Thinkpads Forum

I wonder why the screen is offset to the right? The keyboard is "offset" to the left (right side has enter and arrow keys), so shouldn't the screen be to the left too?

wswartzendruber wrote:I spent a few minutes on a T61. Later on I found out the screen was off-centered.

I would be happy to pay you a handsome some of money teach me to be a normal person like you. I'm so picky I cannot stand it. _True_ now do you think I could just relax and say OK, it's alright it doesn't have to be centered? ......nooo.........

Hey! at least we got a couple of laughs out of it......

archer6 wrote:

wswartzendruber wrote:I spent a few minutes on a T61. Later on I found out the screen was off-centered.

I would be happy to pay you a handsome some of money teach me to be a normal person like you. I'm so picky I cannot stand it. _True_ now do you think I could just relax and say OK, it's alright it doesn't have to be centered? ......nooo.........

Hey! at least we got a couple of laughs out of it......

Well, I would be all up in arms about it, but I've never heard of anyone who actually owns one complaining about it.

Psssst

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4569

Wow 10 hours on the T400 with 9-cell battery. I think for the price of the machine you pay you get even more, so I'd say bang-for-the-buck?

own6volvos wrote:Psssst

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4569

Nice work!.....as always, NotebookReview, at the top of my list of sites that's for sure!

holy shizer! I'm drooling over here. I opened this up and saw the link for the T400 review.

Cool drink - check
Comfy chair - check
Charged laptop battery - check (plan on checking out the pics in detail)
Napkin to wipe off any drool - CHECK!

LOL, gonna go read now.

SHoTTa35 wrote:Napkin to wipe off any drool - CHECK!

I knew I forgot something....

archer6 wrote:as always, NotebookReview, at the top of my list of sites that's for sure!

<cough> thinkpads.com <cough>

nonny wrote:

archer6 wrote:as always, NotebookReview, at the top of my list of sites that's for sure!

<cough> thinkpads.com <cough>

Oops I'm busted...
Good one Nonny....lol You're so funny, and quick too. In teeny weeny 8 font I get the finger wag. Oh my... I walked into that one. I should have worded it like" in my top ten". When will I every learn?......

Welp, that does it for me. Next laptop's gonna be a Sony VGN-Z. Cost is not a real concern, but quality and functionality is. The keyboard thing was my last straw and they went and did it anyways. RIP Thinkpad 1992-2007

laowai wrote:Welp, that does it for me. Next laptop's gonna be a Sony VGN-Z. Cost is not a real concern, but quality and functionality is. The keyboard thing was my last straw and they went and did it anyways. RIP Thinkpad 1992-2007

Dude, hang on. If you're serious about quality get a T400/T500 and order a T60 keyboard. That's what I'm typing on right now and it's not at all bad. My T400 feels like more of a brick than my T60 does.

laowai wrote:Welp, that does it for me. Next laptop's gonna be a Sony VGN-Z. Cost is not a real concern, but quality and functionality is.

Speaking from personal experience with several VAIO's including a VGN-Z, as well as that of friends, I can say that it's like flushing cash down the toilet buying a Sony. While I've never purchased one as my primary computer since I have always been well served by my ThinkPads, I have purhcased many other brands of laptops, just for the fun of it and nothing sours faster than a Sony. Now, believe me I'm not bashing them as I have lots of other very good Sony products, and like others have been sucked in by VAIO styling. Also you might want to do more research, as you will find most everything is proprietary (even their version of windows) and the tech support is nearly worthless.

The only reason I share this is to caution anyone before they put their hard earned money into a VAIO.... buy anything but, and at least you have half a chance.

Cheers....

archer6 wrote:

laowai wrote:Welp, that does it for me. Next laptop's gonna be a Sony VGN-Z. Cost is not a real concern, but quality and functionality is.

Speaking from personal experience with several VAIO's including a VGN-Z, as well as that of friends, I can say that it's like flushing cash down the toilet buying a Sony. While I've never purchased one as my primary computer since I have always been well served by my ThinkPads, I have purchased many other brands of laptops, just for the fun of it and nothing sours faster than a Sony. Now, believe me I'm not bashing them as I have lots of other very good Sony products, and like others have been sucked in by VAIO styling. Also you might want to do more research, as you will find most everything is proprietary (even their version of windows) and the tech support is nearly worthless.

The only reason I share this is to caution anyone before they put their hard earned money into a VAIO.... buy anything but, and at least you have half a chance.

Cheers....

DIY repairs on a Sony are not gonna happen, well aware of that. But I am mostly concerned about the spec and durability. VGNZ has gone with carbon fiber and aluminum for its casing, the keyboard at least appears to be reasonably well built. I forgave Lenovo when they came out with the W500 or whatever and tried to pass it off as a Thinkpad, forgave them when they added windows keys, forgave them when they changed the key layout, even was starting to maybe forgive them on the widescreen... but skimping on the quality of the keyboard and a having a plastic lid now too? Sorry, that's too far. That's my line in the sand and as long as it stays this way I refuse to buy another on principle.

I expect to spend $2000 on my laptops, and I expect to get a premium quality out of them so that investment is worthwhile. If it's a flimsy piece of junk I'm not going to buy it, I have no "strong brand name loyalty", I buy the best, and I am probably due for a replacement in about 2 years or so, maybe 3. The path this is going down... do you honestly believe Thinkpad is going to get better? If my T60 got crushed tomorrow and wasn't covered by warranty, it would not be replaced with a T400/500 whatever or anything that Lenovo makes at present. They want market share and are trying to cut any and all "superfluous" costs to drive the cost down while keeping the respectful name that they bought.

