[astroglide]

thinkpads have terrible quality from the analog outputs. the docking stations have a dvi port which works infinitely better (and the hacked omega drivers are necessary in order to get the port to go higher than 1280x1024).

i actually had a loaded t42p and returned it. i was considering it as a desktop replacement, but the video performance (that one had a firegl card) and output quality caused me to decide that it wasn't worth 3 grand.

almost all of my office's laptops are thinkpads - T series, R series, X series - and they all have misc issues with video including low-quality output. it's an achilles heel on what is otherwise a near-perfect system. i can't know if what you're describing is "par for the thinkpad course", or if you've actually got a problem that can be corrected a bit without actually seeing what you're seeing.

typing this from a loaded dell inspiron 9300. the only thing i really miss compared to the ibm is the excellent keyboard and the brand quality. i'd rather have a straight uxga screen and a lighter load instead of wuxga, but since i don't really go anywhere with it that doesn't bother me either. stuff like civ4 looks great in widescreen, though, and i suspect that proper support for such resolutions will soon be a standard feature in games.