Why you like thinkpad

[bobdsmith]

After my X40 fried (conveniently on the same day the X61s came out, heheheh), I took it apart, as taking it apart to salvage individual components then reassembling it every time was a (explicative deleted by moderator ).

Once, I hd my strongest, biggest friend take the upper lid of the X40 and attempt to smash it over his knee. It was almost unnoticeably bent...It was only visible if you held a ruler to it.,and even then, it was hard.

I highly doubt any other manufacturers plastic weakling lids can do /that/. This anecdote is only one. I have plenty involving thinkpads falling off desks onto marble, spilling tea, soda, noodles into keyboard...not to mention my typing, my pounding can be heard from a mile away; I type like its on an unoiled manual typewriter.

Legendary durability.

The classic business look doesn't hurt neither, I'd never want to buy a two tone notebook, or with odd colouring (I've seen a dell with faux wood on the back...because the owner couldn't find a remotely decent plastic back, lol) The flat design also is very convenient, you can use your TP to write on, or eat off of...useful when in plane terminal/anywhere without writing surface. Its simplicity also makes it very easy to mod with just a few tools such as spray paint, etc. I have several friends who have other brands, and modding is usually very ugly, at best you can slap a big sticker on the lid, and it doesnt fit right because of the ugly company logo bulging out of the centre...as compared to the thinkpad, where I've seen many nice mods (although, TP classic black is best)

I've only owned X series (hoping to get a T series or maybe an M when i get the cash), loved them for their footprint, they fit in the same space as a standard spiral notebook, very useful and easy in bags. You can treat them the same way too...they'll take it!

But the new thick ugly bezel and /lenovo/ stamp is killing that. And the wider dimension is killing its footprint too ;_;

Other awesome stuff:
Battery: Both life and choices
Easy to disassemble and replace/modify components (seriously, its just a few screws to the board...try disassembling a dell or god forbid, a mac)
Thinklight: (but having another on the other side of the keyboard or centering the light would help. Also increase its range toward palmrest, I like to read by thinklight.
Durability. Seriously.

Wht could be improved:
1. Put bottom stickers on inside. My Windows stamp of approval eroded off, and the others are ugly...generally improving the look of the botom oesnt hurt either
2. Homogeneous parts. If a part doesnt need changing dont change it. I switch out keys on notebooks (epic typing and obsesive under key cleaning means the tabs snap sometimes, rearely, but sometimes.), ram, etc...but it woud still have been nice if the X40's screen ribbon was the same as the X60's...tht way I could have saved 300 bucks when my screen died (dont ask, I have no idea how it happened, opened the lid one dy and the screen was cracked)
3. Make it easier to clean/harder to get dirty. Ports, OMG, always dust in there, as well as the inverted corner on the sides. debris magnet.
4. KEEP 4:3 FOR GODS SAKE.

/rant

[kunfuchopsticks]

After my X40 fried (conveniently on the same day the X61s came out, heheheh), I took it apart, as taking it apart to salvage individual components then reassembling it every time was a (explicative deleted by moderator ).

Once, I hd my strongest, biggest friend take the upper lid of the X40 and attempt to smash it over his knee. It was almost unnoticeably bent...It was only visible if you held a ruler to it.,and even then, it was hard.

I highly doubt any other manufacturers plastic weakling lids can do /that/. This anecdote is only one. I have plenty involving thinkpads falling off desks onto marble, spilling tea, soda, noodles into keyboard...not to mention my typing, my pounding can be heard from a mile away; I type like its on an unoiled manual typewriter.

Legendary durability.


Durability. Seriously.


the tabs snap sometimes, rearely, but sometimes.), ram, etc...but it woud still have been nice if the X40's screen ribbon was the same as the X60's...tht way I could have saved 300 bucks when my screen died (dont ask, I have no idea how it happened, opened the lid one dy and the screen was cracked)


/rant

some major contradictions there. I have owned mine for only 2 weeks now, so I can't really validate for myself this selling point of the thinkpad- durability.

[bobdsmith]

Of course, I'm talking about back in the day

I would not try some of the crazy stuff I did to my X40 to something made by lenovo.

Unless you mean the X40 frying? I just bypassed the power control system...good excuse to get a new notebook (organization policy:If it aint broke, we ain't getting you a new one)

While the X61s is nice, I prefered my X40...but the extra power is worth it. I wouldn't do that again (even if they don't suspect the sabotage) for something like the X300. Or what I've heard of the X200.

