my latest catch...and now I'm DONE...*huge* PICS

[ajkula66]

Yeah, I know...who's going to believe that I, of all people, am done collecting ThinkPads...

More on that aspect of the story a little later...

Here's my latest catch, which will be a delayed Mother's Day gift for my better half...a top-shelf Z61m with a Ti lid...

the basics:

ThinkPad Z61m (9450-38U)
T2300E(1.66GHz), 1GB RAM, 100GB 5400rpm HD, 15.4in 1680x1050 LCD, 128MB ATI Radeon X1400, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11abg wireless, WWAN, Bluetooth/Modem, 1Gb Ether, UltraNav, Sec Chip, IEEE 1394, FPR, Camera, 6c Li-Ion batt, WinXP Pro

The Titanium lid doesn't look bad:



Until you take a closer look, at an angle, that is...



Truth being told, apart from Harry's Holy Grail and its close relatives (Ed's and Don's machines) I haven't seen too many of Ti-spec'd units in better shape than this one when it comes to the lid itself. These babies just don't age gracefully, which is a sin, since they're gorgeous machines in my opinion.

Up and running, but we're not quite done here:



The upcoming upgrades include:

a) A T7200 CPU coming next week.

b) An Atheros-chipped a/b/g/n card (42T0825) which should arrive around the same time

c) A brand new Toshiba 500GB/7200 rpm HDD (already installed)

d) 3GB RAM (already installed)

While not a FlexView, the LCD is a very nice one - likely as good as it gets for a TN panel on ThinkPads...



Now, what's all of this got to do with me pulling a plug on collecting ThinkPads?

Plain and simple: there isn't a single model that I desire and don't own at this point in the game. Seriously.

Here's the overview:

a) 701C Butterfly:

Although it rarely gets turned on, it's still a stunner. Bought from Bill Morrow himself several years ago, and lovingly restored by RealBlackStuff afterwards, all this one needs is a fresh load of OS and a new battery. Will get to that sometime this summer.

b) A31p:

Currently undergoing an umpteenth planar swap, it will enjoy semi-retirement in the guest room once fully functional.

c) T43p:

More about this monster in another post...my main rig...

d) R60F:

A FrankenPad toy for my twin boys. Bought from a fellow forum member as a lowly R60e with a Celeron CPU and XGA LCD but in excellent physical condition, it has subsequently been upgraded to a T2500 Core Duo CPU and a 15" SXGA+ IPS LCD. More RAM and a T7200 coming sometime next week...

e) T60:

This 14" top-shelf model (T7400/X1400/abgn/SXGA+...) has been my daughter's favourite for quite some time. She'll be offered an upgrade to one of my T61 units before they hit the market to be sold in their final guises.

f) X60 tablet:

My travel companion with an extremely clean and bright SXGA+ AFFS LCD. Has everything I need and nothing I don't...

Now, with my bride of 13 years getting this Z...we're calling it a day. At least until Lenovo introduces A4x series with an QXGA IPS LCD and an Ivy Bridge...

Any and all remaining extras will be offered in the Marketplace here sometime soon...stay tuned...

[Tasurinchi]

Since you have frankenpadded quite some models, what about this?

A Z61p with UXGA AND a Ti Lid from a Z61m?

or what about a G50? (I'm trying to keep you away of no collecting Thinkpads anymore )

[ajkula66]

Since you have frankenpadded quite some models, what about this?

A Z61p with UXGA AND a Ti Lid from a Z61m?

Ed (underclocker) actually put a Ti lid on Z61p and that one was a stunner...of course, he would be the one to perform the one upgrade that Lenovo never offered on Z61p...

As for G50...I have yet to see one with my own eyes, let alone mod it...

[Ibthink]

Or whats about a X300/X301? Doesn´t sound they good? In my opinion one of the best past-IBM ThinkPads (ok, I love my L520 very much too, but the X300/X301 is something really special).

Nice Z61m. Congrats.

[ajkula66]

Or whats about a X300/X301? Doesn´t sound them good?

Nice Z61m. Congrats.

Thank you.

X300/301 were spectacular machines in many respects.

However, the screen quality - at least in my opinion - left a ton to be desired...so no, I won't be purchasing any of these for my own use...

[underclocker]

George, congrats! What a nice model. Four antennas, nice! When you mentioned last year that you wanted one of these, I wasn't sure how serious you were, now I can see that you are truly unwell! I gifted my wife a Titanium Z61t years ago, so I know the feeling!

Your collection list is awesome, too. The 701's still boggle the mind - it's such a cool design.

Also, if you haven't already, you should try the Z61m with an SSD, like a 320 series from Intel, the performance is astonishing for even a current model, let alone a six year old machine.

Enjoy it.

[ajkula66]

@underclocker:

Thank you, sir!

Words of praise coming from an undisputed Z-series guru are highly appreciated.

At some point, I'll install a SSD as a boot drive and likely move this rotational one to the bay, but for now this is the "starter" setup...