Impressions of New X41 ANd Questions

[kunfuchopsticks]

My X41 came today.

This thing is just as small as I expected, maybe a bit thicker than I expected at the rear, but overall, it's a great size upgrade from my VAIO C.
The notebook is very dense and solid, much more so than the VAIO. The Vaio felt plastic while the X41 felt rugged and hard. The 42K HDD hasn't been a problem. Really, it's not bad as people say it is!



There are couple things I need advice on:

1. I'm going to do a fresh OEM XP rebuild. Can I just DL the Thinkpad Updater and it will grab all the needed drivers? Or do I have to DL each driver myself individually?

2. The back of the unit has probably half lbs worth of stickers. See Picture. A bunch of them are warranty seals. Unfortunately there is 1 right on the user accessible RAM module door. The sticker says I'll void warranty if I remove it- But it's on user accessible door! What's up with that? (I want to RAM upgrade)

3. What color is your x41 think light? Mine is orange. My friend's T43 (I think) has a brighter white light.

3.5. How do I activate numlock? I press the button, nothing happens and the light doesn't light.

4. To my surprise, this unit has Bluetooth. What software/driver do I need for it to communicate with other BT devices?

5. What is your favorite track point style? I have used the cat's tough style long time ago, I liked it. Now I have the standard one. Advice on buying some?

6. I have 3 days to test this unit. What's an intensive testing program I can put the unit through to test everything?

7. What kind of coating do these machines have? The most unusual I must say- rubbery feel.


Thanks!

[j-dawg]

2. Where's your warranty from? If it's an eBay seller, he's probably a jerk and will not honor any warranty you got if you install additional RAM.

3. Thinklights changed over time. I think the Z-series had a red one. The idea of the amber and red lights is that they increase visibility of the white keyboard letters without creating additional ambient white light.

5. I am a fan of the "soft-rim" trackpoint cap, which looks concave. I also used the cat's-tongue one for a long time, only mine was totally worn out. I absolutely hate the wide, flat one.

6. There are a number of "burn-in" programs that will work your machine pretty hard. Prime95 used to be the standard; dunno what it is these days. SiSoft Sandra had a reasonably comprehensive test as well.

7. The matte finish tends to wear off on corners over the years, but yes, it's nice. It feels good and doesn't attract fingerprints.

[kunfuchopsticks]

The warranty is still original IBM warranty. I just checked it on the site. I have until end of this year for on site and CRU.

Thanks for the program suggestions! Exactly what I needed!

[kunfuchopsticks]

Question 1?

And about the finger print: It's very easy and read my finger print every time! I don't see the reason people complaining on it taking 20 swipes.
The trick is not to just put your finger tip on the scanner, but your whole finger, then swipe as if you were swiping your whole finger. The scanner will only capture finger tip!

[NorrisCell]

3. Thinklights changed over time. I think the Z-series had a red one. The idea of the amber and red lights is that they increase visibility of the white keyboard letters without creating additional ambient white light.

It varies from model to model. My Z61t has an amber light, but every one of my T series machines (T30, T40, T43) had a white light.

Also, if the machine is still under IBM warranty, there is no harm in removing the sticker and upgrading the RAM that I am aware of. RAM is listed as a field replaceable unit.

[loyukfai]

1. I think they've switched to "System Update". But anyway, it should be able to pull all the necessary drivers, and also those ThinkVantage utilities for you.

You may have to prepare the networking drivers in advance through, otherwise you can't start downloading.

2. Others have clarified this already. Besides, you don't have to remove the sticker from the door, and you'll put back the door afterwards, right? : )

3.5 Fn + NmLk

4. System Update should get the driver for you.

6. Prime95 is good for CPU and RAM AFAIK. Besides, you can use PC-Doctor (again, System Update should get it for you) to run a comprehensive test which include the other devices.

I would suggest checking specifically the hinges, the fan and the drive, and get them replaced if needed before the warranty expires.


Cheers!