Lenovo T530 Owner's Thread

Again what version???

Win7/64 Home or Pro or Ultimate or what???

FWIW my own current take on Win8 is that it's a replay of Win Vista.

The joke (admittedly poor) about Win7 is that it is the 1st good version of Vista.

The only reasons why I might buy into Win8 right now are 1) I have a PC/notebook/tablet computer with a touch screen or 2) a PC/notebook/tablet computer where Win8 offers a performance benefit (the one recent (very minor) being AMD cpu's as one example)

1st that I've seen of that.

Way too long for me to comment now or even in the next few weeks; but thanks for the ref!

Exactly my own take so far on ordering on-line with Lenovo.

It's a pain.

But not a total nose bleed.

But still have my fingers crossed on my 2nd notebook order w/Lenovo. (1st w/Outlet.)

 

Hello everyone. New guy hoping to get a little advice. I'm really looking forward to being a T530 owner, but I'm still battling over a few specs in my build. My computer will be for music editing and recording, amateur graphic design and website building, and maybe eventually some video editing. This is, of course, in addition to the usual streaming and internet usage. The following is a list of my build.

• Intel Core i5-3320M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.30 GHz)
• Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
• Windows 7 Professional 64 - English
• 15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
• NVIDIA NVS 5400M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory
• 4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM)
• Keyboard Backlit - US English
• UltraNav without Fingerprint Reader
• 720p HD Camera with Microphone
• 320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
• DVD Recordable
• Express Card Slot & 4-in-1 Card Reader & Bezel
• 9 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70++
• 90W AC Adapter - US (2pin)
• Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN
• Mobile Broadband upgradable
• Publication - US English

I'm battling with whether or not it's worth upgrading to the Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz). To have this option I would have to go with the "professional build" and be forced into paying for a 500GB Hard Drive and Bluetooth 4.0 w/ antennae. I don't need the 500GB Hard Drive because I plan on switching it out for an SSD upon receipt. I also don't need the Bluetooth. But getting all of this with the quad core processor would add $175 to my above build. Is it worth it? This laptop will be replacing my usage of a desktop. I'm not sure the quad core is necessary, but I'm trying to look into the future. If I want to upgrade to a quad core down the road, will the 90W adapter be sufficient to power it? (The quad core comes with a 135W adapter) What would you do?

Also, if I don't go i7 for the quad core, is there any reason for me to have the Intel Core i5-3320M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.30 GHz) in my build for the virtualization technology if I have no idea what that technology is for? If I opt i5 dual core, should I just go with the Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.10 GHz) or is the other worth the extra $40?

I want this laptop to last for a long time, so I'm trying to think of everything that I may eventually want to upgrade. I've always heard you should get the best processor you can afford. The build above (with an aftermarket SSD) is just below budget, while doing the forced upgrades just to get a quad core makes the price just above budget. Truthfully, I can afford it, I'm just not sure if it's worth it for what I'll be using it for. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

Define worth, then we'll talk. Value is always the most difficult question to answer because people often view it differently. I can say anything anything that places a heavy load on the CPU, audio and video encoding certainly can do it, will benefit from having a quad core. Is that worth $175? Perhaps not to you, but someone else may say otherwise. The i7-3630QM is selling on eBay for $250ish, which is more than Lenovo is asking. My guess would be you can swap the CPU and use the 90w adapter, though you may have power issues.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Perhaps it was a poor choice of wording. I don't know if the quad core is necessary for my use. To me, it would be ideal and is indeed worth it, but I don't want to pay for something that won't be utilized or noticeable in the machine's performance for the same reason I wouldn't want to pay for 16GB of RAM if the machine will never use more than 4-8. I'm just looking for people that have more technological knowledge to weigh in on whether I would be spending money unnecessarily because the i5 will handle what I want to do just fine or if the i7 quad core would be a good investment. I have no idea how quickly these new technologies emerge. I've always used a desktop and have only purchased one laptop in my lifetime, about six years ago. I want this new laptop to last for a long time.

 

Sorry, Win7/64 Home. Don't really have a reason for Pro/Ultimate.

