ThinkPad Appreciation Thread!

Welcome to the ThinkPad Appreciation Thread!

I LOVE my ThinkPad and I am sure many of you love yours also. Some people like to treat theirs like a baby while others prefer to give it to it rough . Regardless of how we treat our sweet ThinkPads, the ThinkPad Experience is undeniable. I started this thread in hopes that others will see all the awesomeness that the world reknown ThinkPads can offer.

So now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, baby and infants, and whoever owns a ThinkPad (old or new), please post something about the ThinkPad Series that truly shines. It can be anything from build quality to durability to ThinkVantage utilities to everything else under the sun. ThinkPositive!

I'll start:

I love the fact that the ThinkPad series have been going so strong on the list of "Most Popular Laptops" here on NBR and maintaining a solid position. It just shows that the ThinkPad is a genuinely powerful, adaptable machine that can please both business and mainstream users alike.

ThinkPads are amazing machines, see for yourself:

 

Since I see that you are very happy with your thinkpad, have you ever used their customer service before? I heard its horrible, havent found one thread that actually says they have a decent customer service. It's stopping me on getting a thinkpad, n i was just gonna get one too

Also did you order your thinkpad online or at a local store?

 

Don't believe the Hype. I've dealt with their customer service and they were very informative and productive. You just have to be polite and ask the right questions. Also, they're never hesitant to transfer you to a supervisor if need be.

Here are examples of their customer service:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=109825
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=135662
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=108644
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=135664
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=2625287
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=154593
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=9896

I bought mine online from the Lenovo Website.

WooHoo!! Go ThinkPad!!

 

The worst part about the ThinkPad is Windows.

 

Well if you don't like Windows, ThinkPads are excellent with Linux-based operating systems!

 

Thx for the quick response!

Gonna order soon, but after Christmas rush

 

Normal...many people take the time to register to NBR just to post a bad experience and then leave forever.

If I'm satisfied with a product, will I take the time to find where on the Internet I could post about the fact that I'm satisfied?

Btw, have I told you that I'm really satisfied with my oven?

 

Does your thinkpad charge slow?, whats with the 29:00hr stuff...haha!

Also do you run linux?, how well does the webcam work with it?..also what distribution are you using?...ubuntu, suse, debian...

 

I'm not too satisfied with my oven. It's electric; shoulda gotten the gas one. Gas is so much easier to control. Hows your oven customer ser...oh wait.

Anyways, that's exactly what people on NBR should know. Always take everything with a grain of salt because it's like a car depot, no one is going to stop by with a 100% working car, only the ones with issues stop by.

I just happened to be checking my battery and it said that lol. I really have a 7-cell battery, takes maybe 3 hours to fully charge from 5% and lasts for a good 3.5 hours from 100%. I had Ubuntu installed on it and it was very easy to use; had my linux pro friend help me. If you're interested in installing a linux distro on your ThinkPad this is a good site: http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki

My friend also has a T60p with SLED 10 on it. I believe he used this article to help him: http://www.softwareinreview.com/cms/content/view/54/

 

Lack of drivers support. If you can find me a ThinkPad that can run Linux and can get me the same battery life as XP, please let me know.

 

If you use powertop on linux, im sure you can increase the battery life...

By the way, is it possible to have the thinkpad with 6cell to run up to 4hrs?...well just doing word processing with screen at a readable brightness

 

I love my IBM, I wont ever purchase any other brand in future.

 

It depends on which ThinkPad you're interested in. I'm sure the X6x series could handle that easy. You can always purchase an UltraBay battery that will increase your battery time by about 30% I believe, so you don't have to worry about the battery sticking out the back.

I'm definitely on the same boat!

 

There are just so many things that I like about my t61p. I've seen so many complaints here and I just haven't experienced them.

I like the screen. At times, it's alost too bright and it has a good viewing angle. The resolution is excellent and the type is clear.

It runs totally silently even when the fan is on. This includes a 7200 RPM disk.

Although it has a 7800 it runs cool. I virtually never see the processor saturate.

