T440s Owner´s Thread

This is just speculation, but it could be due to the Intel Smart Connect utility, the one that wakes your laptop up from sleep to receive emails/updates, then goes back to sleep. I remember trying it once, but realized I have no use for it. Maybe you can try uninstalling that, and seeing if it helps?

 

I just got off the phone screaming at Lenovo and got an RMA and a shipping ticket for a full refund, and I am going to UPS today to get rid of this thing. Between the screen issue and all the other problems I see cropping up with this laptop, this is just way too much money to be spending. I have a very bad feeling that if I kept it, it would spend much more time in repair depots than in my hands. I didn't realize how badly that Lenovo had destroyed the IBM name that was so synonymous with quality and competence until now, and I am done with them. I will probably just pick up some generic cr*pola laptop from Costco as I just need something at this point.

 

Did you get the onsite warranty?

 

That could very well be it. I seem to remember installing this. I'll check it out and let you know. Thank you!

 

Yes, I gave up on calling Lenovo's support. Instead, I opened a ticket on ibm ecs and just got a phone call.

I requested the AUO panel (04X0436) and was informed a technician will contact me monday. They don't seem to have it in stock in the US but I was told they may have here in Canada.

Now it's just wait and see what happens next, I'll have the weekend to play with it and check that everything else is fine.

 

Are you sure they actually replaced it? That's bad news for anyone who plans on ordering a T440s. Up till now all screens have been replaced with AUO.

 

Well I wasn't going to rip apart the laptop to find out if there was a serial number printed somewhere on the panel, so I can only go by what the repair report states, and I quote:

"We replaced the following parts to complete the repair of your laptop.
LCD 14.OHD AG"

The sad part is that they said that the panel was coming from China, so I had to wait a month to find out that they were scumming me.

As far as verifying that it is an LG panel, I used HWINFO64 before and after the replacement, and indeed it is still the same LG panel part number (LP140WF1 SPK1). At that point I was finished. I am exhausted after all of this; I just saw the first grey hairs sprout on my head.

Someone on the T440P thread specified an AUO screen as well, but for an onsite repair instead, and a couple of days ago they reported back that the tech just threw a LG screen into his also. It is hard to say what you would get when ordering from this point on though, as who knows what is sitting in inventory, or in the pipeline, or what machines get the priority on any AUO panels that may be left, but I agree that it does not look good and I certainly would not take the chance of ordering either laptop after knowing all of this, and I feel bad for those that are waiting for their laptops.

 

They're making you ship it in even though you have the on-site warranty? That is worrying... Mine hasn't been delivered yet, but I assumed they would replace the panel on-site.

 

No, the first support guy was mistaken or didn't care much to help. I do have the next day on-site.

They're supposed to come by this next Monday. Otherwise I'd have returned everything and gone with a (urgh) mac.

Let's hope all goes well with the screen so that I don't have to take the other way.

 

That's very unfortunate and disconcerting. You have two options if you want to continue with the T440s. Buy the AUO from ebay for $100 (well worth it imo, I was planning to if Lenovo didn't replace) and replace yourself (very easy, 10 min job). Or order a touch model which seem to be only using AUO.

 

It's gone. Sent back for a refund earlier today. This will be my first and last Lenovo product.

 

Check out my post at the bottom of this page to see if it helps your wife's computer issues:

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Seri...-starting-after-Sleep-mode/m-p/1412059#M54743

 

I don't have the Password Manager installed right now. Unless the Password Manager updates the Fingerprint manager?

She's also said she's had issues with the computer where she opened the lid, swiped up, and got a PLEASE WAIT message. She had to hard power off and take the battery out before she could get into the machine.

EDIT: It would be super awesome if Lenovo included an ambient light sensor. That would be spectacular.

 

Update this....

Lenovo Fingerprint Manager Pro for Windows 8.1 (32-bit, 64-bit), 8 (32-bit, 64-bit), 7 (32-bit, 64-bit) - Notebook

 

I installed it (wasn't installed before). She's not using the fingerprint scanner to login at all. Will be interesting if it fixes the issue. Thanks again!

 

Let us know what happens! Very interested.

 

Ever tried plugging in and booting linux live from usb to see if the same thing happens?

 

Wife uses the laptop for grad school. I only really get to touch it when it needs a driver update, or when a new MediaMonkey Beta comes out. I'm insanely jealous.

