A31 icon mystery

[rnfolsom]

On my wife's new-to-her (and me) Thinkpad A31, there is a row of "system status" icons just to the left of the power on/off button. Left to right, these are:

1) Hard drive in use, 2) NunLock, 3) CapsLock, 4) ScrollLock, 5) Power On (which looks like the letter Z rotated counter clockwise by about 45 detrees so that would ordinarily be a diagonal line connecting top and bottom horizontal lines is in fact vertical).

6) Next to this PowerOn icon (between it and the power button), is the last icon in this row: Two symbols separated by a forward slash. Left of and above the slash is a vertical line; right of and below the slash is a broken circle (setment missing at the top) with a short vertical line going through the missing segment.

Access Thinkpad describes the first five icons all as "system status" icons. But we can't find the sixth icon described anywhere. Its two symbols appear to be "on" and "off," but it never lights.

I'd appreciate any information about this sixth icon, and the circumstances under which it would light. (Maybe it is burned out?)

Thanks.

Roger Folsom

[doppelfish]

I'd appreciate any information about this sixth icon, and the circumstances under which it would light.

I've never seen it lit; I've never come across any description that would have indicated that it should light up for any reason. I guess it's just the symbol to denote that the button to its right is the on/off switch. Seems fancy to have the 'rotated-Z' light to indicate 'power on' and another symbol for 'power switch', tho'.

cheers,
-- fish

Edit: Note to self: Learn to speelcheck sometime.

[rnfolsom]

Fish:

Thanks for the news that you also haven't seen that icon lighted (aka lit).

If anyone else ever has seen it lit, I hope they post a message here.

Meanwhile, for lack of a better alternative, we'll go with your thought that it is just a label for the power on/off button.

Roger Folsom

[proaudioguy]

I am in professional sound reinforcement. I see these symbols all the time. They are to indicate the power on/ off button. I also see just a 0 and 1 for on and off. No idea why they thought it necessary to put it there. Perhaps it should always be lit like the battery status light.

[rnfolsom]

I am in professional sound reinforcement. I see these symbols all the time. They are to indicate the power on/ off button. I also see just a 0 and 1 for on and off. No idea why they thought it necessary to put it there. Perhaps it should always be lit like the battery status light.

ProAudioGuy:

Thanks. Maybe some Thinkpad designer got confused and added a power on/off lit icon next to the other icons, when he meant to add a power on/off lit icon to the on/off switch itself!

Roger Folsom