Thinkpads Forum

Hi All,

I just ordered the T500 in the UK

* Intel Core 2 Duo (T9550) 2.66GHz 6144KB (L2 Cache)
* CPU Bus Speed: 1066MHz
* 4096MB (4096MB) PC3-8500 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
* 320GB (1 x 320GB) Serial ATA Hard Drive
* DVD±RW (Dual ±R)
* Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Business
* 15.4” WSXGA+
* 16.77 million Colours
* Resolution: 1680 x 1050 Pixels
* ATI Mobility Radeon 3650
* Intel 82567LM Ethernet 10/100/1000Mbps Integrated
* Intel WiFi Link 5300AGN
* RF Network Standard: IEEE 802.11 a/g/n

This is my first Lenovo Notebook.

What the first things to do when I get it? And how do I downgrade it to XP?

I comes comes with a 9-cell battery. How long will it last?

chukwe wrote:I just ordered the T500 in the UK. This is my first Lenovo Notebook.
1) What the first things to do when I get it?
2) And how do I downgrade it to XP?
3) It comes comes with a 9-cell battery. How long will it last?

Greetings and Welcome to the Forum!

Congratulations on your first new ThinkPad. You are going to truly enjoy it. I'm composing this response from my new T500 that is configured very similar to yours, I'm very pleased with mine.

1) I would charge it, set it up, and then read all of the great documentation that comes on board to familiarize yourself with your new ThinkPad. The ThinkVantage applications have everything from the basics, to the details of the complete system. Lots of help files are there and by browsing this area, you will know where to go if you have a question. Also we are here and very happy to assist. I might also suggest that you do not do any modifications of any consequence for the first week or so, just to give your new ThinkPad time to prove it's stable and fault free. Any modifications you do prior to giving it time to build a track record with you, will only confuse the challenge of troubleshooting the cause of a problem.

2) Downgrading to XP. It depends on what operating system choice you made when you purchased the computer. In your list you indicated that it came with Vista Business. Below are the choices I copied and pasted from the Lenovo UK site. You will notice that the first choice is Vista Business with XP downgrade. If this is the choice you made then your ThinkPad will come with XP on it right out of the box. It will also include a set of disks for Vista Business. This is the choice I made. If you ordered Vista Business only, then your ThinkPad will come with that only. As far as downgrading to XP at that point, it will involve you purchasing a copy of XP on your own which will involve the extra expense as well as all of the work to download all Lenovo drivers and Utilities that do not come on a generic consumer version of XP. If this is the case, I might think twice about all the time and money involved. Especially since your version of Vista Business that is on the machine is a very good version of Vista Requiring nothing more than you learning it.

Operating System Choices... which one did you order?

Genuine Windows Vista Business with Windows XP Professional Downgrade**** [add £12.54 £0.00]
Genuine Windows Vista Business
Genuine Windows Vista Business 64 [add £12.54 £0.00]
Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate [add £75.79 £56.93] [Lenovo recommended]
Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate with Windows XP Professional Downgrade

3) I don't pay a lot of attention to battery life as I would never let that influence my choice of models. But that is just my personal preference.

Good luck and enjoy the forum.

Cheers...

archer6 wrote:If you ordered Vista Business only, then your ThinkPad will come with that only. As far as downgrading to XP at that point, it will involve you purchasing a copy of XP on your own which will involve the extra expense as well as all of the work to download all Lenovo drivers and Utilities that do not come on a generic consumer version of XP.

I thought Vista Business included the right to downgrade to XP regardless of which OS is installed. You would of course need to acquire a XP CD to make it happen. You may have call Microsoft to get it to activate. Some of the drivers, utilities and applications are interchangeable between Vista and XP. You shouldn't have to download everything.

FredGarvin wrote:I thought Vista Business included the right to downgrade to XP regardless of which OS is installed. You would of course need to acquire a XP CD to make it happen. You may have call Microsoft to get it to activate. Some of the drivers, utilities and applications are interchangeable between Vista and XP. You shouldn't have to download everything.

Indeed. The simplest way would probably be ordering a set of XP recovery CDs from Lenovo.

Vista Business does _not_ entitle the user to an XP downgrade.
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That's why I copied and pasted the choices that Lenovo offers. The _only_ way that one is entitled to have an XP downgrade is to order it with the new ThinkPad. The COA on the bottom of the computer is labeled: Vista Business, the number will activate both XP & Vista. That's why you get Vista on disk along with XP pre-loaded on the computer. You can call Lenovo and find that they will not sell you XP after the fact, when you order Vista Business only. However if you are willing to pay twice once for Vista, then again to obtain a retail copy of XP from MS or a 3rd party, you will then have the setup you desire.
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Cheers...
posted via BlackBerry Bold

archer6 wrote:The _only_ way that one is entitled to have an XP downgrade is to order it with the new ThinkPad.

I believe that statement to be incorrect. It is my understanding that any machine sold with an OEM version of Vista Business or Ultimate, which would be what Lenovo puts on a new ThinkPad, would include "Downgrade Rights" to XP Pro. Lenovo will actually sell you the discs, but after the program ends or if you don't want to pay the money, you can use any XP disc and I believe you can activate it using the Vista key. That's my understanding, but it's very murky, probably by design on Microsoft's part.

