy.

[NintendoFan]

Actually, the X41 is interesting I didn't realize it had a 1.8" hard drive when they first came out. How's it at running XP?

[iMpathetic]

Actually, the X41 is interesting I didn't realize it had a 1.8" hard drive when they first came out. How's it at running XP?

Let's just say that most applications, such as Firefox, are fully loaded within three seconds. It's got a Pentium M CPU running at 1.5GHz, with 2MB cache and a 533MHz FSB, which speeds things up a lot.

The hard drive is a little loud, but otherwise, this thing is plenty fast to be a main computer, and it Geekbenches higher than my 1.67GHz Powerbook with 1.5GB RAM and a 5400RPM disk.

[zap2]

The EEE is friggin' slow though....

Well I'd have to disagree, but for 350, and if you're happy with it, awesome, congrats!

[phiberglass]

mmm I can't imagine buying another PC in my life, let alone using windows...

[FleurDuMal]

If I were using my laptop just for work (i.e. Office applications, email, some browsing), then I would got for the Thinkpad myself just for the durability and the increased portability. As long as I had an iMac or 17" MBP at home to come back to and do the fun stuff on. The Thinkpad just seems a little bit more 'professional' to me than the Macbook.

However, as my laptop is my only computer then I need something to do work on and all my fun stuff (music, movies, photos, internet, etc) the Macbook does for me. Also, I'm a student until June so I don't need anything that feels professional until next year.

[Zwhaler]

My school has Thinkpads for notebooks. They are one of the worse PC's I have ever used. I hate them with a passion (and any PC as a matter of fact). :cool:

Gimme online 5!:D


Agreed.

Yup, my dad was given one from work (he owns a MBP though) and I have used it before and I despise it. He just doesn't use it at all.

[iMpathetic]

Yup, my dad was given one from work (he owns a MBP though) and I have used it before and I despise it. He just doesn't use it at all.

Yeah.

I hear the R series, especially the R-**-e, aren't as good as the other ones.

[MicBook]

mmm I can't imagine buying another PC in my life, let alone using windows...

Amen brother

[iMpathetic]

If I were using my laptop just for work (i.e. Office applications, email, some browsing), then I would got for the Thinkpad myself just for the durability and the increased portability. As long as I had an iMac or 17" MBP at home to come back to and do the fun stuff on. The Thinkpad just seems a little bit more 'professional' to me than the Macbook.

However, as my laptop is my only computer then I need something to do work on and all my fun stuff (music, movies, photos, internet, etc) the Macbook does for me. Also, I'm a student until June so I don't need anything that feels professional until next year.

Yeah, I'm thinking about getting rid of my powerbook for another Thinkpad, possibly a Z61m or something. I think I'd die if I didn't have a Mac to come home to at the end of the long, hard day, though.... :D

Even though it really shouldn't matter to me, I care a lot about how "professional" a computer looks. The Thinkpad is truly the best computer for that. The Powerbook looks a lot better than most Macs, though, in that sense.

[chaosbunny]

Yeah, I'm thinking about getting rid of my powerbook for another Thinkpad, possibly a Z61m or something. I think I'd die if I didn't have a Mac to come home to at the end of the long, hard day, though.... :D

Even though it really shouldn't matter to me, I care a lot about how "professional" a computer looks. The Thinkpad is truly the best computer for that. The Powerbook looks a lot better than most Macs, though, in that sense.

I'm sorry, but having a "professional looking" computer won't make you any more professional than you already are. Apart from that, professional look does not equal ugly look. A Powerbook or mbp does look a lot more professional to me than a thinkpad, I work in the design industry though. :o

Just my opinion...

[bluedoggiant]

Yeah, I'm thinking about getting rid of my powerbook for another Thinkpad, possibly a Z61m or something. I think I'd die if I didn't have a Mac to come home to at the end of the long, hard day, though.... :D

Even though it really shouldn't matter to me, I care a lot about how "professional" a computer looks. The Thinkpad is truly the best computer for that. The Powerbook looks a lot better than most Macs, though, in that sense.

your not my friend anymore:mad:


haha, jk, just paint the PB black.:rolleyes:

[iMpathetic]

your not my friend anymore:mad:


haha, jk, just paint the PB black.:rolleyes:

Well, I did get the blackbook for a reason...

I hate using computers that look like they were designed for children.

[FleurDuMal]

I'm sorry, but having a "professional looking" computer won't make you any more professional than you already are. Apart from that, professional look does not equal ugly look. A Powerbook or mbp does look a lot more professional to me than a thinkpad, I work in the design industry though. :o

Just my opinion...

Rightly or wrongly in some professional circles perception is important and rightly or wrongly the MB and MBP just aren't considered 'professional'. I can't quite imagine an investment banker or city lawyer whipping out a shiny white Macbook at a board meeting, and nor can I imagine it'd create the image that he or she would want to present. Although I'm sure some professional circles are more receptive of Macs than others - design I imagine being the most receptive.

And this is coming from someone who wants a Asus Eee PC. So I'm in no way snobbish about my computers...

[redrabbit]

After I graduate college, I plan on doing a lot of traveling abroad, especially in regions in south east Asia and rural China. I can't imagine using a MBP there since it would just be much more attractive to thieves. I think a nice, sturdy, thinkpad that blends in would be the perfect laptop for that need. Sometimes, you actually don't want to stand out with your computer.

[iMpathetic]

Rightly or wrongly in some professional circles perception is important and rightly or wrongly the MB and MBP just aren't considered 'professional'. I can't quite imagine an investment banker or city lawyer whipping out a shiny white Macbook at a board meeting, and nor can I imagine it'd create the image that he or she would want to present. Although I'm sure some professional circles are more receptive of Macs than others - design I imagine being the most receptive.

And this is coming from someone who wants a Asus Eee PC. So I'm in no way snobbish about my computers...

Well, first of all, it's not like I'm snobbish about them either. I find it just helps me appear more serious about the deals I negotiate, considering I only just turned fourteen. I find that people take me more seriously when I whip out my Thinkpad.

Like it or not, it's what I have to do sometimes to boost my success rate. :rolleyes::mad:

[redrabbit]

hahahaha, what kind of deals do you negotiate at 14? Baseball card trades? :p

[iMpathetic]

hahahaha, what kind of deals do you negotiate at 14? Baseball card trades? :p
Tee hee, you're a riot.

I actually buy and sell and trade computers on Craigslist. I went from $25 cash to a 2.2GHz black MacBook in five months.

Here (http://bensapplegoodness.blogspot.com/2008/03/stuff-for-sale-right-now.html)'s one of my postings.... I posted it to my blog because it's so friggin' huge.

[Shotglass]

I actually buy and sell and trade computers on Craigslist. I went from $25 cash to a 2.2GHz black MacBook in five months.Teach me.

[iMpathetic]

Teach me.

OK.

What do you want to know?