ThinkPad Appreciation Thread!

As far as I know, once both screens are properly calibrated they look pretty much the same.

 

I can't stop looking at my TP ever since I pasted the tricolor IBM logo over the silver logos they sent me. Now it runs 10^43 times faster!

 

Another A++ for Lenovo service. I don't understand where all these people are coming from when they say CS from them sucks. I've called them 3 times now, and all three times they've done exactly what I needed without question.

1. LCD replaced because of "water spot" or "pressure point" from behind screen. Sent a service call to the on-site tech. He called my within 48 hours to set up an appointment, everything went smooth as silk.

2. Replacement keyboard. Sent me a replacement NMB keyboard no questions asked. It was here 16 hours after I called them via DHL. Unfortunately, they sent me an NMB keyboard instead of a Chicony one.

3. Swap NMB for Chicony - again, no problems. Expecting a new keyboard by Wednesday.


Now, I have the on-site 3-year warranty - I wonder if this means I get better service and they're more lenient? I don't know - but they're getting high marks from me every time I'm calling Atlanta. And it seams, every time I call, we end up small talking about something. Football, weather, time differences, etc... They're never reluctant to do what I need/want them to do, always . And they're very friendly as well.

Miles ahead of the no-brainers we get when calling other CS departments overseas. At least I can understand these guys.

 

Thank you so much for your contribution Sean S.

Put you up on the first post. Excellent comments. Thanks again.

 

Lenovo! I appreciate you

Well I finally have the clean install completed, bios updated, etc etc..

My T61p is probably the best machine I have ever used. It's fast, responsive and other than a few Human errors (cough cough) I've had zero errors or issues.

I also want to say thanks the multiple contributers of this site, you have all helped me tremendously and my t61p thanks you.

I haven't been lurking as much since I'm fully addicted to CoD4, but I'm starting to come back down to earth and watching the forums again. I will hopefully be able to help someone like a lot of your did for me.

Thank Lenovo for my early Xmas present and now it's time get out my sniper rifle and get to frag'n

Happy Holidays

 

Happy holidays to you too Gravie!

I added you to the front post.

 

i love my x61..so sturdy and light!.. amazing performance and great design.. the tech support is kind of slow and could take days to solve your problems; however, they are very nice and very patient (depends on where you are, i called the Georgia tech support)

 

The X61 is nice isn't it? If it had dedicated graphics I would've been all over it lol.

Fronted!

 

I love my R61 & T61 and I used their tech support twice with great satisfaction. They answered the phone right away and solved my problem and they actually called me the next day to follow up and ask if everything was ok...can't ask anymore than that.

 

Excellent post daylove.

We definitely needed more posts about customer service like yours. Enjoy your ThinkPads!

 

I posted this in a separate thread months ago but I'll put it here also.

I don't know about what other people have got from them but I just called Lenovo Sales at (866)428-4465 and I was so happy with their service and representatives. I called three times and received one call and each time, I got a really nice person. Four out of four times, all 100% polite and 100% efficient, especially this one guy:

I placed an order this afternoon and at the checkout page the total was $1,234.14 incl. tax. The email that I was sent said the total was $1,295.18 inclu. tax. So of course, I called them and asked what is the reason for this. He said that I should call them back when I receive my shipping invoice(I read on these forums that that is the answer most people got). When he asked me if there is anything else he can help me with, I realized that I should've ordered a CD-RW drive so I can burn backup discs. So I asked him if I can make that change, but he checked and confirmed that my order was locked into their system. He suggested that I place a new order and cancel the old one. I agreed, and HE placed the order for me(identical order but with the +$10 CD-RW drive). He put me on hold for maybe 5 minutes, then came back asking for the general purchasing information(credit card number, etc.) and also told me that his configurations came out to be $100 less! Which makes my purchase $1,194.27 inclu. tax! When he sent me the email confirmation, I looked through it and much to my surprise, he also added integrated Bluetooth! Bluetooth wasn't even part of my original order!

