On Tue, Dec 16, 2014 at 09:55:19AM +0100, Karel Lang AFD wrote:
> If I might ask, why do you need 32b for T61? I run 6yrs old
> R61 and I run 64b on it from the start.
> I'm not sure about T60, but it had 64b CPUs ready too?

This is a helpful thought.  The T60 laptops are Socket M.
Although the T60 I first tested SL7 on silently failed, it
had a T2500 Core Duo processor, 32 bits.  I just scrounged
up a T7200 Core *2* Duo processor, 64 bits, and installed it
in that T60. SL7 is installing on that machine now.

I just ordered some allegedly new T7200s for $8 each, and those
(plus spare complete laptops, and spare screens, fans, AC adapters,
docking cradles, and keyboards) should last my wife and I until
our brains shrivel.  I'll occasionally test with the latest
Fedora Live distro for early warning of future incompatibility.

The T7600 is 16% faster, but 6x more expensive, and probably
burns more power.  The T7200 seems the lowest risk.

The batteries will die soonest, but we should be able to get the
old batteries refurbished with new cells (there are companies 
that do this for power tools).  After that, electromigration of
copper up through gold plating on connectors, then oxidation,
will doom these machines.

And who knows?  After everyone has bought their wide screen (AKA
vertically challenged) laptops, manufacturers will probably start
pushing tall screens again.  Or headmounts.  Or brain implants.
The current fad is bigger and bigger handhelds with asymptotically
vanishing sound quality - laptops will become popular again in 
order to make voice telephone calls.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          [log in to unmask]