Help! With Laptop Purchase

[indiag123]

Hey guys. This is my first post, and I need help!

I just purchased an old IBM laptop from eBay. It is a 600E Pentium 2 with 366Mhz and 64MB of RAM. A 4.3 GBHDD and CDROM. This is my question to those familiar with the unit.

1. The seller says the battery isn't any good and doesn't take charge. Are these fairly readily available, and are they difficult to install?

2. Can I beef it up by putting in a 256MB stick of RAM? And if so, how hard is this to do?

3. Could I also put a CD-RW drive in, to replace the current standard CD ROM?

4. Is there anyway to beef up the Mhz? And what does this inhibit the computer from doing, if it is a low count?

5. Can I beef up the HDD?

6. When they refer to PCMCIA does these mean Ethernet? Can I use my Ethernet connection for my Broadband on this computer?

7. Am I able to load Windows XP Pro on this unit?

Answers would be appreciated...

Thanks guys!

India

 

[Elbatrop1]

1. You should be able to find one, but it might not be too cheap.

2. I know that new laptops take SODIMMS for memory. I'm not sure if yours will. It shouldnt be too bad to replace it.

3. I think this would be pretty difficult

4. Dont bother. Increasing clock speeds will produce more heat, which is something to worry about on laptops.

5. You should be able to swap the HD without much problems. Just make sure to get the correct form factor.

6. PCMCIA slots is what you plug PCMCIA cards into. PC cards are expansion cards. You can get one with an ethernet port.

7. Not with 64MB RAM. Perhaps Windows 98SE or Linux.

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

Battery's are expensive

And after a VERY QUICK BRIEF exposure to 110 volts, the battery should hold a charge. Im talking a fraction of a second

 

[T22 4me]

1. You can pickup a new battery on Ebay for 40.00 ;less if you put some effort into it.

2.Im not sure if it will take 256 mb sticks but it will take 128s

3.CDRWs are available for the 600

4.You are Stuck with 366 mhz,sorry

5.should be able to go 30 gigs or better on Hdd

6.&7. Ibought one of these IBM 600e units for my mom;400mhz 128 mb ram,10 gig hdd.........This is a really nice machine by the way(Even my puter guy got rid of his crappy dell after handling this and the other 4 IBM thinkpads I put across his desk and bought himself a T22 like my favorite)

We put XP Pro on moms;before I took it to her I put it on my DSL via my PCMCIA wireless card.It functions as fast or faster than my Wifes Dell you see in my sig.

I have bought 5 of these IBM thinkpads and have not been disappointed in any of them yet.Just upgrading to what I believe to be the most sound corporate laptop ever built;the T22(which by coincidence is the best selling laptop ever built,by a margin.

You do the math........regards

 

[indiag123]

Guys, Thank you so much!! Your help has been amazing. With installating the RAM and HDD sticks, is it very difficult? Does anyone have any instrcutions or directions? Thanks. INdia.