New IBM ThinkPad Prototypes -- Unfold into desktops?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Zopperoni
For some reason, the IBM T40 costs € 3,500 over here, which is farking expensive.

Very odd, that's ridiculously expensive.

I paid $3,500CDN (€2,282) , including tax and shipping, for a T40 w/ 768MB RAM, 1.5GHz Pentium M, etc. That's a good $400-$500 cheaper than the 1.25GHz equivalent* G4 PowerBook.

* equivalent meaning the 1.25GHz G4 being about half of the speed and with considerably less RAM

[Q Classic]

And congrats on the X31, it's basically the T40's ultraportable sibling. The IT departments ought to love them since they can share the same software images.

and with symantec ghost, one doesn't even really need to bother with sysprep.

[Asher]

My best friend just placed an order for one of the new 15-inch G4s (upgrading his old G3 iBook).

I'll have lots of pictures of the keyboard lights after a month of use, since the owners of the PowerBooks don't seem to want to take pictures of that and post it on the web.

[Drake Tungsten]

Is there any good way to clean out a laptop keyboard? My iBook keyboard could use a good cleansing.

[Asher]

I just take my keyboard off, used a can of compressed air to blow between the keys.

[Drake Tungsten]

I figured so.

[Q Classic]

or you could pressure wash it with hot water to kill all the germs...

[DaShi]

Vaccum it.

[Hagbart]

Originally posted by Asher
I just take my keyboard off, used a can of compressed air to blow between the keys.

How do you do that? Do you think it's possible on a Thinkpad x22 too?

[Snotty]

Last time I hoovered my keyboard it sucked off one of my keys. Digging it out of the bag....urgh.....

[- Groucho -]

Originally posted by Asher
I just take my keyboard off, used a can of compressed air to blow between the keys.

Yeah, how do you do that? I've got a T40 and I can tell that the keyboard is a separate module because of the seem along the side, but I can't figure out what unhooks it. Of course, since I was given the laptop through work, the IT guys would rather chew out their own arteries than give me a manual or let me open this thing up, so no advice there ...

[- Groucho -]

Do you just unscrew the two little screws on the bottom that have the number "3" and what looks like it could be an icon representing a keboard? The other icon there - it looks kind of like an index card, but could be the screen - kinda worries me in that I have no idea what it signifies ... don't want to have the screen fall into my lap.

[Asher]

Here's IBM's website with diagrams on how to remove and put back the keyboard on T40s: http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site...cid=MIGR-46515

[Wiglaf]

The whole idea of a laptop folding out into a desktop is a little feminine, Asher. Let's wake up, folks - it takes a pretty indecisive and insecure individual to be unable to decide between notebook and desktop. On second thought, it takes a wimp. Like a dog with its tail between its legs. Reminds me of a guy saying "I'm a metrosexual" instead of "I'm gay" or "I'm straight" - they are obsessed with the middle ground. Making the analogy all the more perfect, the individual in question really is by his own admission more feminine than normal. His "agenda" for a day might include a makeover or a facial, for example. Damn I'm good.

[Asher]

[Jack_www]

Originally posted by laurentius
Um, that prototype of yours doesnt look nearly as portable as this:

If i had a laptop I would never get this stupid thing. What a waste of money and the fact you have to carry it around with you along with your laptop.

[- Groucho -]

Originally posted by Asher
Here's IBM's website with diagrams on how to remove and put back the keyboard on T40s: http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site...cid=MIGR-46515

Hey, thanks! There is no longer any evidence of the unfortunate pretzel incident of last week lurking under the keyboard!

[laurentius]

Jack_www good for you. As far as I know everyone who has laptop and who has tried Laptop Desktop practically can't live without it anymore
So since you don't have laptop and you don't have experience whats it like to have laptop, your comment is somewhat invalid.

[Agathon]

Isn't this a bit of a silly idea.

Let's say I had a Powerbook or whatever you guys have and wanted to use it as a desktop, but also take it elsewhere.

Here's what I'd do - buy a display, wireless keyboard and mouse - presumably there is some way to run these things closed. Plug in the monitor and there you have full desktop functionality. That machine at the top of the thread looks to be too much of a pain.

