My Thinkpad Laptop
I am now the proud owner of a used IBM Thinkpad laptop. Laura’s uncle generously gave me his old Thinkpad that he’d kept on hand for renters of his condo. It’s a dated machine, sporting a 1-Ghz P-III processor, 512 MB of RAM, and a small 20 GB hard drive.
I took the computer, wiped the drive, and installed a fresh copy of Ubuntu 8.10. It is relatively speedy, despite it’s age. It runs Ubuntu with ease. This is my first computer which will run Linux full-time. My only hiccup during installation was that my Linksys wireless card didn’t work on its own. This problem righted itself when I connected to a wired Internet connection. The proper proprietary driver was automatically installed, and my wireless connection has been problem-free ever since. I am able to do everything I want with this little computer.
Above all, I love the Thinkpad hardware. It’s rough and tough, like a tank. It has a 14″ screen, and it is the perfect size and weight. I’d be happy to buy a new Thinkpad in the future, based on how solid this machine feels. I’ve also come to love the pointer stick! I’m thrilled with my new toy!
