Have you ever regretted buying a used thinkpad ?

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wearetheborg · #1 Post by **wearetheborg** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:04 pm

Have you ever regretted buying a used thinkpad ?
In that the thinkpad died before you expected it to ?

#2 Post by **rkawakami** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:30 pm

No. Almost all of the used Thinkpads that I buy are dead already

.

Jan_Hoho · #3 Post by **Jan_Hoho** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:20 am

No, but my mom back in Germany once bought a used R30 from eBay. Must have been around 2001. It didn't come with some of the specifications advertised, so my mom got a little impatient with the seller. Which was not good for him, because mommy's a judge and also what people would refer to as a strong woman.

So the guy gives her a nice refund, and everythin is good. The one thing, my mother couldn't do anything about, because it was posted and she had ignored it, was that the TP came with an American keyboard.
Missing all those umlauts and having the positions of Z and the Y switched drove poor mommy crazy.

We didn't know much about keyboard replacement then, so two weeks later mom bought a new notebook in a store, and I was the proud owner of the R30.
I sold it to a friend of mine who didn't mind the keyboard some years ago; as far as I know, it is still happily ticking in his house...

Robbyrobot · #4 Post by **Robbyrobot** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:03 am

No. Almost all of the used Thinkpads that I buy are dead already .

And then you get a big surprise like I did recently... needed some parts for a T21 with display problems (presumably inverter or LCD cable), so I bought a "defective" T21 at Ebay. The description was that the lights would only flicker when the on/off switch was pressed, but it would not boot. I bought it quite cheaply.

Turns out the seller had had problems with the original on/off switch and had replaced the keyboard with one from a T23 without improvement.

I played around with this T21, reseated the keyboard a couple of times... and find that the computer is perfectly OK, boots fine, no apparent problems.

Have to get lucky sometimes, I guess. Now I still have to repair the T21 with backlight problems, and have bought an LCD cable for the purpose. With any luck I'll end up with _two_ functioning T21s, one for each hand

Purcy · #5 Post by **Purcy** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:16 am

rkawakami wrote:No. Almost all of the used Thinkpads that I buy are dead already .

Ray LOL

No I do not regret it at all, since I researched it very well before my purchase and felt that IBM Thinkpads were the ONLY brand I could take a chance in buying used. I have since upgraded mine and I am sure I will get still many more years of service.

dsigma6 · #6 Post by **dsigma6** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:29 am

Out of the 9 used ThinkPads I've owned, I think I got two or three duds...and only one of them was from eBay. You might be a nice person, but if I haven't purchased from you on here yet, I probably won't!

losmeme · #7 Post by **losmeme** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:05 am

No Regrets. IMO, due to the build quality and excellent documentation available from IBM/Lenovo (and this site!), a used machine is a great value.

I have pulled two machines out of the trash (240X, 570), both worked fine, but the previous owners didn't know/attempt simple repairs.

I have purchased a used T20 on Ebay that is still chugging along today, after I upgraded it to a 1Ghz CPU, max ram and 7200 HDD. The machine has the best response time of any I own. (Although I'm thinking of putting it up for sale)

Also purchased a refurbed X31 from IBM last fall. Amazing machine, eventhou refurbed, it came with a new HDD, new LCD, new keyboard, and what I think to be a new cover.

I don't buy a new car simply to loose 15% of it's value when I drive it off the lot. Same thing with ThinkPads.

pianowizard · #8 Post by **pianowizard** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:50 am

I've bought 26 Thinkpads since Sep 2002, and 25 of them were used (the only new one was an X40 from Brainpicker). None of them developed problems during my ownership.

wearetheborg · #9 Post by **wearetheborg** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:52 am

pianowizard wrote:I've bought 26 Thinkpads since Sep 2002, and 25 of them were used (the only new one was an X40 from Brainpicker). None of them developed problems during my ownership.

What do you do with all these thinkpads ???

pianowizard · #10 Post by **pianowizard** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:35 pm

wearetheborg wrote:What do you do with all these thinkpads ???

I didn't own all 26 Thinkpads simultaneously, but only one to three at a given time.

elite-elitist · #11 Post by **elite-elitist** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:30 pm

My T22 was beat up when the seller said it was mint.

My R40 needed a DC jack replacement which cost me $100.

So I regret buying all the Thinkpads I ever bought.

My next laptop will not be used.

