I am not sure what to call this article, but it is about me optimizing the use of VMWare to test out all the betas that Microsoft is releasing.
I optimized for performance and also for stability. I also wanted to make sure I had access directory when I was away from internet access....
http://slashstar.com/blogs/alex/pages/mobileenterprisedevelopment.aspx
The other day I got my hands on an IBM T60 with the Intel Core Duo 1.8 GHz and the ATI mobility x1400. The laptop is built like a tank! There is no cheap plastic to talk about except near the Power button on the top of the keyboard. Otherwise the laptop is well engineered.
Battery life is quite good with the default battery (6cell - 2-3Hrs) and much better with the extended battery (9cell 4-5Hrs). Although I was not able to get the battery performance as advertised, possibly due to running virtual machines =), but it was much better than my Toshiba M400. The nice thing with the battery design on the T60 is that it is on the back. So when you want an extended battery, it just juts out a bit on the backside of the laptop. I think this is the superior design.
One thing I had to do was get the media bay for adding another SATA hard disk. Let me tell you that it is an amazing piece of engineering. MY 100GB 7200 RPM Seagate 2.5" SATA drive fit in perfectly. No screws or drive adapters to fool around with! (Much better experience than with my M400)
The one thing I think Lenovo should have done better is not to have a screw to access the internal hard disk. But a minor gripe if there was one.
The T60 screen (1450x1050) similar to the Toshiba M400 high resolution screen is about an inch larger diagonally as compared to the M400. It is definitely brighter and more legible than the M400, however it's viewing angle seems to be less.
As far as the Fan noise as compared to my M400, the T60 is a bit better. I guess there is better logic for controlling the speed of the Fan. The one thing I did notice is that the vent for the fan is both on the Back and the Side, providing a lot more airflow. Better engineering! But the noise does get noticeable when running under high load but it quickly slows down the fan when the temp is lower. The M400's Fan sometimes just gets stuck at full speed after high load.
Well one of the first things I did was to load up Vista! As expected no issues with video drivers. Just that was cool. Aero glass worked like a charm.
I also noticed that I can easily move the hard disk back and fourth between my M400 and the T60 with very little problems. I just have to install the Intel GMA drivers and all seems well. It is nice to have similar hardware! (Obviously things like Disk Protection, Biometric sensors, Modems and such will not work but everything else does!)
The only remaining thing I have to say is that the T60 is slightly thinner than my M400 but larger overall. I think I might have to get another one of these cool bags from Timbuk2 so that the T60 fits correctly. The Toshiba M400 fits in the small bag. I think I will get the Medium bag for the T60.
Well the only thing that remains is do I really need the Tablet functionality…..
The answer is YESSSSS!
Once you expose yourself to the Tablet features, you will really miss them when you don't have them!
OneNote, Rotating Screen, and Photo Retouching are the main uses that I have for the Tablet!
Finally, if I need to connect to the office to check my email, I will use the T60. Otherwise my M400 is still my work horse. I am looking to see if I can add the internal EDVO modem to the laptop as well as the new Core 2 Duo. I wonder if the CPU is soldered in place. To be continued….