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This was in the comp.sys.laptops newsgroup and I thought it would be more
than a worthwhile posting here:
Subject: Re: Compare Thinkpad 600 / 770
Date: 5 May 1998 11:48:15 GMT
From: alee@news.comcat.com (Albert C. Lee)
Organization: COMCAT Inc.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops
References: 1
Marc Simon (nospam@wanadoo.fr) wrote:
: I was just about set on a Thinkpad 770, when, pow, out they came with
: the 600 line!
: Anyone for a comparison?
Mark,
Just a short few months ago, I was in the market for the 770. My
situation changed, but I am again shopping for laptops.
Both the 770 and the 600 are a lot alike, with a few differences...
in my opinion, you have to really _REALLY_ want these differences to
go with the 770 over the 600.
Advantages of owning the 770:
Screen size: the 770 can go to 14.1", vs. 600's maximum 13.3"
DVD support: The 1AU has native MPEG2 support vs. 600 which requires
an adapter (probably PC Card).
Speed : The 770 is the fastest out there. It will probably
perform better than the 600 (although whether or not
it is noticeable is a different question)
Ports : The 770 has a lot of native ports, including digital in
digital out, video in/out, while the 600 does not
UltraBay : The 770 has a full UltraBay, which will support extra
batteries, ZIP, DVD, etc. The 600 will eventually
support DVD, ZIP is allegedly under development, etc.
but there is very little support right now
Battery : The 770 has a very long battery life given the PII
processor. Mobile Computing rated it at 3:46, vs.
3:12 for the 600.
NT4 : NT4 can be had preinstalled on the 770. Right now,
although driver support is available, NT4 on a 600 is
a do it yourself job.
Video : 770 uses a Trident vs. NeoMagic video chipset. With it
you get 4 mb of RAM for 32 bit color at 1024x768, and
support with Linux. NeoMagic chipsets with Linux usually
necessitate buying appropriate support for an otherwise
free Linux installation.
Hard drive : Up to 8 gb. 600 supports up to 6.4 gig.
Advantages of owning the 600:
Weight : 5.6 lbs (about 6.5 lbs travel weight) vs. close to a
9.5 lbs travel weight of the 770. This alone is enough
of a reason to go with the 600, IMHO.
Size : At 1.4" thick, it is also easy to carry around. With
the 770's case designed to support up to a 14.1" screen,
the overall dimensions are pretty huge next to a 600
Price : You can 95% of the 770 for average retail of $4500 (PII,
top of the line 600). I believe the 770ED goes for just
short of $6000 for the top of the line.
Ask yourself... do you need all these extra features of the 770? If
so, then you should get it. It is a fantastic machine. However, to
me, after lugging an 8.5 lb travel weight Toshiba 410CDT, I don't
think I could really go for a heavier laptop. Additionally, although
all those nice features (ie. video in/out) would be nice to have, I
wouldn't really use them often (if at all)... they have definite
gadget appeal, but if they're just sitting there idle, you're giving
up all the benefits of the 600 just to have it. The 600 is almost as
fast, weighs 2/3 of the 770, has a very sexy look, and will eventually
support most of the options of the 770 (ie. DVD). You mentioned you
were looking at the 13.3" 770... if so, the advantages of the 770 are
even less (ie. you need the DVD adapter, I believe no built-in modem,
same large size).
In short, you get an awful lot of computer with the 600. And you can
afford the top of the line 600 for the price of a mid-range 770.
Albert C. Lee URL: http://www.leesoft.com/alee
209 Valley Forge Lookout Place, Radnor, PA 19087
Home phone: (610)260-1093 Cellular: (610)324-9569
Home fax : (610)260-1096 Company : http://www.leesoft.com
-------
Randal J. Whittle whittle@usc.edu (213) 740-7775
Director, Electronic Commerce Program
Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California