How tough/rough are you with your T-4x

Message

admsteiner · #1 Post by **admsteiner** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:13 pm

Hey,

[mods: if this belongs in the off topic forum feel free to move it, but I'm interested specifically in the T-Series]

I have a T42 14.1" (2378-FVU). I also have the thinkpad protection plan on it, so I'm really not worried at all about accidental damage (which does lead me to be less careful, but that's not for now). I'm wondering how...carefree everyone else is with their T4X's and what you've found they stand up to.

As an example, I don't mind tossing my TP onto my bed (in its waterfield bag or not), or being a bit careless about putting it down in the library. For all that, I've never had a problem with it. [To forestall comments, yes I know it might not be good for the HD and its a bad habit, etc etc.] I have yet to do the infamous soda spill or trip on the power cord and send it careening into the wall, but I think you get my idea.

I've had friend with Dell's (and Sony's) where the slightest drop did something to it, things which don't faze the TP. We all know that the TP has an amazing build and is very sturdy. I'm curious what you put yours through.

--Adam

CChoi83 · #2 Post by **CChoi83** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 8:53 pm

Adam,

Hi. I'm currently a new TP user (T42 2379-R9U) and I've had it for about 2-3 weeks now and loving it. I'm usually pretty careful with my toys and gadgets but just the fact that the build quality and materals used to manufacture the TP give me more confidence versus a different brand. I don't use it on my bed or anything, just on my lap, table, desk, etc but I do occasionally use it outside.

Actually, since I had received the TP, I have invested in a hard case for it.

The Pelican 1490 case is extremely rugged. It's not that big in the sense of expandibility like a messenger bag or soft case but knowing that it is airtight, waterproof, floats in water (w/ a 20lb. load), resistance to extreme temperature ranges and etc is an added plus. It even incorporates an automatic atmospheric pressure equalization valve. It's got "Pick n' Pluck" foam so I've customized the interior to fit the TP, AC adapter, and an extra 9 cell battery. It's all black, has 2 C-Clamps to keep the case closed. It's very Mission Impossible (Evil laughter). If you ever think about investing (that's right, INVESTING) in one, you can visit their site at http://www.pelican.com/. I'm extremely satisfied with it.

FYI, Pelican deals mostly with industrial and law enforcement/military markets. All those hard cases carrying arms and electronic equipment in the US military, police, etc are made by them.

All in all, I think the TP can withstand just about anything short of a bullet or a dip in the pool. They're certainly not Panasonic Toughbooks or Itronix GoBook's but they're as close as you can get to them.

Best regards,
Chris

P.S. I'll try to post up pictures of the case (exterior/interior) later tonight if anyone's interested. Now... where to get authentic hand cuffs...

admsteiner · #3 Post by **admsteiner** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 9:02 pm

I'm definitely interested in seeing pictures of it. To be honest, an atmospheric equalizer is a little much for me. I tend to keep my laptop away from explosives, large drops and ponds.

Where in LI are you? I'm on the south shore.

--Adam

CChoi83 · #4 Post by **CChoi83** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 11:45 pm

Bill

#5 Post by **JaneL** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:18 am

>I'm wondering how...carefree everyone else is with their T4X's and what you've found they stand up to.
>

While I do love ThinkPads, I tend to think of them as appliances.

I treat the T40 I'm using now the same way I've treated every one since the 755 series whether it was one I owned or one that was company-issued. I try not to bounce it off the floor, to spill liquids in it, or to sit or step on it. Beyond that, I just use it.

Up until a month or so ago, I was using a very lightly padded backpack that was about 7 or 8 years old to carry it and all my other stuff around. Now, because of back and shoulder problems, I have a Brenthaven wheeled bag. I dumped the inner, padded bag to gain more space.

Incidentally, CChoi83, please don't post large pictures here with no warning in the subject line. Not everyone has a broadband connection.

