IBM ThinkPad T42SMB Notebook PC ((1.7 GHz Pentium M (Centrino)) 2378FZU

Rating:
Summary: Great Laptop-thin, light weight, great features
Review: I am an IBM ThinkPad bigot as I have had excellent service from 3 prior ThinkPads over the past 7.5 years. They just work reliably day after day.

This 2378FZU laptop is one of the standard Think Express models currently offered from IBM. Their express program offers aggressive pricing and good availability on certain laptop configurations aimed at small and medium businesses. The 2378FZU is in the middle of the pack for current offerings in the Express program (Dec 2004). Windows XP Professional is included. The 15 inch display is about 3/4 inch wider than the 14.1 inch display but offers visibly improved viewing area. The system is light weight for this sized display. It has both the TrackPoint and touch pad cursor controls. I prefer a mouse, but occasionaly use the TrackPoint. I don't like touch pads on any laptop as they are always in the way. The touch pad is the first item that I disabled on my system.

The two-pronged power cable is easy to adapt to international power unlike some brands which have a grounding plug that makes it more difficult, in my experience, to find an adapter.

The description on Amazon is not correct. There is NO fingerprint reader on the model 2378FZU. The other specs are correct. It only comes with a one year warantee, while some more expensive IBM models come with 3 or 4 year warantees standard. Warantee on this model can be upgraded to 3 years of depot service from IBM for $112 (or longer for more $).

Standard on ThinkPads are such features as the Active Protection System which detects sudden acceleration and parks the hard drive heads automatically to help prevent damage to the hard drive from shocks.

I am very pleased with the features and performance of this laptop. I would definitely buy another ThinkPad. Watch for rebates from Amazon or special offers such as free extra battery or carrying case when purchased direct from the vendor for your best value.

Rating:
Summary: IBM Support is the worst.
Review: I got this machine 10 months ago and recently its trackpad button lost its spring action. The machine is under warranty but the IBM support says it happened because of the abuse. I do not understand how you can abuse the trackpad button on a laptop.
Apart from that, the LCD started flickering when I open or close the lid and there is a crack on the palmrest which is propagating on its own. The keyboard also wore out pretty fast. I Would not recommend this machine to anyone. I have had dell, hp and sony laptops before and i must admit the best was the hp.