IBM Thinkpad T42
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IBM Thinkpad T42 Overview Features
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none (empty, WLAN upgradable) IBM 11b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Adapter IBM 11a/b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Adapter IBM (Atheros) 11a/b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Adapter II Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Mini-PCI Adapter Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Mini-PCI Adapter
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Best retro purpose
Mid Windows XP era gaming (DirectX 7-8 target, DirectX 9 usable only on faster ATI Radeon 9000/9600 GPUs) or as a quite modern office computer. High resolution display models are not a good choice for a couple of reasons. First, since videocards are not powerful enough for 3D accelerated games in native resolution, performance is lacking. Secondly, the Windows XP GUI looks way too small in native resolution with no magnifying applied and if applied, looks odd due to Windows scaling issues. Moreover, high resolution screens are of the IPS type, using old technology that doesn't refresh fast enough, leaving noticeable trails on fast moving objects. Contrast is also lower for IPS screens. ATI Radeon 7000 graphics models are cooler running than Radeon 9000/9600 ones but noticeably slower in 3D games. Windows Vista or 7 runs quite slow, especially on the older Radeon 7500 chipset and RAM limitations.
In general, if you strive for better compatibility with some early 3D game, upto 2002, and Windows 98 SE compatibility along with Windows 3.1 (no acceleration, however, no DOS sound support), Radeon 7500 is well suited. If you want a very versatile system, the T42 with Radeon 7500 is the best choice out of the entire T40, T41, T42, T43 models. Of course, you have to accept some small texture quality issues due to the graphics chipset. Also, the T42 with Radeon 7500 is the most common configuration you will encounter.
Benchmarks
Durability and Repair-ability
Good plastic quality means that case cracks are less common than on other models but the model by itself is not immune. Removable and fixed drive bay are easy to access and the case itself is easy to disassemble due to obvious markings on the laptop's underside as well as masking black tape placed on screws. Many generations (series) of laptops, such as the T40/T41/T42/T43 use the same, easy to find screws, trackpads and buttons, keyboards, cooling systems are interchangeable while screens, palmrests, bezels are specific to laptops sizes.
The LCD screen's fluorescent backlight is somewhat hard to replace since screens are slim. LCD screens can be inter-changed to suit a specific native resolution requirement if the proper original cabling is available. Fans and the fan blades can be easily cleaned and bearings can be easily greased, providing long service life since fan casing stud mountings can be pried open and placed back again.
Greatest features & flaws
| Features | Flaws |
|---|---|
| Very slim yet configurable laptop | Same case as on Thinkpad T40/T41 models |
| Powerful ATI Radeon 9600 chipset | Insufficient cooling, no DVI/HDMI output except on docking station |
| Durable, stiff keyboard | Shorter life trackpoint buttons |
| Good, somewhat quiet cooling system | Annoying IBM/Lenovo BIOS limitation of approved Wifi cards |
Review
A mainstream, quite slim, powerful, business laptop, released in 2004. It had a good mix of performance parts, although it departed from the Windows 98 compatibility slightly, on the more powerful ATI Radeon 9000/9600 chipsets, had DDR1 ram but not yet SATA or a webcam, even if these features were available at that time on other manufacturers' laptops. Overall, there are very small changes between T42 and the previous T40, T41, series, making the T42 series feel slightly dated.
The LCD screen has quite good specifications but high resolution models are slightly dimmer overall and on the screen edges. Response time is very high on IPS screens, with lots of ghosting, making the laptop having this display suited only for office use. Also, due to the medium quality screen resizing, running 1024x768 or lower resolutions on 1400x1050 screens looks quite blurry. Screens can be easily replaced between similar models but the connector must also be replaced if using different T4x series screens.
It has a high performance CPU, if you avoid the rare and odd Banias model, with a mixed performance video chipset, especially for Radeon 7500. The CPU does not release too much heat compared with previous Pentium 4 models. Unfortunately, the higher performing models with ATI graphics require serious cooling, are noisier and operate warmer. The keyboard is durable and with good tactile feedback. The trackpad buttons are not very durable even if the trackpad itself is so. The trackpoint and keyboard are at the level of the classic, renowed IBM quality.
The removable drive bay can house an optical drive or a hard drive, if you can find a compatible caddy. was a very poor choice, since the belt driven disk rotation fails after many years, compatible belts being harder to find unreliable. The rechargeable battery can be easily removed or replaced. The BIOS and timekeeping battery is a standard CR2032 3V button cell.
The chasis was slim, light, very comfortable, even thinner than later IBM or Lenovo models. The laptop's case is very durable, but plastic can still crack due to age or shocks. The display hinges are overly engineered, eternal. The integrated speakers are quite good, although their position, size and technology is not the best.
The standard HDDs supplied by Western Digital and Hitachi are reasonably fast and quite silent. The only drawback is that only IBM branded or accepted wireless cards can be used.
Software support is great in Windows XP and Windows 98, if you have the ATI Radeon 7500 chipset. While it is possible to run Windows 98 SE with Radeon 9000/9600 chipsets, the graphics compatibility issues mean that you cannot reliably use it as such. It is entirely possible to dual-boot Windows 98 and Windows XP. Moreover, if you use web browsers you may notice the severe lackluster performance compared with modern expectations. The same goes for wireless as this mode of connectivity was not considered for low-latency or high speed transfers, even if, on paper, it supports well established standards.