IBM ThinkPad T42 Review (pics, specs)

by Tim McNellie

IBM ThinkPad T42 Overview

The IBM ThinkPad T42 with Flexview is a damnably frustrating machine. It’s not that it’s a bad computer. Quite the opposite, it’s easily one of the best thin-and-light business laptops on the market.

It’s built like a tank, wrapped in IBM’s rock-solid case that folds to a slim 1.2 inches. The screen is gorgeous, one of the best 15-inch displays you’ll see on a notebook. The keyboard, long an IBM strong suit, is easily the best around. This T42 isn’t the best performing laptop you’ll find, but should be more than adequate for most users.

What’s frustrating is that all that wonderfulness is contrasted by a mediocre battery life and the sometimes severe ghosting exhibited by the otherwise beautiful Flexview screen. A two-and-a-half hour battery combined with screen problems might not be major issues for lesser notebooks, but the T42’s strong suits –along with its price – make these flaws all the more noticeable.

IBM ThinkPad T42 Front View (click for larger image)

Buying An IBM ThinkPad T42

This review is based on the Think Express T-42 2378DXU configuration with the following specs:

• Pentium M 735 – 1.7 GHz, 2MB L2 cache


• 15-inch SXGA+ (1400x1050) TFT Flexview Display


• 64MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9600


• 512 MB RAM


• 60 GB, 7200 RPM hard drive


• CD-RW/DVD-ROM


• Intel PRO Wireless 2200BG


• Bluetooth


• 6-cell lithium-ion battery


• Windows XP


• 5.4 pounds


• One-year warranty

This package is listed at $2,299 on IBM.com, but taking advantage of a discount available to Mastercard users will bring that down to $2,184.05. (This discount, also good for Visa, Discover cards and certain banks, can also save you on accessories). Throw in a $270 three-year accidental damage warranty, shipping and tax (which IBM charges in all 50 states) and this notebooks costs $2635.57.

If you’re going to buy a ThinkPad, it may be worth your time to find a friend or relative who owns IBM stock. The shareholder’s discount can knock 10 to 15 percent off a computer’s price. There are also numerous online resellers who can give you a better price than IBM, but in taking this route you forfeit IBM’s 30-day no-questions-asked return policy and the ability to buy the company’s accidental damage protection plan.

The Exterior (Lid Down)

Like IBM’s other T40 series models, this laptop exudes physical quality from the first time you touch it. The screen cover is constructed of magnesium and prevents any screen flex. The computer’s guts are housed in case of titanium-reinforced plastic. The whole thing is held together by a pair of sturdy metal hinges. The computer just looks like it could take a beating, though at these prices I wouldn’t want to test that.

IBM ThinkPad T42 Angled View (click to view larger image)

The base contains two USB ports, an S-video output, parallel port, monitor output, PC card reader and modem and Ethernet ports.

IBM ThinkPad T42 Right-Side View

IBM ThinkPad T42 Left-Side View

IBM ThinkPad T42 Back-Side View

Opened Up (Lid Up)

The inside of the machine is equally solid. The IBM keyboard is easily the best I’ve ever used. The full-size layout allows for fast, quiet and accurate typing with none of the buckling exhibited by some other setups (a major flaw for otherwise solid Toshibas). The keyboard feels like an integral part of the machine, not a string of keys slapped in as an afterthought. The only negative is the lack of a Windows key.

The palm rest is sturdy and doesn’t get too hot, even with prolonged use. The bottom gets warm, but not to the point of discomfort, even while wearing shorts. IBM’s ThinkLight, which casts a blue glow over the keyboard, is handy for working in dark places. A touchpad and pointing stick are included.

Software

The ThinkPad T42 comes preloaded with Windows XP Pro and a handy but large suite of utilities. Included are Norton Anti-Virus, PC Doctor, Access Connections and IBM’s Rescue and Recovery program, designed to allow users to get online help with the push of a button, even when the operating system won’t boot. One clever feature shuts down the hard drive if shock or sudden movements are detected.

