Rough Handling of Thinkpads

Hi...

We Thinkpad users often refer to the durability of our Thinkpads. So, my question is can you share how roughly do you handle your machines and how they hold up to such abuse? In other words, how and in what ways has your ThinkPad proven to you that it can withstand the hardships that you may put your machines through?

Thanks

Edit: And, the very best wishes for the season and a Happy New Year to you all.

 

Are you worried about your thinkpad?

I have dropped my Thinkpads a couple of times and sustained some damages to the external casing, but they all worked fine.

But Thinkpads are not designed to be dropped or anything like that. So a minor drop could potentially cause the laptop inner components to malfunction, although for a minor drop such frequency are usually very low.

Just put the laptop in a good quality laptop case, and you should be fine.

 

No...not really. I was just curious about how our experiences of rough handling validate our assertions that ThinkPads (specifically the traditional series - T/ X/ R) are generally robust machines.

 

Well i think if you used general consumer laptops and then switched to Thinkpads, the robustness of the Thinkpads are quite obvious.

Robustness of laptop depends on several factors, which are all addressed in the MIL-STD 810 tests, MIL-STD-810 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Business class laptops like Thinkpads, Dell Latitude and HP Elitebooks are pretty similar in terms of robustness.

 

That's true. I returned to ThinkPads after an extended foray into consumer machines (Vaio, Acer, Toshiba etc.). Definitely, the ThinkPad feels more robust.

 

Mine sees mostly light duty around the house when I'm not at my desktop. Occasionally, it' makes a trip around town. For that it does quite well.

 

I put mine in my backpack everyday with various textbooks, etc. without any protection - no sleeve, case, etc. I bring my backpack around with me for 4-8 hours, walking distances longer than a mile to and from class throughout the day.

No damage whatsoever on my x200s. I've had it for a little over a year.

 

So, no heavy duty traveling with the machine thrown in your bag? I have been traveling a lot recently and have found that the R400 has handled itself quite well with the knocks etc that inevitably comes with such kind of traveling. I keep pulling the laptop in and out of my bag; I fire it up at airports, at libraries, in hotels and even in cars/cabs. One thing that I was a bit wary about was the wearing off of the rubberized corners of the lid. Nothing like that has happened thus far. I have also found myself often putting the machine on Sleep for longish periods of time. The battery seems to be holding up well and the machine continues to run silent and cool. I will say this though (while not related to robustness), the R400 sometimes feels a tad heavy! (that's half a step closer to the X series that I have been contemplating for the longest of whiles!)

 

the rubberised surface would eventually wear out, but that doesn't affect its function.

 

I guess my test for the R400 will come in April or May next year. As of now, I have had two laptops fail me right past the 1 year ownership mark. As of today, however, there are no creaks or any other such irritants to the R400. It still feels tight and solid as the day the machine was replaced as was the keyboard.

 

To be honest, I take very good care of all my electronic devices. No food around computers, case for my Blackberry, etc. I'm equally careful with my T500--I rarely carry it with one hand, and never ever carry it by the screen, I use the laptop compartment of my backpack and use my ZeroShock sleeve when needed. I've never dropped my T500 (or any computer, really), and the most severe damage it's received are a few scratches to the lid.

 

Well I spilled a little water in my keyboard the other day and it just drained right through the bottom (I immediately removed the battery). I also dropped it off of my bed onto my hard floor and literally nothing happened to it.

So, yes, ThinkPads are tough.

 

@jonnyinter...thanks...that is precisely the kind of real life accidents that I was looking for.

 

I've bounced any number of ThinkPads off carpeted and uncarpeted floors with no ill effects, however that doesn't mean anything since the next drop could be fatal. While ThinkPads are built to be used and carried, even a diamond ring will shatter if you hit it just right (and I have the shards to prove it!). Just take reasonable care, and you should be fine.

 

@JaneL...in addition to what you have written, you have also split a lot of water on your machine, if I remember correctly!

Edit: I should add that I generally baby my laptops...but I find myself being a little more at ease when handling my ThinkPad...maybe I have read too many posts extolling the robustness of the machines!

 

Yes, I did - it was a 16oz glass of water and ice that fell out of my hand onto my X300 keyboard. I pulled the power immediately, kept it level while I set it in the sink to let the drain holes do their job, and then I disassembled it to let the keyboard dry out completely before I put it back together the next day or so.

I don't mean to imply that I abuse any notebook, ThinkPad or not, but I use them however I need to and just use a proper case when I'm traveling with them. And when accidents have happened, they've held up fine for me.

 

@JaneL...