CChoi83 · #6 Post by **CChoi83** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:28 am

Yeah, sorry about that. I had totally forgotten.

lfeagan · #7 Post by **lfeagan** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:34 am

Yeah, Chris, since its your own website you might want to just use pix2tn and whip out a quick page of thumbnails and go back and edit your post and just put in a link to the page with the pics on it.

http://wwwai.wu-wien.ac.at/~hahsler/pix2tn/

gtratter · #8 Post by **gtratter** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:58 am

my t40p gets docked and undocked daily between my home and remote office. It gets carried in a normal soft case, place on my knees, the coffee table, the breakfast table, coffee shops, restaurarants ... you name. The only thing I really am careful about are beverages around it...other than that - the thing works as hard as I do...

Plinkerton · #9 Post by **Plinkerton** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:07 am

That case looks awesome with all the compartments for everything. I want one!

I'm extremely careful with my TP. I mean I do USE it, and I have skateboarded around campus with it in my backpack, where undoubtedly one spill would end it's life.

Overall though, I am very conscious of where it is, and whats around it.

I spent every dime I had on it, so I gotta be that way.

I do have accidental damage, but being without it for a while would be extremely hard.

Highline · #10 Post by **Highline** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:36 am

I work in law enforcement... and accordingly am strongly getting a special kevlar protective vest for my TP

Either that or I will buy it its very own little can of pepper spray... so it can defend itself if I am not around to save it.

admsteiner · #11 Post by **admsteiner** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 8:22 pm

CChoi83 wrote:Adam,

I've posted some pictures below...
As for where I reside, I'm in Syosset. Muttontown to be exact. Are you in Nassau or Suffolk?

That is definitely out of my league. I'll stick to my soft waterfield case.

But this one looks like it's good for all those people that need the protection.
I'm in the Lynbrook area.
--Adam

CChoi83 · #12 Post by **CChoi83** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 12:49 am

nonny wrote:Incidentally, CChoi83, please don't post large pictures here with no warning in the subject line. Not everyone has a broadband connection.

lfeagan wrote:Yeah, Chris, since its your own website you might want to just use pix2tn and whip out a quick page of thumbnails and go back and edit your post and just put in a link to the page with the pics on it.

http://wwwai.wu-wien.ac.at/~hahsler/pix2tn/

Bill wrote:ADMIN NOTE:
edited this post to remove images..
click links to see images, please..
REMEMBER, links not huge pictures, in posts.. Very Happy
Bill

Again, my apologies. Next time I will put links instead.

kjarrett · #13 Post by **kjarrett** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 8:02 am

OMFG I *MUST* have one of these!

$95 + shipping @ B&H Photo: http://tinyurl.com/6kdxf

Ow ow ow ow (that's the sound I'll be making when my wife sees that I spent the money)

-kj-

CChoi83 wrote:Adam,

Hi. I'm currently a new TP user (T42 2379-R9U) and I've had it for about 2-3 weeks now and loving it. I'm usually pretty careful with my toys and gadgets but just the fact that the build quality and materals used to manufacture the TP give me more confidence versus a different brand. I don't use it on my bed or anything, just on my lap, table, desk, etc but I do occasionally use it outside.

Actually, since I had received the TP, I have invested in a hard case for it.

The Pelican 1490 case is extremely rugged. It's not that big in the sense of expandibility like a messenger bag or soft case but knowing that it is airtight, waterproof, floats in water (w/ a 20lb. load), resistance to extreme temperature ranges and etc is an added plus. It even incorporates an automatic atmospheric pressure equalization valve. It's got "Pick n' Pluck" foam so I've customized the interior to fit the TP, AC adapter, and an extra 9 cell battery. It's all black, has 2 C-Clamps to keep the case closed. It's very Mission Impossible (Evil laughter). If you ever think about investing (that's right, INVESTING) in one, you can visit their site at http://www.pelican.com/. I'm extremely satisfied with it.

FYI, Pelican deals mostly with industrial and law enforcement/military markets. All those hard cases carrying arms and electronic equipment in the US military, police, etc are made by them.

All in all, I think the TP can withstand just about anything short of a bullet or a dip in the pool. They're certainly not Panasonic Toughbooks or Itronix GoBook's but they're as close as you can get to them.