It's well integrated with Vista, the best GUI operating system in the world.

It has great physical support for connecting with peripherals.

It's durable and incredibly well constructed.

It has a great keyboard.

The Dual layered DVD is all I need for Vista backups.

The WWAN is great and so is WLAN. It's rather complex antenna system does well.

The bluetooth works well.

The buttons like the audio buttons are way laid out egonomically.

There are little things that I like about it like the ThinkLight.

 

F@#k%n Awesome man!

I've also read many bad experiences around here and have never experienced them and I have been through my ThinkPad inside out. Everything works flawlessly. Thanks for the post Renee!

 

No one seems to mention the incompatibility issue with vista and the webcam, is that solved now? I not worried since it is reported that linux can handle the webcam

 

Apparently you can use the XP drivers and it should work.

 

T61p=$1600US, T61=$1650 with crappier graphics card.
$1600US=$1618 CAD sadness...If only i lived in the states haha!

By the way i really appreciate your clean XP installation guide for thinkpad, well written well done! First thing to do when I get the vista bloated thinkpad

 

Thanks a lot Acorn, I really appreciate it.

And thanks for using my guide, I really worked hard on it. Wish you best of luck!

 

So do you really think the ThinkLight is useful? I mean the screen itself should provide somewhat ample light to the keys to gauge at where you are typing. Just wondering what to expect when I get my x61 in

 

I paid $420 plus 20 hours of my own labor for my T23 and I'm very happy with it. I just got a 3com Xjack pcmcia card from Ebay for $30 and I'm pleased with that as well. I can finally get wireless internet. Unfortunately, I cannot run Vista since the machine maxes out at 1gb of ram and 576 mb right now won't cut it. I don't see anything wrong with XP though.

I wouldn't get anything less than a T61p to replace this monster.

 

The ThinkLight is especially helpful when you're on your ThinkPad in a dark place. For example, you'll probably need full brightness in a well-lit room, but when the lights go out (like if you're in your bed surfing before you sleep), that full brightness will be unnecessary because the surrounding darkness will amplify that brightness, so you kick it down a few notches (also saves battery) and your keyboard isn't lit up anymore, that's when the ThinkLight comes in handy.

Old or new, the ThinkPad series is solidly built.

 

The Asus makes the ThinkPad look like a brick.

 

The ASUS EEE makes anything look like a brick...besides, it's more of a toy than a computer.

Enough processes running on that left screen?? lol

 

i have to confess that i loved my T61 so much that i had to borrow my bro another $500 to purchase it! ha ha (i was so broke at that time). honestly speaking, despite that there are some small problems with drivers and windows systems (which every machine has), the thinkpad T61 is an awesome thing. once you've had a thinkpad, you will never wanna go to another brand (comparing thinkpads to other brands in their class).

the thinkpads are not perfect, but they're more than excellent.

 

Very well said vi3tscorpian!

 

Good initiative Arkit3kt. It is good to see an appreciation thread for once, amongst all the negative threads. Many of these threads are valid but just as many are simply based on ignorance or childishness.

Although ThinkPads will be flawed like any other thing in this world, I still consider it to be the best line of business notebooks out there today. A benchmark for many others.

What I appreciate about the ThinkPads in no particular order:
- Generally very good build quality
- Rugged and durable
- Spill proof keyboard
- Keyboard responsiveness and feel
- Internal protection frame
- Professional and attractive design
- The general solid and confidence inspiring "feel"
- The feel and practicality of the Trackpoint and buttons
- The metal hinges in contrast to the black design
- ThinkLight (the ThinkPad feature I use the most frequently)
- The rubberized paint

When it is pitch black/dark, the screen light (on full brightness) might be sufficient to provide light to the keyboard. But you are missing the point. When it is that dark, the screen on full or medium brightness will cause eye strain for most people. Hence the best solution for most, is to turn down the brightness all the way and turn on the ThinkLight to light up the keybaord. The ThinkLight also "equalizes" the brightness from the screen, making it more pleasant on the eyes.

