Thinkpads Forum

My thinkpad is a trooper and unless something terrible changes my mind I'm a dedicated customer for the foreseeable future. This is my first laptop/first thinkpad.

Here's the issue: I ride my bike a pretty good distance on a daily basis and my thinkpad makes the trip at least 1/2 the time.
Sometimes. if I'm not meticulous about keeping the keyboard and trackpoint spotlessly clean, the LCD will go into the backpack clean and come out dirty. I'm not strapping it into the bag overly tight, and I bike pretty conservatively but there are still some bumps and shakes to my route.

This is the bag I use, greatest messenger bag I've ever used by the way, the cross strap really makes a difference.
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/products/laptop-messenger

So, any ideas? Just keep it a little cleaner and keep on trucking?

EDIT: Just found this
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... ht=radtech
and this
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=52395

Nice to know it's not just me, but is there going to be any long term issues w/out buying that pad the post recommends?

You probably know the cause already. The gunk (hair, cookie crumbs, etc.) that was accumulated under the keyboard got shook out and deposited on the display. You can put a sheet of paper or cloth between the keyboard and the display to keep the gunk on the keyboard side. It also prevents keyboard and trackpoint from leaving pressure marks on the display.

Thanks for the reply.

I had thought of that. Even looked the idea up in the manual. Expressly forbidden, even paper shouldn't be placed between keyboard and LCD when the case is closed. I'm not usually the type of person to take warnings like that to heart but, unless I hear about some positive/safe results here, I can't see doing it for fear of scratching the monitor.

Then again, maybe some tissue paper/silk or something... lord what harm could that do?

I did not know about the manual forbidding the placement of paper between the display and keyboard.

I don't see how a thin and soft piece of cloth could harm the computer. I guess Lenovo is covering their a__ in cases where users used the computer as a portfolio for their 20-30 page thick documents.

The keyboard left marks on the screen of my T41 (that I could clean off with water and a soft cotton cloth). The keyboard of my T61 does not leave any marks.

I don't use a sheet between the keyboard and the screen when I close the laptop. I vacuum the keyboard occassionally to substantially reduce the crumbs and stuff. ... JDH

Ok well thanks all. Still no comments from peeps that have used a sheet of something so I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I have always put a soft cloth between the bottom and LCD of first my T23 and now my T61, I use the Shaggymac, which is some kind of soft lintless fabric, pretty thin. I won't transport the TP without it in place. Needless to say, I don't have any pressure marks on the LCD.

http://www.shaggymac.com/index.php?main ... 03651fa356

Nolonemo wrote: I won't transport the TP without it in place. Needless to say, I don't have any pressure marks on the LCD.

You don't get much of a better recommendation than that. Think something else could be repurposed for the task? I'd rather not buy some proprietary do-dad when a scrap of silk or tissue paper might do just as well... thoughts? Seems like anything safe for cleaning, and impeccably clean itself, would work.

My understanding is that there is a deliberate gap between the glass of the LCD and the keyboard/trackpoint when the lid is shut. T

This gap means when you depress the lid (when the laptop is shut), the LCD glass does not immediately come into contact with the keyboard/trackpoint. The gap takes up the "give" of the lid.

If you placed a piece of material in this gap, will it increase the likelihood of cracking the LCD glass? With such an item in place, any pressure you put on the lid will be transferred onto the LCD glass and keyboard. The glass will crack first.

Dunno. Just a thought.

I've never owned a laptop that didn't get dust on the screen as soon as it was closed. Just crap migrating out of the keyboard. Keep a cloth in your laptop bag to wipe the screen clean when you need to.

I am not sure if this is what you are looking for, but I'll mention it anyway: I use one of the sleeves mentioned in the thread FS: Thinkpad sleeve for 15'' and 14'' T60 and T4x (see the post of Sat Apr 26, 2008 7:54 pm). Very recently, I just bought four of these for 15" T42's, and again from the seller "wlanservice"; shipping from somewhere in China to me here in Copenhagen, Denmark only took 7 days, incl. the delay caused by the inevitably inspection by the customs people. I paid 50 Euros for these four sleeves incl. shipping (via recommended airmail!), which I absolutely consider fair. The seller has numerous sizes; for regular "old" 4:3 LCD ThinkPad's (14.1" and 15" models) as well as for never misc. widescreen models. I don't know their current web-page or eBay ID, but they reply very rapidly via e-mail.

Once placed in such a sleeve, the ThinkPad is very nicely protected from the entire outside World; its almost like a baby in its mothers womb!

Johan

usernotabuser wrote:My thinkpad is a trooper and unless something terrible changes my mind I'm a dedicated customer for the foreseeable future. This is my first laptop/first thinkpad.
Here's the issue: I ride my bike a pretty good distance on a daily basis and my thinkpad makes the trip at least 1/2 the time.
Sometimes. if I'm not meticulous about keeping the keyboard and trackpoint spotlessly clean, the LCD will go into the backpack clean and come out dirty. I'm not strapping it into the bag overly tight, and I bike pretty conservatively but there are still some bumps and shakes to my route.
This is the bag I use, greatest messenger bag I've ever used by the way, the cross strap really makes a difference.
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/products/laptop-messenger
So, any ideas? Just keep it a little cleaner and keep on trucking?
EDIT: Just found this
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... ht=radtech
and this
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=52395
Nice to know it's not just me, but is there going to be any long term issues w/out buying that pad the post recommends?

You have to think about some really good and stiff protection cause if you keep using your laptop like described (on the bike) - you'll probably have to face an unpleasant problem : here's an example http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=

Hey thanks for that heads up, I'll have to reconsider my transportation methods... Kinda scary.