To those who now have a Thinkpad: What do you love about yours most?

[chatbox]

I've been spending quite a few hours over at the IBM training website and read about my Thinkpad features.

Two things I love most are the rapid restore ultra and pre boot enviroment.

[Doom Dealer]

I love how durable my T40 is compared to other laptops... also, gotta give IBM's tech support guys credit as they're some of the best people I've dealt with! :D

[chatbox]

Talking about Tech support of IBM: I ordered my recovery CDs on last thursday. On Friday, I recieved a voice mail on my phone saying that the CDs are back ordered. However, today (Tuesday), the CDs arrived at my door!!

I was like... WTF? CDs arriving on the 3rd busniness day from the day of order...and you call that back order??

Those IBM people must be pefectionists of some kind. :cheesygri

Oh, by the way, IBM has some web training about their ThinkVantage technologies for those who might be interested. http://www.pc.ibm.com/training/index-customer.html

[plucky duck]

I'll tell ya when my X31 arrives! :D

Having dealt with IBM Thinkpads before, I'm most impressed by their build quality, especially the display construction.

So in order to get the recovery CD, you'd have to go through tech support and not just their CSR line?

Is it possible to purchase the Thinkpads without an operating system?

[klam]

I love the fact that when my Visa bill comes in at the end of the month, I would have known that I spent almost two times more than other people for essentially the same notebook... :)

Just joking.

I'm sure IBMs are nice. But I can't justify the prices they are selling at.

Speaking of customer service. We had some Dells in the office, battery went dead, called, spoke to some pleasant reps, had a new battery overnight next morning. So IBM is not the only one who has had moments of brilliance!

[Montague]

I love the fact that when my Visa bill comes in at the end of the month, I would have known that I spent almost two times more than other people for essentially the same notebook... :)

Just joking.

I'm sure IBMs are nice. But I can't justify the prices they are selling at.

Speaking of customer service. We had some Dells in the office, battery went dead, called, spoke to some pleasant reps, had a new battery overnight next morning. So IBM is not the only one who has had moments of brilliance!
In a couple of years try seeing what your dell laptop can be sold for for then ask what the same high priced thinkpad would sell for.

Thinkpads got alot better resale value.

Dell notebooks better have a good warranty policy since many of them are built with lower quality parts.

[synaptech]

In a couple of years try seeing what your dell laptop can be sold for for then ask what the same high priced thinkpad would sell for.

Thinkpads got alot better resale value.

Dell notebooks better have a good warranty policy since many of them are built with lower quality parts.

I like IBMs and their product and service are very hard to beat, however, the regular cost of one IBM TP could cover the cost of a decent Dell now and a much better one "in a couple of years". Having said that, if I could afford the IBM it would be the one I choose - especially because of their keyboards.

[Doom Dealer]

Speaking of customer service. We had some Dells in the office, battery went dead, called, spoke to some pleasant reps, had a new battery overnight next morning. So IBM is not the only one who has had moments of brilliance!

Oh the tech support at Dell isn't bad at all either... it's just that they outsource their tech support to India and, when you call them up, you often get these people with a heavy accent; they can be difficult to understand at times...

I ordered my recovery CDs from IBM and they arrived 2 days later via Purolator... man talk about speedy deliveries!!! :D

[verT]

I love the build quality of it. I love my stinkpad it makes me happy.

[klam]

Here is a comparison:

IBM ThinkPad X40 - $3099
12.1" LCD, 3.2 lbs
Pentium-M 1.2
512Mb RAM, 40Gb, 802.11a/b/g
3 year parts & labour (return to depot)

Dell Latitude X300 - $2781
12.1" LCD, 2.9 lbs
Pentium-M 1.2
640Mb RAM, 40Gb, 802.11b/g
3 year parts & labour (on-site)

Asus M5N - $1684
12.1" LCD, 3 lbs
Pentium-M 1.5
512Mb RAM, 40Gb, 802.11b
Internal CDRW/DVD
1 year parts & labour (return to depot)

[klam]

Oh the tech support at Dell isn't bad at all either... it's just that they outsource their tech support to India and, when you call them up, you often get these people with a heavy accent; they can be difficult to understand at times...

As far as I know, Dell found that outsourcing thing to be a failure and is reverting back to domestic CSRs. Last few times I've called its been some guy in Mississauga or somewhere in GTA.

[Montague]

As far as I know, Dell found that outsourcing thing to be a failure and is reverting back to domestic CSRs. Last few times I've called its been some guy in Mississauga or somewhere in GTA.
I thought they just changed their outsourcing for their corporate customers.

For Joe shmoe or you and I we still get transferd to some foreign country.

