Thinkpads Forum

This is going to seem like a real newbie post... I would like to buy a T400 at the start of December. My old R50e served well over the years (especially with its RAM and HDD upgrades), but it's finally time to move on. The problem is that I live in the UK and can't seem to order online the machine specification that I want...

The UK's official Shop Lenovo ( http://shop.lenovo.co.uk/ ) doesn't allow options to be selected, unlike the US site. Instead, there's currently a choice of just 2 different T400 models and neither of them have the options I want (such as LED screen, 4-cell battery, etc). Searching a few online UK retailers reveals a slightly larger choice of T400 models but, again, none offer the options that I want.

It's frustrating that other manufacturers ( such as http://dell.co.uk/ ) make it very easy to specify and order a machine in the UK with the options you want. So, how to specify and buy a T400? Any advice appreciated...

Ditto. Dell offers configuration over here as well while ThinkPads are still limited to preconfigured models only. The official http://www.lenovo.cz site usually lists less models than available in shops. Buying a ThinkPad with English version of preinstalled Windows XP was a nightmare (Dell always had an option for it). That's why my second ThinkPad is refurbished US model via usanotebook.

LondonConsultant wrote:The UK's official Shop Lenovo ( http://shop.lenovo.co.uk/ ) doesn't allow options to be selected, unlike the US site.

On line "CTO" configuration has recently been extended to Australia and Hong Kong (and I suspect elsewhere in Asia Pacific, but I haven't explicitly checked) with no prior announcement, so there's a reasonable bet it will eventually get to the EMEA region as well, but only Lenovo knows when that mightl be!

Cheers,

Bill B.

I feel your pain, it's a frustring experience because even the official shop is actually only a storefront for a third-party if I remember correctly.

Lack of configuration means you have to sacrifice what you might want and also put up with what you don't want. It makes getting warranties and accessories quite hard too.

The sooner they bring customisation options to the UK, the better for them and us.

There are a few US retailers which I believe do ship overseas like Provantage and Euclid Computer. You'd just want to pick one with IWS so you'd be covered in the case of a mishap.

I know but it's riskier and you have to swap out the keyboard yourself. If there's something wrong with it you either can't return it or it'll be very costly to ship it back. Plus with a now unfavourable exchange rate, there's not much point.

Thanks for all the empathy

I'm not keen on ordering from US because of the necessary UK keyboard swap and the potential shipping hassles under warranty. Having checked many online UK retailers for T400s, it seems that none of them offer a preconfigured model that I'd be willing to buy. None offer 4-cell batteries, almost none offer LED screens, etc. Quite disappointing. I'll try Tottenham Court Road's computer shops this weekend to see if any better luck...

LondonConsultant wrote:Thanks for all the empathy

I'm not keen on ordering from US because of the necessary UK keyboard swap and the potential shipping hassles under warranty. Having checked many online UK retailers for T400s, it seems that none of them offer a preconfigured model that I'd be willing to buy. None offer 4-cell batteries, almost none offer LED screens, etc. Quite disappointing. I'll try Tottenham Court Road's computer shops this weekend to see if any better luck...

The biggest sticking point for me is the apparent rarity of the LED backlit screen in the UK. The spec sheets are very dodgy in saying which it actually is. When I was looking at getting a T400 when they had just come out, a little while ago, it was near impossible to tell.

I had a look down Tottenham Court Road briefly. I'd love to know if you find a good Thinkpad stockist down there.

Dead1nside wrote:The biggest sticking point for me is the apparent rarity of the LED backlit screen in the UK. The spec sheets are very dodgy in saying which it actually is. When I was looking at getting a T400 when they had just come out, a little while ago, it was near impossible to tell.

I found that most online UK retailers identify the T400 Part Number - and a quick Google search on this number reveals IBM's UK web site listing the full spec (including whether CCFL or LED). For example, for Part Number NM51JUK:
http://www5.pc.ibm.com/uk/products.nsf/ ... enDocument

Dead1nside wrote:I had a look down Tottenham Court Road briefly. I'd love to know if you find a good Thinkpad stockist down there.

