[Tfug] Laptop choices

[JD Rogers]

> > It is time for me to get laptop.

I got a used T20 a few years back and it is now still my main machine.
In hindsight, I would still do the same over a different brand. A used
thinkpad can go a loooong way. (Even when you drop it over and over,
and crack the case, and bang it against door frames, etc.) Now I'm
thinking about buying a new one in the next year or so, but if I were
choosing a used one, I would look for:
- ram over proc speed (make sure whatever you get has at least 512)
- pentium M over P4 or P3 (much better pipeline and much faster at the
same clock speed than the p4)
- Integrated wireless (so you don't have an extra card or dongle hanging off)
- at least 20GB per OS you plan to run on it (I started to feel the
pinch on my 12GB drive recently)

Beyond that, its all just wishlist for me.. usb2.0, 802.11g, SXGA+..

One last thing you may want to keep in mind: Anytime you buy a used
laptop, expect the battery life to be pretty short. New batteries can
be $60-100, but worth it of you will be using it on battery much.

Happy hunting,
JDR