[klam]

No wonder, I deal with Dell for my office and have always had pleasant experiences...

[Montague]

The key point is to get extended warranty no matter what laptop brand you get.

These suckers are damn near impossible to fix yourself if something goes wrong with it.

[afzan]

what do I love about my thinkpads? EVERYTHING! :D

[tharsan]

i ordered my T40 recovery CDs around 11am yesterday, and the woman on the phone told me it would take about 3-5 business days.

low and behold, i arrive at my desk this morning to find a nice shiny new envelope on my desk :) my paycheck had arrived! (yay, pay day)

...

then i found the big box beside it with my recovery CDs in it :) less than 24 hours, thats what i call service!

[Evil Techie]

yeah the discs sure come fast

what i love about my X31 is that it is built so tough
of course you cant compare it to the panasonic toughbooks or whatever industrial laptops you might find around

has any one seen the siemens industrial laptops yet? i saw the germans stand on top of the closed lid and no cracks at all!!


anyways
the whole software hardware integration done by IBM is great
the softwares work nicely to control almost every function of the system
what i learned to love on my trip to taiwan is the Access Connection Manager and its profile management.
its good for people on the trip that need settings changed quickly and often
i worked a bit in Taipie and the company LAN requires proxy setting that will be provided automatically from an URL script so i just need to set it up and revert back to my home settings with a simple click when im home and switch back to work with a click or two as well

[klam]

Not necessarily, most notebooks are designed to be fairly accessible if you know how to get at it. Dell and others will often provide service instructions so you know how to get into the notebook without damaging anything.

For instance, some Toshiba notebooks at work here, recently had busted keyboard because someone spilt something. Just bought a new replacement keyboard for $30 and put it in ourselves. HD, CPU, RAM, optical drives, batteries are also all easily accessible for most notebooks. The only biggie may be the screen.


The key point is to get extended warranty no matter what laptop brand you get.

These suckers are damn near impossible to fix yourself if something goes wrong with it.

[manixc]

i love the TouchPoint.

[Rehan]

Definitely not the 'missing' Windows key. :(

[miss_swan]

Definitely not the 'missing' Windows key. :(

First thing I noticed.

Though, I understand that you can use a simple program to remap it if you want at the expense of something else.

[manixc]

First thing I noticed.

Though, I understand that you can use a simple program to remap it if you want at the expense of something else.


the windows key is just Ctrl+Esc

[plucky duck]

Just got the X31 today.

Things I like about it:
- lightweight
- sturdy construction
- keyboard has good tactile feel
- the rubber on the stickpoint mouse
- no dead pixels!! :D
- Radeon Mobility holds up to NFSPU, woot!

Things I don't like about it:
- the backspace and enter key are smaller than I'm used to
- Ultrabase3 is chunky when docked with laptop
- 4200rpm drive (planning on replacing it with 7200rpm 60GB Travelstar)

Overall, pretty impressed with this lil sucker :)

[Rehan]

the windows key is just Ctrl+Esc
That's fine for bringing up the start menu...but that's only one small use of the Windows key. What I miss are shortcuts like this:

Windows+E - launch Windows Explorer
Windows+R - open the "Run" dialog box
Windows+M - Minimize all
Windows+SHIFT+M - Undo minimize all
Windows+F - Find files or folders
Windows+D - minimize all open windows and show desktop
Windows+CTRL+F - Find computer
Windows+TAB - Cycle through Taskbar buttons
Windows+BREAK - shows System Properties dialog box.

The Windows key is the most convenient way to do most of these...

[konfusion666]

Windows+L = Lock Computer


which, apparently, is the only way to lock a vanilla Windows XP system that is using the multiple users feature

[halo five]

I apologize in advance, but this is a true story.

<rant>
I love that my motherboard on my R32 fried within 9 months of buying my Thinkpad. Although it was covered under warranty, it took 3 months for IBM tech support to figure out and admit there was a hardware failure on the board itself. First I had to reinstall Windows. Then they shipped me a new DVD-Rom. Then they made me reinstall Windows again to make sure I didn't "mess anything up" in the meantime. By the time they finally admitted it needed a new mobo, I was outside my warranty period by a week, and had to fight with them to get them to cover it. Finally I got it to a depot, where they cheerfully told me that, yes, there is a well-known defect with the board, and they get them all the time.

Oh, I got my recovery cds in a day as well. The things should have been shipped with the laptop in the first place. It's nice to know the 30% markup over other brands goes directly to keeping Purolator in business.