Not included are CD-ROM backups of these programs, though if you call IBM in the first 30 days after purchase they’ll ship you a set.

The preload and recovery partition left about 50 GB free on the 60 GB hard drive.

ThinkPad T42 Performance

Performance-wise, the 1.7 MHz processor and 512MB of RAM proved more than acceptable for my uses. It takes between 90 and 120 seconds for the computer to boot Windows XP Pro, but once it gets going, it’s plenty quick. The T-42 was just a second or two slower than my Athlon 1800-powered desktop when working with programs like Photoshop, Excel and Dreamweaver. With the processor set to the highest speed, there was never a lag when flipping between photo editing, word processing, web surfing, video playback and other tasks routinely performed at my office. The “adaptive” power setting occasionally resulted in slight delays when the computer resumed work after sitting dormant for a minute, presumably because the processor powered down and revved up as needed.

ThinkPad T42 Display

The 15-inch screen may or may not be in the same class as the best displays on Sony or Toshiba machines, but will still make most other notebooks look bad when comparing text, still images or even some animations. The screen is bright, the colors are vibrant, the matte screen does a good job filtering out reflections, and frankly, most other notebook displays just don’t look right after using the Flexview.

The Flexview seems to have a slow pixel-refresh rate, however, which causes noticeable ghosting that occurs with some onscreen motion.

When characters on DVDs or in games move quickly, there is sometimes a trail left behind them. Too much motion and everything becomes blurry. Not indecipherably so, but enough to be annoying.

Dialogue scenes from the “Lord of the Rings” DVD were stunning in their clarity and detail, but once the action started, things got blurry quick. It was even worse in the restored “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” A black-and-white concert film from the Sixties left considerable streaks every time Sinatra took a step left or right. A moving white square in a monitor test looked like a comet with the tail it left behind.

I didn’t test the screen with any action-oriented games, but watching the animated opening montage of Civilization III made me feel like I just ate a Vicodin sandwich chased with a bottle of Cuervo. Everything was a blur. The actual game, full of still images, looked fabulous, however.

Scrolling through documents looking for keywords can be a chore because the text becomes a blur once set in motion. There’s also a touch of ghosting on a few web pages with sharply contrasting layout colors.

There’s also a thin brown discoloration of the screen running down the right side of the screen that gets darker and more noticeable at the bottom, where the taskbar displays the time. This sounds worse than it is, but other Flexview users have reported the same problem.

Speakers

The ThinkPad T42’s speakers, situated beneath the palmrest, are just plain bad. Some reviewers claim the sound is acceptable but tinny. To me, the ThinkPad makes any kind of music sound like it’s being played on a cheap transistor radio circa. 1930. There’s no bottom, and the high notes sound thin. The only things that are halfway listenable through these speakers are clips of old radio broadcasts, which sound remarkably authentic given the poor sound. Headphones are a must.

Battery Life

The T42 is not a computer for long trips away from electrical outlets, in large part because of that power-guzzling Flexview screen. The six-cell battery lasts between two and three hours on most normal settings. This might be acceptable for a desktop replacement, or a cheaper mainstream notebook, but it’s disappointing for an expensive machine ostensibly designed for mobility.

With the screen at its top setting and the processor set to “adaptive,” a full charge from the six-cell battery lasts barely two hours when web surfing.. Turn off the wireless or dim the screen and you might get an extra 20-30 minutes of light use. Plug in a set of headphones and that drops back to two hours.

With the processor at the “very slow” setting and the display turned down two notches to five (out of seven), the battery yields about 2 hours and 40 minutes of web surfing and word processing.

A DVD played less than two hours on power-saving settings (“very-slow” processor speed, screen set to its middle brightness) before the machine shut off.

I suspect much of this is due to the Flexview’s power consumption, which is significantly greater than a non-IPS display. Turning the screen down to zero with a minimal processor setting will allow greater computing time, but if you’re going to do that, why bother buying the expensive display and fast processor?

