IBM Thinkpad T40 Notebook (1.50-GHz Pentium-M (Centrino), 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive)

Rating:
Summary: Bad linux support. Sony offers more value for the money
Review: It is a real shame that IBM does not currently offer this notebook preloaded with Linux, nor did IBM push Intel to release their long-promised Centrino wi-fi drivers for linux.

The hardware quality and features is good, but the software could be better. Smartsuite? Give me a break!. Unless IBM open sources their office suite, nobody will take it seriously.

It would be much better if IBM would swallow their pride, get over the "Not Invented Here" syndrome, and bundle StarOffice 7 or OpenOffice 1.1.

Creating and selling a notebook with a "Designed for Windows XP" sticker is a real shame, specially since Microsoft is out to destroy IBM.

And like I said, the bundled software could be better, and I really think IBM should give users a dual-boot Linux/Windows system as the very least, if not a 100%-linux option saving the cost of the Windows XP license.

I recommend the Sony Vaio PCG-Z1VA instead of this.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000D8ZDL/

For the same price, your get a faster cpu (1.6 Ghz vs. 1.5 on the IBM), a bigger hard disk (60 Gb. vs. 40 on the Thinkpad), USB 2.0 ports AND Firewire (the IBM doesn't provide Firewire ports), plus a better selection of sofware, and a more attractive look than the IBMs.