Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
The T6x docking station has DVI regardless; my notebooks are all Intel graphics and I've used DVI with them.
I thought it was a universal product for Thinkpads. Does digital out just not work with some models?
Notebook Computers
- Thread starter sechs
- Start date
The T6x docking station has DVI regardless; my notebooks are all Intel graphics and I've used DVI with them.
I thought it was a universal product for Thinkpads. Does digital out just not work with some models?
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
According to all the documentation I've ever read (which isn't a lot, it can be hard to find), and also to a couple of different pre-sales tech people, you need that discrete graphics chip for DVI. The Options Matrix makes this clear too. Come to think of it, I had an R Series that didn't work with DVI and the dock .... a while back, an R51 maybe? Single core Pentium M anyway. Ever since then I've stum,ped up the extra dollars (non trivial!) for ones with stand-alone graphics, despite not needing the performance and not liking the extra power consumption.
But if you say it works, I believe you. Something is weird here.
But if you say it works, I believe you. Something is weird here.
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
PS: I think it's the Advanced Mini-Dock I use. Second top model, anyway. Not the mega-expensive one with 5.25 inch drive bays and suchlike.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Those are the ones I have, too. Now, I just looked, and for the R-series and the T60 but not the T61 or Tx00, DVI-D is not supported regardless of graphics chip.
The newer guys in the T-series, it works just fine.
I'm guessing it's the difference between a GMA945 and a GMA3100.
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
That makes sense to me, Merc.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Did you get the newer screen on your T400, Tannin? How do you like it?
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
No idea, Merc! I got the T400 because I don't much care about the screen! I hardly ever open the hinge on my notebooks. It just goes between docking stations most of the time, with external screeens, keyboards, and trackballs in use. That's why I got a 14 inch model - the screen doesn't get used unless I'm on a trip. And even then, it's useless for photographic work, no matter how good it is (way too small for picture editing, and to my knowledge, no notebook has a proper IPS (or similar) screen for decent colour reproduction. I just use it for email and quick proofing till I get back to a real screen and can see what I'm doing.
With that said, the brief glimpses I've had of the T400 screen have suggested that it's not too bad by notebook standards. Certainly brighter than the one on my R61. I should have a better look at it. But in the end, I'm never, ever going to love a shallow screen format. For the work I do, they all suck.
With that said, the brief glimpses I've had of the T400 screen have suggested that it's not too bad by notebook standards. Certainly brighter than the one on my R61. I should have a better look at it. But in the end, I'm never, ever going to love a shallow screen format. For the work I do, they all suck.
Both my D610 and D630 with the intel mobile graphrics worked with DVI-D coming out the docking station. The D610 only did 1080 in interlaced mode though, the D630 handles 1080p. Shouldn't have to go to separate graphics just for DVI, no idea how leveno handles it though.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
It might be an artificial differentiation of the products, but even that's kind of silly given the marketing for Thinkpads.
I worked on the insides of a new Dell E5500 today. I was genuinely impressed with how easy it was to swap out a noisy fan. There is one screw holding down a large access plate that, when opened, exposes the RAM, hard disk, Mini-PCI and the entire cooling subsystem.
Of course, I couldn't see how to pull the keyboard off, which is something I seem to wind up doing quite frequently to Dell machines, but that's probably pretty easy, too.
I worked on the insides of a new Dell E5500 today. I was genuinely impressed with how easy it was to swap out a noisy fan. There is one screw holding down a large access plate that, when opened, exposes the RAM, hard disk, Mini-PCI and the entire cooling subsystem.
Of course, I couldn't see how to pull the keyboard off, which is something I seem to wind up doing quite frequently to Dell machines, but that's probably pretty easy, too.
On the last four latitudes I have had there is a plastic strip across the top of the keyboard that contains the buttons and hinge covers. This pries off but the hinge covers also mean the screen must be folded all the way back flat to get them to clear. From there two screws and a ribbon cable hold the keybard in. Usually another memory socket under the keybard too.
I know I have seen service manuals posted online for this type of thing as these are considered user servicing parts (adding memory, replacing HDD, keyboard, cards etc). Might be worth looking up if you can't find where to pry for a snap release to avoid breakage. Usually they are marked with a little dent that a screwdriver fits in though.
Fushigi
Storage Is My Life
We scratched HD capability & settled on the Panasonic SDR-H80K. 60GB HD, SDHC slot for expansion, 70x Optical zoom & image stabilization. Ordered it, a 16GB Class 6 SDHC card, and a spare battery for a hair over $400 from Amazon. I read the reviews and understand the limitations. But again, my wife liked Panasonic's UI the best and I liked the IS and high zoom capability (even if zooming that far would be used rarely). This marks our first foray into video so it should prove an OK unit to learn with. We can upgrade to a better unit in a couple of years if we find we have the desire.
Fushigi
Storage Is My Life
Battery charging now ..
Interesting that the battery charger has a port on it for the DC cable so that you can run the camera off DC/wall power instead of battery. However, you can't run the camera and charge a battery at the same time. Silly limitation considering the camera at most draws about 5 watts.