I’m happy to say, I finally upgraded my laptop this year. I’d be happier to say my employer realized the thinkpad I carried was fast becoming a paperweight, but that wasn’t the case. Regardless of funding, it was time for a new Thinkpad.
Primary benefits:
- Sprint PPC-6700 works as a tethered internet connection with Vista
- 15.1 inch wide screen matches the Samsung BW226 monitor I run in the office so I no longer live with resizing screen and changing layout every time I move
- I can play World of Warcraft anywhere I want (including across my Sprint connection)
Technically speaking, my cell phone isn’t tethered to the thinkpad. I can connect to it using the built-in Bluetooth connection, but the effect is the same. I get over 200Kbps download rate and that’s enough to work from most locations even without local wifi. The other night, my son and I even tried it with WoW and it ran reasonably well. The resolution issue is more of a pet peeve for me, but I have to admit having 1680×1050 resolution at home and then going on the road with everything crammed into 1024×768 was starting to get me down.
The real benefit of the upgrade is that I can get out and about again. With the work I do today, I was really feeling tied to my office for too many activities. For my own sanity, productivity and growth I need to be out in front of people more often.
