Thinkpad t61: Does the off-centered screen bother you?

Personally, I'm really botherd by the off-centered screen. It really makes me dislike the laptop's look. Am I the only one who feels this way?

 

I believe it would be unnoticeable in real life use unless one specifically focuses on it.

 

I was stuck between choice #2 and #3. I mean it really doesn't bother me, but I'd prefer it was centered.

 

kind of, but not really.

 

if i only had the computer sitting there as a piece of room decoration then, yes it would bother me. however, i plan on actually using the computer, so no it doesn't really matter in the end.

i wrote in another similar thread, 99% of the time my desktop monitor is shifted from my keyboard by several inches due to clutter on the desk--but it doesn't really matter because while using the computer, i am focused on the action on the screen, not the bezel.

 

My t42 is off centered. Not as much as this one, but honestly I didn't even notice until people on here flipped out about the 61. I'm sure I'll be just fine.

 

Yes it does a lot, it just looks ugly. Lol, maybe its silly, but off-centered screen is the only reason I will never buy wide t61 (or are they going to make the 4:3 look the same??)

 

This is going to sound dumb, but I'd rather have lower wireless signal strength than an off center screen. Its just that slight OCD part of me kicking in... Everything should be symmetrical.

 

The touchpad is not symmetrical even on the T4x. It's a couple of cm to the left to line up with the trackpoint.

If you can ignore the asymmetry of the touchpad, why not the screen?

 

I don't think it bothers me, mainly because the keyboard is fairly centered with the matte of the screen. So, while there's more extra plastic on the left side, as long as the keyboard lines up with the viewing part of the screen, then I'm fine with it.

 

Well, I can't! But that is only because I'm left-handed Seriosly, however, the touchpad is off-centered in order to match the keyboard, trackpoint ets - i.e. when you are typing it is right in the middle then. So the off-centered touchpad makes sense. The off-centered screen doesn't.

 

Simply because you don't have to look at the touchpad all the time, especially when you're touchtyping. So it's usually screen stuff (screen off-centered, dead pixel and so on) that bothers. And the screen is the main source of the user's focus while working.
I still have a hope, that centered models will come out...

 

On my desktop my LCD isnt centered, and since I am leaning most of the time, being centered isnt a key concern. I really dont see it as a deal breaker.

 

It's not even the positioning - I'm sure I wouldn't notice at all, but aesthetically speaking, it just looks awkward. The bezel widths not being equal just makes me cringe.

 

You mean your desktop LCD have a wider bezel on one side? Otherwise there's no analogy..

 

Exactly - that's the point. Some people write about positioning but it doesn't matter of course. You can move your laptop to the side as well if you wish - that won't make the bezel look better

 

How not?

Unequal sides means its not centered. My desktop LCD panel sits off center from my keyboard and chair, hence the part about a 3." bezel difference making no difference to me.

 

Unequal sides means it's not centered with relation to it's bezel, not your POV or your desk etc. like your standalone LCD. You really don't see a difference?

To clarify my point - it's about the look of the product. It doesn't matter if it sits at the center of your desk, because it's totally different relation. Here we have a relation of parts of the one and the same product, that is a bezel and a screen. We're not talking about symmetry with room walls or desks....

 

QFT.

It's not if it's centered to your keyboard/sitting position. It's if it's centered in the monitor casing.

 

Yes, that's exactly why it bothers me And that's what this thread is about, isn't it?

Edit: sorry chuck232, I didn't know about QTF meaning while posting..

 

I think DietCokeFiend is trying to say (which is also my own view point) that being off centered on the bezel is like a desktop monitor being off centered in terms of practicality--it doesn't bother us to use a shifted LCD since we do it all time with our desktop monitor. But aesthetically for me it's unpleasing and would prefer it to be centered, however in the end, i only care about practicality and functionality, which is the first reason why i use a thinkpad. if i wanted a fancy looking, must-be symmetrical laptop, i would've bought something else.

There are two issues here that can be considered--aesthetics and functionality. I think many people who are bothered by the off centered screen are talking about aesthetics issue, while many who are not bothered are talking about functionality still being the same whether the lcd is centered or not. The original poll never specified which view point, so it makes sense that about 50% cares (a lot and somewhat) and the other 50% doesn't care (so far in the polling anyway)

a more meaningful poll might be:
1. Yes, looks matter and i can't possibly work on the off-centered screen
2. yes, looks matter but I'll still use it
3. No, looks don't matter as long as it works

 

Actually, it's not about the looks for me. It's more like, since it's asymmetric, it looks like it's a production error or something. It looks just wrong.

 

um... it's not about the looks, but it looks wrong?...
so is it about the looks or not? i think symmetry is the most important part of beauty.

 

Still, my choice would be #2.

 

It's really not about looks. I'm not an English-speaker and I can't come up with a synonym for "looking" right now. But it's like I said before, it looks like a production error, like something went wrong.

Maybe you should compare it with your keyboard. What if your keyboard would be totally on the left, leaving an amount of space on the right. Wouldn't you find that annoying? Your keyboard would type just as easy, you can place it to the left so the keyboard is right in front of you, but you still have that space on the right.

 

I understand what you're saying.

It's not a matter of aesthetics (which is the study/philosophy of beauty) but perhaps some subconscious sense of balance/pattern/proportions, which relates back to aesthetics actually, but you get my drift.