I'm in the same place as you on Win 8. I have been a Microsoft user since DOS 5 1/4" floppy days and I actually really like Win 7. I was surprised in the front end differences in 8, but I see where they are headed to try to maintain relevance as technology shifts.

Good luck on your outlet order!

 

As a desktop replacement my view would be Quad core all the way. It may just be me, but knowing there's more channels for a computer to get it's work done just makes sense to me. It seems there's a hundred things a computer is doing in the background while I'm trying to get MY work done, any amount of help I can give it to stay out of my way I will. Granted you won't notice some of the time, but it's hard to predict when you will and when you won't. It's not like RAM where you have 8gb but never use more than 4gb. Those extra cores can be utilized in an instant and then idle the next, all you notice is a smooth computing experience. If you look at the cost of the upgrade over how long you expect to own the machine, it seems like a reasonable investment to me. Not only do you have future proofing a bit but if you choose to resell it down the road it will have a standout feature compared to the bulk of Core i5's that'll be for sale.

 

All well said.

But there's no free lunch.

The downside of the i7 is extra heat, which is less of an issue for a desktop PC, but tends to be a very big issue with many (most?) laptops. And the higher up you go on the i7 "food chain" the more heat you get.

Heat can be beat, but it takes going to the trouble and expense and forethought of paying extra for a better heatsink with real copper cooling tubes, as well as paying extra for a better application of a top heat sink compound. Few actually do this for their new laptops.

The specialty laptop builders offer this, but again at extra cost.

AFAIK Lenovo and HP and Dell (et al) only partly build in better cooling when you buy a laptop from them with a hot running top rated i7 cpu. The other part is that the run temperatures go up.

And if you have the brains to spend for extra cooling (with a specialty laptop builder), you'll never get any of that money back if/when you sell the laptop.

So be careful about free lunches.

 

So I have
1) Checked screen for dead pixels - pass
2) Installed all of the Windows and Lenovo updates (unbelievable how many there were for something that just left the factory).
3) Removed the following bloatware:
- Norton
- Nitro Pro 7
- Google toolbar
- Intel App Center
- VIP Access
I still need to go through the Lenovo software to see what's worth keeping.
4) Installed and ran my standard go-to utilities: CCleaner, Malwarebytes, MS Security Essentials, Firefox, HWiNFO64
5) Stress tested my GPU with Furmark

QUESTIONS:
It looks like the Nvidia NVS 5400M driver is very out of date. In going to the Nvidia site I see a variety of drivers for the nvs 5400m. Performance driver , ODE graphics driver, quadro partner certified driver,.. etc. Which do I choose?

Any other drivers that are also important to update?

The BIOS is also older (version 2.07). Should that be updated as well?

 

Thanks. This definitely helped and reaffirmed my thoughts on going with the quad core. I'm going with the lowest quad core available, so I'm taking a shot on the heat issue OtherSongs mentioned. I'll do some research and take some preventative measures, but I'm thinking it'll be alright. Thanks again for the info everyone. I'm glad I found this place. I'm looking forward to the responses to mrstop's questions as well.

 

A friend of mine has been running the 3720QM for a couple of months now and hasn't complained of any heat issues. He uses on a desk primarily but moves from location to location, but again, has never mentioned it.

I am usually very heat sensitive, I bought the low watt chip in my W500 and the i3 version of the X220 specifically to avoid heat and here I am buying the i7 Quad in the T530 I'll know on Friday when mine arrives...

 

Update on 2/1/2013

Just received my T530 from the outlet. Shipped with a 90W Power Adapter versus the 135W. Also shipped with a 512HD versus a 256SSD. Quite disappointed as the SSD really made it a great deal, but without that it's just okay. Lenovo said there was nothing they could do about either and just recommended I return it and buy something else.

Other than that the machine looks like new.

 

Have had my T530 for a few weeks now so figured I'd chime in with my experience.

Customer service was helpful during the order as Lenovo had a discount for 10% that was marked good until sometime near the end of January. When I went to order the first week of January I couldn't find it. Seems it was meant to end on Dec 31 not Jan 31. They still honored the discount however when I called.

