[Poll] How is your T61(p) like?

Hello everyone,

I've been reading this forum for the last month, since I'm getting a T61. I've read positive, but also negative issues about the T61 ThinkPad. I'd like to hear from you guys how happy you are with your T61(p), how is your ThinkPad like...

Thanks for voting in the poll, if you wish, you can also post replies in this thread containing basic info about your system - besides the basic specs please include comments why you chose the option you voted on.

We can afterwards get an overall result on how is the T61(p) like, in general.

Thanks!

EDIT: I forgot to enter one more option in the poll - "I'm not happy with a hardware component, e.g. screen, keyboard." If this is what you want to vote for, then please choose the last option in the poll.

 

Runs like a dream except for the stupid F key on my keyboard which is squeaky. Damn you Chicony.

 

only problem mine has is whenever new updates are installed or i do a complete shutdown my wireless card needs to be restarted (annoying but not bad...i'm sure i could research and fix it as its probably software related but i'm too lazy). I still gave this an everything is working great vote.

 

LOL, mines is great after a clean install

 

Call warranty service and ask for a new one.

 

If you run Windows (any variety) you will get software errors such as driver related BSODs, eventually. I have, and it's because I was a renegade and did my own version of the clean install. Were I compliant with the guide I am sure I would be footloose and fancy free like the rest of you. i am now trying to set aside time to go and start over.

 

I have to return mine, but that isn't very common.

 

are there folks who did a clean install and don't have the driver issues?

 

Yea, I did a clean install and everything works as should. You just need to get the right stuff of of Lenovo's website which can be daunting since there are so many downloadable files.

 

I certainly don't have any driver issues. That is why I have been such an advocate of doing a clean install. I can't help but believe that if anyone has any significant issues after following the clean install guide to the letter they must have a hardware issue (RAM or HDD or something).

 

Thanks lmark and stallen. I'm getting my system tomorrow and am still debating using it as installed or going clean. I'll use your guide stallen.

 

Every time mine doesn't power down correctly it crashes and it can't boot up properly and I have to stick in my recovery disc. Obviously I'm not trying to power it down incorrectly but there are times when it doesn't hibernate or sleep right and I have to take it with me in a briefcase or bag so I'm forced to hit the power button. IBM is sending me a box so I can ship it to them.

 

I will say that I have turned off all hibernate options. I didn't get any BSODs with hibernate but it takes almost as long to wake up from hibernate as it does for me to power-up. My power-up/start-up time is only about 50 seconds. Power down is 15-20 seconds. Hibernate was not a time saver for me. I still use sleep sometimes. It is fast.

 

Arrived DEFECTIVE.

Customer service jerked me around and would not fulfill their warranty.

Ended in dispute.

Horrible experience with Lenovo. Then got an HP - great experience.

 

Yeah. Customer support was not very helpful to me about my "f" key, and actually gave me a fake number! (yes Seinfeld). It doesn't really bother me all that much and I'll buy a new keyboard off of e-bay one day, but still.

 

What country are you in? I called about a flaky Q key that sticks, and before I could voice my complete complaint the support rep was saying that they would ship out a replacement keyboard.

 

Same thing with my keyboard experience. And it was on my doorstep the next day. Make sure you're all calling IBM for tech support.

 

You keep making up new stories everyday.

Stop with your BS.

Did you call warranty service?? Don't call Lenovo CS... it's horrible. Call it in as warranty and you'll get a new keyboard. I've gotten new keyboards just saying that I wanted one (literally "I need a new keyboard").

 

Mine's great! Couldn't be more happier...very pleased with screen(zero pixels, no grain issues, whites are white, minor light bleed at the bottom only noticeable when the screen is completely dark), the kb is a joy to type on, build quality seems solid. Everything seems to indicate a well put together machine.

Had to do a clean install on the original drive and I'm a bit miffed because I dont have the 200gb 72k rpm drive to do it on yet. The irony is I ordered the new drive from a local retail store 2 weeks ago and its still not available yet and meanwhile this thinkpad was ordered and shipped in a week.

on a side note: I'm glad these forums are here for MM, otherwise gee he would be devoid of any semblance of life at all and that would be a huge tragedy!

 

mine had all sorts of problems initially with turbo memory and the ABS conflicting giving bsod's and freezes...I did a clean install and did not install the turbo driver and abs software and I have been bsod/freeze free (crossing my fingers) I have now love to come my machine and the beautiful nmb kb

 

Mine worked great out of the box, lots of bloatware so I did a factory restore and it gives you all kinds of options to remove the bloatware. I do think it gets a little on the toasty side but a little undervolting and using tpfancontrol get rid of those problems. I didn't order the turbo memory 1# because i still haven't seen any real benefit and t2# Ive constantly read people having problems with, to the point that they will try to uninstall it and still have problems.

 

like me!! but its all fixed now after not installing the abs and turbo mem drivers

 

After 24 hours playing with my new t61p it's a very good laptop except for one thing: the display. So grainy, colors are washed out. Yuk. Any of you found ways to fix this? I tried through the Nvidia panel and it made no difference.

 

Wont fix the graineyness but should really improve the colors.


http://www.hex2bit.com/products/product_mcw.asp

 

pro101: What screen did you get and what was your ship date?

 

shipped 9/23. Not sure which WXSGA+ maker -- it just says Thinkpad Display. The part number lookup returns 42T0422 42T0423 15.4 INCH LCD DISPLAY FRU YES.

 

Quick google search shows that as being a LG screen. PC Wizard 2007 will tell you for sure.

Let me know if the link I gave above does anything for you with the colors.

 

Thanks Bradd. It helps colors somewhat, in a similar way the "vibrance" option improves in the Nvidia tool. It looks like it's a LG screen, which I thought was the better one. Hmm, I wonder how the other ones look.

 

What is ABS?

I agree that there is little to no benefit from turbo memory right now. I hope to see improvement with SP1 and/or future driver/BIOS updates. However, I have never found anything concrete that proves the freezes and BSODs are caused by Turbo memory. I think turbo memory just got blamed because it is new and so people point there finger at it.

There are plenty people who have freezes and BSODs right out of the box that do NOT have Turbo Memory installed. Many (not all) of these thinkpads have serious stability issues out of the box regardless of Turbo Memory. I can see how Turbo memory could make an already unstable system even more unstable, but on a system that is stable I don't think Turbo memory will cause any stability issues. And of course everyone knows that I advocate a clean install to improve system stability.

On two T61s I did have plenty of BSODs and freezes pre- clean install. However, I (and many others) have had Turbo Memory fully installed (including drivers) with ZERO BSODs or freezes post- clean install.

 

sorry i meant APS; which i think is the root of all problems. I believe vista doesn't know how to properly 'halt' writing to disc when APS is involved. After a lot of reasearch (trust me, I have done plenty), it seems that this problem is further complicated by having turbo memory, which further complicates the problem of writing to disc and extracting info from disc to be written on turbo mem while APS is initilized, hence why lenovo recently came up with a new driver to improve waking after laptop is carried

Lol...I was thinking of abs disc brakes for cars...which is essentially the same concept as aps in computers

 

Well, I do think APS could be causing problems. It seems like Lenovo should have APS straightened out. It is nothing new. they have been using APS for quite some time. However, I don't think they have perfected it to work with Vista and possibly Turbo memory.

Lenovo has done quite a bit of marketing with "airbag protection system". If it was really an airbag, I would be interested. However, I really doubt that you are going to get much protection from APS from a drop greater than about 2 feet (I'm just guessing). I think a drop over 2 feet you will be lucky if you don't have any serious internal damage to the HDD - APS or no APS.

I decided to not install it and just carry my laptop like it's my baby (you are not suppose to drop those either). I can see how a very busy business person who is running from room to room with his/her laptop all day might want a little extra protection.

 

correct; i try not to even carry my laptop when moving it around anyways with aps on or off; for any fall greater than 2 ft, i wouldnt even worry about the hdd being damaged; at that point id be worried about the lcd or mobo damage from gravitational shock;

ibm has had the airbag feature for a while; I think it was perfected with xp and possibly with vista; but not with turbo mem and vista; there is another user who had massive bsod's and freezes, however, after simply turning off aps while leaving turbo on, he has not had any problems. I think his/her username is zenaphauraus or something of that sort

I think aps is best for when running around room to room and kind of just 'plopping' your computer down on a desk instead of softly nestling it down;