Dude, I'm gettin a Dell.
</rant>

[Majinvegeta]

ummmmmmmmm...the fact that thier ugly as hell and make me wanna puke..yep..thats all i like about IBM

International BullSh*t machines

[chatbox]

ummmmmmmmm...the fact that thier ugly as hell and make me wanna puke..yep..thats all i like about IBM

International BullSh*t machines

LoL...so you like puking up...?! :confused:

[techboss]

My T41 (2373-3HU) is in the mail and on the way. I will report more once I receive it. Regarding the recovery CD, while placing the order I mentioned specifically to include those cds in the shipment....see it this will happen. Time will tell.

:cheesygri

[tigga]

I like that I can beat things down and the thinkpad will never get damaged :D

Too bad I have to give it back tomorrow :cry:

[the one]

i ordered my T40 recovery CDs around 11am yesterday, and the woman on the phone told me it would take about 3-5 business days.

low and behold, i arrive at my desk this morning to find a nice shiny new envelope on my desk :) my paycheck had arrived! (yay, pay day)

...

then i found the big box beside it with my recovery CDs in it :) less than 24 hours, thats what i call service!

Do you remember the rep you spoke with?? I believe my laptop is arriving tomorrow.. and haven't spoke to tech support yet - but when I asked the sales rep they said there was a charge for the recovery cds.

If i can get in touch with a sales rep that puts this through at no cost then why not! (as it should be.. i've never seen a laptop before with only the image on a separate partition).

[Rehan]

Do you remember the rep you spoke with?? I believe my laptop is arriving tomorrow.. and haven't spoke to tech support yet - but when I asked the sales rep they said there was a charge for the recovery cds.

If i can get in touch with a sales rep that puts this through at no cost then why not! (as it should be.. i've never seen a laptop before with only the image on a separate partition).
Keep in mind that this thread was started several months ago, and IBM's policies may have changed since then.

[the one]

Keep in mind that this thread was started several months ago, and IBM's policies may have changed since then.

Agh.. my bad. I missed the first post date.

I will give them a shout and see what happens..

If anything, anyone interested in splitting the cost on the T41 2373-3hu discs?

[BoxsterS]

I just got my T41 a couple of days ago and a couple of things which make it stand out from my old laptop are:

1) Hard drive shock sensor is neat - You can move the laptop in freespace and watch the graphical representation of your thinkpad gyrate. If it senses any G forces it will suspend the hard drive.

2) Built in a/b/g wi-fi

3) It's lighter and thinner

4) I'm still not used to the tactile feel of the keyboard.

5) The trackpoint is bigger and they've included the Ultranav touchpad

6) More memory. Mine is currently at 1.5GB. I would put more in, but there's only 1 memory slot - not sure why.

7) Improved graphics chip. The T41 used the ATI 7500

8) The peripheral inputs are now on the left side of the Thinkpad - about time.

9) Built in security chip

10) Metal hinges connecting LCD and base

11) Gigabit ethernet port

[chatbox]

I just got my T41 a couple of days ago and a couple of things which make it stand out from my old laptop are:

1) Hard drive shock sensor is neat - You can move the laptop in freespace and watch the graphical representation of your thinkpad gyrate. If it senses any G forces it will suspend the hard drive.

2) Built in a/b/g wi-fi

3) It's lighter and thinner

4) I'm still not used to the tactile feel of the keyboard.

5) The trackpoint is bigger and they've included the Ultranav touchpad

6) More memory. Mine is currently at 1.5GB. I would put more in, but there's only 1 memory slot - not sure why.

7) Improved graphics chip. The T41 used the ATI 7500

8) The peripheral inputs are now on the left side of the Thinkpad - about time.

9) Built in security chip

10) Metal hinges connecting LCD and base

11) Gigabit ethernet port

It's not "G force", it's acceleration in "any" direction. (G - Gravity, impose upon from Earth's mass)

The second slot is under the keyboard. You'll have to take your keyboard out before you can see it (i.e. not reachable from underneath.) Supports upto 2GB memory.

[Ashtangi]

Agh.. my bad. I missed the first post date.

I will give them a shout and see what happens..

If anything, anyone interested in splitting the cost on the T41 2373-3hu discs?

I wouldn't worry about it. I've owned a T30 for 2 years, and I called IBM about 3 weeks ago re: Recovery CDs.

Actually, I opened a service ticket on IBM.ca at 11:30 p.m. requesting the CDs. I arrived at work at 8:30 a.m. the following day and there was already a voicemail waiting from an IBM rep, saying that she couriered out the CDs for me, and I should be receiving them later that day.

She then called back about 3-4 days later, just to make sure I received them okay and to see if I needed any more help.

[Rehan]

I wouldn't worry about it. I've owned a T30 for 2 years, and I called IBM about 3 weeks ago re: Recovery CDs.