Here are my specs:

- Intel Core i7-3720QM Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.60 GHz)
- Windows 7 Professional 64
- Windows 7 Professional 64 English
- 15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
- NVIDIA Optimus Graphics (NVS 5400M, 1GB)
- 6 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (2 DIMM)
- ThinkPad Precision Backlit Keyboard UK English
- 720p HD Camera
- 500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
- DVD Recordable
- Express Card Slot & 4 in 1 Card Reader
- 9 cell Li-Ion Battery - 70++
- Country Pack United Kingdom with Line cord & 135W AC adapter
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (2x2 AGN)
- Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable
- Language Pack WE (FR/GE/IT/DU/EN)


This is mainly to serve the role a desktop usually would hence the Quad processor. My T410 was starting to get on my nerves with constantly slowing down. So far the T530 has had no issues there.

Initially I found the monitor to be too dim and even slightly yellowish in tint. After playing around with some colour settings I ended up just getting used to it. In comparison the T410 is quite grainy although brighter. Overall I much prefer the HD+ though. It also seemed lower in brightness compared to some older LCD monitors, but again now it looks just as bright. Not sure if the adjustments made the difference or it was just me getting used to it.

Although I miss the old style keys I do find I type faster on the new one. They feel lighter overall which seems to make them more efficient at typing but lose some of the satisfying feeling I'm used to on the traditional keys. I'd almost give up a few more words per minute to get back the feeling of the old keyboards.

What I'm not happy about though is the clickyness of the mouse buttons near the trackpad. The T410 in comparison is very smooth without any noise when clicking. I'd imagine this is just down to the grommet they use so not sure why the current one was used, wouldn't expect much savings cost in a part like that but who knows.

The main con so far on the T530 though is the steep slope near the front of the unit. The T410 felt very comfortable to rest my hands on where as the T530 produces pain fairly quickly. This is partly due to the larger size overall as I find my wrist resting on the corner edge where as with the T410 it was clear of the machine at that point.

The major difference though is the more gradual slope on the T410 which was much easier on my palms. The T530 just feels flat and 'hard', where as the T410 has a nice smooth and round feel when resting my hands on it.

This is partly due to the height of the desk I usually work at as it forces more pressure on the hands. But I've found in general any table type surface has the same issue. Perhaps over time I'll get used to it, but the difference between the T410 and T530 in this regard iis hard to ignore even after having a few weeks to settle into the new style. Even just writing up this review my palms are already sore from the hard edge of the T530.

The trackpoint is fine, smaller and seems a bit stiffer but this will probably loosen over time.

The 9 cell battery works well, without Wifi I get a reported 8-9 hours sometimes so was well worth the slight extra cost.

Performance wise I'm happy with the T530. Unfortunately it just doesn't have that visceral quality that previous machines had, where you look forward to typing on them. I'm constantly having to re-adjust my hand positioning on this to avoid strain which of course takes away any joy in using it. It's a shame that a simple thing like the front bevel shape takes away so much from the experience.

Haven't heard anyone else complain about this so maybe it's just me.


Edit: just tried typing on the old T410 and actually do prefer the T530 now I think so strike that comment.

 

What cpu is in it? If it's an i5, then 90W is likely OK. A 95W power adapter is what came with my new T530.

I have to agree. Buying a 500GB HDD costs ~$50, whereas a 256GB SSD costs ~$190!

There's a kick in the face.

I just got a refurb X220 from Lenovo's outlet. "looks like new" is a good way to describe it.

My own experience is that what they show and what they send are not the same thing!

Once it shows up you have to decide if it is a "good enough" deal.

 

I have the 3820QM running on my machine which I use for video processing quite often. It runs warm enough under load and does get a little uncomfortable. However, if you're just doing normal word processing/web browsing, it's not a problem. The good news is, the fan is extremely quiet on the T530, at least on mine. This is coming from 2 previous sets of the Sony VAIO S (SE in 2011 and S13 Premium in 2012) where the fan noise were ridiculous.

 

The T530? Just report what you experience on your own machine. Don't generalize.



