From: AC Brown (acb_at_acbrown.com)
Date: Thu Aug 19 1999 - 18:47:36 EDT
Date: 1999 Aug 19
To: Christoph Eyrich and all <thinkpad_at_cs.utk.edu>
From: AC Brown <acb_at_acbrown.com>
Subj: TP 570 vs TP 600
Recently, I replaced my beloved and much-traveled TP 560 with a TP 570.
I chose the TP 570 rather than the TP 600 for the following reasons:
1. I transport my computer a lot: between home and work daily, between
office and classroom (to use the lcd projector for lectures), between
conference room and library, between cities in the US and overseas for
meetings and for lecturing as a visiting professor, etc. I carry the
computer everywhere, so that when I would otherwise be wasting time --
waiting in the doctor's office, waiting for my wife while shopping -- I
can get some useful work done. Therefore, mobility, size, and weight
are of first priority for me (weights are listed below).
2. I seldom use a cd-rom any more except when installing new programs
(which is infrequent). I used to use cd-roms for reference data and
text books, but now I can access more and better (more current)
information via the Internet. Even for program installation, I can
often download new programs over the Internet and install them from my
hard drive.
My current system is a TP 570 with an Ultrabase, and with an
UltraSlimBay cd-rom and floppy disk in the Ultrabase. When I go to
lecture, library, seminar, or home, I carry the TP 570 only at 4.0 lbs
(for home use, I have an extra power supply and floppy drive from my TP
560). Had I chosen the TP 600, I would be carting around 6.0 lbs,
including the cd-rom and floppy (if you're not going to carry the cd-rom
and floppy, why get the TP 600?). When I travel, I pack the Ultrabase,
cd-rom, and floppy in my suitcase (which has wheels) and carry the TP
570 only in my computer case.
In the next month or so, I plan to replace the Ultrabase and Ultraslim
Bay cd-rom with the new HP 820e portable cd-rw drive (weight under 450 g
plus power supply). Then, I'll have a portable system including backup
at about the same travel weight and a much lighter shoulder weight as
the TP 600 with a read-only cd drive. Why get a TP 600 if the most
suitable peripherals aren't available as UltraSlimBay units?
As far as I can tell, except for the physical arrangement, the TP 570
and TP 600 are essentially identical. So my advice is the same as that
of several others: If you need the cd-rom when you carry the computer
around locally, get the TP 600. If the cd-rom can stay on your desk top
or you need a cd-rw drive or other non-UltraSlimBay units, get the TP
570.
Arthur Brown
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The weights listed below for the TP 570 (model 26443AU) and TP 600
(model 26454AU) are taken from the IBM Thinkpad web site. On the HP web
site, the weight of the HP 820e is listed as "under one pound"; the
power supply weight is a guess. All the other values were measured on a
Mettler laboratory scale.
MASS (grams/lbs)
CURRENT SYSTEM
TP 570 1814/4.0 TP 600 2222/4.9
Cd-rom 285 285
Floppy disk 191 191
Ultrabase 781
Total 3071/6.8 2700/6.0
TP Power supply 391 391
& cord
Travel weight 3462/7.6 3091/6.8
PLANNED SYSTEM
TP 1814/4.0
Floppy disk 225
& cable
HP 820e cd-rw 600
& power supply
TP Power supply 391
& cord
Travel weight 3030/6.7
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