Oraklini · #12 Post by **Oraklini** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:43 pm

Buying from ebay is always going to a bit of a lottery... so I consider myself pretty lucky to have have obtained a T41 and T42 in really good condition.
So, no regrets so far (T41 up for sale soon)

wearetheborg · #13 Post by **wearetheborg** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:39 pm

Oraklini wrote:Buying from ebay is always going to a bit of a lottery... so I consider myself pretty lucky to have have obtained a T41 and T42 in really good condition.
So, no regrets so far (T41 up for sale soon)

Why buy a T42 when you already have a t41 ?
is it just because you guys get bored after using the same machine fora while ?

sugo · #14 Post by **sugo** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:41 pm

T42 offers UXGA/SXGA+ IPS screen. Some may prefer over T41's 14.1" TN.

The Spirit of X21 · #15 Post by **The Spirit of X21** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:05 am

Purcy wrote: No I do not regret it at all, since I researched it very well before my purchase and felt that IBM Thinkpads were the ONLY brand I could take a chance in buying used. I have since upgraded mine and I am sure I will get still many more years of service.

Very true words, Purcy. I tried to disassemble a friend's Acer and thought that its internal design was horrible. ThinkPads are very well designed, inside and out.

Boricua65 · #16 Post by **Boricua65** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:30 pm

I've bought used ThinkPads off eBay and will continue to do so. As others have said, their documentation is excellent, especially when wanting to take it apart. I haven't had any problems to this day, and don't expect to. I am very careful of what I buy and get. I read the description and make sure that is what I'm looking for.

Mek · #17 Post by **Mek** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 10:39 am

Well, I have my first notebook, it's IBM ThinkPad R40, and I regret buying it as a used one, next time I will buy only a new one, more here

vtohthree · #18 Post by **vtohthree** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 3:06 am

I'll get back to you soon enough, if I'm fortunate enough to win the bids...

wearetheborg · #19 Post by **wearetheborg** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 3:41 am

vtohthree wrote:I'll get back to you soon enough, if I'm fortunate enough to win the bids...

There's a saying that if you win an auction, you are just the biggest fool, in that you were willing to pay more than what the others thought to be the fair price

kensplace · #20 Post by **kensplace** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 6:48 pm

Well Im new to thinkpads, having just had one for 2 days now..

Purchased on ebay, its reconditioned, excellent condition (apart from two minor screen blemishes), battery life seems around 2 hours + and everything seems to be working fine.

It has a one year RTB warranty, fingers crossed I wont end up regretting the purchase - but happy so far.

I did buy other laptops on ebay, a evo n400c worked fine for a few months then got really hot and the screen went white. A evo n160, dropped by courier, wont turn on anymore, a compaq m700 inverter or backlight dead on arrival, I regretted all those compaqs...

The thinkpad seems nice though, 1.8ghz is fast enough for my needs, dont need dual core or anything on a laptop for developing/surfing/watching dvds, it suits me fine

Oraklini · #21 Post by **Oraklini** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:29 pm

kensplace wrote:Well Im new to thinkpads, having just had one for 2 days now..

Welcome to the forum kensplace, good to see another 'northener' around here

PPB · #22 Post by **PPB** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:33 pm

I bought a T40 in 2003 after having used SONY, Toshiba, NEC, Advent. I never regret that decision.

In fact before long I always wanted an IBM but couldn't afford one. Back in 2000 my dream was a T23, then in 2002 I thought about a T30. As having tried the T40 I've almost disregarded all other brands.

I've since then upgraded to a T41 and now a T60. I bought a T23 for my wife and have now changed to an X41. I've also bought some T40 and T42s for my friends who asked me to help. In almost all cases I've been satisfied with my decisions.

"Almost" here because there's an exception. That's when I bought a T60 15" few months ago. I found it too bulky since I was used with a T41 14" and was very impressed with my wife's newly arrived X41. I also had bad impression of the new buttons and mousepad design of the T60. I decided to let it go and looked to buy a T60 14" screen instead. And I've now got it for about 2 weeks.

You know, I find myself envying with you guys in the US because you can have the T61. Here in the UK even T60s are still quite fashionable and T61s are rare and too expensive. Also it's difficult to have the more advanced T60p models. Of course that's mainly about money matter and I can always buy one directly from Lenovo, but since they're yet widely available here and as I usually buy my laptops at Ebay my chance to obtain one at a discounted price is limited.