Actually, I opened a service ticket on IBM.ca at 11:30 p.m. requesting the CDs. I arrived at work at 8:30 a.m. the following day and there was already a voicemail waiting from an IBM rep, saying that she couriered out the CDs for me, and I should be receiving them later that day.

She then called back about 3-4 days later, just to make sure I received them okay and to see if I needed any more help.
That's not the experience someone else had this week:
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/showpost.php?p=1217560&postcount=172

3 weeks ago was about the time of the sale of IBM's PC division to the Chinese firm. Things may already have changed since then.

[felix]

Yikes. Isn't it possible to just download the drivers and tools off the website after installing a retail copy of Windows?

[felix]

10) Metal hinges connecting LCD and base

Umm .. the LCD hinges have always been metal ...

[felix]

Although I don't own a laptop, the features I like on the thinkpad are :

- ThinkLight (the little light on top of the LCD)
- the newer trackpoint caps (these rubber ones give you a better "grip", as well they look easier to clean than the older ones which get very dirty over time)

How good is the ATI Mobile Radeon 7500 for games compared to the 9000? Is it the same as the desktop version? Can either of them play Doom 3 or Half-Life 2 on a Pentium M 1.5 processor with 512MB?

[BoxsterS]

Umm .. the LCD hinges have always been metal ...

Umm...not on my old T23.

[BoxsterS]

It's not "G force", it's acceleration in "any" direction. (G - Gravity, impose upon from Earth's mass)

The second slot is under the keyboard. You'll have to take your keyboard out before you can see it (i.e. not reachable from underneath.) Supports upto 2GB memory.

Yes, that's it:

"An accelerometer on the motherboard detects sudden movement, as would occur if you dropped the unit. Once triggered, it parks the hard drive’s read/write heads. A typical hard drive can withstand a shock up to 200G, but that rises to 800G with parked heads."

Any idea how to pop the keyboard to insert my second stick of 1GB?

[dodo]

Umm...not on my old T23.
the hinges are always metal in the inside, however the newer model of thinkpad has a metal in the outside as well, so it makes it even sturdier.
The hinges is what I like best. You can shake it but the screen still steady.
the Keyboard is excelent too.

[felix]

Umm...not on my old T23.
Yes they are. How else are they suppose to hold the top cover/LCD into place. I should know as I've fixed dozens :cheesygri Maybe you mean hinge cover or something.

[lazybum131]

I wouldn't worry about it. I've owned a T30 for 2 years, and I called IBM about 3 weeks ago re: Rister's hard drive died after two years on her R32 there was a $50 charge, ecovery CDs.

Actually, I opened a service ticket on IBM.ca at 11:30 p.m. requesting the CDs. I arrived at work at 8:30 a.m. the following day and there was already a voicemail waiting from an IBM rep, saying that she couriered out the CDs for me, and I should be receiving them later that day.
I'm assuming you still had warranty left on the Thinkpad? Maybe you were just lucky to get a nice rep since I've heard they don't send out the CDs for free after a certain amount of time. When my sister's hard drive on her R32 died after two years it costs $50 for the CDs, but it was out of warranty.


Yikes. Isn't it possible to just download the drivers and tools off the website after installing a retail copy of Windows?

How good is the ATI Mobile Radeon 7500 for games compared to the 9000? Is it the same as the desktop version? Can either of them play Doom 3 or Half-Life 2 on a Pentium M 1.5 processor with 512MB?
Why pay for another copy that you already bought with the laptop? I don't believe the Product Key that comes with OEM systems works with Retail copies either.

I tried CS:Source yesterday on my girlfriend's 600m with P-M 1.3GHz, 256MB of ram, and 32MB MR9000. The MR9000 is overclocked from 220/200 to 305/275 using ATITool. It was playable at 800x600, medium models, low textures, simple reflections, no AA, Trilinear Filtering and v-sync off. There was stuttering but that's because of hard drive swapping because of the low amount of ram. With more ram I think it could run with medium textures.

[felix]

the hinges are always metal in the inside, however the newer model of thinkpad has a metal in the outside as well, so it makes it even sturdier.
The hinges is what I like best. You can shake it but the screen still steady.
the Keyboard is excelent too.
oh okay. I think you mean hinge cover then :cheesygri

[Grenamier]

I love the keyboards. I've never found a keyboard on another notebook that I've liked as much as a ThinkPad kayboard and I can let myself go full speed on it.

Build quality is great too. I still use an A20m (Celeron 500) and it's still solid. They don't feel as if they're only meant to last until it's time to buy a new one.

