Received T420: Notes on screen, Displayport out, and others.

Hello, I received my Thinkpad T420 today and would like to talk about some issues. Since I own both W510 and T420, I will focus on the comparison between the two.

1) Battery "wiggle"(?)

Well, on both previous Thinkpads I have owned(T60 and W510), they both suffered from the issue of "wiggling" batteries. And from my understanding, it s a common Thinkpad problem. Even while in place with the latch locked, the battery would have some room to move around. While the upside was that the batter could be (very) easily attached and detached with one hand, the downside was simply the looseness.

However, in the new T420(at least the one I received) has no "wiggling" issues at all. Actually, I find myself using both hands to put the battery in and take it out. When I am sliding the battery in, the space almost feels too tight. As you can imagine, the upside is that the battery is fixed in place.

2) Keyboard

I have used Thinkpads for 5 years, and I rarely used other people's computers. Therefore, upon typing on the keyboard for the first time, I noticed that keyboard has changed.

My previous T60 and the W510 I have now were consistent. Light and responsive feeling. However, in the T420, the keys feel heavier, dull. However, this does not come at the cost of funcionality. While the keyboard on the T420 seems to be quieter(less "clicky" sound), the "heavy" typing experience may give you the false impression of un-responsiveness. Plus, when I press the keys around the "T," the keyboard squeaks... Really, and literally. It makes a squeaky noise.

So which one do I prefer? Definitely the one on W510 and T60. But it is still very comfortable.

3) Screen (the HD+, of course)

The long-disputed topic of the Thinkpads. Well, comparing to my W510 FHD screen, I am lost in words. After owning the W510 for several months, I honestly cannot bear myself to look at the T420 screen. However, it is much better than the T60 screen in terms of pixel density and brightness.

The "griddiness" is certainly there as well.

However, IMO, the decision rule for potential buyers of this laptop should not be based on other people's opinion on the screen. If I am upgrading from a T60, I would be thrilled by this screen. On the other hand, if I am downgrading(in terms of screen, of course), this screen will leave me totally dissatisfied.

Note that after staring at the T420 screen for 2+ hours straight, I can say I am getting used to it. If this were my ONLY laptop, I would be satisfied with my screen quality. It is when I look at my W510 that I feel distraught.

4) Issues concerning creating recovery discs

I have read, before purchasing, that users experienced trouble when creating the recovery discs. Well, I was no exception. I popped in my DVD-R, and the Lenovo software started to extract the necessary files to put into my blank DVD. While extracting, the process just stops; the laptop still goes, just the extracting process "pretends" to be still going while it is technically at a stall.

If you encounter this problem, you can contact Lenovo to request recovery discs(good luck with that). I just downloaded the iso for Windows 7 and did a full re-installation.

5) Controversy regarding Displayport and my problem

Along with my T420, I purchased the Samsung Syncmaster BX2231, which has HDMI ports. Along with that, I purchased the Displayport-to-HDMI connector from Monoprice.com.

I'll give it to ya: There is no audio over this Displayport-to-HDMI.

Well, I also had some trouble in connecting via this connector. I did a fresh install of Windows 7 and installed all drivers using the ThinkVantage system update. When I connected the monitor to my laptop using the connector, I would get "no input" whatsoever. After trying the cable on different monitors that I had, I determined it was my laptop's problem.

So... I went to Lenovo's support site to download/install the Nvidia drivers because ThinkVantage did not seem to automatically install that for me. And voila! there it is.

6) VGA vs. Displayport Quality

The biggest concern I had before buying the monitor was the issue of VGA vs. Displayport in terms of quality. Let me tell you, there is a CLEAR difference. Quality over the Displayport crushes that of VGA.

7) Experience with Provantage.com

This is my first time doing business with Provantage.com. I was very doubtful(I only use Newegg) because they had awsome deals and the T420 model I got (41786VU) was so much cheaper than anybody else(1168 shipped).

I ordered Sunday night(5/1) with ground shipping. After reading awesome reviews, I expected mine to be shipped on Monday. However, I check Monday evening to find that it is still being "reviewed." Also, my card had not been charged.

I called the next morning at 9AM and they picked up the phone right away. (BTW, I talked to two representatives and was happy to find that they both spoke fluent/perfect English; isn't it sad that we live in a world where that is something to be happy about?)

The representative(Leo) asked me some questions(address and name, to be exact) and said that the order was ready to be completed. It makes me wonder, why didn't Provantage contact me to clear that up beforehand?

We hang up, and an hour later, the order says "Completed." It is shipped via Fedex Ground the same day(Tuesday) to be shipped from Keasbey, NJ. Today, in New York, NY, I receive the package at 12PM. I basically got overnight shipping for $7 shipping.

In conclusion, Provantage.com is awesome and have shipping timing that (I dare say) equal to that of Newegg.


Conclusion

All these were miscellaneous topics. Some things I wanted to know about before I bit the bullet. If I wanted to know about them, so would many of you.

Cheers!