So I've got to carry on with a T60, Dual Core T2400 1.83GHz, 2GB RAM, 60GB HDD, 14" (non Flexview), ATI X1300. So far I'm happy with this upgrade and will perhaps stick with this one untill I can afford myself with an upgrade to a T61, or who knows if it could be a T62

PPB

Brad · #23 Post by **Brad** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:14 am

I have had excellent success buyiing used. Mainly my trust in human kind and IBM keeps me going. If I am buying a recent machine I look for factory warranty. I am very comfortable in the fact that if it doesn't work IBM/Lenovo will make the necessary repairs.

If I have my eye on an older ThinkPad I very carefully look at what I am buying. I look at the vendor, the ThinkPad's stated condition (photos help here) and of course price. I have only been slightly disappointed once. Recently I picked up a second T43p. I was happy that I unexpectly purchased a ThinkPad with an upgraded warranty to onsite service and an extra year. The only thing I didn't like was that the ThinkPad was advertised as mint. It was maybe an 8 of 10. The problem that annoyed me the most was that it stunk like an ash tray. Since then since the ThinkPad is in a smoke free environment it stinks much less. Now that it smells less the condition of the machine has not gotten better I am more concerned now about that.

Brad

WarMachine · #24 Post by **WarMachine** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 1:49 pm

Absolutely no regrets !!!

I'm proud of my little - but growing - collection.

I prefer not to buy on eBay.

The first I bought was à Thinkpad 600. I got problems with the keyboard, then with the DMA controller. I sold it "as is" without the screen, and bought a 600E.

The 600E is a wonderful machine. I bought it incomplete, without HDD, without BIOS battery, and without RAM. But I had some components at home. Today, it's still working, it's my prefered machine.

Then I bought a Butterfly, fully functional. The famous one which is painted like a german flag. Still working too.

The third is a 560. It was in poor condition (sand, dust, mud !!!), but also working flawlessly. A silent machine, very well built.

The fourth is a Grade A IBM refurbished T23, working, of course, and like new. I'm using it a lot currently

The fifth is a 755Cs, a rather rare machine, and that have, unfortunately, booting problems. I must fix it, but I don't find what's the problem.

I'll get the sixth on Saturday : An X20 that seems in pretty good condition, with maxed out RAM, and a new screen, with a port replicator. I'm dying to have it in my hands !

So, again, except for the 755CS (bt I paid it only 10€), I was never disappointed with my Thinkpads.

Even if they're ancient machines, they do their job perfectly.

W.

saux · #25 Post by **saux** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:56 am

nothing to regret for..
been doing well with my lovely t40
after all, i used my laptop mostly for multiplayer gaming with my old friends and this old t40 still capable running DotA

Terrahawk · #26 Post by **Terrahawk** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:42 pm

All my Thinkpads are used and I've been happy with them. The only thing I have been mildly disgruntled by is the lingering smell of some sort of makeup or perfume impregnated into my X20's palmrest. Even after a year, that smell is still there. I do know the previous owner was a lady though

WarMachine · #27 Post by **WarMachine** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:29 am

Terrahawk wrote:Some sort of makeup or perfume impregnated into my X20's palmrest.

It means that a lady used the laptop intensively.

Feel lucky if it's still working !

Well... I'd prefer to have a perfume impregnated machine, than a muddy and sandy one.

I wish you could have seen my 560 when I received it. I was so surprised that one of my eyes said "Oooooh, pleaaaaaase, I don't wanna see that, put me in your pocket !"

W.

Terrahawk · #28 Post by **Terrahawk** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:23 pm

WarMachine wrote:It means that a lady used the laptop intensively.

Feel lucky if it's still working !

I bought it as a non-working machine that apparently failed a BIOS or embedded controller upgrade. It appeared that the person who did the upgrades was not aware that the computer switches itself off after a successful upgrade.

However, the keyboard also was not working (the power switch in particular) but I managed to sort that out. All the data on the hard drive was intact, which is how I managed to discover the identity of the previous owner...

This is in addition to the smell on the palmrest.

Truthfinder · #29 Post by **Truthfinder** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:40 pm

Good Evening One and All:

Over the past few years I've purchased three (3) used ThinkPads on EBay, ie: T20 - T22 - T30 and each was in like new condition. I used each of the units and over time re-sold them in the same condition as originally purchased.
Additonally, I've been very lucky with puchases made using Ebay.....

My latest unit, a T-60 was purchased as a New Unit from an Ebay seller. It too arrived perfect and I'm enjoying as we speak.

Best to all

Truthfinder

awong · #30 Post by **awong** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:04 am

no regrets if anything its going to be my fault if something happens to my thinkpad like me taking it apart and making a big mistake, etc

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