I can almost guarantee that a senior product manager is sitting somewhere with a chart going "here's what we do that adds cost that the majority of our competitors do not do" and another one of "here's a list of things we can cut corners on that nobody normal would notice".

So, now we get widescreens, low resolution, no IPS, plastic lids, flimsy keyboards and heatsinks that are ineffective. Every survey they put out has the same theme to it as well... "what can we take away from you and not piss you off too much". The focus has changed to one of doing the bare minimum but doing *just barely* enough to keep it semi-attractive. When you pay $2000 for a laptop, you should not be having to spend more wads of money modding it to make it maintain a standard you expect. Make a 1680x1050 screen that fits in 14" if you are determined that widescreen must be done, charge $5 more for a good keyboard, give me an option for a non-plastic lid, and tack on another $10 to the price for a heatsink that works. I would *gladly* pay extra for this. It really shouldn't be such an ordeal.

If you think the Z series is so great, you might want to get to a sony store to play with one. While its compact and nice It feels like a toy compared to my T400. You seem to be worried about the Keyboard flexing on the T400, There is the issue of the screen flexing on the Z series. The carbon fiber and aluminum casing is more of a marketing joke than structural support. The plastic cover on the T400 seems to be a concern of yours but it's plastic but with a rollcage underneath. It's still much sturdier than the Z.

I would seriously recommened you play with a Z in person before you consider dropping close to 3 grand.

pizdook wrote:If you think the Z series is so great, you might want to get to a sony store to play with one. While its compact and nice It feels like a toy compared to my T400. You seem to be worried about the Keyboard flexing on the T400, There is the issue of the screen flexing on the Z series. The carbon fiber and aluminum casing is more of a marketing joke than structural support. The plastic cover on the T400 seems to be a concern of yours but it's plastic but with a rollcage underneath. It's still much sturdier than the Z.

I would seriously recommened you play with a Z in person before you consider dropping close to 3 grand.

Yeah, the T400 IMHO is basically perfectly designed except for that [censored] keyboard.

laowai wrote:

archer6 wrote: The only reason I share this is to caution anyone before they put their hard earned money into a VAIO.

I am mostly concerned about the spec and durability. VGN-Z has gone with carbon fiber and aluminum for its casing, the keyboard at least appears to be reasonably well built. I buy the best. Now we get widescreens, low resolution, no IPS, plastic lids, flimsy keyboards and heatsinks that are ineffective. When you pay $2000 for a laptop, you should not be having to spend more wads of money modding it to make it maintain a standard you expect. Make a 1680x1050 screen that fits in 14", charge $5 more for a good keyboard, give me an option for a non-plastic lid, and tack on another $10 to the price for a heatsink that works. I would *gladly* pay extra for this.

At no time did I compare the ThinkPad vs VAIO. I was simply sharing my _ownership & usage_ experience with the Sony VGN-Z. Had I not owned over 8 VAIO Laptops in the last three years, as well as the VGN-Z, I would not have bothered to spend my time out of goodwill to advise of my experience. Even knowing better I still decided to buy a VGN-Z as I do get sucked in by the design and positive thinking that perhaps Sony will get serious over something besides the beautiful designs such as this one. The one distinct advantage of the VGN-Z is how good it looks unused sitting on the desk, wonderful industrial design, that happens to be a mediocre laptop. I am not married to any brand..period. Further proof of which is the fact that I _do_ routinely buy several other brands & models each year_ to test for suitability to my needs. Thus if there is anything out there that is better, I will know and I will migrate to that brand post haste. I am a user that makes his living with a laptop as my main computer, that is used for hours on end. Due to the design/engineering/R&D aspect of my work I must have a highly capable, resource laden laptop. I have yet to find anything coming remotely close to the T60p and T60 models I am presently using. I upgrade my main work laptops each time a new model is released with the exception of this past years as the T61 no longer offers the IPS Flexview display that is so beneficial to my work. Yes I have IPS which is no longer available, however if you research that you will find it's absence on current models has nothing to do with Lenovo, and everything to do with the panel mfg. Every laptop is a compromise of components, thus for one to place their preferences, values & needs on Lenovo to cite them as shortcomings is irrelevant.

As I have not yet seen other reviews on the T400 and T500 than the Notebookreview.com Lenovo T400 ThinkPad Review and the Notebookreview.com Lenovo T500 ThinkPad Review I thought some might be interested in browsing a couple of T400 and T500 reviews which I just discovered - although these discoveries are in German (yes, I know that not everybody understand German, but use Google translate or Yahoo Babelfish or someting similar); see Notebook.de T400 review and the associated T400 picture gallery and Notebook.de T500 review and the associated T500 picture gallery. Very nice images!

Does anybody know of yet other T400 or T500 reviews than those mentioned above?

Johan

One question:
I believe that T400 reviewed on notebookjournal.de is not equiped in LED screen?
T400 WXGA+ 188 cd/m².
T500 WSXGA+ 173 cd/m².

Johan wrote: Does anybody know of yet other T400 or T500 reviews than those mentioned above?

Johan

PC Magazine has a review http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2330567,00.asp