I got quite a few new goodies for the home network and am ready to begin cutting down the table of technology to free up space and get some return on my investment.
Thinkpad T400
The first surprise was getting a Lenovo Thinkpad T400 off ebay - $180 shipped. The Processor is the C2D P8400 - 2.2GHz with the Intel GMA X4500. I upgraded the RAM to 8GB and tossed Win 7 Pro 64bit on there. This machine was purchased to replace my Dell, outright. I do have the option of bumping the processor up to 2.8GHzm should I wish to do so, but I'd most likely leave it as is for my On-Call IT duties.
T400 vs T61
Externally, there is no real difference between the two. Internally, they are both Core 2 Duo machines, but the T400 series benefits from the use of the much cheaper DDR3 where as the T61 is reliant on DDR2. Secondly, the T61 series offers Intel GMA and Nvidia Quadro-based offerings whilst the T400 line is based on Intel GMA and ATI Radeon.
I had toyed with the notion of buying another T400 with the Radeon card, but right now I need to begin to get rid of systems I am not using.
Nvidia GT 630
I had considered buying a Lenovo Tablet while I was in Lubbock, but opted to instead upgrade the graphics card on my desktop. I replaced my 210 with the GT630. Performance has improved drastically and this frees up my 210 to use in the backup machine and allows me to prep this machine for set-top duties once I get my new TV. That keeps getting pushed back to the point, It will be January before I have it. :D
Odds and Ends
I did manage to get an extra tray for the living room. These TV stands are just the right sze for a laptop and come in handy for setting up a portable system anywhere its needed, especially when you need workspace. At $10, you can beat it with any of the dedicated "Laptop" trays or mounts ont he market. And its cheap enough they can be loaned out indefinitely.
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