Comments: Build quality of S6000 S6210

Hi,
I just got my notebook today and i have to say this thing is THIN and light.

but it seems that my screen is a little flimsy? if i press against the sides i can see it bubble and it's not built strong enough in my opinion to book in a bag with books?

Can anyone else comment on the built quality of their notebook?
thanks

 

I just went to FRY's today, and saw a S6240, and had a similar opinion. I am considering keeping or returning a Thinkpad X32. I have considered the SONY SZ but can't stand the keyboard. I have contemplated just about every other make and model out there. As I said, I saw the S6240, and felt the same as I have toward every Fujitsu S Series I have ever seen, except that the keyboard is better and has less flex. The casing is thin overall, the LCD cover bends easily, the LCD does bubble easily, and the case might scratch easily over time. I don't know that the LCD flex is significant or not. I don't know that in real world use that it would cause any issues at all. Perhaps someone that has an S6000 series unit can comment about these issues.

Andrew

 

I own a 6231. I don't notice any flex on my LCD. I think it's pretty durable and I carry it everywhere.

 

I also have a S6231. The screen has a bit of flex, but has not been damaged despite numerous trips over thousands of miles. If you are really rough on a notebook then you may want to stick with the IBM or look at a ToughBook. But I have found the Fujitsu to be plenty tough enough for my every day use.

 

I have owned a S6000 (the S6010 model) for 3.5 years now. It has been incredibly durable. I use the thing almost every day and treat it quite roughly (not on purpose), carrying it in a backpack to cafes, on planes, at offices of my clients, etc. No problems at all. I suppose the screen flexes a bit, but not in any way that causes any kind of problem. I can't wait for a Napa version of the laptop so I can buy a new one. I can't guarantee that the current models are as durable as mine, but it seems that the physical casing, etc., hasn't changed much so I would expect it to be about the same in terms of build quality.

 

The biggest concern to me about the casing of my S6240 is not the screen backing but the bottom of the chassis. It's true that the magnesium backing doesn't offer quite the protection from LCD push and bubble that it probably should, but I don't think this is a really worry for anyone who treats the thing with reasonable respect and common sense; certainly it's a lot better than plastic. The BOTTOM of the machine, however, is thin plastic with fairly large hollow spaces underneath a good portion of the real estate, and if you push it a little bit you can also feel it flex in these spots. This has me exceedingly concerned. I baby this eight-week-old machine and, mysteriously, part of the plastic surrounding one of the USB ports on the back corner went missing while it was being transported in a padded case a few weeks ago.

The machine does generally feel solid and well-built (mouse buttons feel really icky but are probably solid over the long haul, keyboard feels pretty good), but I think they might have considered going with a better material for the casing bottom-- a slightly thicker plastic or perhaps magnesium frame down there as well.

On the screen-worry front, though, I'd MUCH rather have this than a Sony SZ. Talk about a ridiculously fragile machine with no protection for the screen. I have now seen two very-recent-era Vaios that randomly developed screen fractures all the way across through no serious fault or mistake of their owners-- again, just carrying in a padded bag. Naturally, any service center is going to claim that's user abuse, but I know the folks involved, and they treat their gear well too.

 

A lot of people have posted complaints that the newer Fujitsus are not being made to the same standards as the old ones. From personal experience, at least with the S7000 series, they are not the durable machines they once were. Mine did have several repairs and I am a bit jaded from having gotten what was, perhaps, a lemon, but after 3.5 months the hinges were loose, the speaker assembly was popping up, a key had partially popped off, there was a stress crack over the PCMCI slot through not one, but two separate pieces of plastic, and there was not one area which did not creak with even minimal pressure. Admittedly, it was probably due to having been serviced, BUT the machine was actually a bit embarrassing to return. In contrast, the Portableone UX which replaced it, after 5 months of more extensive use, in the same padded messenger bag, looks like it did the day it was opened, with the exception of sheen on the keys.

 

I"m with you M. When I first joined over a year ago, all the people buying S6000 and S7000 were raving about excellent screens and build quality. Now I see more frequent posts about dubious screen quality- like the light leakage on S7000- and more frequent complaints about build quality.

There are some possibilites: quality went down or quality stayed the same and people expected too much because others raved a little too much.