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| IBM ThinkPad T21 |
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Hardware Reviews March 2001 • Vol.4 Issue 3 |
IBM ThinkPad T21 | ||
 IBM's thin and light ThinkPad T21 combines the best features of 8-pound desktop replacement units and 3-pound mininotebooks with impressive results. It weighs just over 5 pounds, so it won't slow you down, but don't worry about compromising performance or features. In fact, if its floppy diskette drive and DVD-ROM drive didn't alternately occupy a single modular drive bay, its weight and thickness would be the only ways to distinguish it from the large, luxurious A21. Specifications. You can get a T21 with your choice of 750MHz, 800MHz, and 850MHz Intel Mobile Pentium III processors. Ours came with the 850MHz chip and 128MB of a possible 512MB of RAM, the same as the A21p we looked at recently. It also had the same enormous 32GB hard drive, the same 8X DVD-ROM drive, and a 1.44MB diskette drive. The DVD and diskette drives take turns sliding into IBM's UltraBay 2000 device bay on the notebook's right edge. The UltraBay also accommodates optional equipment like a CD-ROM drive, a CD-RW (CD-rewriteable) drive, an LS-120 SuperDisk drive, a Zip drive, or an extra hard drive. The notebook measures 1.3 inches high when closed x 12 inches wide x 9.8 inches deep from front to back, and weighs 5.3 pounds. In addition to its processor, memory, and storage devices, it comes with an internal 56Kbps (kilobits per second) modem, a 10.8-volt Li-Ion (lithium-ion) battery, and an S3 Savage/IX video controller. The Savage/IX has 2X AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) support and 8MB of video memory, and drives the T21's 14.1-inch TFT (thin-film transistor) display. Our $3,549 model didn't come with a network adapter, but for another $100 you can get a 10/100Mbps (megabits per second) Ethernet network adapter. Another choice you'll need to make when you order is whether you want Windows 2000 Professional (like our review unit had), or Windows 98 Second Edition. You can save $100 by opting for Win98 SE, and in either case you also get Lotus SmartSuite Millennium as part of the deal. Design. The T21 is all ThinkPad, from its black plastic case and Titanium Composite lid panel to its red TrackPoint pointing stick. The case is tough and all its seams, hinges, and latches fit smoothly together. IBM's trademark ThinkLight keyboard light looks down from the inside of the lid above the display, providing soft illumination of your immediate work area. In the final analysis, a keyboard light probably isn't a critical feature, but it's one of the small touches that make ThinkPads the Cadillacs of notebook PCs. The display below is very sharp and bright, and the speakers on the front edge are practically amazing. They are louder than any notebook speakers we've ever heard, and they sound great at any volume setting. ThinkPads usually have great input equipment, and the T21 is no exception. Its keyboard is spacious and user-friendly, with keys that are all right where they should be (except for a Windows shortcut key, which is curiously absent) and that provide great tactile feedback. We were typing at normal speeds within a few minutes of sitting down in front of the notebook, and the TrackPoint nestled amidst the keys made getting around in Windows a pleasant chore. Performance. The T21 didn't exactly tear up our performance score records, likely because of IBM's choice to include S3's Savage video chipset rather than the more popular ATI RAGE Mobility chips (we've noticed lower scores from units with S3 video controllers in most cases where other variables were equal). It did a decent job, however, turning in scores that indicate it should be able to handle just about any computing task with aplomb. It received SYSmark2000 scores of 165 in Internet Content Creation (quite healthy), 130 in Office Productivity (a little low), and 144 overall. IBM reports battery life on a single charge of 3.7 hours. Final Word. Like the T20 before it, the T21 ThinkPad is an amazing blend of performance and portability. To borrow from a recent TV commercial for a mid-sized SUV, it fits nicely between the monsters and the toys. A perfect fit like this doesn't come for free, however, and the T21's $3,549 price tag may put it a little out of some users' reach. But the T21 is an incredible notebook, and if you can foot the bill we recommend it without reservation. If you buy online, IBM also offers various special offers like free tax software or a free Lexmark printer, although certain restrictions apply. by Chris Trumble
$3,549 IBM (888) 746-7426 (914) 499-1900 http://www.ibm.com
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