IBM Thinkpad T43 - Revision history

Andrei.boiu at 09:30, 23 September 2021

2021-09-23T09:30:34Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:30, 23 September 2021
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	}}		}}

	[[Category:IBM]]		[[Category:IBM laptops]]

Andrei.boiu: /* Greatest features & flaws */

2021-09-02T19:57:31Z

Greatest features & flaws

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:57, 2 September 2021
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	\| Durable, stiff keyboard \|\| Shorter life trackpad buttons		\| Durable, stiff keyboard \|\| Shorter life trackpad buttons
	\|-		\|-
	\| ~~Good, somewhat quiet cooling system~~ \|\| Annoying IBM/Lenovo BIOS limitation of approved Wifi cards		\| The same design style of the T4x series \|\| Annoying IBM/Lenovo BIOS limitation of approved Wifi cards
	\|}		\|}

Andrei.boiu: /* Greatest features & flaws */

2021-08-31T22:05:39Z

Greatest features & flaws

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:05, 1 September 2021
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	\| Powerful ATI Radeon X300 chipset \|\| Insufficient cooling, no DVI/HDMI output except on docking station		\| Powerful ATI Radeon X300 chipset \|\| Insufficient cooling, no DVI/HDMI output except on docking station
	\|-		\|-
	\| Durable, stiff keyboard \|\| Shorter life ~~trackpoint~~ buttons		\| Durable, stiff keyboard \|\| Shorter life trackpad buttons
	\|-		\|-
	\| Good, somewhat quiet cooling system \|\| Annoying IBM/Lenovo BIOS limitation of approved Wifi cards		\| Good, somewhat quiet cooling system \|\| Annoying IBM/Lenovo BIOS limitation of approved Wifi cards

Andrei.boiu at 22:05, 31 August 2021

2021-08-31T22:05:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:05, 1 September 2021
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	== Benchmarks ==		== 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 ==
			{\| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2
			\|- style="background:#efefef;"
			! Features !! Flaws
			\|-
			\| Very slim yet configurable laptop \|\| No major improvements compared with T42 laptops
			\|-
			\| Powerful ATI Radeon X300 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 ==		== Review ==

Andrei.boiu: /* Best retro purpose */

2021-06-22T20:17:32Z

Best retro purpose

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:17, 22 June 2021
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	== Best retro purpose ==		== Best retro purpose ==
	Mid Windows XP era gaming (DirectX 7-8 target, DirectX 9 usable) or as 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. Intel graphics models are cooler running than ATI ones but noticeably slower in 3D games. ~~You should not try to use with~~ Windows Vista or 7 ~~as it is too~~ slow, mainly due to the graphics chipset and RAM limitations. The safest choice, also the cheapest, for long use is an Intel GPU T43 with 1024x768 screen.		Mid Windows XP era gaming (DirectX 7-8 target, DirectX 9 usable) or as 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. Intel graphics models are cooler running than ATI ones but noticeably slower in 3D games. Windows Vista or 7 runs quite slow, mainly due to the graphics chipset and RAM limitations. The safest choice, also the cheapest, for long use is an Intel GPU T43 with 1024x768 screen.

	== Benchmarks ==		== Benchmarks ==

Andrei.boiu: /* Best retro purpose */

2021-06-22T20:16:08Z

Best retro purpose

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:16, 22 June 2021
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	== Best retro purpose ==		== Best retro purpose ==
	Mid Windows XP era gaming (DirectX 7-8 target, DirectX 9 usable) or as 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. Intel graphics models are cooler running than ATI ones but noticeably slower in 3D games. You should not try to use with Windows Vista or 7 as it is too slow, mainly due to the graphics chipset and RAM limitations. The ~~best safe~~ choice, also the cheapest, for long use is an Intel GPU T43 with 1024x768 screen.		Mid Windows XP era gaming (DirectX 7-8 target, DirectX 9 usable) or as 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. Intel graphics models are cooler running than ATI ones but noticeably slower in 3D games. You should not try to use with Windows Vista or 7 as it is too slow, mainly due to the graphics chipset and RAM limitations. The safest choice, also the cheapest, for long use is an Intel GPU T43 with 1024x768 screen.

	== Benchmarks ==		== Benchmarks ==

Andrei.boiu: /* Best retro purpose */

2021-06-22T20:15:36Z

Best retro purpose

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:15, 22 June 2021
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	== Best retro purpose ==		== Best retro purpose ==
	Mid Windows XP era gaming (DirectX 7-8 target, DirectX 9 usable) or as office computer. High resolution display models are not a good choice since videocards are not ~~powerfull~~ enough for 3D accelerated games in native resolution. ~~Also~~, high resolution screens are IPS, using old technology that doesn't refresh fast enough, leaving noticeable trails on fast moving objects. Contrast is also lower for IPS screens. Intel graphics models are cooler running than ATI ones but noticeably slower in 3D games. You should not try to use with Windows Vista or 7 as it is too slow, mainly due to the graphics chipset and RAM limitations.		Mid Windows XP era gaming (DirectX 7-8 target, DirectX 9 usable) or as 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. Intel graphics models are cooler running than ATI ones but noticeably slower in 3D games. You should not try to use with Windows Vista or 7 as it is too slow, mainly due to the graphics chipset and RAM limitations. The best safe choice, also the cheapest, for long use is an Intel GPU T43 with 1024x768 screen.