After a couple hours, I realized I should've spent the extra money on a carrying case. So I called back to add to my order. I got a new guy and he put me on hold, when he came back, he asked for my number so they can call me back. I didn't know why he would do this but when I called back 15 minutes later, Lenovo Sales was closed . So I just sat around for maybe 20 minutes after their closing time, and guess what? They called! After closing time! And another amazing thing is, the guy that called me was the same guy who reconfigured my notebook. I told him what that I wanted a carrying case with my order and he put me on hold then came back with a horrible total price of $1,375.00 compared to my new $1,194.27. I asked him, "the case is $175?". He said that adding the case would ruin the sale so he suggested that I place a separate order for it. And indeed, I did as suggested and placed a separate order for the bag for $41.99. He also threw in free shipping.

And that is the end of my experience with Lenovo Sales. This is my first laptop purchase and it has been a really nice one. I hope everyone who purchased a Lenovo ThinkPad T61 will have or have had the same decent transaction that I have. My first purchase and I swear I've fallen in love with Lenovo.

So now, the only thing left to worry about is whether I get the LG screen and a nice NMB keyboard.

 

Very nice post laptopbuy131. Definitely fronted!

 

I've just become a member of the Thinkpad crew again. My last one was not what I wanted, a freebie that I sold on. I doubt anyone remembers the X20 I had for a short time but it wasn't what I was looking for, no DVD, too slow (PIII)... I suppose that's the only real criticism, except perhaps that the hinges had come a tad loose.

I'm now waiting for my T43p to come. Brief for my new laptop was 14.1", thin and light, DVD, as good graphics as possible, quality build, decent keyboard... The T43p fits the bill perfectly. Ok, it is an older model but the only thing I can think of that might be better would be a brand new T61p, and with the T43p I shouldn't have to put up with bugs and Vista etc.

I'll let you guys know exactly what I think when I get it, I'm really looking forward to it, it may not be the latest and greatest but it should prove to be an awesome laptop!

 

The T43p is a great model, moon angel. Very cool that you joined the ThinkPad crew here. You're going to love the ThinkPad.

We're looking forward to reading your comments about it.

 

No questions needed. It's just a great laptop

BTW... how did you manage to get 27s boot time??? *w/ envious eyes*

 

Clean installed using my guide, disabled some services, and use a lightweight antivirus and firewall. Simple as that.

 

My palmrest has never laid completely flat against the chassis of my R61, and it's mushy in a few spots as well. Since I'm under warranty, I gave them a call to get a new one. I can only say that it was one of the easiest transactions that I have ever had to make. They get straight down to business, asking for only what's necessary, no questions asked. I was done in about 5 minutes.

I also love how they're open 24/7 here in the U.S. I called them at 1AM CST and they were cheerful as ever. Kudos to you, Lenovo, for having the best tech support I have had the pleasure to deal with.

 

You like those IBM stickers?!?

I think they look like they belong in sponsor's banner at a gay pride parade...not that there's anything wrong with it.

 

That's great news, man. Behind every bad experience, there are about ten good one and yours is one of them. Thanks for pitching in, chubbyfatazn.

You don't like the classic IBM logo? It represents tradition and endurance in the computer industry. Give this a read: http://ibmcollectables.com/ibmlogo.html

 

Well, I have no complain about my Thinkpad R50
But I won't appreciate Lenovo until they make the 17'' model

 

How can you not like it? At least it shows more class than the logos of the other notebook manufacturers.

 

I like THOSE logos (whilte/silver). But that multi-colored one that used to be on the ThinkPads...not classic. What were they doing, trying to come across as exciting and creative? Puhleez. Such a nice sleek black and then that Fisher-Price blotch.

I just bought a newer T60 with the "ThinkPad Tseries" label, which I find much better (brushed silver - nice), but I'm not really sure the diagonal placement is so great. It's kind of distracting, and upside-down when the laptop is on, which isn't so clever.

I'd have to give the logo prize to Apple. I think Dell is OK, but I always thought it was weird to have some guy's last name plastered on my laptop.

 

Arti3kt,

Hmmm. 27s. I wonder if you would mind sharing the list of processes you have running and the anti-virus and spyware software you are using?

Probably time for me to get below the 3 minute boot up.

Alacrity

 

It's been classic of the Thinkpad line for a long time... maybe not to IBM as a whole. Most people who see the tricolor logo will know it's a Thinkpad immediately.

The logo has always been diagonally-placed as far as I know. I don't see how diagonal placement can be distracting; it's a lot more subtle than how the other manufacturers (I'm thinking Toshiba right now) paste their logo on the cover in giant font

The 'e' in Dell is diagonal, maybe that will prove to be a distraction to those who use them...

