On ThinkPad Accessories

I just thought to start this thread as a means (or should I better say, a place) to discuss about ThinkPad accessories. Not only from Lenovo but third-party as well. It will be worthy, I believe, to share such experiences and information with each other. Even to present some never-heard-of cool accessories that may help us use our TPs in a better, different, or more efficient way!

I will start with more down-to-earth things, however! I recently got the ultraslim AC/DC combo adapter, the Bluetooth laser mouse, and the in-ear headphones. I have the X201 but needless to say, all work with all TPs.

I put some pics here. Forgive me for the quality, but I am using a tiny 5mp camera in mid/low light... I'll try to get better ones in the future.

ok, let's start...

Lenovo 90W Ultraslim AC/DC Combo Adapter (41R4493, $119 direct)
In the box: brick, brick-to-TP cable (doubles as car/air-to-TP cable, depending on setup), 20V tip (interchangeable), AC cable, car/air cable, brick-to-TP+peripheral device cable, L9 USB tip, storage pouch.

The brick is slim (~1 cm thick) and resembles an iPhone area-wise. It does not get hot at all after 6-8 hrs of continuous usage – just a little warm. I use it to power the ultrabase and through that, my battery-less X201 (see pics). Although, I do not recommend using the setup. The connection between the AC cable and the brick is just ok, but not the sturdiest one (definitely not flimsy though), and thus is prone to disconnection when moving around too much, esp. in awkward directions or accidentally, inevitably resulting in instantaneous “lights-out” without a battery (happened to me once)!

The charging time is rather fast: it charged my 9-cell battery from ~15% to ~95% in less than 3 hours…

For car/boat charging, the included setup is ingenious! No brick here, just the car/air cable and the car/air-to-TP cable (which doubles as brick-to-TP). The car/air plug finishes at a standard 12-15VDC tip (for car or boat); by pushing a small button, this end detaches and underneath houses a standard 15VDC air plug (see pics). This setup is probably the smallest I’ve seen for a car/air adapter.

The brick-to-TP+peripheral device cable can be used to charge your TP and a peripheral device (evidently! ) at the same time, using an appropriate tip. Out of the box, you get an L9 tip which gives you an additional powered USB port.

The full thing (brick and all cables) adds considerable bulk compared to the included 65W adapter. However, just the 90W brick with the necessary cables is more or less of similar weight but of somewhat greater volume compared with the 65W. Depending on your bag, therefore, you might actually prefer the slimmer profile.

ThinkPad Bluetooth Laser Mouse (41U5008, $49.95 direct)
In the box: mouse, 2 AA batteries, installation CD.

Very nice looking, professional… A bit on the small side regarding size (barely bigger than a credit card in area). Not a problem for me, though; I actually prefer it. Clicking a button underneath opens the mouse’s upper cover like a spaceship (really cool) so you can insert the batteries. Driver installation is straightforward (you need a CD drive). It acted a bit jerky on me at the beginning (e.g. did not work after the recommended first reboot), so I had to unpair it and then manually pair it again (code is 0000). Work-wise, it is simply amazing. I mean, it works on any surface: on my desk (laminate), my floor (tile), even on my clothes! It has right and left click (of course) and a four-directional scrolling wheel which enables very efficient horizontal scrolling (works perfectly with large Excel spreadsheets, and of course, wide web pages). Nifty!

ThinkPad In-Ear Headphones (57Y4488, $19.95 direct)
In the box: headphones, 3 pairs of earplugs (1 attached; 2 additional of different size), split cable, storage pouch.

Sound is well balanced, but don’t expect the bass to rock your body. Still, very decent for the price, and definitely lightyears ahead of the X201’s (or the ultrabase's) speakers quality-wise (bass included), esp. if you are in a noisy place. Ear fit is very good and secure, effectively cancelling most of the background noise. The split cable (red/green) can be used when you want a combo headphone/mic setup, and plugs into both the headphone and mic jacks of the laptop. Over skype (one-to-one), I could hear everything very clearly, and my counterpart said my voice was coming off much better and clearer than "before" (from the integrated digital mic). I wasn’t able to test with conference call.


Well, that's it, just to get it going! I also got the 12W sleeve and the ultrabay SATA HD adapter, but haven’t had the chance to play with them yet.

PS: Is there any way to upload pics directly within the post itself???

 

Bumping an old thread here.

If you don't mind, how are the ThinkPad In-Ear Headphones holding up? Likes and dislikes as of right now? I recently bought them on Lenovo since they were on sale and there were pretty much no formal reviews of them on the internet.

 

Id say the logitech Anywhere MX Mouse which I just got is an amazing addition to any thinkpad as it is black matte finish also and is just an amazing accessory all around.