Thinkpads Forum

I've had my T60 15.4" for two weeks, bought through my uni's store rather than Lenovo directly. The store has no return policy for opened computers, but I do have the protection warranty. I've been trying to ignore my concerns, but the following problems are making it very unpleasant to use my laptop for the work I need to accomplish (histology):
- Squeaky mouse and directional keys
- Right palmrest "pops" (I know the RAM is underneath - it still sounds cheap)
- Screen is quite dim, with moderate leakage at bottom and uneven backlighting on right side. Also, brightest "white" appears as "grainy" bluish-gray - can this be fixed with any profiling software?

My question: Is there anything repair service can do about any of these concerns? Or are they most likely to blow it off as a "feature" of widescreen matte displays and call me SOL? I'm not comparing the screen to a glossy XBrite, but my old Dell Insp4100 was brighter and certainly had no "grittiness". I rarely have "buyer's remorse" or return purchases... would any of this be worth trying to resolve?

could you do me a huge favor and lookup the manufacturer of your lcd panel (screen)?

go here and plug in your machine type and serial number.

then, copy the part # for the lcd panel listed on the page that displays your parts. paste that number into the search box at ibm.com and click on the corresponding link to see if your panel was made by either LG or Samsung. if you have trouble you can give me either the part number or your serial number and I can do it for you.

From the light leakage statement it sounds like a Samsung. Did you purchase a warranty upgrade of any sort or perhaps the purchase is recent enough to upgrade your warranty. Our local service group has excelled in dealing with all sorts of issues of this sort for me and my merry band of T'Pad users.

The uneven backlighting and leakage seems like something that the standard depot warranty would address and a replacement might solve your WB/pixelation issue. If your usage case is one that would require better display performance I don't see that Lenovo would choose to not support you.

Let me know if you have any success and if not I can ask my resources how they would suggest to handle it.

Yep, it's a Samsung display - 42T0329. Similar to what Jkolzow3 and pmc123 described in this thread, but in my case I hadn't seen this dimness (and certainly not the grittiness) on my previous matte laptop - or rather, it never interfered with doing my work before. There were no T60ws on display at the store where I bought it, but there was a Z61m with "the same screen", so I purchased the T60 on that. Now, working in less than bright fluorescent light, I find it unusable after an hour...
Thanks for your help - I'm going to head in to the uni store today, where I purchased the 3yr accidental protection warranty, so hopefully some solution can be found. If not, I may be back asking how best to unload a 2-wk old T60 15.4"...

I'm sure Lenovo/IBM will take care of you. I had a T43 with a keyboard that seemed cheap compared to the other model they were using in some T43s. I called technical support and they sent me out a new keyboard free of charge. You can't beat that service! Heck, when I used to use Apple computers I had trouble getting anything fixed even if it was a blatant issue. Let us know how it goes. If they don't do anything at your Uni then call Lenovo/IBM yourself and I'm sure they will be happy to help you. Better yet, get the part number for the other model of display (LG) and have them make sure that model is put in at the repair.

Oh, and if your casing squeaks let them know that too. They may be able to tighten it up for you as well.

Well, I just came back from the uni computer store: Regarding the uneven backlight and leakage, 3 of the salesppl/techies said they "can't see it" or "nature of the widescreen/IBM beast", and 1 said they do notice it and it shouldn't be there. All 4 acknowledged the MBP (also 15.4" matte) was brighter and more even backlighting. The manager said he wouldn't be able to send it in for service to swap the panel, because Lenovo wouldn't consider this one defective, but he understood my usage needs and since there hadn't been any display models he would refund my money.

My current work is not Windows-dependent, so I would consider a MBP - the "grain" is still there, but the brighter screen definitely overcomes this to display grey/blue/white variations better. However, I'm unfamiliar with Apple build quality (aside from the squeaky bits, the T60 chassis is built like a rock), and I *know* they have worse support (no accident protection) than Lenovo.

The store manager is giving me until Wednesday to return the T60 if needed - he doesn't suggest trying the LG independently, because once it's been repaired I wouldn't be able to give it back to sell as an open-box. I'll admit I'm being picky about the screen, but it turns out I really need it for my work. I am hesitant to give up on the T60 because I do like the little features and support... are there any alternatives for brightening the screen/making it less blue-grey? Or do all Thinkpads have noticeably worse screens than the MBP (other than the Flex) and I'll just have to sacrifice service/quality for display needs? Most of the expense-justification is for the durability of the machine, rather than the display (otherwise I'd just get a Sony)... any way to get both?

EDIT: Also noticed the W3J close-out from btotech at similar price - would this be a more comparable solution for the reliability/screen quality dilemma?

While my experience may be unique, I would suggest you stay away from the MBP based of what I went through. I was a HUGE Apple supporter for years but after my last string of experiences with bad products and even worse service, I just gave up on them completely. I had multiple MBPs with warped casing and screens that had horrendous backlighting issues. I had to fight with Apple each time I had an issue (many times having to talk to a supervisor) to get anything done. The MBP display was brighter than the Thinkpad but the backlighting was so uneven that it strained my eyes to use it. Again, this was just my experience and others may have better things to say.

My only Mac experiences have been good ones with my PB G4 and MBP so I guess it's as much of a crapshoot as the Wide T's.

My support with Apple has been great on the 2 occasions on 5 total machines that I've needed assistance.

I'll be sending my PB G4 in for some warranty work (sticky key and a rattling fan) after ~3 years of everyday use. I'm near the warranty's end and just want to touch it up for continued use.

I'd hit an Apple store or Reseller if your Uni Bookstore doesn't have them in stock and give one a run through. My next system is going to be a MBP 17 for an upcoming project.

I know this thread is about the T60 but I also want to add that I have had nothing but trouble with Apple's products in the last few years. in my family alone, 6 out of 8 products has totally failed. their service is EXCEPTIONAL in my experience but the products aren't what they used to be.

as for the T60, buy.com has a great deal on a widescreen at $1465 and a full 21 day return policy which is unbeatable. I elected free shipping and received it 2 days later (w/ and LG panel). I couldn't be happier.