In news:hr824t$6iu$1@news.eternal-september.org,
~misfit~ typed on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:13:59 +1200:
> Somewhere on teh intarwebs BillW50 wrote:
>> In news:hqr0lh$p0a$1@news.eternal-september.org,
>> ~misfit~ typed on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:28:50 +1200:
>>> All of the ThinkPads that I've dissassembled have the power jack on
>>> it's own wee board that is remote from the motherboard, connected
>>> internally by wires and a plug / socket on the mobo. If anyone was
>>> silly enough to damage the jack socket it's a very small and
>>> inexpensive item to replace. (I've also never damaged one and I
>>> don't use insulin syringes!)
>>
>> As far as I am concern, they all should be built this way. Although
>> the laptops which accepts a docking station doesn't seem to have a
>> problem either. So I see this as a second option.
>
> I have docking stations for all of my ThinkPads although only my main
> machine is usually in one It gives me an extra four USB ports (with
> printer, mouse, and external drives left plugged in) as well as
> speakers and a connection to my 20" Dell UXGA IPS monitor if I feel
> like using a second display.
My docking stations also have four USB ports as well as my four
Gateways. I also have a four port ExpressCard USB ports too. I used to
keep everything plugged in (and I used 8 or more USB ports at the time)
but some USB devices I rarely use. So nowadays I'll just plug the rarely
used whenever I need them. So four USB ports are just fine most of the
time.
>> And I only have been using insulin syringes since '08. They work very
>> nicely. As it is easier to use the keyboard when the back is lifted
>> higher. Keeps the laptop cooler. And you can even lay the laptop on a
>> soft surface like a bed or pillow or something and the air flow still
>> doesn't get blocked.
>
> My T60 is also raised at the back slightly when it's in the dock.
I can't use my homemade rear legs when it is on the docking station.
Although my docking station does raise it up too in the rear which is
very nice IMHO.
> I'm currently using this one:
> http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkPad_Advanced_Mini_Dock
>
> But I also have both of these:
> http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkPad_Essential_Port_Replicator
> http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkPad_Advanced_Dock
Oh those are very nice. Here is what my two looks like. You can click on
the pictures to see the larger view of it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-GATEWAY-RQ5-DOCKING-STATION-M460-M680-M465-E-NIB-/300355851795
> The last one includes a power supply but the 60mm fan is a bit noisy
> and the dock is *really* hard to dis-assemble (to fit a fan speed
> controller). Unlike for all of their notebooks, IBM/Lenovo don't
> supply disassembly instructions for the docks. I have read of people
> who have simply cut the power wire to the fan (you can see it through
> the back, but can't access it enough to solder extensions to fit an
> external fan controller, drat!) and they say that it doesn't
> over-heat but I'm not keen on that.
> I read of one report of a guy who *did* manage to get one apart, fit a
> controller and put it together again but he said it was a nightmare.
> I might take mine to a friend who does the impossible with
> electronics and see if he can cut the power wire to the fan and
> extend the ends out of the back so I can either put a resistor
> in-line or use a fan speed controller.
I would be interested in hearing how your friend makes out with this.
>> You might find this review interesting. It was written from a
>> ThinkPad user who reviewed a Gateway M460 (Much like my M465 and
>> MX6124 laptops). He seemed to be impressed with Gateway. Even
>> mentioned how nice the display was.
>>
>> http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2354
>
> That looks like quite a useful machine.
>
> I checked the site and see that they reviewed a T60 with very similar
> specs to mine:
>
> http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2767
That is very similar to my Gateway M465e specs. Although the M465e and
MX6124 laptops also have Firewire, S-Video, and SD card slot too. Sadly
the SD slots can only read up to 1GB cards. And I have never read that
anywhere. But all four of mine it are the same thing. Anything higher I
use an USB card reader. And no drivers for the SD card reader for Vista
or Windows 7 either. Just Windows XP and that is all.
> Mine has the exact same screen, the main differences are that I have
> a newer T60 with a 64-bit capable Core 2 Duo (2.13GHz) rather than a
> Core Duo (actually I have two, one of each) and mine doesn't have the
> bulge on the side of the lid for the WWAN. Also I've upgraded to 3GB
> RAM [1] and a 320GB 7200rpm HDD.
Most laptops don't come with enough RAM installed (well not until lately
anyway). My MX6124 came with 512MB which IMHO is not enough for XP. So I
use either 1GB or 2GB with them. 2GB is max for this model. My 465e can
handle 4GB, but I only have 2GB in it right now.
I upgraded the hard drives too. Although I tested the speed between
4200rpm and my newer 5400rpm drives and there is no speed difference.
Did you see anything greater with 7200rpm drives? This MX6124 I still
have a 5400rpm 160GB HD. But the rest I removed the upgraded 160GB HD
and threw back in the old 4200rpm 60GB original HD. I am thinking about
doing the same to this last one too.
> It's a shame that the CPU benchmarks that he uses all appear to be
> single-threaded and don't actually convey how much more powerful a
> Core (2) Duo CPU is over the single-core (but still great) Pentium M
> CPUs he compares to.
Yes that is weird isn't it? And one would think a dual would be twice as
fast as a single core at the same speed. But from what I hear, it
doesn't work that way. Using the same processor speed, the dual core is
only about 20% faster from what I have read.
My 465e came in both single and dual processor versions. Sadly mine is
the single core version. I don't think the motherboards are the same and
I would have to exchange out the board IMHO to upgrade it. And my M465e
also came with differ CPU clock speeds and mine is a 1.7G (which I think
was the slowest option). While the MX6124 are 1.5G. And frankly just
like Barry has stated before, upgrading the CPU to a bit faster speed
doesn't improve it much it all. And I don't see any big deal between a
1.5G and a 1.7G single core CPU either. Even the M465e has a faster
533MHz bus speed while the MX6124 only has a 400MHz bus speed. And I
don't see any difference there either.
> [1] The reviewer says that the T60 is "configurable up to 4GB" but in
> actual fact, although it will physically accept 2 x 2GB SODIMMs the
> Intel Calistoga i945GM/PM chipset is incapable of addressing more
> than 3GB, even if you have a 64-bit OS.
My M465e uses the same chipset. So I guess I would have the same problem
as well with 4GB installed. <sigh>
I saw one Gateway M460 for sale on eBay and the seller stated the case
was magnesium. And I thought no way! And I started to look at mine and
they sure do look like a magnesium finish. Although on my 465e, the
finish is worn in one spot and I assure you it ain't magnesium. As it is
clearly plastic with some sort of finish on top on it. Looks good, but
it isn't real. lol
--
Bill
Gateway MX6124 ('06 era) 1 of 3 - Windows XP SP2
0 pm, w...@panix.com (the wharf rat) wrote: