LENOVO - How trouble-free/reliable are they?

Was thinking about buying a Lenovo but then I read that several have issues with the T61's volume, and others with the screen's brightness, and other issues. I realize that no computer is perfect and don't expect for it to last a lifetime, but on the average, how many trouble-free years can one expect to receive from a Lenovo? Does the model have any impact on longevity or are certain models problematic? I won't be using it for gaming, primarily e-mail, surfing the net, GPS and Google Earth so I believe I don't require an intensive notebook. Any opinions would be appreciated.

 

My T41 is still going strong without suffering a single hardware issue during the more than four years I've owned it. That said:

Many current generation notebook problems (not just Thinkpads) relate to certain models of nVidia graphics.

The screen "problems" you mention really fall into the category of personal preference. Thinkpad screens have traditionally been matte--not everybody likes that. And until recently, Lenovo screens were a bit dim.

A final thought about Google Earth--I personally have found a 2400 Pro graphics card inadquate due to stuttering. Google Earth isn't completely undemanding.

 

The volume thing is just a minor thing. It's not something you shouldn't pick your laptop over. Do you use external speakers or headphones at all? you won't even notice it.

 

I read that the Intel GMA X4500 (standard in the SL Series) is 200% faster than the 3100 and has performance superior to the low end GeForce 8400M. I wonder whether the X4500 will work well enough for Google Earth.

 

Yeah the X4500 will work fine for google earth.
Tim

 

I have the T40 and I had 3 HW problems while under warranty.

Once I had to send it back to replace the motherboard (just stopped working one day). Once I had to get replacement power cable (it is not very well designed - it always bends in one spot). And once the backlight had to be replaced (it kept flickering and going off).

I'm glad I had the 3 year warranty, but I'm not happy about thinkpad quality (at least during the IBM days).

 

regarding the screen brightness, i keep reading this not bright enough, just enough, fine etc... I have my old Toshiba Tecra M2 and am looking to buy Lenovo lap for my wife's school. My M2s screen is just fine for our personal preference, is there a way to compare Lenovo screens with my M2? If it's about the same, by all means we'll be satisfied.

/edit
i should also add that I would love to go check out Lenovos in person, but I don't know any retail places in Canada that sells them. Unless I find someone who owns one locally.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong

Even though I don't own or ever used any Thinkpad, from many forums & reviews, I get an impression that they're pretty good. It might be because they always take a measured approach when it comes to putting HWs inside- i.e., using stable parts; be it new or slightly old, rather going for all the new HWs as they appear in other brands. I wish they released the upcoming 13.3" by now! Then I could've gotten one of those, because it'll have everything I want- Montevina platform, discrete gpu, lightweight, (iirc) LED screen, etc etc.

 

I've owned the Tecra M2 and have used the T61 many many times. They are about equal in brightness but the screen feels less grainy with the T61.

 

I have major issues with the screen on my new T61. The contrast is terrible, I can't tell the difference between different shades of light colors unless the screen is at exactly the right angle. I have trouble seeing the slider bar at the side of a window! I went for the bargain setup and that may be the issue. make sure you get the best screen they have available.

 

I have a 14" WSXGA T61, with a T7300 Core 2 Duo CPU, 2x1Gb RAM, and a 7200RPM Seagate harddrive.

I have had absolutely no issues (crosses fingers) yet and I love owning this machine.

The screen is not among the best, but Lenovo does not (yet) put emphasis on a screen, as Thinkpads are not for Photoshop work. However, the screen is more than adequate for most needs. The worst part of it is the inverting of colors with even slight vertical angle variation. We are talking about 30* effective color stability angle (vertical), and about 90* total before the color is considered "inverted" (black becomes whitish, green - red, blue - yellow etc).

The build is Thinkpad worthy. The machine is much quieter than other laptops I have tested, and the fan is quiet too. It is cool as well.

Thinkpads made it to the International Space Station, so I guess there is something about them

 

They are well built. I have tested other laptops and prefer my thinkpad it feels sturdier and the keyboard is nicer. The complaints about screens plauge all laptops but as for the WXGA+ on my 14.1" T61 it is really bright I have to turn it to 60% when on AC or it hurts my eyes. It also has good response time, contrast and is not grainy. My 15.4" WSXGA+ was slightly grainy and a bit too blue but a good screen still good. If you don't like matte don't get a thinkpad, but if you don't mind they are awesome laptops assuming you don't do graphics work.

 

My T60's screen has one dead pixel. Overall, this laptop may be good for another 10 years build quality wise, but I'm stuck with a dead pixel which is quite annoying since it's almost in the middle of the screen.
My battery has to be replace when it was 3 months old, but the replacement is doing pretty solid after almost 3 years. Still lasting 3 hours minimum.
No other issues other than that...

 

I have heard that the Thinkpads (the T-series I guess) have average battery life at best. For the budget consumer, the Dell Vostro works fine (for me). I know that the thinkpads are well built mechanically (yes, I have studied all the documents on lenovo's site and read the reviews), but for the price they charge, I would certainly expect much better battery life.

Yes, I have used Thinkpads (in my office), Dell Latitudes, HPs, and Dell's consumer models (I was an engineer in a past life, so I understand mechanical and electrical things very well).

Thinkpads are great machines for those who need that type of quality (and who can afford to pay that much, overpriced in my view). For most consumers doing non-CAD work, there are plenty of other brands that offer much better mix of price, performance and durability.

I have thought about purchasing a Thinkpad, but for the price, I could enjoy two machines from other brands and double my pleasure. In my view, Thinkpads enjoy a limited market.

 

What is reliablity for a notebook? As in if a notebook is reliable it will last forever or just 3 years? Is it for gently usage or using it for what it is ment to be uused for (travel and bounce around in vehicals)?

 

All I can say is that these budget notebooks scare me. Having a notebook that is all plastic and no metal reenforcement at all is a bad idea in my opinion. I feel that I made a very good decision getting my Thinkpad and was worth every penny.

 

Had my R61i For around 9 months and I can say it is still going very good. Everything works and have had no problems with it. Though If your machine is supplied with Vista which I assume would be, make sure you get at least 2 gig of ram. Mine came with 1 and it frustrated the hell out of me. Only thing I can pick on is the tinny speakers. But hey these are business notebooks so multimedia isn't their top priority. Overall a well built laptop, and will buy same brand in future.

 

The ThinkVantage utilities, especially Rescue and Recovery, is very indispensable that add to the reliability of ThinkPads.

 

If you are dissatisfied with your purchase, don't expect to send it back without a restocking fee, even though you are within the return period. I have had two screens and am still having to deal with Lenovo to get the screen right. The LG replacement I have has grayed-out dots on it, however it is better than the Samsung. I regret the purchase often as I have had to deal with Lenovo.

I will say, my dollar stretched better on the T61 in terms of components and the design is very sleek, but I wish I had my money back so that I could go with a company that had a better return policy since I wasn't satisfied with my purchase. I wouldn't recommend the T61 in particular for any sort of graphics editing. Everyone's story is different, though, just make sure you research - and then research again.

 

Thought I would give some context. My university here has plenty of old Dell Latitudes. Now, I know that Latitudes (back then and even now) are Dell's premium business line and as such, are supposedly, "well-built" (whatever that term means for each manufacturer). Unfortunately, I have to say that these previous latitudes greatly disappointed me. Their hinges are wobbly, the keyboard is worse than on today's budget laptops, the build is plastic. Now, I did check out a recent latitude at a Dell Canada outlet, and the build is far better.

My point is, just because today's budget laptops are made of (hardened) plastic should not automatically cause a propective buyer to discount them. In fact, I have a couple of these budget laptops (a Dell Inspiron, one year old and an HP 15.4, a few months old). I actually would much rather have these than an older latitude.

Similarly, the older Thinkpads are maybe, just a little better in terms of using better materials (not talking of the roll cages) than today's budget models. I also have a 6 year old ECS desktop replacement that is still working today (although it is hardly used much). It is ancient by today's standards (P4, 20 GB HD, 512 RAM etc). Paid over $2000 for it. It's hinges are still strong, and it still feels solid.

The point is, customers should dig a little deeper before forking so much money on a Thinkpad. Unfortunately, here in Canada (and maybe in the rest of the world outside the U.S.), Thinkpads are still awefully expensive. Thinkpads have a narrow market segment. Most users, I feel, do not need to spend so much to enjoy great new technology that will most certainly last them easily for 4-5 years (if they take good care of it). From what I see, many people still have well functioning budget laptops 3-4 years after they purchased it.

Would I love to have a Thinkpad? Absolutely! Would I want to fork out $1700+ when I can get a similarly configured budget/small business for much less that will last for a number of years. Not at this time

 

If Lenovo used better screens and slightly thicker plastics for the outside frame, they'd be even more highly rated.

Although the laptop internals may be more sturdy because of the roll-cage, the plastics that we are feeling on a daily basis, like the palmrest do feel thin and cheap which gives a negative impression when comparing the quality to older thinkpad models.

Older thinkpads do feel more sturdy on the outside even if they may not be as resistant to being dropped.

Also in the past 2 years Thinkpad prices have dropped a lot in the US, possibly by 50% or more which has lead to many more consumers purchasing them where before the main market was large corporations.

 

To PPDD:
Maybe it's anecdotal, but I've used a Windows Me era thinkpad. It feels as solid as most of current laptops, has a premium keyboard and a trackpoint and has the sexy look.
What I'm trying to say is that you can judge a thinkpad based on what you know about dell's latitude. Latitudes are fine, but their keyboards have never been great and their build quality has never been as good as lenovo's.

And I'm pretty sure that most laptops can't withstand this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wwCO740QB4U&feature=related

"Unfortunately, here in Canada (and maybe in the rest of the world outside the U.S.), Thinkpads are still awefully expensive. "
Or not.
1: They are cheaper than in Europe or in Asia.
2: Of course if you compare them to budget line laptops, they are more expensive (let's say 300$ more than a similarly spec'ed inspiron). But you don't compare inspiron to thinkpad. It's like comparing a Ford Taurus to a Lexus LS. Of course, for the same 1000$, you can have a inspiron with better performance than a thinkpad. However, the thinkpad has a lot of feature that justify it (better look, better keyboard, a trackpoint and a touchpad, dock capabilities, thinkvantage softwares, lower weight, keyboard light, finger print readers, more ports, docking capabilities, etc. etc.). So maybe a thinkpad is more expensive when you just look a specs, but it does offer a very good bang for your bucks.