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On Mon, 26 Aug 1996 11:39:40 -0700 jesse montrose wrote: > From: jesse montrose <jesse@spine.com> > Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 11:39:40 -0700 > Subject: Re: TP 560 Owners--Info? > To: tp750@cs.utk.edu > > I've been wondering about these questions myself, any 560 owners want to share? This is a copy of email I sent to Randy... > This is a request to those TP 560 Owners and those who know a lot about the machine: I am not a knowledgeable person, but I can give you my impressions. > The TFT screen is 800x600, right? What's the max color depth you can have at that resolution? 64K colors? > At present I have 800x600 with 64K colors. Alternatives offered are 800x600 at '16 bit colors' or 640x480 with '24 bit colors' > Any quirks about the machine I should know about it, especially with respect to Win '95 (I presume it has all the drivers you need?)? Apart from faulty keyboards in general (my backspace sticks; others have reported sticking keys) everything is in perfect running order. I put in 16MB RAM which I think makes a bit of difference to speed, etc. > Does anyone know about the performance difference between the P120 model & the P133? Is it significant at all? One magazine article I read dismissed the difference as anything to get excited about and said it would just add heat to the internals of the computer, but I am running the P120 and haven't had a chance to look at a P133 model. It's really fast as far as I am concerned. I am appending a news message from comp.sys.laptop in case you miss it: Terence Mark wrote: > > In <321B8FBC.1F5E@www.sorbothane.com>, Brian Gordon <webmaster@www.sorbothane.com> writes: > >Is anyone using the IBM ThinkPad 560? I am looking for an > >evaluation of the unit. What do you like and dislike. I > >am considering buying one. > > > >Thanks, > > > >Brian > > Likes: > - it's very light > - keyboard and trackpoint are good (although I received 2 machines with > faulty keyboards, the third one is a charm so far) > > Dislikes: > - external floppy is very awkward to connect; cable design and placement > of ports on both computer and drive make using the drive very inconvenient; > would be almost impossible with limited space (say, on an airplane). > - IBM seems to have some quality control problems - one of my machines died > 24 hours after getting it. On another, the floppy drive cable and/or > connectors went bad after a week of use. > - only a 1 year warranty > - I was forced to pay for Windows 95. > - I was forced to pay for SmartSuite. > > terry > tmark@psych.ucla.edu I would agree with the above, except: The external floppy drive is no different from the one I had on my Toshiba 2155CDS. One addendum: IBM doesn't specify that the floppy drive should only be attached or disattached while the computer is OFF otherwise (according to a magazine article) there is a risk of damaging the floppy disk controller through power surges, spikes and the like. (Toshiba didn't warn of this either). Further, the Smartsuite (which is free) comes on CD-ROM, so you have to find some way of installing it. By way of further comment... Overall Evaluation: Excellent. I have the P120, 12.1" TFT screen. Out-of-box experience: excellent. I am running Windows 95 and installed 16MB additional RAM immediately. Everything is smooth. I have not had the problems of slow minimizing Windows that were reported in earlier news messages. Display: very good - not as bright as I imagined (first TFT screen after two passive-matrix screens) but at least family/friends can see what I'm trying to show them on the screen. The size (12.1") and resolution (800x600) of the screen really do make a difference in being able to see fonts more easily. Battery life: haven't used it hard yet, but informally, I have got 2-2 1/2 hours use without any sign of having to shut down, although the extra RAM helps here. It's Lithium Ion, so there are no headaches about having to run the battery down totally before recharging. I have had trouble getting hold of another battery unit. It is a bit cumbersome setting the power management variables in detail, but with this battery I have not been bothered to do that much customisation. Ease of use: IBM includes some very useful utilities, so that you are really in charge of the machine, not subject to the whims of what OS makers make available to you. Example: It's very easy to turn the power on/off to the PCMCIA slots so that you can leave a card in the slot without it drawing power from the battery when not in use. (Not the case with two previous Toshibas) Support: (UK perspective) I have not had to call on IBM for service yet, but while researching what laptop to get, they got 10/10 for knowledge and response-time. In addition, down the road I will go to Windows NT: the IBM web site has the best resources on the whats and hows of setting up and running NT. The TP560 is supported for Windows NT 3.51 and will be for 4.0 when it comes out. Toshiba had nothing on its Website last time I looked and apparently Compaq couldn't say when they will support NT on the rival Armada 4100 at the present time. DEC is supposed to offer NT 4.0 pre-loaded on its Hinote Ultra II. But I diverge. Looks: Even though I myself am satisfied with the looks, others who look at it are just *wowed*. It seems to be a bit of a knockout. They say, 'It's light! I want one!' :-) Other points Likes: - The ports at the back are covered by a rubber cover which you take off when you want to use the ports and put back on at other times - a very nice halfway house between breakable hinged covers and no cover at all. - The power adapter is small and light, too. Dislikes: - The trackpoint pointing device is sluggish to my mind, even with fast settings in Control Panel. I am hoping that the current version of Mouseware which is bundled with the Logitech Mouseman I have on order includes the mouse acceleration feature it had in previous versions. - Although there is a port replicator available, there is no Docking Station for the TP560: IBM says they will monitor customer requests before determining whether to produce one. For what it's worth, here is my list of why I chose the TP560 over comparable products from other manufacturers. My most important criterion (aside from being lightweight) was the availability of support around the world - including Africa: this was very heavily in IBM's favour. Compaq Armada 4100 Disadvantages: no Windows NT support in sight; expensive if all the various bits and pieces are bought to make it modular (batteries, multimedia module); smaller screen (11.3/11.8"); uncertain as to when it will ship; query over the keyboard - lack of positive reviews Advantages: better sound system; Cardbus-ready PCMCIA slots; 2MB video RAM; Level 2 cache; 3 year warranty Toshiba Portege 650CT Disadvantages: No Windows NT support talked about; smaller screen (11.3"); short battery life; fan needed to cool the P133 chip (!); heavier; query as to when available. Advantages: built-in fax/modem; 16MB RAM standard; Cardbus-ready PCMCIA slots capable of taking Zoomed Video technology; 3 year warranty; Level 2 cache; 2MB video RAM Digital Hinote Ultra II Disadvantages: smaller screen (10.4" - 11.3" now available?); inconvenient floppy drive attachment; query over the keyboard Advantages: Windows NT pre-load available; lightweight; Level 2 cache; 3 year warranty This is not an in-depth comparison, and above all, I did not have the chance to actually TRY OUT the different machines. Jayan Patel patelj@essex.ac.uk