 

I wouldn't mind at all, alacrity.

I use AVG Free Edition along with the default Windows Firewall. In addition to security, I also use Spywareblaster, Ad-Aware SE Personal, Spybot, Windows Defender, and CCleaner. I also connect to the internet via a router, which also has a hardware firewall of its own. My internet web browser is IE7.

I'll PM you the list of my disabled/manualed sevices.

 

Many thanks...gives me something to shoot for....

Are all the antivirus/antispyware software programs you use manual? In other words, they do not start up or are active....but are activated only when you trigger them? For example, I know from my own experience that the Ad-aware only goes into start up or active mode when you double click on it and run it. That would definitely save boot time if so....

If so, do you find them all sufficiently protective?

I have Norton 360 and Spysweeper on my T61p and they are very effective....but take boot time to initiate.

Thanks again,

Alacrity

Thanks.

 

I also forgot Windows Defender. I added that to my previous post.

The only programs that run on start up are Windows Defender, Spywareblaster for IE7, AVG, Windows Firewall, ThinkVantage Power Manager, and the built in CPU Meter.

This is my system tray after bootup:



I should also note that with my setup and safe browsing, I have never ran into any adware, spyware, trojans, viruses, or any malicious items.

 

Thanks again. Good inputs. Cover me, I am going in!

 

Also make sure to follow the Highly Recommended Step in my clean install guide (see sig).

 

Arkit,

Great thread on XP clean install. Thanks for the "highly recommended" section as well. I had heard about the boot defrag but never found anything substantial outlining the process itself.

I have a challenge with 124 processes running. But with some slashing and burning, got 29 of them disabled. Many remaining are spyware sweeper and symantec processes and may be holding back the boot time.

Went from 3 minutes 15 seconds of boot time to 2 minutes 5 seconds. Still have a way to go but at least a 30% improvement so far.

Tried to also use msconfig in the Start..run command but my system would not let me cancel any of the start up programs...not sure why.

Once the T61p has booted, it runs very fast.....has the 2.6Ghz cpu.....so that is the primary objective. Odd, though, to have such a high boot time compared to the Poll on boot time results especially for XP.

I seem to remember some software that actually measured how much time the PC spends starting up each process......then you can home in on the worst offenders.

Thanks again

Alacrity

 

Are you talking about MS Bootvis? I tried to use it on my system but I think Bootvis is outdated and won't run correctly on my system.

Another great program you should look out for is TuneXP: http://www.download.com/TuneXP/3000-2086_4-10290928.html

Just make sure you read about the manual before you make the settings.

 

I actually can't believe how much I'm appreciating my new and first Thinkpad. I'm finding it to have all of the positives (sturdy, fast, cool) without any of the negatives (poor screen, questionable build) that I've heard about lately.

Typically I like to get the latest and greatest when I get a new laptop, so I felt a bit strange about ordering a sightly older model (I got an unused T60 off the outlet site rather than a T61 from the normal channel) but I wanted a great screen above all else and decided to go with one of the last FlexViews. I think it's a credit to the brand that even though its a generation "behind", the laptop still feels like a great buy and if anything more advanced than many of its competitors due to the great screen and overall sense of quality.

Even the ThinkVantage software, while pretty geeky, is much more useful than what you normally see preloaded on even a business-class laptop. All in all I am very impressed. I think Thinkpads--new or what I got--represent really a tremendous value in terms of what you get for your money.

 

Very well said, pavlova.

The FlewView screen is indeed awesome. Even though it's considered a generation behind, I'm positive it will last your well into the years.

Thank you for you comment. I'll put this on the front page.

 

Hi all-- First time poster here.

I started out on PC's and grew up on DOS and windows 3 and then 95 and so on, finally reaching XP. I got my first taste of Mac OS X a couple of years ago, got hooked on it and still use it today. Well, I waited a long time last Tuesday afternoon to see what Mr. Jobs was going to offer up for a new notebook computer. When I saw the Macbook Air, it didn't take me long to head straight to lenovo.com and order my X61s dream notebook that I wanted for so long!

