broken keyboard bezel - a common problem? *15KB PIC*

[arabianights]

i have two T23 and one T42, over the years all have developed a broken bezel on the right side near the right arrow key. is this something common on IBM T-series laptops?

[Cigarguy]

No I find just the opposite. Considering how rough I've sometimes handle keyboard bezels while removing it, I'm surprise not more have broken or snapped off.

[ajkula66]

T2x bezels were prone to cracking on both junction points - LH by the Fn key and RH where yours cracked.

On a T4x - presuming a 14" unit - the issue is far less common. Almost non-existent on 15" models.

With all of that said, the youngest T2x is about 11 years old, and the newest T4x will be seven come January...it's rather amazing that they're still up and running, broken bezels or not.

[rkawakami]

Broken T23 keyboard bezel in that position next to the right arrow key is typically accompanied by a broken Ultrabay mounting tab. It's hard to see without taking off the bezel but if you move the screen back-and-forth, look at the side of the system near the Ultrabay release slider. If the gap between the optical drive and inside edge of the Ultrabay changes, that usually indicates a broken tab. The only way to fix it is to replace the Ultrabay housing. It's made of aluminum so I know of no way to solder / weld that tab back on.

[Cuda]

Very bad design, my T23 is broken by the arrow keys on the right side and the FN key on the left, I've never abused it but there isn't much plastic there to hold the laptop weight if it's picked up by the palm rest, and I think just opening the lid puts a lot of load in this area.

[rkawakami]

<snip>... I've never abused it but there isn't much plastic there to hold the laptop weight if it's picked up by the palm rest ...<snip>

My position is that if you pick up the laptop by either front corner with one hand and no additional support, then it's going to put undue stress at those points in the bezel and that might be considered "abuse". Yes, tight hinges can also cause this problem (along with the previously mentioned broken Ultrabay tab). However, lifting the 5 3/4 pound laptop by just the corner will cause some flexing in the system. With the T23, this is possibly a contributing cause for the inductors to become partially detached or even totally fall off the motherboard.

Is it a "bad" design? I wouldn't go as far as saying that, as that supposes the designers and engineers wanted people to lift the system in that manner. It certainly is a weakness but one that can be mitigated through proper handling. It's something that I point out to the people that have bought a T23 from me. The system that I pictured earlier has the bezel broken in those two places. It's common enough that when I was buying T23s off of eBay, that's one of the questions I always asked of the seller if it wasn't plainly evident in their pictures or noted in the description.

[Cuda]

<snip>... I've never abused it but there isn't much plastic there to hold the laptop weight if it's picked up by the palm rest ...<snip>

My position is that if you pick up the laptop by either front corner with one hand and no additional support, then it's going to put undue stress at those points in the bezel and that might be considered "abuse".

I didn't say I did that, and I don't think I did, but it broke anyway. And designers of a laptop or anything should take into account people that have no clue how to properly handle stuff, it should be built strong enough to withstand inadvertent miss-handling, yes that could make it a bit heavier but that's just how I think it should be.