The T530 FRU BOM lists different fan parts and they vary in behaviors, in particular, noise emission. Which one sits in your T530? Furukawa? AVC? Delta?

Same can be said about other ThinkPad models.

 

Read, i said on my machine, and my reference was the 2 sony vaio machines i had previously. Without tearing the machine apart, how do you tell the fan's make and model?

 

It's the i7 quad core, which should be 135W but my 90W adapter seems to be working fine with it. I did also purchase the Mini Dock with 170W, so while docked I'm good to go. Just found out though that there's a defect in the motherboard which causes audio "popping" when connected to the docks 3.5mm jack.

Very loud sound cracks using W530 in docking stati... - Page 20 - Lenovo Community

I'm debating now if it's "good enough". A new config is about $1,375 for what I paid $973 for. So a $400 savings.

 

My advice is to not worry about A/C power adapter; at least not too much.

They're cheap to buy; main thing to get is extra cords, when and where you can.

Well you really test things out; meaning if either of my two ThinkPads has any docking problem(s) it's unlikely I'm gonna discover it as I'm unlikely to every use any kind of dock with my 2 laptops.

Tough call (for you) nonetheless. If you'd gotten the SSD for the same price then the savings would be more like $540.

PC/laptop sound problems drive me nuts, and I'd likely send it back.

 

You might want to contact Mark over on the Lenovo forums. He may be able to get an answer for you. If you didn't, it's probably a good idea to save a screen shot of the order.

 

I have recently ordered a new T530 Win8 and am planning put an SSD and clean install Win8. AFAIK Lenovo doesn't offer Win8 ISO media. Does anyone know from where I can download the 64 bit ISO(or USB) and use it with the OEM key to clean install Win8 on the SSD?

I tried searching for like an hour now and can't find it. Most of the pages say it is not possible. the link provided in post ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/windows-os-software/698577-windows-8-fresh-instalation.html) works? Thanks for your help.

 

I read more than several pages and just had to post, I'm new to this forum but longtime, self-taught, daily application computer geek since the commodor64. I like knowing a bit more than the average person how things work, but fear I know only enough to make me dangerous.

I'm coming from a 6 yrs old custom built (on-line) lenovo R60e.

here's my new one that will be shipped on 2/9.:

Intel Core i5-3320M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.30 GHz)
Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
15.6" HD (1366 x 768) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
Intel HD Graphics 4000
8 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (2 DIMM)
UltraNav without Fingerprint Reader
720p HD Camera with Microphone
320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD Recordable
Express Card Slot & 4-in-1 Card Reader & Bezel
6 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70+
90W AC Adapter - US (2pin)
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN
Mobile Broadband upgradable

I sell real estate. I do alot of industry-specific website portals, mainly need a fast, workhorse. I would have liked the number pad and thought I would get one when I was ready, but now I'm so used to just typing the numbers, no matter.

really wonder why laptop makers havent implemented the ergonomic keyboards into their designs? really?! on laptop I would think it to be essential. just my 2cents.

I really like the pointing device for on the go and when I use it at home for extended periods I use a USB mouse. I really don't like the touchpad or even that it's there, I could have done without the camera. sure I'll get used to it. the hard drives 320 & 500 were both 7200rpm so I don't need that much storage. I have a gianormous desktop at work and use that most the time.

I think she'll be pretty quick!! $842 out the door. this will be only my 2nd laptop. my 1st was a custom build as well. after a year or so I had to do a clean install cause it got all gooped up from the thinkvantage junk on there, but really does well ever since.

I'm a big desktop supporter, helps me "clock out". I'm also bucking the iPhone stage in my life.

I've always elevated the back of my laptop with a book or let it hang over the side of my lap so it can "breathe". just saying.

thoughts, comments welcome.

amy

 

As you ordered your config already, my only comment is: Enjoy your new T530 when it arrives.

 

I love my R60e, but I'd never want to take it out of the house. I presume if you're selling real estate, you'd be fairly mobile. I'm curious, why such a big notebook, especially since you're getting the lowest resolution screen?

