Full Review

I've finally joined the modern world, and got a computer that doesn't have the processor speed of a little hamster running around his wheel. The computer I ended up buying was an IBM thinkpad T21.

So what exactly did I get for my money?

The Specs

Intel Pentium 3 Pentium IIIs are relatively grunty processors by the standards of three years ago, but bottom of the line for new computers nowadays. That's technology for you. It's capable of doing what I need - I do a bit of picture editing, so everyday usage for Internet and Word Processing is a breeze.

800MHz This is how fast the processor runs. It's kind of like horsepower, or torque or something (I'm not a stats-freak. Again, it's pretty slow for a new machine, but that's why these workhorses can be picked up pretty cheaply.

14.1-inch XGA This is the size and type of the screen. It's 14.1 inches diagonally, or something (the size of a small TV, but you sit quite close to it). I haven't had any problems with eye-burn, even after some very lengthy sessions (what can I say? Our cable package sucks)

128MB SDRAM Random Access Memory is computer talk for how much stuff the computer can keep in its head at once. This is enough for several copies of Internet Explorer, Winamp (an mp3 player), Word, and a picture editing program (GIMP for anyone who cares). Since I'm not going to be refighting World War Two, or anything like that, this is enough.

20GB HDD This is how much stuff the computer can keep in its filing cabinet. 20 Gigs is a whole lot of space if you're not playing games or storing video. I think I've used maybe 3 Gb in a month of heavy work type usage (plus copying my entire CD collection onto the hard drive).

DVD-ROM / floppy drive I can watch DVDs! Hooray! If I really want to, I can take out the CD/DVD drive and put in a floppy drive and store files on the medium of the 90s.

I have a memory slot free which means I can double the RAM if I want, and a whole bunch of ports (one of each type I think, but I'm a little baffled by all the different shapes - I'm still getting my head around square pegs and round holes.

Anyway, most of this is behind the scenes stuff.

The T21 for real people

Pros
If you haven't bought a laptop recently, or ever, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how small and light the T21 is. I haven't weighed it or anything, but any site you go to will give you the exact details.

The Track point (or whatever it's called) "mouse" is a weird little red rubber nipple in the middle of the keyboard. My first few times using it the pointer lurched around the screen like a drunken sailor at chucking out time. Since then though, I have become quite proficient at using it and I actually prefer it to a trackpad now. Why? I find it more accurate, quicker, and less prone to getting dirty or greasy (I have a bad habit of eating lunch while reading emails).

The trackpoint system also includes an "extra" button. The big blue button can be customised to work as either a magnifying glass or a scroll bar. I like this - I can scroll documents without having to move the pointer all the way over to the edge of the screen.

The keyboard is nice and soft (I'm quite a violent two-finger pecker). This means that it is relatively quiet when I'm hammering away late at night. It also registers every tap once and only once. The keys seem nicely spaced out as well - I'm not sure how they've done it, but it almost seems full size.

Cons

It does get quite warm. I hang around my house in shorts, and if I actually use it on top of my lap, I get a little warm. Still, I guess I could save on heating bills.

It is a little outdated, definately a low-spec machine, so I can see myself "having" to replace it in a couple of years because I "need" to run some fancy new killer ap.

Overall
Overall, I'd say that the T21 is a very solid workhorse machine. It will more than cover the user who wants to do email, world processing, and all that normal boring stuff. It won't cover someone who wants to edit video (at least not without more memory than mine) or play the absolute latest games.

I am very happy with my T21 - it outperforms my friend's slightly older but higher-spec machine (Toshiba I think) and meets all my needs. I've even managed to drop it down the stairs without any major ill-effects (definately not recommended, your milage may vary).