	== Benchmarks ==		== Benchmarks ==

Andrei.boiu: /* Features */

2021-06-22T19:44:49Z

Features

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:44, 22 June 2021
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	*2xPCMCIA Slots		*2xPCMCIA Slots
	*VGA Output (DVI, only on docking station)		*VGA Output (DVI, only on docking station)
			*IrDA (infrared) communication, Fingerprint reader (on some models)
	*10.8V 4800mAh Li Ion rechargeable battery		*10.8V 4800mAh Li Ion rechargeable battery
	*2xUSB 2.0, Dual PS/2, Parallel ports		*2xUSB 2.0, Dual PS/2, Parallel ports

Andrei.boiu at 19:42, 22 June 2021

2021-06-22T19:42:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:42, 22 June 2021
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	}}		}}

	[[Category:~~Toshiba~~]]		[[Category:IBM]]

Andrei.boiu: /* Review */

2021-06-22T19:41:35Z

Review

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:41, 22 June 2021
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	== Review ==		== Review ==
	A ~~mostly low-end~~, quite slim laptop, released in ~~1995~~, ~~with~~ a ~~very poor LCD screen having very low contrast~~ even ~~for its~~ time. ~~The display has only two brightness levels~~, ~~standard~~ and ~~energy saving~~, ~~and a contrast knob that has to adjusted from time to time~~, ~~for darker or lighter screens. Response time is very high, with lots of ghosting~~, making the ~~laptop best suited only for office use. Overall, the screen is the biggest drawback. Unfortunately, it cannot be easily replaced with a similar era TFT one due~~ to ~~the different video chipset connectors~~ and ~~control being used~~.		A mainstream, quite slim, powerfull, business laptop, released in 2005. It had a good mix of performance parts, although it departed from the Windows 98 compatibility, had DDR2 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 T43 and the previous T40, T41, T42 series, making the T43 series to feel very dated and slightly underpowered.

	It has ~~a medium performance CPU, with a~~ quite ~~fast video controller for a 486. The CPU does not release too much heat so active cooling is not neccessary. The keyboard has reasonable tactile feedback~~ but ~~it is far from being~~ the ~~best, with quite a long key travel and a mushy feel~~. ~~The Accupoint cursor system (mouse compatible)~~ is ~~reasonably accurate but the cap disintegrates and the click buttons rubbery face fails similarly~~, ~~in time~~, ~~becoming sticky. The~~ laptop~~'s plastic case is~~ only ~~slightly durable~~, ~~far from~~ the ~~best~~.		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.

	The ~~FDD drive was a very poor choice~~, ~~since~~ the ~~belt driven disk rotation fails after many years~~, ~~compatible belts being harder to find unreliable~~. The ~~removable disk bay~~ is ~~very good for a laptop of its generation and the rechargeable battery can be easily removed or replaced. There were many Toshiba laptops that used the same battery~~ and ~~working~~ with ~~a removed battery does not affect stability or aesthetics~~. ~~There~~ are ~~two more internal rechargeable NimH batteries inside~~ the ~~laptop that may leak~~ and are ~~somewhat harder to replace (not~~ the ~~typical~~, ~~compact CR2032 3V button cell). They are used for Bios settings and memory suspension features~~.		It has a high performance CPU, with a mixed video chipset. 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 ~~integrated speaker is quite good~~, ~~although capable of only the standard PC beeper output~~. ~~No effort~~ was ~~made for integrating~~ a ~~sound card~~, ~~quite odd for a laptop released in 1995~~, and ~~especially so for~~ a ~~Japanese laptop~~.		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 ~~standard HDDs supplied by Toshiba have a known tendency to have their heads stick to the parking position limiter when old~~, ~~making the drive fail to start~~. ~~Careful internal dissassembly~~ is ~~required~~ to ~~unstick the heads from the parking position~~. ~~Use care and touch only the drive arm near the center pin to slowly unstick it~~. ~~Overall~~, the ~~hard-drive offers medium performance while having quite a pleasant sound in operation~~.		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.

	Software support is great in ~~DOS and~~ Windows 3.~~1. In Windows 95~~ you ~~start to feel the sluggishness of the system as~~ the ~~video controller has insufficient acceleration and low screen scrolling~~ performance ~~and the CPU is quite slow~~ for ~~a reasonably loaded Windows 95 system. Although the video controller is faster than some Trident models and especially so in comparison with Paradise Western Digital chipsets~~ of ~~its time~~, ~~the CPU is by far the slowest component~~.		The standard HDDs supplied by Western Digital are reasonably fast and quite silent. The only drawback is that IBM started using BIOS detection to nag users if an unsupported drive is used. The same annoyance is even more severe in the case of wireless cards as only supported IBM branded or accepted cards can be used.

			Software support is great in Windows XP. However, 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.

	{{footnotes\|		{{footnotes\|
	# ~~Only the screen and video chipset configuration~~ are ~~different~~ between ~~2130CS and CT models~~, ~~all specifications and~~ the ~~potential performance is the same. The CS version was marketed~~ as a ~~low cost option of~~ the ~~CT model~~ due to the ~~cheaper~~ screen~~. A 486 DX4 laptop was quite a poor choice considering that some Pentium laptops started to enter the market in 1995-1996 and most had some sound-card capability~~.		# There are no visual clues to differentiate between display types or graphics chipsets based on exterior appearance. However, the 15 inch can be easily noticed as they use a different, thicker, right screen hinge. Models with or without Bluetooth can be spotted if the screen assembly was not changed, due to the well known status bar light on the lower side of the screen.
	}}		}}

	[[Category:Toshiba]]		[[Category:Toshiba]]