Which Thinkvantage Utilities are you using, and why!

So, I've had my T61p for a few weeks now and have slowly been adding Thinkvantage utilities back onto my clean install of Vista Ultimate 64 as I identified a need.

First onto the system was System Update, as it is a much easier way to get updates from Lenovo than working through their morass of a website.

Next I added the Power Manager, because of the added battery management options it provides - particularly being able to set recharging options so as to maximize the battery longevity.

After that I hemmed and hawed and held off on anymore utilities for awhile, but then after knocking an external drive onto the floor and losing access to the data (oops!) I added the Active Protection System... better safe than sorry, particularly when one is prone to clumsiness.

Now I just added the Access Connections utility because I'm on the road jumping back and forth between a few networks, some where I need to use an assigned fixed IP and proxy servers, and then back to the hotel where I need to go back to auto-ip no proxy.. and the Access Connections utility is quite helpful at quickly switching the network settings around.

I have also been considering adding the keyboard customization tool on as well, because I would really like to swap the location of the Fn and left Ctrl keys.... and maybe also getting rid of the special "page back" key (no fun hitting that by mistake while typing a web-e-mail or a forum posting) but I'm holding off to see if I can just get my fingers to acclimatize to this keyboard instead.

So, what about you... which utilities have you added back (or chosen not to uninstall) and why?

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The responses so far:
KEH: Access Connections, Active Protection, Power Manager, System Update
TPA: none
Ben_J: Access Connections, UltraNav Utility
Arkit3kt: Power Manager
jooooeee: Active Protection
millermagic: Active Protection, Power Manager
zoogle: Access Connections, Active Protection, Power Manager
meekus: Power Manager, Active Protection, Easy Eject, ThinkPad Configuration, System Update
kboyer: Access Connections
tallshorty: Power manager, Easyeject, Productivity Centre, Active Protection System, Client Security Solution, Presentation Director
bobathia: Active Protection System, Client Security Solution
stupid_nut: Active Protection, Power Manager

So, in terms of popularity we have:
Active Protection - 8 out of 13
Power Manager - 7 out of 13
Access Connections - 4 out of 13
Easy Eject - 2 out of 13
Client Security Solution - 2 out of 13
System Update - 2 out of 13
Ultranav Utility - 1 out of 13
Productivity Centre - 1 out of 13
Presentation Director - 1 out of 13
ThinkPad Configuration - 1 out of 13

with only 1 out of the 13 respondents going "clean"

Active Protection and Power Manager seem to be considered the most useful.

 

I have done multiple clean installs on my t60p between XP and Vista.
Each time I tell myself "no more thinkvantage", but I eventually give in. Everytime I give in I start encountering problems mostly associated with slowing my computer down, but sometimes involving intermittant problems with the device being controlled by the thinkvantage component. The last incident I can remember is not being able to hook up to any wireless devices through access connections.
I did a clean install of vista and kept my vow this time to not use any thinkvantage component at all. My computer has kept up its performance and all devices operate as they should. I have not had a single blue screen with this install.
I find thinkvantage to be buggy and unreliable with the possible exception of power manager but I've decided to not risk even that. I now let windows handle everything and do without the fingerprint reader, which I rarely used anyway.

 

On my T60 work laptop, Connections is an absolute must. The touchpad utility is nice too as I like to set it up as a "shortcut pad" using the corner tap buttons.

 

Unfortunately, the Keyboard Customization tool isn't going to let you swap the location of the FN and left Ctrl key.

I only have Power Manager installed for the charge thresholds. I decided against Active Protection System since I think I can handle not dropping my laptop. Didn't install System Update neither because I like to manually install my updates.

As for the rest of the programs, it just didn't fit my lifestyle and was deemed unnecessary. So yea, just Power Manager for me.

 

I am using Active protection System only everything else you can easily do in Vista.

 

Power Manager (so I can make it a whole week only charging the battery once but plugging in multiple times) and Active Protection System.

