Giving my ThinkPad T480 a new life
Ashpex
I need an ethernet port
I was tinkering with my router setup, and I needed a computer with an ethernet port. Simple enough, except my daily driver is an M4 Pro MacBook. Great laptop, but Apple decided everything should be USB-C. And of course, I don’t have a USB-C hub with ethernet either.
So I returned to my trusty Thinkpad T480. It’s been sitting in my drawer for a while, collecting dust.
New battery
Pulling old hardware out of a drawer usually comes with a catch. I found out the external battery was at 0% and wouldn’t pick up a charge no matter how long I left it plugged in.
The T480’s dual battery system is one of its best features - a hot-swappable external battery means you can keep it running for a long time. Luckily the internal battery still had enough juice to get the router configured, but running on a single battery on a machine this old isn’t exactly a long-term plan.
I went ahead and ordered a 48Wh replacement battery. Third party, most likely - I wasn’t going to pay OEM prices for a laptop from 2018. I would have gone for the 72Wh if it was in stock, because more battery is always better. But it wasn’t, so 48Wh it is.
The replacement showed up in a plain battery box. Nothing fancy, just the usual warning sticker, foam, and anti-static bag.
The old external battery was the standard 61 pack. I replaced it with a 61+.
The battery bulges out a bit compared to the original one, since it has a larger capacity. I thought it would look weird, but it turned out fine. The bump actually gives it better airflow and a nicer typing angle, so I’m not complaining.
Nostalgia
This was the part I didn’t expect. Going back to the T480 actually felt really nice. The keyboard still feels great to type on, and I got used to the TrackPoint again almost immediately. I also didn’t need a pile of adapters just to plug things in.
Seriously, using the T480 still feels special to me. The M4 Pro can’t even compare. Or maybe it’s just the nostalgia speaking.
I guess I still have a soft spot for this thing.
Support Me on Ko-Fi.com