I picked up a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e in mint condition for $40 a couple of ãmonths back; I thought I'd use it for playing around with Chrome OS.ããAs soon as I plugged it in, I got the "Chrome will no longer be updated" ãmessage. Bummer.ããI figured I'd turn it into a Linux box and did some poking around on the ãweb. I found a great web page https://mrchromebox.tech with a lot of ãinformation about Chromebooks and BIOSes.ããDownloaded the hardware reference manual (Thanks, Lenovo, for keeping up ãwith IBM's reputation for docs) and opened the system up. swapped the 2x2GB ãmemory sticks for 2x4 I had laying around after another upgrade, and swapped ãout the bog-standard 32GB 2.5" SSD for a 480GB SSD.ããFlip a write-protect switch inside, flip it.ããPut the whole thing back together, Lenovo has continued the other IBM habit ãof noting the size of the screw next to the screw hole.ããPut everything back together, booted into developer mode, opened a shell, ãran a 3 line script and updated the BIOS. Reboot, downloaded Bodhi Linux ãonto a stick, booted to the stick and installed Linux on it.ããNothing went awry, and the whole process took around 45 minutes.ããThe hardware is nothing to write home about - it's a 1.5 ghz celeron with ãIvy Bridge chipset, but it *was* $40. Decent screen, touchpad and ãtrackpoint, and a nice Lenovo "Island" keyboard. 2 USB 3 ports, onboard ãethernet, VGA and HDMI, and a SD card slot.ããã... Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail.ã--- MultiMail/DOS v0.52ã þ Synchronet þ .: realitycheckbbs.org :: scientia potentia est :.ã

Hello poindexter FORTRAN!ãã** On Wednesday 21.07.21 - 07:07, poindexter FORTRAN wrote to All:ãã pF> I picked up a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e in mint condition forã pF> $40 a couple of months back..ãã pF> Downloaded the hardware reference manual (Thanks, Lenovo,ã pF> for keeping up with IBM's reputation for docs) and openedã pF> the system up..ããThe maintenance manuals are wonderful. They have come is handy ãfor my T40p and T60 laptops.ãã pF> Put the whole thing back together, Lenovo has continuedã pF> the other IBM habit of noting the size of the screw nextã pF> to the screw hole.ããOH... THAT's what that means. :/ I needed to open my T60 to ãreplace the CPU fan and ended up with one screw LESS than I ãneeded.ãã pF> ..and swapped out the bog-standard 32GB 2.5" SSD for aã pF> 480GB SSD.ããThat is a sweet upgrade. I have imagined doing something ãsimilar for my T60 and swap out the 235GB HDD for an SDD double ãthe size.ãã pF> ..and a nice Lenovo "Island" keyboard.ããWhat an island keyboard? The x131e looks like any other ãlaptop.ãã pF> 2 USB 3 ports, ..ããAh.. but do they all work? My T40p and T60 saw diminishing ãfunctionality with the USB ports over the years.ããã--- OpenXP 5.0.50ã * Origin: Ogg's Dovenet Point (723:320/1.9)ã þ Synchronet þ CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTPã

Ogg wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-ãã pF> ..and a nice Lenovo "Island" keyboard.ãã Og> What an island keyboard? The x131e looks like any otherã Og> laptop.ããThey're also called "chiclet" keyboards - like a MacBook, where the keys are ãinset into a front bezel, as opposed to old Thinkpads where the keys were ãlike a traditional keyboard.ããã... if you can remember the 60s, you weren't really there...ã--- MultiMail/DOS v0.52ã þ Synchronet þ .: realitycheckbbs.org :: scientia potentia est :.ã

Hello poindexter FORTRAN!ãã** On Sunday 25.07.21 - 07:20, poindexter FORTRAN wrote to Ogg:ãã Og>> What['s] an island keyboard? The x131e looks like anyã Og>> other laptop.ãã pF> They're also called "chiclet" keyboards - like a MacBook,ã pF> where the keys are inset into a front bezel, as opposed toã pF> old Thinkpads where the keys were like a traditionalã pF> keyboard.ããAh.. chicklet keys. OK. My most recent Thinkpad T540p has ãthose. I hate them. As a result, I don't like using the T540p ãvery much at all. The T540p also lacks the extra L and R ãbuttons on the trackpad. That makes R-clicking very awkward. ãInstead, the pad kinda tilts to the right - but the mechanics ãof that seems to stick every once in a while and doesn't work.ããã--- OpenXP 5.0.50ã * Origin: Ogg's Dovenet Point (723:320/1.9)ã þ Synchronet þ CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTPã

Re: Surprised it was this easy...ã By: Ogg to poindexter FORTRAN on Sun Jul 25 2021 05:47 pmãã Og> Ah.. chicklet keys. OK. My most recent Thinkpad T540p has ã Og> those. I hate them. As a result, I don't like using the T540p ã Og> very much at all. The T540p also lacks the extra L and R ã Og> buttons on the trackpad. That makes R-clicking very awkward. ã Og> Instead, the pad kinda tilts to the right - but the mechanics ã Og> of that seems to stick every once in a while and doesn't work.ããI have a similar Thinkpad, a W540. I agree about the trackpad - I don't like the lack of separate physical buttons. I think Lenovo went back to separate trackpad buttons on newer Thinkpad models.ããNightfoxãã---ã þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.comã