Everytime I read your experience of spilling water and ice on your machine, I am amazed. Btw, I was not suggesting that you mishandle your machines!

 

Hmmm while I do try to keep my ThinkPad's in good condition sometimes I do some pretty odd things, such as grabbing the ThinkPad one handed via the lid top, or when carrying the ThinkPad around (with the lid open) I accidently bash it against the door frames.

I know, I know it's an accident waiting to happen but I needn't worry, the ThinkPad didn't wince and there was barely a scratch on the frame. Amazingly the ThinkPad i'm using is still in pretty good nick, no broken bezels or deep scratches. The only thing evidence of its usage is the rubber corners has worn out slightly and the Microsoft Windows XP sticker is scratched out, but that's about it!

 

Oh, I know - I just wanted to make sure no one else got the wrong impression from my original comments. ;-)

 

I always say plain old dumb luck plays a pretty large role in whether things "work out". Someone can buy a $400 laptop and it works great for years while someone else buys a "good" notebook, but it's a lemon. Or any laptop can be dropped in just the right way causing it problems.

 

Zaz...true, I agree. But two of my most recent experiences have given me reason to pause. As I mentioned earlier, though I do handle my machines with care, I have had an Acer die on me a few months past the 1-year warranty. And, previous to that, I had a Vaio die on my literally 1 day after the warranty expired. Of course, it may be the case that I am singularly unlucky, which is also why I am waiting for 1 year to go by with my R400 (though I do have a sneaking suspicion that this machine is going to be fine!)

 

I used to use my T61 before I went to bed and I would leave right next to the bed. Every once in awhile I would hop out of bed and boom, 170 lbs on top of the laptop. The screen or any other part of the laptop has not had any problems in the half a dozen or so times I've done this.

If I ever step on my Ideapad...... Lets just say it would be going in for repair rather quickly.

 

For my R50e, It served me throughout highshcool and a few years of university. I've dropped it, slammed it, and carried it in freezing cold weather. I don't use sleeves or cases and just use my school backpack. The biggest test was went it feel five feet onto a brick floor in the library lol. I turned it on, it could not find the hard drive. I pushed the hard drive in a little bit, and it booted right up! It still works to this day. There is above a half inch crack on the right side below the CD drive from the fall, and the nub that tells the LCD lid is closed also broke of. Otherwise...it works great.

My T510 on the other hand, I don't feel it is as durable as the R50e. The plastics flex and move whereas the R50e's ABS plastic is stiff.

 

Lol! That is "rough"! But I found your observation on your T510 very interesting!

 

I'd be lying if I said my T410 doesn't flex. It does. From a consumer standpoint I'd say it's very solid, but it's no toughbook.

 

I thought the Panasonic Toughbook was a fully ruggedized machine. I don't think any ThinkPad will fall within that category.

 

I think the roughest thing I do to mine is lean up against a wall with it in my bookbag. There usually is nothing else in my bookbag except for some paper so it's pretty much the Thinkpad taking all of the weight. I'll also toss my bookbag into the passenger side of my car without a second thought. It hasn't had any problems yet.

I did somehow manage to break one of the hooks that attach to the screen latch. Not sure how that happened.

 

not all Toughbooks are fully ruggedized, there are different models of Toughbooks.

 

The worst thing I've managed to do is sit on a corner of my T500 with less than my full body weight on it.

On my sofa.

With a blanket on top of it.

In other words, I didn't do any harm. I realized exactly what I did right when I sat down, so I sprung right back up immediately. Other than that, I've never dropped, scratched, or spilled anything on it. There is extremely minor wear on the lid's rubberized coating, but I generally keep this thing spotless. It spends a lot of time docked in my home theater and doesn't leave the house unless I spend the night away from home.

 

I know. I was just trying to make a point that compared to other consumer grade notebooks, this one is solid. But it no way competes with a fully ruggedized toughbook.

 

I travel a bit with both my T61, and now my current travel laptop, my X301. Both have been across the US several times, being tossed about by airport security God knows how many MORE times lol

My T61 has been dropped twice that I can remember. Once it fell from on the top of my luggage bag to a carpet floor about 4 feet down. Not a scratch to the machine, and it still works like new. The second time it fell was off my desk, down to (again) a carpet floor. Nothing happened to it. No scratches, broken hinges, etc. She just keeps chugging along.

My X301 luckily has NEVER been dropped (knock on wood lol), and still looks like new as well.

I LOVE my Thinkpads, I've been using them since 2008 (thanks to this very fourm which introduced me to them back when the T61's were new). If I knew about them sooner, I would;ve been a Thinkpad owner long before that as well.