I use the ThinkLight on my X61 every single day. Either when I am on a flight when the lights are turned off or every night when my better half is sleeping.

My thoughs exactly. It reminds me of one of those toys meant for small kids. Especially the screen is not doing the Eee any favors. Now if the screen was bigger on the Eee, so it would fill out the bezel properly, I might consider getting one myself for light usage.

 

And,contrary to most people's experiences with lenovo shipping,I ordered my T61p on 12/09/07 and its shipped on 12/11/2007 .Hooray
I so cannot wait to get my hands on it!

 

Very solid response JabbaJabba, you summed up everything that makes ThinkPad as reknown and reliable as it is made to be. And I definitely agree with you on the Asus EEE. It was nice that it was released during the holiday season as it is a good gift to give and at a fairly low price, but it's not very practical for the average user.

That's exactly what I wanted to hear about Lenovo's shipping. They're really picking up the pace, especially around the holidays.

 

I completely agree, JabbaJabba! As an admin at thinkpads.com and now one of the mod team in Lenovo's own forum, it goes without saying that I'm a big ThinkPad fan.

From the first 750 model that I saw to the X61 Tablet that I'm using now, there's just been a consistency in durability, design and usable features that carried forward over the years. It's the little things like keeping the same keyboard layout with only minor tweaks, availability of drivers for years for older models, and public access to the HMM that make the difference.

Are there problems? Of course there are. Do some of their phone support people need to find another career? Certainly. Does Lenovo make mistakes? Absolutely as did IBM. No company is perfect all the time, but eventually, ThinkPad problems usually get made right. And that makes a difference.

By the way, the ThinkLight is one of my favorite features, too, and I miss it on the tablet. Now if they can just figure out a way to fit it on there...

 

Fantastic post Nonny. It's a privilege for an Admin of thinkpads.com to stop on by.

And you definitely nailed it on the head with the reality of perfection and the key to consistency. Personally, I'm not a ThinkPad Veteran like many people, but I have tested and tried many ThinkPads and consistency is very underrated. The trademark professional, sleek, and black look has carried itself proudly throughout the ThinkPad timeline as well as the world reknown keyboard. And the biggest plus is that ThinkPads do not fall into the category of trendy gadgets and looks, but what it strives for is excellence in modern technology. It maintains its professional look while all the changes are under the hood to keep up with the technological advancements. It's truly unique.

 

Well said Nonny and great to see you here on NBR. Hopefully you will stick around.

Well put Arkit3kt.

Both your and Nonny's comments are quoted for truth.

 

Thanks, guys - you're making me blush!

While Bill Morrow's forum at thinkpads.com is my home and Mark is keeping me busy over in the new forum at Lenovo.com, I like to visit other forums regularly and add anything that I can to the ThinkPad community. They don't call us fan(atic)s for nothing!

 

Blush away Nonny

The NBR (Lenovo) forum can always use more guys who are knowledgeable and informative. I guess I am just glad to see someone significant from forum.thinkpads.com.

And while I do still prefer NBR for its diversity and atmosphere, I prefer thinkpads.com when it comes to ThinkPad advice. It is especially great that there are separate forums for each ThinkPad series. Many ThinkPad topics tend to quickly disappear on NBR due to the large amount of T61 threads. I am not complaining though, just stating a fact.

I also like the mature and pleasant forum attitude, which is much less affected by adolescents who like to flame each other and troll around. I guess that can be attributed to the rules of conduct which seem to be more strictly applied than here on NBR: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=21345

In any event, glad to see you here.

 

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=21345

Wow, that is a very comprehensive and well thought-out set of rules there. It seems like everything is cared for on that list. We need a set just like that here on NBR stickied at the top of every sub-forum.

 

NBR's rules are equally as thorough and are posted at http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=109941

 

Yes, however judging by the amount of trolling and flaming every now and then, the rules don't seem to be as efficiently applied/enforced as on forum.thinkpads.com.

But I assume it is due to NBR being much bigger, with so many more users and posts - making it difficult to control in the same manner.

 

I concur with that sentiment and its great to see mods/admins on the ball when it comes to rules and enforcement without going overboard.