I was under the impression that Linux (Ubuntu is my flavor) hasn't completely got the driver situation figured out yet to be stable for everyday use. Is that an incorrect statement?

 

Okay, I've had my T440s for two days now so some initial thoughts:
I know we've all read the horror stories from people who've gotten problems. I will just share my good fortune and hope that more of you out there have my experience.
This machine is fantastic overall. It is much sturdier than the T410 it replaced as well as being half the weight, which is what I was after.
I got the (dreaded) LG screen and honestly I'm not seeing the problems, in general, that people are complaining about. There's definitely a bit of falloff in the brightness of the screen if I go radically to the side but I'm using this thing for my own work, not to watch movies with a crowd of others. For my purposes, this screen is night and day better than any I've ever seen on a Thinkpad and seems entirely comparable to my girlfriend's MBP.
It is very quick and silent, boots in fifteen seconds and took to Win 8.1 without a hiccup.
The keyboard is wonderful. I have to get used to the new layout but I've had to get used to a new layout with almost every machine I've bought from them. What I care about is that it feels like a Thinkpad keyboard and it does. I don't use the F keys much, so no problem there.
Okay, the touchpad. No question it's not as easy to use as the earlier version if you're a Trackpoint user, which I certainly am. But at this point, I've turned off the touchpad and reversed the buttons. I use my right index finger for the Trackpoint and my right thumb for the buttons. So now I reach down for a left-click and shallow left for a right-click. Not great but I'm getting used to it. My touchpad isn't terribly clicky. Again, I dodged the bullets.
So I am thrilled. I think this is a fantastic machine if everything works well. I also have to say that I don't believe in being an earlier adopter with machines this complex. I always think it's worthwhile letting any manufacturer sort out their problems before buying and Lenovo certainly seems to have had more than their fair share of problems this time.
But if the great majority of customers get what I got from here on out, they've done a good job of updating the line without losing most (most, mind you) of what brought us here.
Just my two cents.

 

After 2 weeks of waiting the technician came to me yesterday to replace LG screen for AUO. Unfortunately, the replacement screen that he brought was also from LG, even despite I gave the correct FRU to the technical support representative while calling them. I noticed that the FRU number on the box was wrong and then we found a small "LG Display" sign on the unboxed panel. Of course I told him that there is no point in replacing my screen with absolutely the same. So he left and promised to call main tech support office in Atlanta to send the part with correct FRU, but that may take another week or two (hopefully). So far the situation looks gloomy, from what I see in this discussion over the last month all non-touch T440s came with LG displays and nobody got a proper screen replacement.
Like many others, I like everything about my T440s except the screen, but even if I do not get an official replacement I still intend to keep the machine since I do not see any alternatives that could suit my needs. Maybe I will replace the screen in future by my own. By the way, has anyone heard about attempts to install a QHD display from New Gen X1 Carbon in T440s? I wonder if that is possible and how much it could cost.

 

Maybe they have improved the quality of LG screens. Could you compare the white colors on T440s and MBP (for example on blank Word document) and post your impressions here?
I do not have a Macbook, but compared to iPad (and even to old Thinkpad X200) white and other light colors on my T440s (with LG panel) look grainy: the color is not uniform but seem to have structure like snow or polished metal, with tiny irregular brighter and dimmer areas. Do you observe anything similar on your screen?

 

It's worth noting that there were a handful of people who didn't find any problem with the LG screen to begin with. I personally probably have the AUO (first week order) but I've never checked because I think it's superb. In general I feel like problems get overblown on forums whereas 95% of normal users don't ever notice these things (though if you have other better screens to compare to it may be more apparent).

Eg. for the touchpad, people only ever post their first impressions, but once I got used to it I think the new trackpoint is actually really easy to use and quite reliable, even under Linux. It's all I use (I had to re enable the touchpad in the BIOS just because when other people used my computer they get so confused). I think given that most people will only use one or the other making the whole thing a touchpad actually makes a lot of sense, but people go on as if they've ruined the trackpoint when it literally just takes a couple days to get used to. Problem with reading forums is that people never follow up weeks or months later, so you only get first impressions.

Now, the new X1 Carbon keyboard, that is an abomination, lol.

 

did anyone here get the t440s with HD+ screen? what brand of screen is it and how does it look?

 

Would like to know this too!

Also, is it possible to subsequently change the screen to FHD? Are the connectors the same?