 

Don't know about your question but thanks for these tips...
I have a question myself: just bought a T530 with an i5 3210M
It's a dual core CPU with 3M cache.
I'm a computer science student and would be doing some coding on the machine.
I'm wondering whether the CPU would be a major bottle neck on this machine for applications in a year or so.
THanks.

 

thanks for the comments.

yea, you would think a tablet would be appropriate but in my area, the whole signing on the go hasnt' really hit. I do more contract by emails and returned by fax or email, and just as many where I sit down with the customer and either fill it out by hand or on the computer. so my "on-the-go" has is more in one of our offices using wireless, at home in my livingroom (when doing "busy" work or in my home office) or when I'm on vacation.

I hope my new t530 is "enjoyable" with my configuration.

I'm pretty sure the new resoluation will be better than my r60e, so I'm thinking it will still be a step up?

thanks again. I just got email that it's been shipped!!

amy

 

You should definitely enjoy the step up in machine and speed. The resolution issue is a different story and really a matter of personal preference. That's really the "lowest" resolution you'll find on a 15" laptop like yours. Meaning that text/icons etc. are going to be large (and easier to read) versus going with a 1600x900 or 1920x1080 laptop where the fonts are very very tiny.

It's also a matter of "working room". With the higher resolutions, because the text/icons are smaller, you can usually run apps more comfortably side by side or in multiple windows as you have more space to deal with. One a 1368 display you'll be more limited in how many windows you can comfortably have open, but either way it's a matter of working style.

Either way I'm sure you'll enjoy your new machine.

 

Sure.

Amy has already placed the order and the T530 is crossing the great ocean as we speak.

 

here's what my R60e has:
winXP pro
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU
T5600 @ 1.83 GHz
987 MHz, 2.99GB RAM
80gig hard drive

just as a point of reference. can't believe it's lasted this long. so many people I know have such hard times with their laptops.

I'm so excited.
amy

 

how do you check for dead pixels?

think the resolution should be okay, I say I usually work within 6-8 windows or tabs at the maximum.

tracking said next wed for delivery . comin from china. :~

amy

 

They jump at you, especially when the whole screen is in a single color. A dead/stuck pixel is a dot on the screen that stays in one color all the time, regardless of what is being displayed. Search "dead pixel test".

I suppose. Many people find 1600x900 resolution on a 15.6" screen more useful. I prefer 1920x1080. Lenovo offers 3 resolutions for the T530. People pick different options based on their needs and preferences.

 

I wanted to get a response from other T530 owners to find out if my laptop has a problem with the display latch mechanism.

My previous T400 had a latch that didn't have any sort of play to it, and the moving parts (the actual latch that you have to manipulate to release the display) was integrated into the display lid. I mean that it slid left to right as intended, and had no front to back play.

The T530's latch is located on the palm rest and mine has a little play to it. It's possible to push it about 2-3 mm towards the back of the machine, in the direction of the hinges. It's also relatively loose in this play, so that even gently touching it with my forearm while using the computer on my lap moves the latch and "taps" against the plastic (or whatever other solid surface) behind it.

I wanted to find out if this is normal or if mine is defective. Perhaps related, I found a little (1 x 1 mm) plastic part that was apparently broken off and loosely flying around the inside of my machine when I installed the msata ssd. If my loose latch is abnormal, perhaps this piece would have "braced" it and prevented it from being able to be pressed in as I describe above?

Any input would be appreciated. Is anyone else able to send morse code with their latches when tapping it gently?

 

I made the experience that this loose is normal for the newer T-series. The T420i my mother uses has also a slightly loose latch.

 

Hi there, some feedback requested prior to placing an order:

Laptop will be largely used as a desktop using an attached 22" monitor, external kbd and mouse, with occasional trips away, especially vacations. Workload is typical Word/Excel based, no heavy graphics. Business use will be on a separate, employer-supplied machine. Therefore selected:

i5-3360M
HD4000 graphics.
1600x900 screen
2Mb memory
500Gb 7200rpm HDD
DVD R/W
6 cell battery
65W power adapter
WIn 8 64 (not Pro)

Questions I have are:
1. SSD -v- mSSD added later...
Option 1: SSD: move HDD to ultrabay, move out DVD to external housing. 256Gb SSD (Samsung) into main bay as boot drive.
Option 2: mSSD in PCI slot leaving HDD/DVD where they are. mSSD becomes boot drive.
Question: the mSSD would be in a SATA 2 speed slot I believe, so slower than the SSD in main bay which is on a SATA3 interface. Thoughts?

