Looking to buy a laptop....are Thinkpads still the "best"?

[George Macdonald]

I've seen the same "touch the back of the lcd screens" problem on
Thinkpads. In fact, it was the first time I've ever seen the problem
was on a Thinkpad (my old T21), never seen it before on anything else.
It's also there slightly on my newer T42 Thinkpad, though much less
than on the T21.

Yep well it's how much force is required - I went down to CompUSA after the
Winbook incident and checked all the notebooks on display there for flex
and flimsy top panel - this was when IBM was still selling retail. The
A20(at the time) Thinkpads came out best by a long shot and the T4xs are
still far and away the best. I haven't come across a Panasonic Toughbook
to compare but the choice is limited there and expensive.

 

[YKhan]

Yep well it's how much force is required - I went down to CompUSA after the
Winbook incident and checked all the notebooks on display there for flex
and flimsy top panel - this was when IBM was still selling retail. The
A20(at the time) Thinkpads came out best by a long shot and the T4xs are
still far and away the best. I haven't come across a Panasonic Toughbook
to compare but the choice is limited there and expensive.

In fact, the Gateway I just bought myself last month seems to be one of
least flexive notebooks I've ever had. Even though it's plastic, it
seems to be a tough plastic. Can't get the LCD screen to flex at all on
it.

Yousuf Khan

 

[George Macdonald]

In fact, the Gateway I just bought myself last month seems to be one of
least flexive notebooks I've ever had. Even though it's plastic, it
seems to be a tough plastic. Can't get the LCD screen to flex at all on
it.

The flex I was referring to was in the entire case/chassis - last time I
looked at the retail offerings they were all pretty much the same as before
- even Toshiba which used to rank up close to Thinkpads. Maybe Gateways'
mfr has seen the light?<shrug>