Don't get me wrong; I think OS X is a great operating system, and I still find XP a very useful tool in my office. But when it comes to hardware, the Thinkpad is it. I don't give a crap what die-hard acid-core Steve Jobs bigot has to say about it. You put that Macbook Air junk beside a glorious Thinkpad and anyone with even the slightest amount of common sense can tell which one is far superior.

My message is not to start a flame war between PC and Apple, however, many on the Apple side of the house including myself strongly agree that Apple's hardware lineup leaves a lot to be desired. Some will sit back and say that Apple can do no wrong and that their hardware is the greatest and the grandest on the planet.. For myself, I'll be honored to have a 12 inch Thinkpad as my main notebook computer, and I'll even go waltzing into my local Apple store with it just to show those over-biased bozos what a real notebook design is all about.

And that's my two cents worth on the subject. I just wish I could have told Jobs myself that his new notebook computer motivated me so much I headed straight to his competitor!

Kind Regards-
Steve

 

Good luck to you and your walk of greatness with a ThinkPad in an Apple Store.

That's a pretty strong decision to go from a Macbook to PC. It's usually the other way around. Very fresh to the ears. Thanks for the post, Steve.

Fronted!

 

Once again, I have come back to post about another good experience.

My DVD drive has refused to read or burn DVDs for quite some time. I thought it was because Vista simply sucked at the burning part, but indeed it was the drive.

I called tech support in Atlanta at around 6:30PM yesterday to request a new one, and in about 18 minutes got the techie to ship me a new drive.

Today, when I get home from school at about 2:00PM, the drive was already at my doorstep. Least to say, I am impressed once again with the level of service IBM provided. Getting a drive from Pennsylvania to where I live in less than 24 hours shows the dedication they have to Thinkpad users.

Even though I called IBM tech support, I hope that one day the reports of Lenovo providing subpar service will cease to exist. Thinkpads and their users only deserve the best.

BTW, that's a pretty spiffy frog you got there, Arkitekt

 

Trophie if you can guess where he's from.

You just keep getting great customer service, chubbyfatazn. Consecutive great support. I guess every should start calling IBM tech support eh?

Great post again!

Fronted.

 

You'll never figure it out

I'm probably just lucky. I did after all get a free fingerprint reader with my palmrest

 

LOL, you got free fingerprint, I got free Bluetooth.

 

Isn't that frog from Chronotrigger?

 

Nice one, klutch.

+rep for being awesome.

 

Just thought I would post in here to say how I really like my new ThinkPad. It's got that "solid" feeling to it that's hard to describe, but you know it when you feel it.

The keyboard is taking a little getting used to, since before now, all my typing has been on standard desktop keyboards. The ThinkPad keyboard is real nice, too, and I bought the Lenovo USB UltraNav desktop keyboard as well, in case I need an external keyboard for any reason (the UltraNav bit even works under Vista and on my non-Lenovo desktop).

Screen's great, with a little light bleed at the bottom, but under normal circumstances, its not much of an issue.

The UltraNav system really works great, I'm finding I'm hardly using the touchpad anymore, and this is just after a day or so of use.

Anyway, to sum it up, I'm glad I bought the ThinkPad, instead of buying one of the other laptops I was looking at.

 

Thanks for the high remarks of the ThinkPad, TheCynical1. Definitely needs to be on the first post.

I was the exact same way with the TrackPoint myself.

 

Another bump for this thread, this time for their customer service. I called last Thursday to get some minor service done on my T43 (exhaust fan was getting noisy) before I sell it.

There was no wait time for a service rep (at their Atlanta center). DHL came knocking with a box the very next day, but they'd gotten the wrong address so they called me to straighten it out and redelivered on Monday.

I packed up the T43 and arranged for a pickup, and DHL nabbed the box on Tuesday.

The repair depot got the box Wednesday, repaired it the same day, and it was on a plane back to me last night. Sitting in my apartment right now

Overall, the same stellar service I had when the hard drive started to go (a little over a year ago). It was only a welcome surprise this time, but the last time I had to use the depot repair it was a godsend.

If I ever had doubts about my choice to upgrade to a 3-year warranty for my T61, they're gone now.

 

Hello, I figured I'd offer my personalized assurance to anyone considering this machine...

