[ltp] Z Series

[Honey]

Bill,

Thanks for your respone, helpful:

> 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.

Oh, thanks for confirming.  A bit odd though, as looking at the gap in
mine, it seems like the plastic lip under the line of plastic down the
side of the keyboard should have supported it.  If it's very common,
is this known as very common by IBM service?  I had a terrible fight
with them last time - they've maintained with just about every fault
call I put in that I dropped it, and had to be prepared to pay
*before* they would send an engineer out, even hand out payment
details.  This sent me into a steam, and everytime I had to call
complaints etc., eventually getting apologies and fixes.  But I don't
have the time, and not doing this was the only thing in Dell's
favour.  IBM seem to want to blame the customer at every turn as the
default option, at least in the UK.

The flexible pads you mention - are these IBM-supplied (which would
imply they now acknowledge the problem?).  The arrow key that's
fallen off (I had to remap the forward key to Right-Arrow in X!) is
just by the missing corner of plastic, so I *know* what they will
say.

>> * 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.

So, again, is this acknowledge now in IBM?  It'd be nice to cite
examples elsewhere when they tell me it's all my fault, that I
"forced a USB connector in" or something, like I don't know what one
looks like.

> 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.

Same source being IBM, or a supply channel within IBM?  I'm guessing
I can't ask for a different supply channel...

> 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.

Indeed, I go out of my way to prepare my call to IBM, by thinking
what I can say to pre-empt any attempt to blame me for damage.  And I
resent having to do this, as I didn't have to go through this process
with previous suppliers.

By full "Klutz" warranty, presumably you mean something in addition
to 3 years on-site (which is what I have): accidental insurance
policy or something?  Like I say, I don't drop laptops, but they say
everytime I have.

Honey