Question about build quality

I've been looking at the T500 and W500, more at the W500 because of it's WUXGA resolution. I've seen some bad reviews about keyboard strength in the T500, but does the W500 suffer from the same issue, and have any solutions been created?

 

The w500 is effectively identical to the T500 except for the GPU drivers and display resolution. As such, it will share the positives and negatives of build quality.

The tales of keyboard flex have been exaggerated, and officially it is now fixed (Lenovo added re-enforcements under the keyboard). However, if you find the keyboard unacceptable, a simple replacement with the slightly heavier and stronger T61 style will fix the problem.

 

The problem has been fixed in the T400 too?

 

Yeah, check out the updated review and you will see the additional bracing beneath the keyboard on the T400.

 

I went into a shop in Melbourne yesterday and tried out a T400 keyboard, and it was just dreadful. The keys didn't so much have "travel" as sank all together into the machine; the keyboard sagged not ony directly down but from towards the ends. A disgraceful keyboard compared to the Thinkpads of the past, and markedly inferior to the Asus notebook keyboard next to it in the shop. No better than so many ordinary/mediocre notebook from other manufacturers. I was about to order a W500 and realized I couldn't use such a terrible keyboard. I suppose it was the "original" keyboard; I don't know. I shudder to think it was a "fixed" one. The fact that lenovo is fixing their T400/T500/W400/W500/W700 keyboards only on demand or as new ones come out (do they?) is a big question mark. When car manufacturers find a major fault in their product they don't just fix on demand, but the whole fleet. That's what Lenovo should do. I don't know what to do now. It looks to me like a big problem of quality control and of customer support.

Would a Thinpad direct from the factory definitely have a zero-flex keyboard like of old? Or perhaps even the "fixed" one aren't so good? I haven't been able to lay my hands on a decent T400 etc keyboard in a shop, so don't know what the "real" one is like - or maybe I have? For now I will have to make do with my 4 1/2 year old zero-flex keyboard from Dell...

 

Lenovo added braces so it did fix the issue in the eyes of the company. However some users are still able to request t61 keyboards (this use to be the recourse when the new braces were not used). Either that or people just purchase t61 keyboards.

 

I got my T400 last Friday and had the "fixed" keyboard supposedly. I immediately got a T61 off of Ebay and installed it today. The other one wasn't so horrible but since this is something I use all the time and Thinkpads are known for their keyboards, I feel the extra money is worth it. Anyways to the point, immediately after installing I saw a difference and there is no flex unless you literally try to push hard on purpose looking for it. Now it is perfect!

 

No-one should have to buy an old keyboard on ebay to make a brand new computer from Lenovo OK. It all seems a bit disfunctional, really - not a secure feeling about how Lenovo is managing one of the most vital aspects of the amazing Thinpad brand.

 

can anyone just order a t61 keyboard if s/he bought the t400 before the fix?

 

Yes. Swapping the keyboard is a fairly easy procedure (<10 screws) and will eliminate any issues with flex if the stock keyboard bothers you.

You can try and call Lenovo and see if they will send you a T61 style keyboard under warranty, but there is no guarantee about that.

 

I agree. Nobody should have to spend money elsewhere to fix a newly purchased machine. But, on the flip side (and from personal experience), the flex is very slight and does not affect anything but your perception of its quality. With that said though, you as a consumer have every right to complain

 

Keyboard flex need only be slight to ruin it - a flexing keyboard is non-stable, that's it. It needs to be stable. I tried out a T400 ( and a an R-series) keyboard two days ago in a shop and there is considerable flex in the both the keyboard and the chasis near the keyboard. I could with ease squeeze great areas far from their initial position. The keys sit in a moving swamp. I doubt even changing the keyboard would fix what I saw and felt. I will just have to sit out this round of Thinkpads and see how if next round returns to traditional Thinkpad quality. For now I just have to put up with a slow 4yr old beast - but at least it has basics right- great screen, great keyboard. For me the rest is tinsel. I was so close to paying online a few thousand dollars for a Thinkpad until I realized by trying a Thinkpad out first-hand that the keyboard is not fixed at all, and probably won't be, in this generation. A pity, as Lenovo has a great window of opportunity, with its natural opposition (Dell) also having quality problems with many of its new generation laptops, IMHO...

 

I have a T500 that was built a few months ago, and it has no flex, I've crammed keys down, looked at others while doing so, and I don't see any. I'm not sure if mine is updated or if it was built with the old style keyboard, but it is just fine and I have no qualms about it at all.

 

That sounds great! If I knew that's how the W500 will be, I would order one straight away. But too many posts -and my experience trying out a T500 et al in the shop gives me so much doubt about what is going on. Also the posts that say if you don't get a good keyboard it is hit and miss if you can get the situation fixed... Too much risk via mail order, to me. I am glad some found what they want.

 

I knew that the quality of the Thinkpads has gotten worse, but reading this makes me wonder again how Lenovo could have let this happen. No wonder they're facing financial problems. What happened to the good, old Thinkpads... oh I wish IBM would sell them again.

 

You know that the laptop division wasn't profitable for IBM towards the end, right...

 

Yeah, I know. But screwing up the quality of a product line that is being called "legendary" by some people is not a particularly good idea. What I meant is that now they have to open up to the mainstream market even more to earn enough money. Think what that means...

And I can still wish that IBM sold the Thinkpads again, even though (or maybe because) I know that it will not happen.

 

Lenovo thinkpads are also much cheaper so that comes into play as well.

 

Just ring the support team and tell them u wanna get a t61 keyboard, problem solved! end of the story.