IBM's latest power user ThinkPad is the T42.  The T series of ThinkPads provide the best combination between raw performance and portability.  The ThinkPad T series is what I use when I travel to demonstrate our latest software.  It's portable enough that I can lug it around but still powerful enough to show off our various programs.

The T42 I received from IBM is a bit heavier than the T40 it is replacing (about a pound -- 5.7 pounds).  While a relatively small difference, it is something I am definitely noticing as I lug it around.  But I am amply rewarded with a 15 inch display (instead of 14.1 inches).  Other details include a 1.8Ghz Pentium M processor.  The M series of processors aren't like other processors. The Ghz doesn't really tell the story.  In terms of every day usage, it "feels" about as fast as my 3Ghz desktop in terms of computing power. With the larger battery installed, it gets around 5 hours of real world battery use which means I can watch movies and what not on a cross-country trip.

My configuration also includes the IBM Multi-Burner DVD/CD-ROM drive burner drive which lets me make both CDs and DVDs.  The native display resolution is 1400x1050 which is quite useful when doing development, video work, or graphics design. Bundled software allows me to hit the Fn-Space bar to toggle between its maximum display and various lower "zoomed" displays for when I browsing or writing an article (such as this one).  The actual adapter is an ATI Radeon 9600 Mobility which translates to meaning I can play most of the latest games just fine on it if I want and this is also important for me since I'm coding parts of Galactic Civilizations II on it.

One feature I didn't really notice when I ordered it but am finding I really like is the new Finger Print reader (see #9 in the shot to the left). Instead of using a UserID and password to logon, I just put my index finger the finger print reader and it logs me in.  It's well, it's pretty damn cool.

The bundled software IBM has included has finally reached the point where I don't immediately try to scrub it all off.  I still remove most of it as it makes the default boot time take forever (IBM take note, IBM Messages is annoying!).  One piece of bundled software in particular I like --  IBM Active Protection.  Basically it monitors the stability of the machine in real time. I mean the physical stability. So any jarring or rapid movement and it'll instantly turn off the hard drive. 

One feature I've noticed other reviews haven't mentioned that is very important is the new way the battery is handled. In previous versions of the ThinkPad, the battery would keep charging even when plugged in. So IBM batteries tended to die out after around a year. But now the "Improve Battery Health" feature lets you turn that behavior off.

The included 802.11g connectivity has very impressive range (much the same as the T40's 802.11b).  IBM also includes a lot (arguably too much) wireless network software to make it "easy" to connect to a wide variety of networks.  In practice, I don't find this to be that useful as Windows XP SP2's wireless network features are more than enough.

In terms of usage, the ThinkPad T42 keyboard has keys that are spaced and sized the same as a desktop keyboard. The result is that moving from your desktop to the ThinkPad is a smooth transition.

There's not much to complain about here, overall it's a fantastic laptop for the power user. If you need a workhorse laptop that works both as a desktop and is quite portable, you can't do much better than IBM's ThinkPad T42.  Now how things will go with Chinese PC vendor, Lenova in charge remains to be seen. I have been using ThinkPads since 1994 and can't even imagine using any other laptop (particularly one without a trackpoint).  But for now, the ThinkPad T42 is my laptop of choice.