[ltp] Z Series

[Bill Andrus]

>Honey wrote on 09/22/2005 12:46:48 PM:
>
> On Thu, 22 Sep 2005, Josh Battles wrote:
>
> > Bram van Leur said:
> >>
> >> I know it comes with a hardened Titanium cover as an option, which
gives
> >> rise to some discussion [1].
> >> Furthermore I'm surprised that a *new* series still is branded IBM
> >> instead of Lenovo. I guess Lenovo will come with some big-bang
> >> rebranding, although they already inserted their name in some of the
> >> software.
> >>
> >> - Bram!
> >>
> >> [1]
> >>
http://hardware.slashdot.org/hardware/05/09/21/125210.shtml?tid=136&tid=184
> >
> > I agree with the FT article linked by slashdot.  Thinkpads are
> supposed to be
> > all black, not fancy colors.  That (and the durability) was actually a
large
> > part of my decision to buy an IBM over something else.
>
> "If it's not black it's going back"? :)
>
> I must say, *I* like black too, but the titanium may look nice,
> depending on the quality of finish.  I specifically like the T*
> series tops (the lovely matt effect, one distinguishing feature from
> the R* series I think), and it would be a shame if that disappeared.
>
> But, you know, I used to talk a lot about the durability of
> thinkpads: before my thinkpad, I owned quite a few Dells, and bits of
> the casing always broke.  But I'm disappointed to report that the
> same's happening on my T40, and I'd be very interested if any others
> have the same problem.  Specifically:
>
> * The slight "lip" of the palm rest on the right hand side, bottom
> right of the arrow keys, where it joins the line of plastic coming
> down along the side of the keyboard.  The corner of plastic here
> broke off once, after a tussle with IBM ("you dropped it" "no I
> didn't!") they replaced the palmrest, and now that corner of
> plastic's broken off again.  I haven't a clue why this specific
> corner breaks off - it just came off in my hand while using an arrow
> key.

Actually very common with right handers, and why the cost of the
replacement
palmrest is so low.  No support under the plastic, eventually it lets go
after a lot of flexing with use.  Same problem with T41 and T42, and there
are flexible pads that can be placed under the plastic to firm it up.

> * The divider between the two USB2 ports top left - the metal
> underneath looks like it's bent out a bit and the black line of
> plastic broken.

Part of the system board.  The A3x series now puts an exterior plate across
the area to avoid the plastic flexing and breaking around the connectors.

> * The spring on the PC Card door broke twice.

Can't say that any T40/T41/T42 I've had showed any problem with this, but
the spring in the Misc Parts kit is awfully fragile looking.

> * Also, my keyboard is pretty bad (worse than Dells) - after 3-6
> legends start to wear off and I have to ask for a new one.  No, not
> nail polish remover, excessive pressure etc.  I'm sitting here now
> with blank A, S, M, <, >, L, ? keys and many others partially
> obscured.

I've got a couple of working spare T and A Series keyboards where the
keytop
legends have partially or completely vanished on high frequency, non-home
keys.

I have three T4x series systems at home now, besides the business T41, and
none of
these are showing any legend deterioration, but I haven't mapped OEM yet.
I
suspect you'll find the ones quickest to deteriorate come from the same
source.


> I like to maintain the idea the "thinkpads are made better", and they
> certainly don't squeak when I poke them like other cases do, but is
> my experience so unusual?  I don't even carry my laptop around: it
> lives at home.

Likewise, I've had Dells and Toshibas for my kids going into College, and
we are
all on T4x now, because of the poor quality of design and components in the
others.
Stuff breaks, and having an On Site warranty with Dell just means that they
fix the
half dozen or more a year problems quicker, instead of the average 24
months between
problems with my ThinkPads.

> My USB2 ports have also gone, taking bluetooth with them, as is known
> as a problem here, and one of the arrows keys come off, and won't go
> back on (it disintegrated).  I don't think I treat my T40 badly, but
> I dread the call to IBM: every single time I call they say "you
> dropped it", I have to complain and say "is this guilty until proven
> innocent, I *didn't*!", they say I'll have to pay, and I have to
> speak to a manager before they relent.  *This* didn't happen with
> other companies.

Agree, and since I also service ThinkPads, I can see both sides of the
issue.  I've
had one system failure about 9 months after purchase, I couldn't find the
cause and
figured it was the system board.  Sent it in with over 26 months warranty
left, and
the tech claims the system was user damaged, and shows pictures with
TYPICAL assembly
materials as the cause.  I refute the claim, the arbitrator takes my side,
system
fixed and back in a day.  There is both a customer service issue and
customer
satisfaction issue with EZ-Serv that needs to be addressed.

> I hate to sow seeds of discontent as I love my thinkpad: but do
> others find the casing to not be quite as perfect as claimed?  And do
> others have the problem of IBM service constantly claiming it's your
> fault?  I don't drop laptops.

I try to describe problems in such a way as to preclude their assumption
that the
unit was dropped or otherwise carelessly damaged.  In their defense,
IBM/Lenovo does
want more folks to take the full "Klutz" warranty, to put them on a par
with Dell's
old coverage.  Most owners are satisfied with a minimum "Fix it when it
fails" but
those of us with College students know better.  Its worth it.  And they
don't challenge
the cause of the problem, too.

> Honey

Bill Andrus

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. -
Arthur C. Clarke