[laurentius]

Heres something for you Jack_www:

"Once you use this ensemble, you will never leave home without it. Hats off to the designers of this very practical and well-designed product."

http://computertimes.com/aug03edchoicelaptopdesk.htm

"If you’ve been impacted by laptop discomfort, well have I got a product for you. Simply called the Laptop Desk, it’s a small, light, portable device that will increase the comfort of use and at the same time greatly reduce the effects of lapburn."

"I have no problem recommending this product to any user who feels that his or her laptop use is dictated by comfort levels. The Laptop Desk is very well constructed; it’s very portable and extremely durable."


http://www.systemcooling.com/modules...ticle&sid=1072

"When I first received the unit I was a bit wary. I thought “I spent $30 for this little piece of plastic?” But let me tell you, this is one of the best purchases I have made. I really love this little piece of plastic. I can't imagine using a laptop without it. Even with my immediate plans to upgrade to a Toshiba Tablet PC, I won't be giving up my LaptopDesk!"

http://blog.wolfinger.net/zak/posts/224.aspx

"The benefits that this product brings to the market are not revolutionary but ingenious. The Laptop desk is a great addition to anyone carrying a laptop, not to mention it only weighs 1lb and 6oz, providing a generous working area of 20 inches long by 11 inches wide with a stick/slip rubber coating on both sides. The slots in the taught durable plastic allow for proper airflow ensuring proper cooling. The Laptop desk easily folds in half and can be placed almost anywhere. In addition, this product is not only good for a laptop but a desktop too. The five positions of the Laptop desk allows placing a computer on an incline, allowing a user to type in a more ergonomically comfortable angle.

With the addition of the Mouzpad and Swivlpad, the Laptop Desk is now complete for any laptop user on the go. The Mouzpad adds an extra area for users who do not like using those annoying touch pads. With an easy glide surface, it is a complement not only to the Laptop desk but also to anyone using a mouse. The Swivlpad allows to be turned 360 degrees in any direction while weighing only 6 ounces and being only 3/16” thin providing a laptop user where he/she likes to share anything on his screen with others."

http://www.hardware-pacers.com/pages...=218&catType=r

" By combining several innovations together such as the rugged polycarbonate material, rubber grips, and ventilation channels, LapWorks has put together an ingenious product designed to make using your laptop computer on the road easier and more comfortable.

From changing the Laptop Desk's position and typing angle to attaching the MouzPad, you'll find this product to be very simple and fun to use! You won't want to leave home without it!"

http://cheapgeek.net/reviews/lapworks_laptopdesk2.shtml

"My verdict? Well worth the cost and the weight."

http://www.computeruser.com/articles...0701%2c03.html

"Overall I'm very impressed with this product. It does what the makers claim it does. When using my notebook on my lap with the Laptop Desk, my legs never get more than warm no matter how long I use it where as before I can only keep my hot Dell on my legs for no more than 10 minutes at a time.

Keeping you from being burnt by your notebook is not the only reason you should get a Laptop Desk. If you're like me and never got use to a flat typing surface of a notebook then the Laptop Desk is a God send because you can turn it into a desktop stand for you notebook.

At $29.95 I can't imagine not getting one if you're a notebook user. I would definitely add the MouzPad option (available as a combo for $34.95) as I can never get use to the pointing system used by notebooks today. "

http://www.thetechzone.com/display.php?i=273&p=3

Need more proof?

[Jack_www]

Originally posted by laurentius
Jack_www good for you. As far as I know everyone who has laptop and who has tried Laptop Desktop practically can't live without it anymore
So since you don't have laptop and you don't have experience whats it like to have laptop, your comment is somewhat invalid.

For your information someone I know has a laptop and I use it a lot and I don't need this stupid thing. With an opitical mouse you dont need a mouse pad, it will work on any surface, you can even use a book if you wanted to. It looks like a piece of junk and I would never waste money on it when I can get a $20 opitical mouse and use a table and it is just fine.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Agathon
Here's what I'd do - buy a display, wireless keyboard and mouse - presumably there is some way to run these things closed. Plug in the monitor and there you have full desktop functionality. That machine at the top of the thread looks to be too much of a pain.

To me, this sounds like a roundabout (and far more expensive) way to do something that the prototype above does for free.

It also seems to me that if this was something Apple introduced you guys would be dancing around in circles talking about how innovative Apple is and what a cool feature it is.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Asher

To me, this sounds like a roundabout (and far more expensive) way to do something that the prototype above does for free.