Best regards,
Chris

P.S. I'll try to post up pictures of the case (exterior/interior) later tonight if anyone's interested. Now... where to get authentic hand cuffs...

ian · #14 Post by **ian** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 11:01 am

As a general rule I am very nice to my laptop - I have been known to swear at it, threatening behaviour and all that, but I draw the line at physical violence - besides, it might have an older brother lurking in the bushes waiting to beat ME up...

mdarnton · #15 Post by **mdarnton** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 11:38 am

I wonder--has anyone here broken a screen by packing a laptop too tightly in a backpack, etc? Yesterday in the airport I saw a woman with a T4? that had about a 5-degree warp in the screen from one side to the other--that must have taken some effort! I pack mine in my backpack, but I'm real careful. Nevertheless, I always wonder. . .

JHEM · #16 Post by **JHEM** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 12:37 pm

CChoi83 wrote:Actually, since I had received the TP, I have invested in a hard case for it.

In "real life" I travel to a lot of out of the way places via available transport on an emergency basis. The available transport can be anything from a Bell JetRanger to a dugout canoe and I am very protective of my Thinkpads and gear when heading for the boondocks.

I have several Pelican cases that I've used for years and hold them in very high regard. My venerable 20YO+ original "medium" case has suffered everything from dunkings in the Orinoco River to falling 30 feet from a helo onto the deck of a tanker, all without external damage or damage to my cameras and video gear. My smaller case usually carries my radios and sampling equipment and was run over by a truck on a beach several years ago with no damage to itself or its contents, as well as suffering its fair share of dunkings over the years.

I have been loathe to trade the inherent safety of always carrying my Thinkpad in its padded Targus case to consigning it to a Pelican case, but I've been lusting after one of the 1490 cases for a while now and will probably get one in the near future, especially since I'm no longer as adhesively connected to pilot ladders as I was in my youth!

Regards,

James

JHEM · #17 Post by **JHEM** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 12:40 pm

admsteiner wrote:That is definitely out of my league.

Muttontown or the case??

Regards,

James

(Who used to reside in Massapequa and Southampton.)

anz2007 · #18 Post by **anz2007** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 11:18 pm

just to post an experience of mine, I dropped my T40 from about 8 or 9 feet onto solid concrete. I was expecting the worst, and thankful that I had accidental damage protection. Amazingly, its LCD didn't crack. In fact, the thinkpad ran for over 10 days without problem, then the HD failed. Still, pretty darn impressive. I GUARANTEE you a Dell wouldn't have survived that fall.

Highline · #19 Post by **Highline** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 11:58 pm

anz2007 wrote:I GUARANTEE you a Dell wouldn't have survived that fall.

Some Dell's don't even make it out of the box

admsteiner · #20 Post by **admsteiner** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 12:23 am

Highline wrote:
anz2007 wrote:I GUARANTEE you a Dell wouldn't have survived that fall.
Some Dell's don't even make it out of the box

LOL. Play nice guys.
--Adam

CChoi83 · #21 Post by **CChoi83** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 12:44 am

admsteiner wrote:LOL. Play nice guys.
--Adam

I refuse. That's what IP-57 and Mil-Std rated hardcases are for.

BTW, if anyone is a fan of F1 and it's technologies, there is a company in Italy that makes a complete Carbon Fiber attache case. The company is the supplier of CF material to Ferrari's F1 team. It's lined with the exact same suede that lines Schumi's/Barrichelo's seat. The case will set you back approx. $3800.00 USD though. Now that's a case to flaunt.

GoEatFood · #22 Post by **GoEatFood** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 8:49 pm

I also own an FVU. I've tripped over my powercord pulling dropping my laptop about 1 foot and 1/2 in the air, while it was on of course. not a single thing happend to my thinkpad. tossed it on my bed, passed it to friends holding the screen only...it's had a few drops and nothing at all. I may just be very lucky. but, to tell you the truth. I'm supprised this thing isn't broken.

How tough/rough are you with your T-4x

How tough/rough are you with your T-4x

Re: How tough/rough are you with your T-4x

56K'ers BEWARE. LARGE pics.

Re: How tough/rough are you with your T-4x

Who is online