U.S built Thinkpads ?

[DrThinkpad]

I was wondering if the U.S built Thinkpads felt more solid or have any advantage over other Thinkpads made oversea, as George often mentions it in his ads. Thanks in advance for the enlightment !

[JaneL]

The most solid one I've ever had was from the 600 series, and it was built in Guadalajara.

[underclocker]

I think is more of a novelty or rarity, since most are assembled elsewhere. U.S. built means assembled with parts from all over the world, but somewhere in the U.S.

Perhaps someone knows where in the U.S. IBM or Lenovo used to assemble machines. I assume they don't any more.

[ThinkRob]

The most solid one I've ever had was from the 600 series, and it was built in Guadalajara.

The most solid ThinkPad I've used was a 750C, built in Mexico.

[ansible212]

Don't forget that ThinkPads used to be made at IBM's factory in Greenock, Scotland. If you purchased a ThinkPad in the UK it was most likely made there... my A30 was, for example, and I've just acquired a practically mint condition T23 that was also made there.

[topmahof]

i have 2 x41s, non tablet that were made in the us. the factory id label on the bottom says IA. i guess that means indiana.

[ZaZ]

Isn't IA Iowa while Indiana would be IN?

[topmahof]

yeh, i think you're right,, sorry, brain fart.

[ajkula66]

topmahof wrote:

the factory id label on the bottom says IA.

Which label are you referring to, since I can't find it on any of my (several) U.S. built machines?

And to OP...of course it's a question of novelty/rarity, apart from other things...

One of them being the fact that most (if not all) T4x ThinkPads that Lenovo had for their own use were built here...and the same goes for certain government entities and a couple of large corporations...

I've never had any of these machines fail. Maybe it's just sheer luck. One could argue that it's the level of QC. Or that it was written in the stars. Or bars. Or......

All of that said, my all-time-favourite is still A31p, which was initially built in Mexico and then in China...definitely not the most reliable ThinkPad by any stretch of imagination...

[ThinkRob]

I've never had any of these machines fail. Maybe it's just sheer luck. One could argue that it's the level of QC. Or that it was written in the stars. Or bars. Or......

I tend to believe the QC theory. I did my customary full tear-down on the T43p that I got from you, and the level of quality inside that machine is stunning. The tolerances look very, very slim, everything is fantastically well-assembled, and the fit and finish is better than most any machine I've ever seen, *including* the 750c that I have that previous held that honour. Hopefully it won't die from the usual GPU issues -- although as it's a T43p I believe it's far less prone to failure than its predecessors.

That said, the third-best-assembled machine in my collection was an X40 built in China by Lenovo, so who knows...

[topmahof]

it's the label that has the bottom right keyboard screw in the center of it. just above the type number and the serial number. it says assembled in the US of US and non-US components for Lenovo. and in the paragraph to the left at the bottom it says Factory ID: IA

the label on another x41 is the same except that it says manufactured for lenovo made in china. but i'm not sure that the factory id # means too much because this one says factory id: KS

i tried to take a pic of both labels but my camera is only a 2.1 mega pixel and the iphone camera is just slightly better. i can't make it out. if i can get a pic of the label, i'll post back.

i have 2 x41s that have the made in usa label and one that has made in china.