IBM makes a nine-cell battery that adds up to 33 percent to a ThinkPad’s life, but it’s sold as an accessory that costs $160 from Big Blue, or about $110 from a reseller. It also adds about an inch to the back of the base, which could make it a tight fit for some computer bags.

Bottom Line

True to IBM’s name, the Flexview T42 is a great machine for business applications – word processing, number crunching, reading documents, creating spreadsheets, etc. It’s hard to say enough about the build quality and how wonderful it is to use the machine for many common tasks, provided you’re near a power outlet.

The battery and ghosting should be addressed, but like an attractive woman in bad shoes, the T42’s flaws are glaring only because the rest of it is so damn great. If IBM would ship a bigger battery or otherwise improve power management, this would be the ideal computer for many users. Improve the screen, and it’s the perfect thin-and-light.

Pricing and Availability

The ThinkPad T42 can be purchased from IBM.com or various online retailers. Use the NotebookReview.com price comparison database to find latest prices and links to merchants selling the T42.

 

Tim, this is an interesting take on the T42 and it's a real shame to hear about the problems with the Flexview...I mean, what's the point of being able to see from a wider angle if what you see gets blurred when it's in motion.

Regarding the battery, I have the ThinkPad T40 and have always been extremely happy with the battery life I get on it. I don't have Flexview and my screen is 14.2", I also have a 9 cell battery, I could easily get 4.5+ hours of use out of it when it was brand new. Seems like a recommendation to potential buyers of the T42 would be to skip the Flexview for now since it might have issues, get a 9 cell battery if you can, and think hard about the screen size you want as a bigger screen will mean faster battery drain.

All your points regarding the build and solid feel are so true and it's why I'm so sold on IBM ThinkPads, love 'em.

 

Hi Tim,
Thanks for doing the review.
I do think you may have a problem with your display though.
I have the exact same model (2378DXU) and I don't notice any of the problems your talking about with the display. I don't see any of the brown band on the right side and if there is any ghosting on my LCD it would be very minimal if at all. Funny you mention those two movies, the good, bad and ugly is one of my favorites and just the other day watched it on my T42 and it played perfectly with no ghosting(it's Clint Eastwood btw, not Sinatra)
The other thing is about battery life, I have both the 6 and the 9 cell battery and use my notebook at LCD level 5 and the CPU set to adaptive. Using the standard 6-cell battery I can play the entire Lord of the Rings movie, the 3rd final movie that is and it still had 12% charge remaining. If I'm just surfing the web, word processing and such, I get right at 4 hours of use(I think the IBM spec is 4.2hours) When I put in the 9-cell battery I get right at 6 hours, I really like the way the 9-cell hangs out a bit on the back, it makes for a nice handle sort of and looks good too. I have made some modifications to the standard setup though, sine I don't use the bluetooth, modem or parallel ports at the moment; I have them disabled to help save on power. I did up my memory to 1GB, but that should increase power I would think. It may be that there is a problem with your LCD that is causing the ghosting and brown band and also causing the increased power drain. I'm not a gamer, so I can't tell you how that does...I think I'll watch these movies again and see if I can notice the ghosting if I look for it. I just think there may be a problem with your display because the way you sound it was very obvious. One other thing, I have many of the XP services disabled that are not really needed and that could affect power too maybe. I also don't run any of the ATI support programs or services like the hotkey poller or anything else from ATI, I only use the ATI drivers and none of their software like powerplay or the like.

Thanks for the review
Jack

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" (Ben Franklin)
http://pbase.com/joneill

 

based on what Jack says here I kind of wonder if IBM has a couple of different sources for their LCD screens on the T42 with one being higher quality than the other. I know that manufacturers always make sure they have enough suppliers so that they don't get into a situation in which one supplier runs out of a part and brings the whole notebook production process down, they always say that there is no difference from one supplier to the next because they provide a lowest common denominator of specs a group of suppliers can meet, but this doesn't always work. A couple of years ago Palm got into a lot of trouble in producing their Tungsten T2 PDA because one of their suppliers produced a screen that was simply crap and not half as bright as the other supplier...people ran back to the stores and demanded a T2 that had a screen made by the better supplier (excuse the fact I don't recall names or countries of these suppliers any longer).

anyway, it'd be interesting to know if IBM has got some quality issues with the LCD made by supplier X but not supplier Y or if they are indeed using multiple suppliers for the LCD screens on the T42.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by bootleg2go

 

Good review, Tim. I have exactly the same machine which I have been using for 2 month now. I got to agree about battery life, but I don't have any of the same problems with my Flexview Display. I would try to exchange your laptop first instead of returning it back.