[kunfuchopsticks]

I mean the "screen died (dont ask, I have no idea how it happened, opened the lid one dy and the screen was cracked) "

[bobdsmith]

Oh that. It was fairly weird. I also would like to know what happened.
Just was sitting in my bag the whole time. *shrug

[muffd]

I like them just because of they way they are built. This is what I've owned since 2000:

600X
T22
T23
T30
T40
T43
X41 Tablet
T42P


None have every given me problems. I could get a Dell or HP that's more feature rich for like 1/3 of the cost or maybe 1/2 but they IBM's were/are built more sturdier.

[RaysMD]

First Thiinkpad was the T40. It came with the Banias CPU (first Centrino chipset) at 1.3GHz. It was the best in terms of weight, thinkness, and battery life. Ever since then it's always been a Thinkpad. I'm not so sure about the newer series. I currently have a T61p 14.1" SXGA, but I still like the T4x series the best. The T6x series are a little thicker and battery life is not too good.

[Mofo Jones]

I bought my T42 from Bill back in '04 shortly after I started law school. I'd been planning on using my wife's old Compaq, but since it was already 4 years old, the sudden onset of daily transportation really started the beginning of the end for that Presario. So, I started looking around at what everybody else had and after talking with a couple of friends who had Thinkpads, I decided to take the plunge. Sure, it was much more than a Dell, but considering that people were starting to send their 3 month old Dells in for service when I got my Thinkpad, I knew I didn't want to go that route.

So, I got through law school (took the slow boat night school route) and am taking the bar exam in less than two weeks. I'll be typing my essays on my T42. Yesterday, I put a 1 gb stick of RAM into it, as well as a new 9 cell battery I bought from Brad. It's like a brand new machine now.

I know that if I take care of my T42, it will serve me well for years.

[denisky]

Design, durability, reliability are things that seperate thinkpads from other laptops. The design itself represents my personality: simple and professional. So far I have owned some models: R51e, T43, X22. These machines are really solid and rugged. My R51e had an accidental drop, but it is still working just fine, where in other laptops, an accidental drop may break the mainboard. The hinges are very solid too, I can lift my Thinkpad by holding the upper screen, where in other laptop the LCD housing and the hinges may break easily (like my broken Acer Extensa).

I like IBM Thinkpad, but not Lenovo Thinkpad. Newer Lenovo Thinkpad tends to leave thinkpad tradition: 4:3 screen, 7 rows keyboard, windows-less button, thick display bezel, etc.

[Temetka]

I have always liked Thinkpads for their looks, construction and reliability.

That being said I did buy 2 Powerbooks. Why? OS X is just a better OS. (IMO, YMMV but I love UNIX).

This weekend I will attempt an OS X install on my T42. If all goes well I will have finally achieved my dream of running OS X on a Thinkpad.

Thinkpads have always been the 'best of breed' laptops for me. I have owned Toshibas, Compaqs and Dell. With the exception of my Toshiba 410CDT, they all had breaking plastics and failing parts.

I had a Thinkpad 760 for years. It went through hell and back from work, school and life. It got tossed around in my car, in my bag and at school. Never failed me once.

I've also recommended Thinkpads to other people and all of them have been happy. A friend of mine complained about the price, but his T41 is running great. He loves it so much. Now to get him to become a member here.

[schen]

Nothing really specific. It was more the whole package; when something is greater than the sum of it's parts. Although I'll have to admit that if Lenovo dumped the TrackPoint and some other company still offered it.... I'd have to jump ship.

I started with the legendary 701C and have either owned or been issued all of the following:
500, 510, 560, 560e
380ED, 380XD, 390e
755CD, 760C, 760ED, 760XD
600, 600e, 600x
T20, T21, T22, T23, T30, T41
A20, A21e, A21m, A22m, A22p, A30, A31, A31p
X20, X31
i1400
R40, R50, R51, R52, R60

I bought the 701C because I was tired of compromising (quality-wise) and my perception was that ThinkPads were the best, and they simply haven't proven me to be wrong. Even after a stint of 8 years working in IT where I supported or managed support for all make and manner of PCs and notebooks. If anything, that experience cemented my opinion of ThinkPads. It even went so far as to cause me to go FAR out of my way to order then at institutions that discouraged anyone from buying anything that wasn't Dell.