I spent a great deal of time analyzing candidate machines that would be suitable as both a desktop replacement and "first laptop" for myself. I have tried, seen, tested many other notebooks of my peers or in stores - they all had various turn-offs... too hot, too flimsy, too slow, bad gfx, lousy KB, etc...

I ended up coming down to a MBPro or the T61P... as you can tell by my posting here, I ended up choosing the T61P. I maxed out the upgrades and ordered the machine... then got quite a bit worried with all of the reports of 'shipping issues.' Being that my estimated ship date was over a month away, the tension increased. I called them up and they told me it would only take a week or 2. Sure enough, within 2 weeks, I got my T61P.

I absolutely love it. The 1920x1200 screen is awesome for those who code or multi-task. Right now I have 6 windows open... and I can read 4 of them instantaneously. The monitor is also plenty bright enough (I keep it a few clicks down from max in lit areas)... I don't know why some folks complain about brightness - unless they are used to radioactively high levels, which quite frankly fatigue your eyes quickly - esp. in low lighted areas.

It also performs quite well - after wiping out Vista that is. I followed the "clean XP install" as a guide and did a few neat tweaks here n there and have a machine that boots and operates extremely fast.

The styling is perfect for my taste. After removing all of the little stickers (BTW, goo-b-gone doesn't ruin the plastic), I have a sleek and simple black powerhouse. No girly rounded corners attempting to be 'industrial' by the facade of brushed aluminum here. It is stylish, professional, and something I feel proud to display in a meeting or on travel in public. It is also SOLID. I hated the fact that many (or all?) other laptops felt flimsy and weak. The monitor doesn't bounce around, the casing is rigid, and stuff just seems "tight."

The machine runs extremely cool... as I type this, I've now had the machine on my lap for almost an hour and don't even feel or hear it. This is something that is important to me as many laptops I've used I couldn't even put on my lap (maybe these should be called "desktops" ?) without my leg sweating or even being burnt.

The keyboard is the best. So much so that I am buying another from Lenovo for my desktops. Not too soft, not too hard - perfect. The trackpoint is also much better than my experiences on other machines. I use this more often than the touchpad now - something I'd never expect.

So for those on the border, DO IT! Sure, it's not for everyone, but if you want sleek reliable professional performance, this is it.

- Phil

 

That's awesome news. With all the lash against Lenovo Customer Service recently, it's nice to be able to provide potential ThinkPad buyers a case of good service. Thank you yenemy.

I couldn't even agree with you more when you compared the ThinkPad to other laptops. ThinkPads are a beast compared to the other flimsy notebook computer. I have yet to see an LCD screen latch onto the base at the hinges as well as a ThinkPad; other notebooks are just too flimsy.

With the TrackPoint, I have never ever returned to the touchpad. Ever since I received my ThinkPad, I used the touchpad for probably one hour tops. I have never enabled it again after getting used to the TrackPoint.

Thank you both yenemy and Phil for their appreciation for ThinkPads and related information.

Both moved to the first post.

 

It seems as though many people are enjoying their ThinkPads lately so I'll bump this thread up.

 

I certainly am enjoying mine.

 

Yessir! Here's an update after a month of continuous use...

It's still kicking but - no issues at all... I use it for audio work running Sonar and some plugins for recording. It keeps up just fine and is excellent for editing anywhere on the go - productivity ^^^ ! Can't compete with my monster AMD WS running Sonar in 64 bit but something like that is never portable and frankly, it is nicer to have the ability to carry it anywhere - in bed, car, plane, echem* bathroom *, garage, kitchen, work, college, etc...

I am still using the 1920x1200 res and love it - it makes editing in DAW much easier. Unfortunately, if you go to a lesser res more "common" monitor, you will be whining...

The trackpoint is awesome. I still use the touchpad, but I've enabled it only for super slow pointer movement and tag it with my thumbs for extra accuracy when needed.

Battery life is excellent considering discreet graphics and a 15.4" monitor - putsing around I get about 4-5 hours to around 15% life... Lifespan will decrease with age, but even so, it is impressive.

Of course nothing is perfect so here are some minor things I've found that could be changed:

- Firewire port should be on side, not front - a 6 pin would be nice too (most audio HW uses FW for whatever reason...)


Phil

 

Thank you both for the comments.

Phil, I've been using mine for about half a year now and I can definitely say I'm on the same boat as you!