 

Power Manager for the same reasons everyone else listed above. Active Protection because I like to see the laptop jiggle when you open up the program. Access Connections because it makes switching between multiple networks much easier (home, school, store, oh the places I go). I've had to use rescue and recovery a few times just because it's easier than doing it from the discs. Just tell it to go and leave to do something else.

 

Thanks, now I don't have to install to check it out... thanks Arkit3kt!

Heh heh... I love doing that too... it's one of things I do to show off my machine to other people. Now we need someone to code up one of those ball-maze tip control games to take better advantage of the hardware... or imagine controlling Road Rash by tipping the laptop

 

For awhile there I thought Power Manger was giving me some BSOD crashes actually... but further trials seemed to point to Skype ( possibly having an issue with the audio drivers). I updated to the latest beta of Skye (3.8) and it seems to be behaving better now (touch wood!)

 

summarized the responses to date in the first post - anyone else?

 

I've got the following running on startup:
- Power Manager (for easy switching between power profiles)
- Active Protection (to keep a vigilant eye out for the safety and wellbeing of my HDD)
- Easy Eject (for easily ejecting my collection of USB HDDs and thumbdrives)

I also make use of the following every so often:
- ThinkPad Configuration (to easily enable/disable the infrared port as I get sick of being incessantly reminded that my Toshiba laptop sitting nearby is within IR range--which I do connect to via IR on occasion)
- System Update (to keep my ThinkPad feeling fresh and awesome)

 

I only have/use Access Connections because it works better than Windows and the Intel Pro software. Being able to customize locations with a different home page, VPN, printer, network settings, etc. is really useful

 

Yeah, to me Access Connections does what I think that "Alternate Configuration" Tab in the IPv4 properties page should be doing, but never quite gets right... but of course AC also does a lot more than you could get from that tab (if that tab worked) like switching proxy settings (IE and Mozilla settings no less!) different home pages, etc.

 

I got:

-Power manager
-Easyeject
-Productivity Centre
-Active Protection System
-Fingerprint
-Client Security Solution
-Presentation Director

 

The utilities that get the most usage from me are the Active Protection System, and the Client Security Solution. I initially thought a high level password manager wouldn't be useful but the auto-login feature for web forms is pretty nifty. Additionally, if it notices that login information is the same for multiple web-pages, you can associate the accounts and then have password/username changes propagate through all the login information you have stored. That's smart.

 

I only use Active Protection and Power manager. I didn't find use for any of the other stuff.

 

Updated the summary of results on the main page to capture the next batch of respondents.

 

just active protection.i dont use power manager as i usually keep my battery in a separate cool place.i dont go with access and client..they all eat up resources.

 

Is the Productivity center a necessary part or can I remove it? I have removed most of the thinkvantage software. The only really necessary thing I want to keep is the Power Manager and Active Protection.

Another question - does the wifi switch on the side of the notebook (and the Fn+F5 combination) work without Access Control software?

Is it better to use the official Intel drivers for the wifi card?

I am thinking about a clean install without any thinkvantage garbage...

Thanks.

 

The productivity center is optional, unless you want the ThinkVantage button to work within Windows. The Wi-Fi switch will work without the Access Connections software, although I don't think that the FN+F5 will work. The Intel drivers for your card will work fine if you can get them to install (I tried to upgrade my graphics driver, and it told me to get a driver from my system manufacturer).

I suggest you consider the Access Connections software and presentation director software if you work in a variety of situations. However, if you only use your integrated display and connect to one or two Wi-Fi networks, then you can probably get by with the built in Windows ones. You should also install the trackpoint/UltraNav driver/software, it will let you adjust sensitivity precisely, and define special actions (scroll, magnify, touch zones, etc.).

 

I use Access Connections, Active Protection, Power Management, UltraNav and System Update.

 

If you're using a T400 or T500 with hybrid graphics and Vista, you'll want to have Power Manager -- it provides the mechanism for switching between the integrated and discrete graphics.