IBM and Lenovo Thinkpad Laptops
 
IBM and Lenovo Thinkpad laptops are specifically designed for corporate use i.e. for business users and therefore they are very reliable and well-built.
 

"Sturdy" would be a good word to use to describe this type of laptop.

 
Anyone who is considering buying a used laptop would do well to look carefully at the Thinkpad range.
 
If all you are looking to do is surf the net, a bit of emailing and maybe some work on Microsoft Office or Open Office then you will probably find that a T40 or T41 is an inexpensive yet reasonable buy.
 
If you would prefer something with a bit more speed that will last for a few years then a T60 is a good choice.
 
For ultimate reliability and value for money you should look at one of the newer models i.e. a T61 or T400 series machine.
 
All Thinkpads, whether IBM or Lenovo, can be upgraded fairly easily. The simplest upgrades that will have the most effect are upgrades to memory and also to the hard disk drive. Check out the links to the right to see more details about which parts you need to order for which machine.
 
Apart from those simple upgrades, there is little else to improve. The battery on a 6 year old T41 is unlikely to be particularly brilliant but these laptops can function perfectly well when constantly plugged into the mains.
 
If you do need to work "on the road" then replacement batteries can be picked up on eBay.
 
Lenovo provide several programs which allow you to test the condition of your Thinkpad. You can download the "PC Doctor" program and then burn it to a CD - this diagnostic CD will then run on your laptop and report any issues it finds.
 
This and other drivers, BIOS updates and utilities for all models of Thinkpad can be found on Lenovo.com.
 
eBay makes for a great hunting ground for used Thinkpad notebooks and the various spares. Use the links on the right or below to find specific machines.
 
Tip: Ask the seller for the serial number of the laptop as it will tell you when it was made.
 
As an example of this, S/N 99-WDDWT 04/02 on a T41 means the laptop was made in February 2004 (04/02).
Lenovo ThinkPad T61 Core 2 Duo 2Ghz 2GB RAM 160GB HDD Vista Business
Lenovo ThinkPad T61 Core 2 Duo 2Ghz 2GB RAM 160GB HDD Vista Business
$135.50
Used IBM Thinkpad T41 Laptop. Powers on. Goes to BIOS. Pentium M 1.60GHz,  512MB
Used IBM Thinkpad T41 Laptop. Powers on. Goes to BIOS. Pentium M 1.60GHz, 512MB
$69.99
Lenovo 4180NEU Thinkpad T420 - Intel - Core I5 - 2540m - 2.6 Ghz - Ddr3 Sdram
Lenovo 4180NEU Thinkpad T420 - Intel - Core I5 - 2540m - 2.6 Ghz - Ddr3 Sdram
$590.00
IBM INTELLISTATION Z PRO 3.06 Ghz INTEL XEON 2 1GB PC2100R ECC Desktop #1048
IBM INTELLISTATION Z PRO 3.06 Ghz INTEL XEON 2 1GB PC2100R ECC Desktop #1048
$32.00
IBM THINKPAD A30 P3 1.13Ghz 256MB 30gb DVD laptop w  AC Adapter
IBM THINKPAD A30 P3 1.13Ghz 256MB 30gb DVD laptop w AC Adapter
$94.34
IBM ThinkPad T60p Dual-Dore 2.16GHz 320GB 14.1" 1400x1050 ATI-512MB Bluetooth
IBM ThinkPad T60p Dual-Dore 2.16GHz 320GB 14.1" 1400x1050 ATI-512MB Bluetooth
$329.11
Lenovo IBM ThinkPad R60  Laptop Notebook
Lenovo IBM ThinkPad R60 Laptop Notebook
$20.00
IBM T40 WIFI LAPTOP P4 1.5GHZ,  1GB,  40GB,  WIN XPP 2373-72U 14 TFT LCD A C NICE
IBM T40 WIFI LAPTOP P4 1.5GHZ, 1GB, 40GB, WIN XPP 2373-72U 14 TFT LCD A C NICE
$89.99
IBM T60 Laptop Computer-Loaded Xp Pro - Wifi -Combo !!!
IBM T60 Laptop Computer-Loaded Xp Pro - Wifi -Combo !!!
$99.95
$134.95
IBM THINKPAD A30 P3 1.13Ghz 256MB DVD laptop
IBM THINKPAD A30 P3 1.13Ghz 256MB DVD laptop
$110.99
IBM THINKPAD A30 P3 1Ghz 256MB DVD laptop
IBM THINKPAD A30 P3 1Ghz 256MB DVD laptop
$99.99
IBM T22 THINKPAD LAPTOP COMPUTER
IBM T22 THINKPAD LAPTOP COMPUTER
$9.99
Lenovo ThinkPad T400 Laptop Centrino 2 2.53GHz SMASHED LCD - FOR PARTS REPAIR
Lenovo ThinkPad T400 Laptop Centrino 2 2.53GHz SMASHED LCD - FOR PARTS REPAIR
$84.11
IBM THINKPAD 2611 450 **FOR PARTS OR REPAIR**
IBM THINKPAD 2611 450 **FOR PARTS OR REPAIR**
$19.99
Thinkpad T60 Complete Dual Core Wireless Laptop Notebook - Fast & Ready To Use
Thinkpad T60 Complete Dual Core Wireless Laptop Notebook - Fast & Ready To Use
$209.99
IBM T42 Laptop w 1GB RAM,  30GB HDD,  1.8GHZ Intel P4
IBM T42 Laptop w 1GB RAM, 30GB HDD, 1.8GHZ Intel P4
$39.99
IBM T60 Laptop w 2GB RAM,  160GB HDD,  1.83GHz Intel Core Duo PID#665327
IBM T60 Laptop w 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo PID#665327
$124.99
Lenovo IBM X61S Laptop w 4GB RAM,  2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Lenovo IBM X61S Laptop w 4GB RAM, 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
$99.99
Thinkpad X31,  Pen M 1.4G,  512MB ram,  wi-fi,  - parts or repair
Thinkpad X31, Pen M 1.4G, 512MB ram, wi-fi, - parts or repair
$25.00
$50.00
Lenovo IBM T61 Laptop w 2GB RAM,  160GB HDD,  2.4GHz Intel Core Duo
Lenovo IBM T61 Laptop w 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 2.4GHz Intel Core Duo
$159.99