[CSR]

Personally, I like the look of the THink pads

[BoxsterS]

Yes they are. How else are they suppose to hold the top cover/LCD into place. I should know as I've fixed dozens :cheesygri Maybe you mean hinge cover or something.

I was initially referring to the exposed metal hinges on the T41. The T23 may have metal hinges beneath the plastic covers, but they're not exposed as they are in the T41.

[Evil Techie]

i got an X31

and newegg just gave my dad an X31 for work too

now we have 2 X31's in this household
both are almost identical in specs
pretty funny

anyways
love the durability and the trackpoint (my old man thinks differently of the trackpoint and prefers to bring an optical mouse with him)

strong titanium composite cover on the X31 beats the rest of the IBM thinkpads

talk about durability, T series is nothing compared to X31

the IBM Connection software isnt bad too
if i have larger HDD space, i would use the recovery software provided
but not with the 30GB i have

[stooker]

Why I love IBM Thinkpad?

Trackpoint!
No stupid windows key

[BoxsterS]

Yes, that's it:

"An accelerometer on the motherboard detects sudden movement, as would occur if you dropped the unit. Once triggered, it parks the hard drive’s read/write heads. A typical hard drive can withstand a shock up to 200G, but that rises to 800G with parked heads."

Any idea how to pop the keyboard to insert my second stick of 1GB?


No need. Figured it out and it.

[Gee]

Definitely not the 'missing' Windows key. :(

Some of the ThinkPads have Windows Keys, mostly the consumer ones that only have a 1 year warranty. The A Series etc.

But, I think they deliberately left the key out. Including it would conceed that Microsoft rules the world.

Not everyone runs Windows.

It is bad enough, that Microsoft rams Internet Explorer, MSN Messenger (the worse IM on the planet) and all this other crap on you. Now they want to control the hardware too?

BTW: I have an X24. Best notebook I have ever owned. And for those that are thinking the 4200 RPM is too slow in the X Series. It is done deliberately. The slower drive will give you more battery life. The X Series is an executive type notebook, not a work horse like the T series.

[wanted]

That's a P2 and lying in the exact same place for a year with a layer of permanent dust... too bad it's my dad's company's

[felix]

Any idea how to pop the keyboard to insert my second stick of 1GB?
Should be I think 3 screws underneath. Then push out the mouse key part from underneath. You can probably find the documentation somewhere on their website.

[felix]

Some of the ThinkPads have Windows Keys, mostly the consumer ones that only have a 1 year warranty. The A Series etc.

If it's in the A series then I think it's most likely due to it larger size (they're much larger than even the R series). And damn heavy too!

[Evil Techie]

Some of the ThinkPads have Windows Keys, mostly the consumer ones that only have a 1 year warranty. The A Series etc.

But, I think they deliberately left the key out. Including it would conceed that Microsoft rules the world.

Not everyone runs Windows.

It is bad enough, that Microsoft rams Internet Explorer, MSN Messenger (the worse IM on the planet) and all this other crap on you. Now they want to control the hardware too?

BTW: I have an X24. Best notebook I have ever owned. And for those that are thinking the 4200 RPM is too slow in the X Series. It is done deliberately. The slower drive will give you more battery life. The X Series is an executive type notebook, not a work horse like the T series.


definately an executive laptop
my dad is the CEO of newegg, he uses X31...
he wants a VAIO S now though
needs a cdrom drive

[Gee]

definately an executive laptop
my dad is the CEO of newegg, he uses X31...
he wants a VAIO S now though
needs a cdrom drive

The VAIO S is the smallest notebook on the planet. Really nice, but I doubt it is as good as the ThinkPad X Series.

Sony tends to float on clouds. They have to throw their own twists into everything and it ends up costing the consumers. ie Memory Stick

[FuNPoLiCe001]

definately an executive laptop
my dad is the CEO of newegg, he uses X31...
he wants a VAIO S now though
needs a cdrom drive

dude, your dad is the CEO of newegg?

get them to ship to Canada!

[Rehan]

dude, your dad is the CEO of newegg?

get them to ship to Canada!
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/showthread.php?t=72182

[miss_swan]

Some of the ThinkPads have Windows Keys, mostly the consumer ones that only have a 1 year warranty. The A Series etc.

But, I think they deliberately left the key out. Including it would conceed that Microsoft rules the world.
.

Well, not my A-series laptop. No Windows key here. Don't know which model range you're thinking of but I haven't run into any IBM lappies with the Windows key.

Not everyone runs Windows ... just the vast majority.

I can also totally understand why IBM didn't put the Windows key on their keyboards ... it would be a concession that's for sure, symbolically anyways.