I bought my R50e a few years ago from Shyamtronics on Tottenham Court Road (I remember them throwing in a second 256MB RAM and case for free to close the sale)...

Well, the availability of T400 machines in the UK seems to have reduced dramatically this year for some reason. Most online retailers seem out of stock and those that have stock are even more limited than usual in the number of pre-configured models. On Lenovo's site, for example, there are only 3 pre-configured options and the *cheapest* one with an integrated camera is £1288 ($1831)! I have a feeling that Lenovo is starting to give up on UK business sales as it focusses on China for sales growth. A pity...

I'd be interested to know what you find available retail in the UK. I have a Thinkpad T41P which is really getting on a bit now but still perfectly usable for most things. I need to start looking at 64bit apps so this may force me into purchasing a newer TP, probably a T500 or W500.

Purchasing from the US isn't all that bad. I bought my T41P through B Morrow, of thinkpads.com, and it couldn't have been easier or more professional. You do have to look at the cost benefits with the exchange rate but there is no import duty on laptops and if you are a business you could reclaim the VAT. The machine I purchased came with the Int Warranty which I claimed on after a couple of years when the motherboard went south. Had it replaced when I was over in Denmark at no cost. I'm not sure what the situation is if the system arrives DOA so worth checking what happens in that situation. If you want to replace the keyboard thats a simple case of 4 screws and a connector. Lenovo/IBM have an online video/instructions of how to do this. To be honest I was used to a US keyboard so didn't even bother replacing it until I got a UK one for free. Swapping over took a few minutes.

Like you I'm frustrated by the lack of configuration options on the Lenovo UK site and that's probably enough to make me buy abroad again so that I get the system I want rather than one of the systems that Lenovo UK decide to sell.

Cheers for now and hope you find the system that you are after.

GMA

I've been waiting for a T500 with an LED screen for ages. It's enough to make you head to Dell...

I know what you mean....! That thought has entered my head and then been pushed out just as quickly. I bought a whole bunch of Dell PC's and laptops years ago and to be honest the quality and support was never great, in fact pretty poor. I know comapnies change and products improve but once bitten twice shy and all that.

For me I've had my T41P for almost 5 years and used it almsot every single day for that period. It's been dragged all over Europe and beyond in various rucksacks. Used, abused and it's been an excellent workhorse. Apart from the mobo replacement, under warranty, and a recent problem with the screen it's stood the test of time (touch wood). As a business laptop I can't fault it and for me that buys a certain amount of brand loyalty. So I'll probably hng on for a bit until the economy improves and I get some more cash flow going and then upgrade to the T500/W500.

I've seen a lot of comments about 'Lenovo build quality' not being as good as the 'good old days' and well maybe some of that is true but I'd be willing to try it and see. I think that some of the factors like flexview are out of their hands and to be honest some of the other comments about the screen being slightly off center leave me bemused. But hey, different people like different things. I'd like to see Lenovo being a leader in bringing technology to the laptop product line and theres some evidence of this in the W700 with the new dual screen model. A bit niche but it shows that they are thinking outside of the normal box. Me I'd like to see them bring an integrated e-sata option for better performance on external storage, LED's across the entire range for better power, screens are a big deal for a lot of people so the 'best' screen possible and finally a way of providing affordable memory above 4GB. To be honest the T500/W500 ticks most of the other boxes that I need and I hope it's as robust as my current T41P. It will be interesting to see what the next generation of Thinkpads brings.

Rambled on a bit there but never mind....!

GMA

I appreciate that they've just opened an online shop in the UK but last time I went on it I couldn't customise.

Dell in the UK is certainly very tempting just because of the sheer amount of options open to you and price.

Lenovo's largest problem is they almost do a soft release - they say they've got all these great features like LED screens but they rarely ever have it, it's ridiculous how hard it is to get a model in the UK with the integrated webcam... why? It doesn't have to be like that.