Archer, I disagree. In the past I purchased a number of laptop with Vista Business, which came preloaded with Vista Business, requested downgrade media from the Lenovo service providers here, and received it.

All sources I encountered state that the downgrade rights are part of the Microsoft OEM license.

For example, from MS Downgrade Rights Chart:

Can I downgrade my OEM version of Windows Vista Business to Windows XP Professional?
Yes. OEM downgrade rights for desktop PC operating systems apply to Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate as stated in the License Terms. Please note, OEM downgrade versions of Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate are limited to Windows XP Professional (including Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and Windows XP x64 Edition). End users can use the following media for their downgrade: Volume Licensing media (provided the end user has a Volume Licensing agreement), retail (FPP), or system builder hologram CD (provided the software is acquired in accordance with the Microsoft OEM System Builder License). Use of the downgraded operating system is governed by the Windows Vista Business License Terms, and the end user cannot use both the downgrade operating system and Windows Vista Business. There are no downgrade rights granted for Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Vista Home Premium.

Yes, Vista Business or Ultimate does give you downgrade rights according to Microsoft. Whether you exercise these rights at purchase time depends on how you order. If you do order the downgrade you get XP preinstalled and Vista recovery discs. If you do not order the downgrade you get Vista preinstalled.
About Lenovo sending you the discs after the fact, they can if they want to but they are not bound to do so since you did not order the downgrade. They may give or sell them to you at their discretion.
The key number on the COA will only work for Vista, not XP. If you need a key number for XP you will have to contact Microsoft and they may provide you with one after they verify your Vista license on the COA. In that case you would have to come up with an OEM XP install disc to install with. You might have to call to activate it.
My advice is to wait and see what they send you. Make a set of recovery discs for the preinstalled OS and call Lenovo (if you don't get XP) to see what options they give you.

I do understand the theoretical rights. carbon_unit has done a much better job of explaining it, than I did in my prior post.

I was referencing my personal experience here in the USA. I ordered two new ThinkPads direct from Lenovo online, and in my haste I mistakenly left the default Vista Business choices ticked. Upon receipt of the computers I called Lenovo and they would neither give me, nor sell me the XP media.

Then just weeks ago when I ordered another new ThinkPad I carefully selected the Vista Business w/ XP Downgrade choice. That computer arrived with a Vista Business COA and XP pre-loaded. Vista Bus Disks were included. Thus I do stand corrected as my earlier post was misleading.

Cheers...

OK, I better understand what you meant, but still I am somewhat surprised by the experience you describe:

archer6 wrote:I ordered two new ThinkPads direct from Lenovo online, and in my haste I mistakenly left the default Vista Business choices ticked. Upon receipt of the computers I called Lenovo and they would neither give me, nor sell me the XP media.

This goes completely against the official statement on Lenovo's Vista downgrade site.

For a limited time Lenovo is providing Windows XP Recovery CD media as a way to downgrade from Windows Vista. Lenovo customers that have Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate "qualified systems" may purchase a Windows XP Recovery CD until July 31, 2009. Fees may vary. Please contact your local Support Center for additional details.

Sounds like the people you talked to at the support center simply did not do know what the rules were.

dr_st wrote:OK, I better understand what you meant, but still I am somewhat surprised by the experience you describe:
This goes completely against the official statement on Lenovo's Vista downgrade site.For a limited time Lenovo is providing Windows XP Recovery CD media as a way to downgrade from Windows Vista. Lenovo customers that have Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate "qualified systems" may purchase a Windows XP Recovery CD until July 31, 2009. Fees may vary. Please contact your local Support Center for additional details.Sounds like the people you talked to at the support center simply did not do know what the rules were.

Yes, now you understand the frustration with the overall attitude at Lenovo. It doesn't matter what is fact, what matters is their decision, right or wrong. I later called a third time, escalated the call to a supervisor and was on that call for 106 minutes (I timed it) and the results were the same, no matter how determined I was to obtain what was rightfully mine. The number of people with complete apathy is somewhat, yet not totally surprising as it's not the first time I've had an experience where they were grossly incorrect in their position. Lacking either proper training, education, knowledge, or whatever other possible deterrent that prevents them from doing their job, Lenovo seems to be the last one to care. I have a vast range of experience with them as I buy so many ThinkPads.

It's the lesser of two evils really, as Apple is worse, and there is no other PC based laptop that I will buy for my main computer as I've had them all (literally) and continue to buy the competitions offerings in hopes that at some point one of these companies will realize that the market Lenovo seems to be letting slide is ripe for a high quality, high feature set, business class workstation computer. I'm dead serious. The joke on my block is that hardly a day goes by without the FedEx truck dropping off a new laptop of some sort for me. I'm keen on mobile computing, have the luxury of being able to buy a lot of machines, and sooner or later I will find a great one. Count on it.

Cheers...

do we really get the cds.I oredered my T400 via canada and had paid a kings ransomtoget thebetter os (that is Xp). they didnot give me any cds for vista. The serial sticker at the back of the t400 is for a vista anyway. The lenovo support in my country informed me that
vista was never loaded in my model and the serial number(vista) was for Microsoft support
if they hounded me.