Feeback on IBM Thinkpads

[Nicole]

Hi everyone,

This is Nicole, I work the Factory Showroom on Saturday's and I spend a lot of time updating the laptop fitlist. I'm looking for any and all feedback regarding dimensions and fit of IBM Thinkpads (pretty much all types) in respect to our cases. I have found it particularly difficult to dig up dimensions on IBM's (mostly because a typical model comes in both a 14 and a 15" screen as well as standard and extended battery.) Any feedback you, as users, have about how our recommended bag on the fitlist works for you and your IBM I would greatly appreciate. This will allow me to make the fitlist the most accurate, and thus useful, to everyone who comes to visit us at tombihn.com.

Thank you for your time and your patronage!

[Cobos]

I've got an IBM X40 with an extended battery that fits nicely inside a Braincell size 5.

Cobos

[Nicole]

Awesome!

Thanks for your response Cobos! Like I said, feedback like this is going to be pretty essential in making sure that I have accurate dimensions and recommended cases for the Thinkpad's.

Do you think that, now that IBM's Thinkpads are being swallowed up by Lenovo, that a new Thinkpad owner would look on the fitlist under "IBM" or "IBM-Lenovo?" Or does it make more sense if it were to read, perhaps... "Lenovo (IBM)" or something like that?

[Cobos]

Atm I would say IBM-Lenovo but I suppose Lenovo want to slowly move away from the IBM name and just use the Thinkpad name. So if you want to be futureproof you should maintain both I think. Put all the old ones and the ones into IBM (Lenovo) and then make a new category called Lenovo (IBM) for the current models and the newer ones. Or something similar, the point being you need 2 names and 2 categories IMHO.

Cobos

[Nicole]

Your humble opinion is always greatly appreciated. Thanks again for the input. If you have any other Thinkpad using friends, send them my direction.

[ChrisH]

Dimensions of 15" T43

Just FYI:

12 15/16th wide, 10 1/2 front to back, 1 3/8th thick

This is a 2686-DJU, T-43 15" screen, normal battery.

[Nicole]

Excellent!

This is exactly the kind of feedback I need. Thanks Chris!

[wergythu]

X60s

I have a ThinkPad X60s (which is the replacement for the x40) w/ 8-cell battery, and it fits in a brain cell 5 fine.

s

[bradenmcg]

The T4x series comes in two sizes, 14" and 15". Across the four generations of "x" (T40, 41, 42, and 43), the dimensions should be identical, or at least close enough to not affect fit.

My T42p (15") is about 12 3/4" wide (across the keyboard), 10 1/2" deep (front edge to back edge, at the longest portion as it tapers), and 1 5/16" tall (desk to top of closed screen).

I have a size 3 Brain Cell, and the fit is a little loose on the height. It can sort of flop back and forth inside the Cell, which is annoying. However, I went with size 3 because I wanted to handle an extended battery, which adds another 1/2" or so to the depth. To my knowledge there's nothing smaller in height that has the same width/depth. The Extended battery on a 15" model WILL fit in a Size 3. It's a little snug, but you can close the velcro without any problem and it's not just "attached by a thread" or anything. I actually try to "tighten" the velcro when I don't use the extended battery, and sort of fold in the inner flap some more to try and get rid of some of the play in the fit on the height side of things (bottom to top of screen).

I do NOT like that the system is currently recommending a Size 2 for a 15" T4x with extended battery. A size 2 is WAY too wide for a 15" T4x, and like I said, the depth of the 3 is enough even with the big battery. The height is the only issue. A Size 3 also fits in an Empire Builder, while the 2 doesn't. I'd love to see a "Size 3N" or "3.5" that is less "tall" (the third dimension in your listings). Something that has the width and depth of a size 3, but the height of a size 4, more like 1.5" or so. This will keep the large and thin notebooks from "flopping" in the cell, which can definitely help keep screen damage and HDD shock down.

I have a 2379-EZU, which is not normally a model you'd ever find for purchase, but it is a normal 15" T42 system. (It is a "bare frame" model, to which I had to add all components myself. Worked out cheaper than buying the whole thing pre-assembled.)

[Nicole]

great feedback

Thanks! I'll look into changing the recommendation from a 2 to a size 3. I was nervous to put size 3 because the fit is a little tight (depth wise) and I was afraid of someone ordering it off the website, getting it, trying it, and not really knowing how to play with it to make it fit properly without some explanation, assuming it wouldn't fit and sending it right back. I do agree though, that the size 2 is waaaay to big.

Just for your information, since you mentioned that you'd like to see a 3N or 3.5... we actually are working on modifying the current size 3 to be thinner (the other dimensions should remain the same) thus accomodating the fact that most newer larger laptops are still quite thin. The current size 3 was designed ages ago (I'm pretty sure Tom Bihn has been around for AGES. Really. Tom, if you are reading this, I mean nothing by it!!) and was made to fit, well... you know how technology changes. =P

[Nicole]

soooooo....