Altho I'm fairly new here and have seen things go on that makes me wonder why the mods don't catch things but they eventually do. It may take them longer than normally desired but my experience is they do get things straightend out esp when they get the same complaints from various sources over a period of time regarding a specific thread or user.

Too often I've seen mods go on one big power trip but luckily that doesn't happen here which is pretty amazing considering how much traffic this place gets. As busy as this place is there's bound to be the odd a$$hat now and then. All in all I think the admins/mods here do a pretty decent job.

And oh yeah Back on TopiC: I'm a big fan of my Thinkpad - operative word - 'MY'. I can't speak for everyone obviously but this Thinkpad is just awesome. The screen needed some calibration and once that was done, I can finally say its up to par with the rest of the machine.

All my colleagues are totally jealous after seeing it and they all thought it cost $1000 more than what I actually paid for it. Most of them use HPs/Dells which in itself aren't too bad but there's just something about a Thinkpad.

 

Man I love when people get jealous of my ThinkPad lol. I go to a college where the school offered Dell D630's to the students which most of them bought. There is just no comparison: their screen wobbles easy, the trackpoint is very uncomfortable, inferior keyboard, weaker overall build, etc. I sit in class and just look around while the teacher goes to each and every student with a Dell D630 and helps them out lol. It's kind of amusing. I'm not flaming the D630 or anything though, it's a very solid machine and the battery life is better than a ThinkPad's. So it does have some things going for it. But still, once you try a ThinkPad and then a Latitude, the difference in quality is very obvious. ThinkPad all the way.

 

This looks a bit like the v-tech learning computer I owned when I was 10




I have to admit I was worried about buying a thinkpad with some of the negative comments said on hear, but it really has exceeded my expectations. Coming from a hp dv9000t that went sour, I have to say I enjoy its durability, raw power and the great keyboard. I really am happy that I chose this over a Mac book pro, I would have easily had to pay over 2000 dollars with the specs I got, and they dont even have a 200 GB hd @ 7200 rpm...

 

VTech and Asus EEE

I can definitely see the similarity.




Check out that solid hinge on the VTech.

 

my T61 runs so cold ... just unbelievable

not like my HP Pavilion 2.66GHz P4 that used to heat up half of my desk ..

 

The ThinkPad really is unbelievable miro_gt.

From now on, I will update the original post with excellent ThinkPad remarks so viewers can get a better feel of the quality of ThinkPads.

 

Apart from few quirks, I like my T61 very much too...

(and I can confess, that I like it so much, partialy because of I B M logo on it )

 

My new T61p has blown me away!


Here are all the good points:

...fabulous screen....very bright. I had actually been a little worried after reading the forums about Samsung versus Philips but this screen can only be called beautiful

...I really wanted a choice to be able to select a matte screen and XP Professional and got that with Lenovo

...I was also concerned with the forum threads on intensive 3D gaming. No problems! Did all the 3DMark05/06, PCDoctorv5, and actual DX10 games. Very nice.

...I was concerned about all the delivery discussion on the forum. My PC was on my doorstep 6 days after my order was placed. Although i didn't pay for it, Lenovo gave me EXPRESS delivery. Overnight to CA from Hong Kong.

...Well made PC! I mean who the heck has a magnesium rollbar or a ThinkLight on their non Lenovo PC?


Alacrity

 

Excellent post alacrityathome. The screen really is nice and bright, no issues about it. My T61 also runs games very well and the delivery is really good now.

Enjoy your ThinkPad!

 

Glad you like it . Noticed you have the 15.4" - can you check and post which screen you have (LG or Samsung)?. If you're not doing it by FRU you can download PC Wizard 2008 and it should tell you. Thanks.

 

"- Spill proof keyboard"

I have to admit this is one feature I have not had a chance to test yet.

 

Me neither and I don't really plan to, but I'm sure it works.

 

LG-Philips 42T0423 / LP154W02-TL06 display

Guess I got lucky! I seem to remember the forums saying these screens were much better than Samsung.

Alacrity