Thinkpads Forum

Are w510's still being manufactured?

I believe that they are now out of production. This is according to a recent copy of the tabook.pdf file and an old copy of ltwbook.pdf (2013).

They aren't produced anymore as rkawakami has stated. However, you can still easily build a "new" W510 or really any thinkpad younger than the T4* series. There are many NOS (new old stock) parts you can buy from eBay or marketplaces like on here.

brchan wrote:They aren't produced anymore as rkawakami has stated. However, you can still easily build a "new" W510 or really any thinkpad younger than the T4* series. There are many NOS (new old stock) parts you can buy from eBay or marketplaces like on here.

But....wouldn't those be used parts?

The key word is NOS, new old stock, they should be kept in the original packaging and thus never used, I imagine???

brchan wrote:However, you can still easily build a "new" W510 or really any thinkpad younger than the T4* series. There are many NOS (new old stock) parts you can buy from eBay or marketplaces like on here.

I don't think it is as easy as you imagine to get NOS parts for every single component.

dr_st wrote:

brchan wrote:However, you can still easily build a "new" W510 or really any thinkpad younger than the T4* series. There are many NOS (new old stock) parts you can buy from eBay or marketplaces like on here.

I don't think it is as easy as you imagine to get NOS parts for every single component.

I should clarify that it is relatively easy to find NOS exterior components such as lid, display, hinges, palmrest, keyboard, basecover, but LCD bezels can be more rare. Interior components like motherboards and structure frames are also not hard to find, but finding some of the special pieces like tape, plastic bits for routing wires, and screws, are.

But what really only needs to be replaced to form a "new" laptop is the exterior parts, since these have the majority of wear.

Ok, looks like a new w510 isn't gonna happen. So...if I were to clone the drive in my current w510...

1. Is there another Lenovo model that would be minimally troublesome to get the cloned drive to work in...

2. if I do get another system for a backup, install the cloned drive and run into driver problems, can the difference in the 2 systems be overcome w/o a lot of hassle?

Just by a used W510, sheesh.

dr_st wrote:Just by a used W510, sheesh.

The main sheesh with buying a used w510 is getting ripped off by someone unloading something defective on me. So, if they don't make them anymore...I'd be more inclined to fight the driver issues than to to risk finding out the system is useless for some reason that is not apparent until I'm stuck with it.

D L Davis wrote:The main sheesh with buying a used w510 is getting ripped off by someone unloading something defective on me.

I'd say your fear is valid, but is greatly exaggerated. Buy from a reputable seller and you should be fine.

I'd say the best thing is the Marketplace here, especially when buying from one of the forum's seniors. These are people who have been dealing with Thinkpads for years, they know their value, they know the caveats of each model, and they have an established reputation which they would not want to tarnish by selling you a lemon.

The second best thing in my book would be businesses who offer 'refurbished' used units and even given some warranty. This will give you some peace of mind.

Finally, despite the negative feelings people often have towards eBay, you can find good deals there too. Reputable sellers will offer some warranty against the system being dead-on-arrival or having various issues, and you can usually tell if a seller is trustworthy by communicating with them prior to purchasing. eBay as a broker will give you, the buyer, some protection against downright fraud.

Yes, when buying a used machine, there is always a risk that it works great one day, then something breaks the next day, and there is no warranty. But considering that you get them much much cheaper than new systems, even if you have to replace this or that part, in most cases it will still end up cost-effective in the long run.

Now, if you just don't want any of that, and simply want a new machine with manufacturer's warranty, and money is not an issue - that's fine, but that's a different thing. It is not going to be a 'backup' for your W510. It will simply be a new machine, with its pros and cons compared to your W510. If you do the research, and decide that there is a modern system that you like - go ahead and get it, and use that as your main system, keeping W510 as a backup.

Or just buy two identical units of the modern system, if you must have 100% redundancy. Learn from your current experience and don't wait for a couple of years - system manufacturing cycles are very short these days. Even 2 years down the road the chances of it still being in production are very slim.

Sorting out driver issues is usually done within a few hours. With local WSUS server, USB or network install, a completely fresh install of Windows, Office and other software is done within a few hours. If you do such critical work that you can't do a few hours without your install, yes, by all means buy another system.

Large business and even schools that use 1000s of identical systems do this on a regular basis; order 2% more laptops than you need and let them function as hotspares. If IT staff can't fix the machine instantly, the swap out the SSD and done.

D L Davis wrote:Ok, looks like a new w510 isn't gonna happen. So...if I were to clone the drive in my current w510...

1. Is there another Lenovo model that would be minimally troublesome to get the cloned drive to work in...

2. if I do get another system for a backup, install the cloned drive and run into driver problems, can the difference in the 2 systems be overcome w/o a lot of hassle?

Acronis has a feature to clone and restore images and blank the hardware allocation table so that it'll transfer to any system (and then you simply just need to manually install the drivers yourself). I'd look into that if you're concerned about maintaining your original cloned image to move to other machines. And that way you're not restricted to a specific piece of hardware.

It's called 'Universal Restore'
http://www.acronis.com/en-us/business/u ... l-restore/

Note: it's also a feature in the 'Home' edition which you'd want.

Cheers.

The problem as I see it in this thread is that people want a 1st gen product that is over 5yrs old and yet dont want to buy 2nd hand because of some perceived fault with 2nd hand products.

The world isnt out to get you, especially in the form of a laptop that is at best, a coupla hundred.

If you buy a 2nd hand product then you take the gamble in your own hands.

eg. I just bought a 420 that is a refurb with a 3 month warranty. Even if it fails eventually I did myself out of $200.

$200.

its not going to kill me.

Also my expectation is that people do well to educate themselves. If you buy a product like the above then you have to get acquainted with tp.krelay and the lenovo support sites etc. etc.

If you dont want to do these things, buy a new laptop with the warranty and perhaps get into a working relationship with a local tech.