I have a ThinkPad X60s (which is the replacement for the x40) w/ 8-cell battery, and it fits in a brain cell 5 fine.

s

Do you think with the standard battery the size 5 would be too large for the X60s?

[wergythu]

I think the size 5 would still be fine with a regular battery...with the extended battery, the x60s fills the size 5 completely...it's a little bit on the snug side, in fact, which is to say that there's some friction when I insert or remove the laptop.

The extended battery adds a little bit over 1" to the length of the laptop, and maybe 1/4" in height. So there might be a small amount of room for it to move with a regular battery, but not much.

[Cobos]

As I mentioned above my X40 with extended battery works fine inside the Brain Cell size 5, but it is not snug. There is some space for it to wriggle inside, but even though it bothered me a bit when I got the BC it has worked perfectly the last 1.5 years I've had the BC and the X40. So I wouldn't worry much if there is some room to spare, as the BC is well padded on all sides

Cobos

[archer6]

Hi everyone,

This is Nicole, I work the Factory Showroom on Saturday's and I spend a lot of time updating the laptop fitlist. I'm looking for any and all feedback regarding dimensions and fit of IBM Thinkpads (pretty much all types) in respect to our cases. I have found it particularly difficult to dig up dimensions on IBM's

Greetings Nicole,
I am interested in an Empire Builder and Brain Cell, however I have looked at the fit list and do not see the size I need. Mine is a
ThinkPad T60. Size is: 13.2 - 10.6 - 1.4

Here is the answer to your question on IBM/Lenovo Info.
Go to www.lenovo.com/us/en
In the upper right corner is a search field.
Type In: tabook.pdf (all lowercase)
Then select # 1 in the search results and click on "file download".
This will open Adobe Reader and present you with a multi page list of every ThinkPad currently sold. Dimensions and all.

Please send an email to me at your first opportunity with any suggestions you have in terms of fitting me with the an Empire Builder & Brain Cell.

Thanks,
Archer

[moriond]

Greetings Nicole,
I am interested in an Empire Builder and Brain Cell, however I have looked at the fit list and do not see the size I need. Mine is a
ThinkPad T60. Size is: 13.2 - 10.6 - 1.4

Here is the answer to your question on IBM/Lenovo Info.
Go to www.lenovo.com/us/en
In the upper right corner is a search field.
Type In: tabook.pdf (all lowercase)
Then select # 1 in the search results and click on "file download".
This will open Adobe Reader and present you with a multi page list of every ThinkPad currently sold. Dimensions and all.

Hi Nicole,

Yes, you can quite generally find the data sheets for every current ThinkPad model from: ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pcinst...ref/tabook.pdf and for all the recently withdrawn models from: ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pcinst...ef/tawbook.pdf (tawbook.pdf includes recent models that just aren't currently being sold)

However, it might help to have some general overview comments. For earlier ThinkPad T series laptops that have 14.1" screens (T2x, T3x, and T4x without the extended batteries), I've generally found that the Size 4 Brain Cell works well, but in the case of 12.4" x 10.0" x 1.0-1.2" models (in the 14.1" T4x series), depending on the individual size 4 Brain Cell, I have to pull tighter to close the velcro flap. It's fine when the laptop is 9.8" in Height instead of 10.0" (T2x series), but I often wish there was an extra 0.1" or a more standard resulting brain cell.

The T40 and T41 models we have in 14.1" screens with 9-cell extended life batteries can fit into the size 3 Brain Cell, but the size 3 is really too large, so we never use it this way -- we just carry the battery separately if this is being ported. (Thanks to the purchase of one of the discontinued design size 3 Brain Cells, we have this option). The problem matches really started with the 15.0" T43 models and the new T6x model laptops. For general discussion and comments, it's probably easiest to search the thinkpads.com forum under the T4x and T6x laptop groups, and the X series laptop groups (for the 12.1" models -- roughly size 5 Brain Cells). Here are a few examples:

o T42 ThinkPad extensive discussion of Empire Builder and (lower down) problems fitting into the size 4 Brain Cell with 9-cell battery; size 3 Brain Cell too large

o T43 with 9-cell battery -- problems with width of available Brain Cells

o T4x more discussion (scroll down to see other opinions on when Brain Cell use is preferred)

You can probably find more by doing a search and read, but this gives the tenor of discussion. One poster in those forums offered:

14.1" models (WxDxH): 12.4" x 10.0" x 1.0-1.2"; 316mm x 255mm x 26.6-31mm 15.0" models (WxDxH): 13.2" x 10.6" x 1.2-1.4"; 334mm x 268mm x 31-36mm ±

as general dimensions for the T43 series.

The X series ThinkPads are probably more variable in fit, since the thickness of the base is also a factor. Hope this helps.