 

I have the T440s with the HD+ screen. I ordered it with a SSD hard drive and it came with the AUO screen. It's very good (much better than my previous T410s), however the print was a bit light for me, so I calibrated using the built in software in Windows, which helped. I also use Google's Chrome browser, and found that if I add the extension "Font Changer with Google Web Fonts" and set my fonts to 16 and bolder, the print is so much easier to read. I also set my default print size to medium in Display in the Windows Control Panel, and my default zoom in Chrome to 125%. I do use Ctrl + or Ctrl - as needed for zooming in on web pages. I hope this information helps.

 

Thanks for sharing!

In my case, I was not given the option to buy FHD as the local distributors did not bring in such a configuration.

Any particular reason Why u chose to purchase the HD+ over the FHD?

 

Hi....simply costs...I wanted the SSD (which by the way blows away a standard hard drive in every way!), and I didn't want to overprice the T440s so I went with the basic HD+ screen .....no other reason. I hope this makes sense.

 

thanks for sharing rhlitt. I have the same reason for going with HD+. i was customizing my t440s from the lenovo website with built-in ssd, and getting the FHD would be over my budget after including tax.

 

Why not get the ssd later on? It would be cheaper, you'd get a better screen and a backup hdd.

 

i just dont want the risk of breaking anything when replacing ssd, since i never try it before for a ultrabook. if i do break anything, it might void the warranty or something...

 

So Lenovo and its service providers in Canada are out of stock for the AUO panel. My request is on hold and who knows when it'll be processed.

I had the weekend to play with the machine. I decided that I'll keep it regardless of what happens to the screen. Worst case scenario I buy and replace it myself.

I didn't have any issues with my t440s and am very happy with it. The only thing that annoys me a bit are the stains in the keyboard.

 

Fingers crossed. Macmall is allowing me to do an exchange for my T440s because of the LG display. I am really hooping to get the AUO display. If not, I will just keep it and upgrade the warranty,

 

I checked my screen against my girlfriend's MBP and I guess there is a little difference in whites and light color displays but to me it is a shimmer rather than granularity. I really don't have any problem with this display and I spent twenty years producing television documentaries so I think I have a decent eye for video screens. The color, clarity and brightness are terrific.
I guess all I'm saying is, if Lenovo wants to replace an LG screen with another LG screen, maybe it's worth trying. There may be some sharp variations in the quality - or maybe they just didn't QC their parts and installation very carefully in the rush between Black Friday and Christmas.

 

I regret not choosing HD+ over FHD because in that case I could install a good AUO panel myself and save a bunch of money and nerves of dealing with Lenovo tech support. It looks like upgrading display yourself is even simpler than prying off the back case. And you can easily find AUO in online stores by its model number B140HAN01.2, some sellers even guarantee no dead pixels and no backlight bleeding.

 

Do the T440s with the AUO display have a different model number or some type code that could help differentiate it from the one with the LG screen?

 

The FRU for the AUO FHD screen is 04X0436. Somebody else here posted the FRU for the LG FHD screen, but I dont rememeber it now. Though it is different from the AUO one. This is from the parts list:
http://download.lenovo.com/parts/ThinkPad/t440s_fru_bom_20131014.pdf

 

Here are the FRUs of both screens as originally posted by HKINGS here:
AUO 04X0436
LG 04X0626

After Lenovo refused to change the display in my T440s, I started looking for it online and plan to replace it myself. In the US you can buy it on eBay but I'm in Germany and they would charge me $50 for shipping alone and then I would need to pay taxes and customs. A couple of days ago I finally found one on aliexpress.com where it will cost me $100 with DHL shipping from China to Germany. I'll post my experiences after I replace it.

I got my T440s shortly before Christmas. Overall I really like the machine. I got used to everything except the LG screen. My previous laptop was an X201 with the Boe-Hydis AFFS mod and having an inferior display in the T440s makes me sad, especially after paying so much for it thinking that I will get a proper 2013 IPS screen.

Looks like replacing the screen will be even easier than in the X201.

 

A business user posted a great review (a bit sour, I must say) here.

Quo Vadis, Lenovo T-Series? Or: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back | Donner's Daily Dose of Drama

4GB soldered RAM and the consequent 12GB RAM limit is a deal killer.

 

This is actually a pretty great idea for those who are ordering a T440s now. Save the $120 upgrade, buy the display yourself, and possibly sell the older one as well (or keep it as a backup). Win-win.

