New T61p Issues: Speaker + Stickers + Net

Ok, So yesterday my new T61p arrived.

I must say I'm very happy with it, except for a few minor issues.

I've already spent 40 odd minutes on hold waiting for some customer support (I am still on the phone while writing this) but figured I might ask here if these are issues worth continuing to hold the phone for:

1- Speakers
There is an odd little crackle in the right speaker (right when computer is facing me). It's starting to bother me a little, and happens even when the volume is not on max. Its just a little crackle or weird vibration.
I would NOT want to send my laptop back over this, or lose it for a few days while it is being fixed, so, what do you think the problem is and how would they go about repairing it?

2- Stickers
So, I got the WidnowsXP downgrade rather than Vista, all is good, XP is working great, HOWEVER all over my lap top are these WidnowsVISTA stickers.
I KNOW, its superficial but it's really annoying. WHY couldn't they just put on the correct stcikers? It seems really unproffesional and I want the correct stickers. Should I be concerned at all? Is it too dumb to ask lenovo to mail me the correct stickers?

3- Internet
So, my wireless internet is running REALLY slow. Far slower than it does on my old lap top (which is why I am still using it to type this) could this be something to do with the new notebook? I mean REALLY REALLY slow.

Yes, they are 3 very minor queries, but 3 things that are bothering my new notebook experience.

What would you do?

Thanks.

 

Well in response to number 2 don't worry about the stickers. They just put them on every palm rest that they manufacture. In fact, they probably don't even have XP ones even if you asked.

As for the wireless problem, you laptop could be using wireless b for some reason. What wireless card do you have specifically?
Tim

 

Even if it was in B mode, that's 11Mbps which would probably be more than sufficient to handle most, if not all, home internet use. From the sounds of things, it could just be whatever wireless card he got.

Make sure you don't have a lot of metal or electrical objects around your router. I know of a few cases where people had their wireless routers behind/near a monitor. One computer would get a strong signal, the other one(s) wouldn't until they perched their router on top of a shelf. This is likely the case if you are getting a low signal stength (This, of course, is assuming you are within 10 feet of the router).

Also, it sounds dumb I know, but make sure the wireless switch on the front end of your laptop is all the way set to on. I've had similar issues when the switch on my T61 was accidentally moved a little over to the left.

Check your Windows Wireless Zero settings (Right click on the wireless icon in the Taskbar, Open Network Connections, right click on your wireless device, select properties, and check the settings). Also, please, please, please, PLEASE with a cherry on top, make sure you disable or do not use N-draft mode on your wireless card with an A/B/G router. This will give you a major headache with more problems than I care to list. If you have Window's Firewall enabled, try disabling it and rebooting. Check your connection when you're done.

Make sure you have the latest drivers installed also. I've heard of many issues with the newer Intel 4965's with some of the older Lenovo driver's. So just head over to the Lenovo site and double check to be on the safe side.

Double check your router configuration. Could be something as switching your router's channel if you are in a high traffic WiFi area. Just please adhere to the US Standard channels of 1, 6, and 11 to make everyone else around you a happy camper and give us IT guys less problems dealing with crap like AT&T's modem/router and D-Link's auto-channel crap that we have to deal with in crowded areas.

If none of this helps at all, then I am guessing it is a hardware issues, either on your wireless card or maybe even your router.

As for your speaker problem, I was reading about a very similar speaker problem on the Lenovo Thinkpad forums. Not sure if that was you posting or not, but you might want to head over there and search for related topics.

The sticker problem wouldn't even get resolved if you wanted it to. Microsoft stopped producing anything XP related and told all manufacturers to promote Vista only products a couple months back. I have a Vista Basic sticker on my Vista Business x64 loaded T61, which by the way, runs Windows XP.

 

All stickers should die a horrible death ;-) I usually have them scrapped off a new laptop before it boots the first time.

 

I purchased in mid march of this year and also decided to have Win XP factory installed. Mine, however, comes with a 'designed for Widows XP' sticker. Did I get the last sticker?!!

 

Yea, me too!

 

yeah i got the xp stickers but theyre in the trash! clean looks better