 

Very good review Tim,

I've just got one of these T42's here in Japan after reading your review. The 15" FlexView is bright, but really has a slightly slower refres rate, but it's not annoying me much during work.

What is really bad though is that my T42 display has 6 DEAD PIXELS (!!!). IBM refuses to replace it unless there are 8 or more DEAD PIXELS. I can't believe that a machine worth $2000 can have 6 dead pixels and still be considered fully functional by IBM. This makes me reconsider the brand selection next time I'll be getting a new laptop.

Message to everybody: Check whether you can replace the machine in case the display has dead pixel(s). Or consider getting a brand with better dead pixel replacement policy.

According to the local dealer here in Tokyo the ThinkPads got a lot worse in terms of quality in the past year or two, since they are not Made in Japan or USA anymore, but Made in China.

 

Thanks for a great review Tim.

I am getting my new t42 with a slighty lower spec than your and the other guys here next week. I want to know if my specs will be plenty sufficient for my uses:
Graphic and website design using macromedia's dreamweaver, fireworks, flash--occasionally adobe photo.

Here are my specs:
Pentium M 735 – 1.7 GHz, 2MB L2 cache

14-inch XGA+ (1024x768) TFT Acitive Matrix

32MB ATI Mobility Radeon 7500

512 MB RAM

40 GB, 5400 RPM hard drive

CD-RW/DVD-ROM

Intel PRO Wireless 2200BG

80211b/g

6-cell lithium-ion battery

Windows XP

4.9 pounds

3-years warranty

----


Since you guys seem like you know your computers I would like to ask for your opinions about a few of things:
1. I feel like I will be better off with a 15"--is it better in your opinion?
2. Can you notice a huge difference with 7500 or 9600 graphics processor?
3. Is there a huge difference with 5400 rpm vs. 7200 rpm?


Basically the spec I ordered is on its way in a few days. I want to know if an upgrade to the above is worth ordering a new unit. I can refuse my order with UPS and have another one sent.




Thanks in advance,
Samantha

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by samantha9

 

Hi Jack,

Thanks for your input. I think you are right. I am sticking with my 2373GVU after all. I found one stuck(red pixel) but other than that it is just what I needed. Too much hassle to return and the chances of getting a perfect LCD seems 60/40 according to a poll at thinkpads.com. The only thing I want to change is the RAM to 1G and then I will have a near perfect machine.


samantha

 

i'd like to point out a little know fact about the venerable thinkpad t40 series. with the expansion dock it appears that the you can get dvi pass-thru. this is a huge plus if you are thinking about docking your machine and you plan on using an external TFT monitor. if you plan on taking this route, the firegl card is probably your best option.

http://stuff.silverorange.com/archives/2004/may/ibmthinkpadport

 

Hello all, thanks for the great forum and useful review. I just got a T42, upgraded at my job from a T30. I'm happy with the new machine, except there is one difference that is causing some difficulty. On the T30 there were three audio jacks: headphone out, line in and mic in. On the T42, there are only two: headphone out and mic in. I do a lot of analog capturing, both audio and video, and used the line in on the T30 for that, with great results. Now, however, I am having trouble. Maybe I am missing something on the sound card or properties, but there does not seem to be toggle for the mic in to change it to line in. When I connect a source to the input and select line on the audio properties, there is no sound, and when I use the mic in the sound is horribly distorted. I suspect this is due to a pre-amp on the mic input, but not sure. Anyway, is there a way I can have the same fine line in recording on the sound card that I had with the T30 on the T42. Much obliged for any advice.