My notebook finally died. IBM Thinkpad X31 model 2672-B2U purchased sometime in 2003. No amount of poking, (re)assembly, or pleading would bring it back. When plugged-in (with or without battery) the lights would come on and sometimes the CPU fan, then nothing. Hard disk doesn't spin up (or down), display remains blank. It has been dying for about a year now; a few months ago I just have to keep plugging/unplugging (with or without battery) and it will eventually switch on. Now, it is officially dead.
I love the keyboard on the X31. I love the nipple mouse TrackPoint. I don't have to move my fingers away from the keyboard in order to use the mouse. I like the black matte finish (No fingerprints!) I like the fact that you could easily download the maintenance manuals and take the X31 apart. It is easy to add/replace the RAM, hard disk, Bluetooth card, and 802.11a/b/g network card.
I have set my sights on the latest Lenovo Thinkpad X-series. Now, I just need to raise the money.
