Now it's official: IBM has a quality problem... see article.

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#31 Post by **K. Eng** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 4:48 pm

I agree with you completely that the keyboards should be standardized around one high quality product.

And IBM should standardize their components to ensure that its machines are as close to uniform as possible. There shouldn't be variability in the quality of LCDs or the fit of batteries (e.g. loose Sanyo batteries and well fitting Sony batteries).

I recall that Dell had different LCDs for their Inspiron 8500 series a couple years ago but sold them under the same option (UltraSharp panel upgrade). Some people got great screens and others got really screwed. It caused a huge ruckus on the Dell forums and Dell ultimately wound up having to replace a bunch of screens that didn't eve meet the UltraSharp spec.

darrenf wrote:I have even at times ordered multiple T41s and received dramatically different keyboards with each! This is a defect, pure and simple. The cause is unimportant to an end user. One should not see that kind of variability in a product as refined and costly as a ThinkPad.

Champ · #32 Post by **Champ** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 5:05 pm

if ibm standardizerd they could be held hostage by that one manu. thtat's why they don't even through they should. if they had too low quantity from one supplier then it'd be too expensive to keep a secondary supplier. i think they should have the premium laptops with the better parts but that's just me.

jeroenp · #33 Post by **jeroenp** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 2:03 am

n3il wrote:3 words:

Motherboards - Bulging Capacitors.

Desktop computer motherboards - across the industry, not restricted to IBM.

Yup - and they usually die after a few years.

Had one of these with our Netfinity 3000 server, and a couple of them with similar built workstations.

Heard similar problems for other brands.

--jeroen

ndornhoefer · #34 Post by **ndornhoefer** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 1:08 am

Just another report on quality issues without satisfying service from IBM

December 2003: very proud purchase of a T41p, expectations high as machine supposed to be high-end machine (the best the t series that time had to offer) and also it was not quite cheap (3000 Euro in Germany incl. student rebate)
December 2003: Day 1 after purchase! First physical HDD Failure
February 2003: Second physical HDD Failure (very annoying again)
Then, a few months of good performance but noticed loss in battery capacity
October 2003: Motherboard Failure, sent in repair, while in repair palm rest broke. As new palm rest didn't come in I had to wait 3 weeks until the PC was shipped back, accompanied by lots of annoying phone calls as I always was told the part would arrive in the next few days and that I should call again)
November 2004: Start of AC Adapter noise (and PC noise at power inlet) not loud but loud enough to annoy
December 2004: Since repair noticed fast battery capacity drop from initially 4.5h down to now barely 2h (47 Wh Design Cap. to now 28 Wh Full Charge Cap, >40% battery wear off in 1 year). Asked for battery replacement (Dec. 28. 2004) but in IBM system PC was purchased on Dec. 3, 2003 (actual end user purchase Dec. 27, 2003). So, no battery replacement as warranty over ... ok so or so a few days ... but that is absurd. I also was promised that a supervisor of IBM would call me back next day to see whether we could find a sloution ... never happend ... (3 workdays now)
Also since a few days very loud clattering fan noise.... have to send it in to repair again, which, as I experienced can take up to 3 weeks

So overall, I am very disappointed with this PC as it was not cheap and supposed to be a high quality product ... and now I have major probs q few months...

I am afraid I have to say I probably would not by an IBM again... ok maybe this PC is a lemon? but obviously it is not worse enough for IBM standards and therefore they won't replace it, not even the battery...

Sorry for these frustrated words ...
But I still love the design

Nadja

#35 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 2:55 am

the HDD failure was, most likely, the bug in the HDD firmware that interacted with the "drop" motion sensor..
and crashed the HDD..

this was a hitach problem..

battery life is one year..
anything more is good luck..

a 3 week stay at ez serve is unacceptable..
if it were my thinkpad i would start complaining after two days..

ndornhoefer · #36 Post by **ndornhoefer** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 3:32 am

yes, I started complaining after 4 days ... thez mademe call q 2 days ... after a while then it worked ... but still 3 weeks...

So what do you think about all the rest?

Thanks
N

#37 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 1:21 pm

order the onsite warranty ($119, might be on sale now, though) or take it to a local service center..
for all your remaining issues..

if you ARE in palo alto there should be multiple choices..

i'm pretty sure that the ez serve place in memphis has some sort of quota..
if a tech does not clear up the required number of cases in an hour or day or whatever, they get fired or lose points or some such..

too bad you did not but a palm rest from me..
i stock the non-touchpad versions..

the AC adapter is under warranty and they will send you a replacement..
these are low cost and readily available..

did you "register" your thinkpad when you bought it..?
if there is a month discrepency between warranty start date and your purchase date, then use your invoice to correct the warranty start date..

thasts what I think..

ndornhoefer · #38 Post by **ndornhoefer** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 1:15 am

Thanks a lot for your adives Bill. We|ll see how things will go.

Nadja

f1hp · #39 Post by **f1hp** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 2:47 am

Bill, even the lovely Thinkpad is 'only' a computer, after all...

Nothing to get exercised about... ;))

admsteiner · #40 Post by **admsteiner** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:29 am

I called IBM a few weeks back to arrange for a screen replacement on my T42 14.1" SXGA. A dark spot had developed (I still haven't gotten it replaced because I barely notice the spot now and haven't had the time to make an appointmnet) so I called tech support.

I was heading overseas and received a ticket number. When I asked if I could use the same ticket number when I got back he said that cases could not be left open for more than 5 days.

I assume 3 weeks would be longer than 5 days and might run afoul of some IBM policy...

-Adam

MobileGuru · #41 Post by **MobileGuru** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 1:47 pm

darrenf wrote:my 2cents on the keyboard issue. I had a T41 with the Thai keyboard and loved it. I "upgraded" to a T42 and received a laptop with keyboard that was trash compared to the T41. My typing speed was much worse and I didnt' enjoy using the laptop, so I compared the two keyboards and called IBM to see if I could get the T42 fixed. I have even at times ordered multiple T41s and received dramatically different keyboards with each! This is a defect, pure and simple. The cause is unimportant to an end user. One should not see that kind of variability in a product as refined and costly as a ThinkPad.-darren

You should have just swapped keyboards, since they are interchangeable between the entire T4 and R5 line ..

darrenf · #42 Post by **darrenf** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 6:35 pm

MobileGuru wrote: You should have just swapped keyboards, since they are interchangeable between the entire T4 and R5 line ..

Agreed, but my old laptop was going with my brother to Taiwan the next day and I couldn't put him through that!

-darren

Now it's official: IBM has a quality problem... see article.

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