I had the same problem - very few models in my country had the features I required. I ended up looking across the border and found a German company which sold a much wider range of Thinkpad models and allowed customers to add RAM, choose the OS, and more.

georgema wrote:I know what you mean....! That thought has entered my head and then been pushed out just as quickly. I bought a whole bunch of Dell PC's and laptops years ago and to be honest the quality and support was never great, in fact pretty poor. I know comapnies change and products improve but once bitten twice shy and all that.

For me I've had my T41P for almost 5 years and used it almsot every single day for that period. It's been dragged all over Europe and beyond in various rucksacks. Used, abused and it's been an excellent workhorse. Apart from the mobo replacement, under warranty, and a recent problem with the screen it's stood the test of time (touch wood). As a business laptop I can't fault it and for me that buys a certain amount of brand loyalty. So I'll probably hng on for a bit until the economy improves and I get some more cash flow going and then upgrade to the T500/W500.

I've seen a lot of comments about 'Lenovo build quality' not being as good as the 'good old days' and well maybe some of that is true but I'd be willing to try it and see. I think that some of the factors like flexview are out of their hands and to be honest some of the other comments about the screen being slightly off center leave me bemused. But hey, different people like different things. I'd like to see Lenovo being a leader in bringing technology to the laptop product line and theres some evidence of this in the W700 with the new dual screen model. A bit niche but it shows that they are thinking outside of the normal box. Me I'd like to see them bring an integrated e-sata option for better performance on external storage, LED's across the entire range for better power, screens are a big deal for a lot of people so the 'best' screen possible and finally a way of providing affordable memory above 4GB. To be honest the T500/W500 ticks most of the other boxes that I need and I hope it's as robust as my current T41P. It will be interesting to see what the next generation of Thinkpads brings.

Rambled on a bit there but never mind....!

GMA

I agree with all of that. By extension, Lenovo seems to have lost its way and no longer leads with the latest technology.

Heads have already rolled at the top of the company as a result - although the replacement head honcho is saying that he wants to focus on the consumer market, which is not where the T400/500 is facing. See this story here: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/461f3822-f859 ... 07658.html.

That's what makes me wonder if the time really is coming when I have to jump ship.

I don't want to go to Dell but:
1. I need a replacement for my venerable T42 and
2. Lenovo doesn't look like it's going to make the machine I want anytime soon. Dell does...

I think the fact that they are focusing on the consumer market as well, is a good thing. Gone are the days when laptops were exotic, expensive, business only machines. Anyone can pop into PC World or even Tesco's and buy a cheap laptop. If Lenovo want to be in the Laptop game, and thats where sales are still strong, then they have to compete in the consumer space. Limited customisation and fixed prebuilt models are the way to keep costs down and that's perfectly acceptable to consumers.

However, in the business/professional market where you are paying 1500 - 2000 of any particular currency then getting what you want is a pre-requisite for a sale. I'm assuming here that Lenovo still want to go after this market as well. Lenovo's web based shop in the US woke up to this years ago and has always sold standard models as well as the CTO (Configure To Order) customised models. Here in the UK Lenovo/IBM seem to be mired on the old channel/partner model and have ignored the whole web based retail outlet. The Lenovo UK shop is a start but still woefully lacking in what I as a customer want or expect from a business like Lenovo.

I'd probably still buy from the US rather than go Dell but also need to consider the Interantional Warranty situation. When I'm actually ready to purchase I'll review all my options then and make my choice. In this day and age I shouldn't have to play these games and in my opinion Lenovo need to wake up to the fact they are alienating a percentage of their customer base with all this nonsense. Come on Lenovo get your sales act together in the UK and the rest of Europe, innovate and make the T's the Bee's Knee's again.

GMA

Hear hear! My thoughts precisely.

I don't want to go to Dell but what are my options if I'm not prepared to compromise? Precious few...