 

i think this is a good idea for those who had purchased t440s with HD+ but not the ones with FHD, since you had already pay for the FHD when you actually purchase the notebook.

 

For who? Keep in mind the T440s niche is likely people that want thin and light, and probably don't NEED 16GB or 32GB of RAM.

 

I love the bit about the T440p looking like a laptop from 2006. That's about right, and it's kinda embarrassing sitting in a cafe with my new brick of a machine next to all the svelte MBPs. Maybe Lenovo should market its retro looks.

As for the other comments, nothing really new here. It's always been infuriating configuring a Thinkpad and realizing that its cheaper to upgrade the components oneself and therefore have to pay for RAM, HDD etc. that you'll never use. Apparently that now goes for the screens, too The docks were always changed up every 2-3 generations so nothing new there, either. The new power supply is a pain (and I still don't understand what was wrong with the old one) and the keyboard backlight is rubbish compared to the old Thinklight.

Overall, though, this review is another example of how Lenovo's embrace of the ultrabook and fragmentation of the T-series is all wrong. There are probably still a lot of users interested in fairly thin and light 14" machines with some serious power, and Lenovo instead gave us a half-baked set of models.

 

I think the new power supply came about because the older one was round, and thus too thick for the Yoga and other ultrabooks Lenovo started coming out with. The new one is rectangular, and thinner. Don't know why the T440p would need it though...it's plenty fat enough to keep the old power supply.

 

Please do post your experience after your replacement. Just curious, one of the prerequisite step to change the panel is 2020 LCD Bezel Assembly. Under this step, it says when installing: Ensure that a new front sheet bezel is used.

What is this? Are we not able reuse the one already on the machine? If no, where can we purchase this?

 

At first I wasn't sure if I liked the new square plug, but it is definitely better. The problem with the old round one was that it fell out frequently when the laptop is on your lap. My wife frequently became upset about this as her Lenovo Edge would just die as she didn't realize that the plug had fallen out (the battery would take over and die). She has not had the problem once with her new E431. My previous T410s had the same problem (although I would realize it most of the time); no problems now with the new square plug on my new T440s. I am sure Lenovo received many complaints and I appreciate Lenovo listening to it's users and correcting this problem.

 

The LCD bezel consists of 2 parts. The outer one is a sticky sheet, which is the one that the manual says should be replaced when changing panels. There's also an inner plastic bracket that goes around the panel itself. This bracket actually secures the panel to the cover and also contains the rubber rim that you see around the screen. It doesn't need to be replaced as appears pretty durable. I have taken the assembly apart twice now, and have reused the sticky front sheet, and it looks no different than when it came from the factory. If you're careful when removing it, it should be reusable several times. I wouldn't do it more than 4 or 5 times though as the adhesive may lose its stickiness eventually. I believe this is a replacement part you can get through your Lenovo warranty.

 

Wife's T440s just locked up _again_. I think I saw a BIOS update that was released last month. I'll have to download and install it. This sucks that a new, expensive laptop has these issues. I guess with it being a new model/hardware, there's still bugs to work out. Try explaining that to someone who just wants it to work, especially at that cost.

 

Updated the BIOS. She's going to give that a try and see if she gets the lock up issue again.

However, there's another issue. We updated her UltraNav driver from 17.0.12.56 to 17.0.12.60. After we did this, she was complaining of scrolling issues. Scrolling would stop working and only start again after several clicks on white areas of a page. Also the scrolling was too fast, inconsistent to touch and not as smooth. We rolled her back to 17.0.12.56 and immediately she noticed a difference. Has anyone else seen this? Where would I go to complain to Lenovo about this?

 

Thank you! I ran System Update couple of days ago when I was working with my external monitor/keyboard/mouse setup and then I forgot about it. I was surprised when later I tried to use the laptop standalone and noticed that two finger scrolling is way too fast, in all apps. I tried adjusting settings but nothing really helped. I checked the version just now and it was indeed 17.0.12.60. I downgraded to 17.0.12.56 and it's back to normal. Hopefully they'll fix this in the next version. I guess we could complain on Lenovo Forums -- there are couple of mods that may be able to forward the issue to engineering.

Here's a link to 17.0.12.56 in case someone is looking for it:
http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/gggx44ww.exe

 

Well, it's good to know she's not the only one! Glad we could help!

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