Why all the bad user reviews?

I've always been interested in Thinkpads and have been impressed by the great editorial reviews. However, whenever I check out the user reviews (cnet, pcmag, etc..) it's like a disaster mine field - crazy how many people have horror stories. Are these people for real or are they simply computer stupid and just don't know how to fix normal problems? On this forum, it seems most people are mostly happy with there Thinkpads, right?

In any case, I've been contemplating canceling my order on a Dell studio 15 and looking into a Thinkpad t61 instead. Can anyone shed some light on the disparity between the glowing editorial reviews and the terrible user reviews?

 

I have had a 600E, T23, and a T60p. Happy with all of them (all of them are stilling running).

The T60p is my only Lenovo based Thinkpad, quality is on par with the IBM models.

My warranty support (used it twice) has been extremely fast.

 

I was thinking a dell with I first came to this forum acouple months ago and after looking over most of the posts I think there is not anything wrong with product. Most of the posts to be blunt are "simply computer stupid", granted ive posted many stupid threads just not technical based. Thinkpads are quality machines that last and most are very happy. It just more of a business market.

 

Thank you for your replies. I still would like to know about why there are so many bad user reviews, namely "blue screen of death" incidents - check out cnet user reviews.

 

Probably because when somebody has a bad product, they tend to complain, sometimes rather too loudly. But when everything is well, or up to expectations, they don't really say much.

Very few people that buy a laptop create a username just to praise the product, but many do to complain or ask for solutions to a problem. So it's natural that the number of negative comments about a product outweigh the positive.

Then again, thinking about the sheer number of laptops that Lenovo have sold, the number of people that complain on forums are very, very tiny

 

Are their reviews old?
I used to work for IBM tech support (for IBM employees) and the laptops they gave their employees were crap. Granted, we were the help desk so all we got was problem calls but lots of them were laptops that had various problems. This was late 90s early 00s timeframe.

I think a lot of those problems were due to XP as well...

 

No. OP is referring to rather new reviews. Cnet has horrible user reviews for thinkpads. I think most problems are attributed to software issues and perhaps the increase in bloat software. Hardware wise I dont think you can go wrong and if you know what you're doing software wise and want to make your OS lean or reimage it...then don't worry at all. I haven't heard too many issues with drivers except make some weird quirks with the x300.

 

I can speak only for myself and people I know: NONE of us will ever buy anything else than a T series again if Lenovo continues with "affordable" prices, and such quality.

 

˄˄ co-sign

 

cnets review is pathetic, just think if it had a apple logo on it, it would made editors choice award.

 

ThinkPad and Apple users have a higher tendency to complain about anything being wrong with a various product. As a ThinkPad user myself, I can say I probably ***** about too many things surrounding my purchases if they break.

I do have to say that lots of people complain about the Lenovo shipping delays and software quirks.

 

Why? Here are things I can think of...

1.) Lots of computer illiterate people trying to use a business level machine.
2.) Quality Control having gone down over the years(this is with all companies, not just Lenovo). Some machines assembled well, others are not.
3.) People with unreasonably high expectations
4.) VISTA - unable to use it, driver issues, people who are unwilling to learn its ways.
5.) Turbo memory version 1 - lots of BSOD errors with this
6.) Variable quality of screens. Some people seem to have got bad screens(or is it their unreasonable expectations again?) others are quite happy with theirs(like me)
7.) People who dealt with incompetent customer service reps and technician that did not fix the problem(s) and in some cases caused more damage.

 

I am running a Dell Inspiron 8600 (Almost 5 yrs old) and let me tell you that tell is no gem. Cheap plastic parts that seem to make up for the time they must pay someone to figure out problems. Dell is the King of the Blue Screen of Death. Configuring my T400 now, as all IT people and owners that I know have only praises to sing about their Thinkpads.
BTW, I agree that if it had a shiny pink cover with pretty pictures, you would not hear too much neg. news. Maybe Jobs should introduce this new line of Thinkpads!

 

My 6 year old Inspiron 8200 is built like a brick and still works well, albeit a bit slow. Good thing my dad doesn't use his Acer I guess build quality is a hit and miss.

 

Having owned and used several Dell's for many years, and having acquired a new Lenovo T61p in early May, I can tell you for certain than the Lenovo's are far better machines. Better built, more solid, much nicer keyboard (best I've ever used on a laptop!), etc. Buy one of the black beasts and you'll never think twice about another brand.

My $0.02 FWIW.

aj

 

T400 is going to be my first thinkpad too, and the reason I am buying it is that it is reasonably priced and praised my many users who knows about computer. I currently own a HP laptop which does not have any hardware issues but a really suck battery which wont even hold a charge (pulling out the plug shuts down the computer) and cheap plastic case that creaks...but I also did not pay a premium price for it so I cant blame the company.

Then I have been looking at Sony Centrino 2 laptops which are overpriced and HP dv4t which costs slightly more than the T400 in similar configuration while having shorter battery life (I presume) and less powerful graphic card + heating issues....although it has a consumer design....I can imagine that the Elitebook would have cost more and is not released yet....I hope I will be really happy and satisfied with my T400 like other people do with their thinkpads.

 

my T61 is my first Thinkpad... first of a long list. I'm very happy with it.

 

It is also because I don't have much knowledge then...don't know how to take care of my battery...got to admit that

 

Mostly BSOD's on new Thinkpad are generated by Vista & Robson Turbo Memory. I guess using XP on a new T61 would be like getting the reliability on older Thinkpads. I bought a T61 with Vista preloaded, I still don't get the machine but I will be wiping Vista for XP.

 

There actually was a motherboard hardware problem with the T61P causing BSODS. The problem was identified and a revised motherboard was released in May 2008. A lot of the reviews you are reading in mags lately (with their lead time) may be based on the previous MB problems. I have not had any problems with mine...

 

in short, people who love to wear pink shirts, yellow pants will not appreciate the mysterious dark look of the think-tank-pads. for the rest of us who are technology-wise will adore what thinkpads have been offering.

there's no turning back to any other brand once you have used a thinkpad.

 

Just wondering if anyone got their T400's yet. There has been a big price drop (presumably because of the competition with Dell E6400) and the reviews on NBR are posted.
What is the actual weight on the machine? Seems to be conflicting between 4.6 and 5.4 pounds, a big differnce. I havent ordered yet as I am waiting to hear from users first...

 

there are some owners of T400. look in the previous topics and you'll find a> my T400 just shipped, or something like that.

Also, kevin's T400 review is excelent, you should read it.