If you liked the IBM ThinkPad T20, a bantam-weight powerhouse that included just about everything you would want in a 5-pound portable, you will like the T21 even more--especially if graphics is your game. This upgrade sports a 14.1-inch screen capable of a native resolution of 1400 by 1050, the latest Intel processors, and beefed up UltraBay options, including a 2X SuperDisk drive and a 32GB second hard drive. The T21, like its older sibling, also includes all legacy connections, great built-in audio with handy control buttons, the ThinkLight for illuminating the keyboard in dark rooms, and innovative electronic documentation. It is Bluetooth ready and offers a digital camera connection on the top edge of the screen. Minus the AC adapter, the T21 weighs only 5.3 pounds; With the DVD-ROM drive removed and a hollow travel bezel ($19.95 from Compu-Lock) in the bay, it weighs only 4.9 pounds. There is no printed documentation except for a slim start-up manual. At $3699, the T21 is expensive, even for a laptop equipped with the latest Intel SpeedStep processor, a Pentium III 850/700. A parallel port cable for attaching the floppy drive externally costs $49 more, and free support ends after three years. Identical in appearance to the T20, the T21 boasts the same beveled black case, the solid keyboard and soft mouse buttons that are an IBM trademark, and a fire-engine red eraserhead pointing device. This configuration includes an 8X DVD-ROM drive; other bay options, in addition to a second hard drive and 2X SuperDisk drive, include a CD-RW drive and supplementary battery. An S-Video port lets you watch DVD movies on a television set. You can upgrade the memory and storage yourself; However, the hard drive sits behind the battery and is not meant for everyday removal. The T21 earned a fairly average PC WorldBench 2000 score--160--for a Windows 2000 Professional laptop equipped with a Pentium III-850/700 processor. It is a hair faster than Compaq and HP laptops but a little slower than the Dell machines we have tested. Battery life is above average, at 3.5 hours on one charge. Although the 5.3-pound Apple PowerBook G4 now claims the prize for more display area per laptop pound with a whopping 15.2-inch screen, the T notebooks from IBM still rule the Windows world. For companies and luxury-loving individuals who can afford a first-class, lightweight laptop, the T21 is worth every penny.
Buying Information
IBM ThinkPad T21 2647-57U PC WorldBench 2000 score of 160, Pentium III-850/700, 128MB of SDRAM, 256KB of L2 cache, Windows 2000 Professional, 14.1-inch active-matrix screen, S3 Savage/IX with 8MBof SDRAM, 32GB hard drive, 8X DVD-ROM drive, built-in V.90 modem and network interface, eraserhead pointing device, 6.2-pound weight (including AC adapter and phone cord), Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition. 3-year parts and labor warranty; free, toll-free 24/7support during warranty period ($35 per incident thereafter). $ 3699 PC WorldBench 2000 score of 160, Pentium III-850/700, 128MB of SDRAM, 256KB of L2 cache, Windows 2000 Professional, 14.1-inch active-matrix screen, S3 Savage/IX with 8MBof SDRAM, 32GB hard drive, 8X DVD-ROM drive, built-in V.90 modem and network interface, eraserhead pointing device, 6.2-pound weight (including AC adapter and phone cord), Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition. 3-year parts and labor warranty; free, toll-free 24/7support during warranty period ($35 per incident thereafter).
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