2. Can the internal DVD be housed in an external housing and plugged in? If so, I assume it would be through a powered USB2/3 port.

3. Will self upgrade memory to 4Gb in each of the two channels.

4. Win 8 and not Win 8 Pro, as unlikely this will be ever joined to a corporate network. But, I may want to remote desktop in to work apps sometime, so that worries me a bit. Any experience from anyone there?

5. Is it likely that the mSSD would knock the power over so I needed the 90W charger, or perhaps the DVD attached externally might cause power issues? Both are listed as options in the online configurator.

TIA. Some very helpful people on this forum.

Ralph in Auckland

 

1. Personal preference. With option 1, you need to buy an UltraBay HDD caddy adapter and a slimline SATA to USB adapter cable (or an enclosure that includes such an adapter). With option 2, you just insert the mSATA SSD in its slot under the keyboard and leave both the stock HDD and stock optical drive in their place. I'm typing on a T520 with mSATA 128GB SSD as boot/OS/apps drive. Yeah, the interface is SATA 3Gbit/s, but the real bottleneck can be traced to my brain and fingers.

2. Yes. Any USB port will do.

3. I don't want to talk about Windows 8.

4. Nah. The small power adapter will do fine.

PS. Welcome to the forum.

 

My T530 latch has the same play you describe. I never noticed it in the month I've had the machine. Now that you've pointed it out, I notice it and it bothers me.

However, I'm confident I'll get over it.

 

hey all! my new t530 came today. waited all day, checking the site. anyway, just out of the box, feels pretty light.

overall it started pretty quick, for me anyway, and really shuts down in a snap. I took some of the bloatware off I won't use, don't need. i.e. VIP access, norton and coral burn.now. any other suggestions? I didn't get the thinkvantage wireless b/c on my r60e it had a hard time allowing windows to configure my wireless connections. finally on my r60e (which is what I'm still typing on) all the preinstalled programs were bogging it down and I had a pc shot install winxp clean and it's run fine since.

anyway to do this clean install now? lenovo didn't send me a disk. recommendation in general? I don't like message center.

the finish on the top cover is smoother that the r60e. I'm pretty used to my old keyboard but sure I will adjust. the battery seems to charge pretty quickly on the t530.

looking forward to your comments...questions? if I can help anyone?

thanks!

amy

 

my latch has a tiny bit of play, I wouldn't say it was loose though.

 

Lenovo don't send no discs for years. No need to do a clean install. Just go to Control Panel > Uninstall a program (assuming Windows 7) and remove those programs you don't need.

It may be a good idea to create the Factory Recovery discs (4 DVDs, or 1 CD + 3 DVDs).

 

I have 111 windows update to do.

typing on it is different, I seem to be skipping letters, adjusting to the strength needed to depress the keys. but typing seems to be very quick.

I see when I look at the "properties" for "my computer" it's only at 2.6ghz and my spec sheet states "up to 3.6 ghz"?? am I missing something or an optimations needed?

the lenovo solution center is like an app for an iPhone. I think I have about 75 processes running.

 

You should be glad your CPU cores are running at an easy pace. You are not being cheated. "Up to 3.6GHz" means that the CPU can rev up to that speed if required, at the expense of multiple cores. When that does happen, the fan will rev up wildly, as well, to keep the CPU cool. What you are "missing" now is the heat and noise.