It also seems to me that if this was something Apple introduced you guys would be dancing around in circles talking about how innovative Apple is and what a cool feature it is.

No. If I wanted real desktop functionality that's what I'd do. In an ideal world one would have both a desktop and laptop, but this is the next best solution.

[- Groucho -]

As a person who uses a T40 as his primary work computer and who travels a lot, this thing appears to approach my "ideal world" functionality.

I'm often spending days in other peoples offices, I work from home on my laptop and I use it as my desktop in the office. In all three of those situations, the more comfortable I can make myself, the more productive I am and the sooner I can finish whatever I'm doing. In the last month, I've spent 3 days in Boston, 3 in Memphis, 2 in Atlanta and 6 days at a financial printer in New York. During all that time, I only used my laptop on my lap twice. Most of the time I had it set up in a temporary office or in a boardroom linked to a LAN connection so I could access our VPN over a high-speed link. The IBM prototype would have been great because there is no way I'm hauling a monitor and full sized keyboard around with me.

Of course, it would be greater if Apple made it, but I'm biased so you can probably ignore that.

[Jack_www]

Originally posted by Asher

To me, this sounds like a roundabout (and far more expensive) way to do something that the prototype above does for free.

It also seems to me that if this was something Apple introduced you guys would be dancing around in circles talking about how innovative Apple is and what a cool feature it is.

Well I think its cool. Might get that laptop once I get the money. Should have enough in 2 months or so.

[laurentius]

Originally posted by Jack_www


For your information someone I know has a laptop and I use it a lot and I don't need this stupid thing. With an opitical mouse you dont need a mouse pad, it will work on any surface, you can even use a book if you wanted to. It looks like a piece of junk and I would never waste money on it when I can get a $20 opitical mouse and use a table and it is just fine.

You know someone who uses laptop? Great. You know that optical mouses can be used on any surface? Did you also know that when sitting in a bench or somewhere wheres no desk available using the mouse agains your lap is pretty inaccurate and annoying. Since you can't use optical mouses in air you need a flat surface. Something the laptop desktop will provide.
I can even use book if I want to? Hallelujah! Are you saying that I should carry a book around to avoid carrying this masterpiece of engineering? What's the point in that? In fact since my laptops is fairly large (due to the 15'4 TFT) the book I should be carrying would have to be quite big also and would weight many times more than The laptop Desktop.

Nice try, but you forget that a troll knows a troll when he sees one.

[Asher]

The Laptop Desktop seriously looks like something I'd seen on a late night TV infomercial, and the testamonials you quoted sound like the poor actors they have on them.

Whenever I'm sitting down somewhere and need to use the laptop on my lap, it's because I have no space to put it anywhere else. So having this ugly monstrocity extend out the side to provide a flat surface would do me no good, particularly when I'm particularly adept with the track point, and the only time I ever switch to my wireless optical is when I'm gaming. Even then, I've got textbooks and notebooks in my backpack, but I've never ran across a need for a mousepad using the laptop near-constantly daily.

Certainly not enough to pay for a glorified piece of rubber and plastic and lug it around with me.

In fact since my laptops is fairly large (due to the 15'4 TFT) the book I should be carrying would have to be quite big also and would weight many times more than The laptop Desktop.

Why do you need a largeass book for a mousepad because you've got a hugeass laptop?

You need a book to act as an insulator because you bought a cheap piece of crap that'll kill your chances of having kids if you use it on your lap. Desktop replacements that get hot like that ought to be sitting on a desktop, not your lap. Perhaps the "Laptop Desktop" is a necessity to offset the poor design of your laptop, but a good laptop certainly doesn't need that crap.

[laurentius]

Sorry Ash but my "cheap piece of crap" was a little more expensive than yours The fact that you have a different(newer) CPU, crappy GPU that doesnt create that much heat doesnt make my laptop cheap or poorly designed.

You don't seem to get it. Imagion me sitting on a bench in a park, with my laptop. I would not only need a bigass book to go under my laptop to extinguish heat and provide more stable surface to my i8500. I would also need a frickin pile of books to my right side for a mousepad.
So tell me wich one is more cheaper, lighter, practical and more mobile, the 1+n books or the LD

[Q Classic]

price does not mean quality with computing, laruentius.

[laurentius]

True, but are IBM's cheap? I thought not.