 

It bothered me a lot. I cancelled my order because of it. Now I'm waiting until the HP 6910p is available for customization.

Quality is about paying attention to the most minute detail. Thinkpads fail in this regard. Two years ago when I was looking to buy a new notebook, I chose the nc6230 (HP) over the T40 because I didn't like how the antenna stuck out from the side. I guess history will repeat itself.

And for those who argue the build (ie keyboard, roll cage) of Thinkpads make up for it, try out some other business line notebooks. HP's business line build is comparable, if not better, than the Thinkpads, so there's absolutely no reason for compromise (They come in magnesium casing, and two friends who own Thinkpads said mine has less keyboard flex). Ofcourse, you'll have to be comfortable with the fact that you'll be paying a couple of hundred dollars more for a similarly configured notebook, but you get 3 years standard warranty on it. Says alot about the quality of the notebooks when the company stands by it for three years.

That's all I have to say.

 

Back when you considered the T40, I'd say you picked the lesser of the two. Despite my confidence in the Thinkpad brand, which has been justified by excellent builds in the past, I won't throw down with you until I have my T61 in hand. I can't attack HP for not concentrating on business class products, since Lenovo has their own line of mainstream products as well.

Yet, I still have a good feeling.

 

Thinkpad's 3 year depot warranty is only about $100 extra. You can add it to your purchase anytime you want, up to the day when your standard length warranty expires.

 

Is the screen at least centered with the keyboard? I can't tell from the pictures . Is the bulk on the left side an antenna?

Jeff

 

From what I can tell, the keyboard is centered. The left of the keyboard matches the left side of the screen. But the screen stretches out on the right. So when the keyboard stops on the right, the screen goes over it.

 

I've got a T61 and it doesn't bother me at all. But then I don't sit there "looking at an off centered screen"... I use it for work and unless someone like you keeps mentioning it, it's not an issue for me at all.

Perhaps what should be mentioned is that the screen is vibrant and clear unlike my previous T42p (14.1" non-flexview) which was dim and not nearly as clear.

 

well if i did buy an T61 i dont think id be bothered by the off center screen at all
as many posts above have said it aint that easy to notice till you really focus on that particular point as youd b mostly working and not looking at the asthetics of the notebook

 

I was just looking at a T40. The screen is off center

 

I've used my T61 for an entire day and not noticed it at all.

 

Bother me...hell, every time someone quotes that image above I drool. I can't wait until I show it off at Starbucks, and complain to the manager that they need to upgrade their access point. B ain't gonna anymore. I'm cookin' with N now baby!

Well, that's what I'll say if I ever get the damned thing...

 

I honestly don't know if it bothers me because mine didn't come yet...

 

It's a balance issue on the eyes. Subconsciously it effects the way I feel about the notebook. Feels like uncombed hair. lol

And no, I will not buy a Thinkpad until they release a proper bezel. Serious.

 

It may look a bit awkward, but if the system otherwise fits your needs well I don't see it as a deal-breaker. After all, ThinkPads are designed to improve your productivity--not garner looks from passersby or win any beauty pageants.

 

You know damned well that they do both.

 

It is not a deal-breaker, but it is annoying.

 

This is the kind of thing that irks you before you buy it and start using it, at which point you don't notice it at all. So yes, its kind of annoying, but not something that would prevent me from buying one. What will though, is the low performance GPU.

 

I don't think pleasing gamers is Lenovo's top priority.

 

Lol, why necessarily gamers?

 

I guess that's why chuck232 states gamers

 

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Anyway, I was just thinking about how people commented on the priority of productivity of the laptop over its looks. Yet some manufacturers seem to aim to adjust their models not only to needs of a particular targeted class/classes of people, but also to the specific image. This way gamers get the looks of alienware laptops, and the simple solid and clean lines of thinkpads have always been indicative of a business class.

Now justinluck said good on the previous page about the T61 bezel:

And it seems to me that some of those who say that one gets the laptop in order to work on it and not to look at it refer to quite a different class of people, that which is sometimes found among programmers/etc, for whom the most important thing is the contents of the laptop and who would sometimes only be happy to get rid of all the looks if they could.

By contrast, the image of business class does demand a particular standard. You cannot arrive at a conference in your favourite jeans, and try to justify this by pointing on the greater importance of things that you are about to say. You would look awkward, just as T61 looks awkward with the off centered screen with no apparent reason for having it off centered.

 

there is an APPARENT reason as i understand it.... the off centered screen is off centered because they hid the Wireless WAN antenna that used to protrude out of the side of the lid.

What were the other options????? a nod like the old GPS receivers on the hood of your car but in this case it would be on the lid of your laptop.....with the lid closed you could have had this upside down lopsided bowl protruding from your lappy......how well books would sit on that.....but then we'd be sitting here moaning about how stupid an idea that was and why didn't they just move the screen over and put it on the side of the lid even though it would cause the screen to be OFF CENTER!!!! LOL

 

Well that's exactly what I had in mind, because the lack of a current solution to 'hiding the WWAN' problem is not, in my view, an apparent reason for making the laptop screen be off-centered.

In this class of laptops one would expect designers to find a better way out, rather than simply to substitute one displeasing appearance with another.

 

in truth....i prefered the one on the side of the lid.....it appeared as is if it had some porpose and put you in a class of your own (built in WWAN!!!)....for a while at least....LOL

 

ditto obviously it's just a matter of getting used to the thing, but really would be so much better not to have to