 

then I'm happy?!! we'll see how she does after all the updates. stuttering a bit on the internet , but that could just be IE9 (ugh!)

thanks for your input!!

amy

 

Windows 8
Factory Recovery discs:
If it is Windows 8, you will need a USB flash drive(preferably USB 3.0) with size at least greater than or equal to the size of the recovery partition on your hard disk(the bigger of the two - yes, there are two and one of them is 1000MB and other is usually around 10.something GB). (found this somewhere in the WIndows 8 help)

System image - Windows 8 still allows system image to be created and this can go on a harddisk/DVD/USB etc. I'm not sure, but I think, this creates a system image as of that point including all your installed applications. Ars article

Lenovo guide - Methodology to create Recovery Media and reload a Lenovo Think system with Microsoft Windows 8 preload

Clean install - never tried, but hopefully someone can confirm this.
check this post. You can get your windows key using tools like belarc advisor etc and use it to download the clean ISO without lenovo software on it.

 

it's windows 7. I can make the recovery disks, no problem. I just wonder how does one ever access or get use out of the partition? if I make a set of recovery disks, then why do I need to have a partitioned hard drive?

it took over an hour to do the updates, seemed to do pretty well on the internet. I have to use IE for some of my websites, but I got an error when I tried to submit a form. guess I'll keep checking for updates.

I don't dislike the keyboard but I didn't realize how used to mine, the texture and feel, I really was.

I got a 5.9 on the WEI. I clocked the start up time with a stopwatch. I must count slow. it was 54 seconds from the time I pushed the power button to when my desktop appeared.

amy

 

so the 111 updates has not been going well. the updates would fail. so I did like 10 at a time and it went fine. now just some optional ones to do.

overall, I like the feel. it seems smoother when I have to move my hands around the keyboard for the numbers reach or the arrow keys. the keys feel good to type on but I find that I type better if hit them straight on and with better posture. I think this is just a posture of getting used to . in the beginning I had to sit up pretty straight and type proper but even just the days of typing on it, I find myself being able to move to that less proper and more comfortable position just fine.

runs both IE and FF pretty well. I typed in my first 3 page form today, went pretty smooth.

I use an acer 20somthing monitor when its at home. at the office today getting set up on the printer and network and all just on battery. the battery seems to hold pretty well even with the different monitor.

it's a bit wider and fits tight into my usual 15" made briefcase. maybe i'll have to get a new case ..

pretty freaking quiet as far as the fan and harddrive go. yes, I have to say the difference in the keyboard doesn't bother me at all now. it has a similar click/kick as my r60e, just different, but overall a good feel.

thanks much for the forum. I did alot of reading before I impulsly placed the order.

amy

 

My always-on USB port on T530 got broken as a yellow piece came off and the pins are not covered anymore which may cause them to bend and be non-functional at any point. I called Lenovo and I thought that it is just a simple replacement of the USB port, but they told me the will have to replace the whole motherboard including the CPU! I am not sure if I should go ahead with this or not as I am worried my machine may be messed up since I read many reports of the same exact situation and people experienced several problems after that. the replacement will happen on-site. I am disappointed to see many reports of this same nonsense problem of the plastic part falling off the USB ports in ThinkPads...

 

Pull the hard drive, your data will be safe. There's a chance it won't work out, but I'd say it's very small.

 

This may be a dumb question but how do you think it broke? In other words was it from using it or did it simply fall apart? I have not read about this problem on the Lenovo web site forum, but I have read that some people are having trouble the palm wrest falling apart.

 

It is really frustrating that after wasting my time waiting for the Lenovo guy today, he came with the new board and tarred apart the machine to discover that what i said made more sense and Lenovo is wasting their time and money and mines too! The yellow Always ON USB port is not soldered on the motherboard (only the blue ones). It is rather attached through a cable and can be changed separately. So, the requested this part for me and will see if it arrives tomorrow and will tare the machine apart one more time tomorrow to fix this. Hope things will go smoothly. At least, I am happy I am not changing the board as it was refurbished.

 

Nothing, I just had a an Internet USB modem connected to it frequently and one time, when I pulled it, a yellow plastic piece that was covering the pins came off.

 

Ha! You beat me to it. I was about to type the same - that the USB slot is not attached to the motherboard. A technician was here changing my motherboard today and I noticed that it was connected via cables. Btw, I used T530 for only 4 days and the mobo was changed - don't know if it was a new one or a refurb. Doesn't really matter if you have a warranty I guess...