Is your ThinkPad less than mint? (small pic 35kb)

[Tõnis]

Would any of you guys or gals sweat a broken grill? Not sure how it happened, but there it is ... a broken grill:



This thing with the grill doesn't really bother me -- it really is trivial -- but are any of you fanatical about your primary ThinkPad? Okay, we're all somehow ThinkPad enthusiasts if we're here , but I mean fanatical ... like a car enthusiast whose machine must remain "like new," all original, etc. Are your ThinkPads structurally, cosmetically, or otherwise "less than perfect"? Do any of you "beat on" rather than aspire to keep "like new" your ThinkPad by babying it?

I got to wondering about this, because I also enjoy fountain pens -- I have several nice ones -- and, among pen enthusiasts, there are collectors, users, and all kinds in between. Some don't use their pens at all, opting to just collect them and keep them in pristine condition (I guess) like any other collectible. As far as the pens are concerned, I myself take reasonable care of mine, but they don't have to be mint; some signs of use are okay with me, because I'm essentially a user of the pens and not a collector.

I realize the pens aren't a perfect analogy, because all ThinkPads essentially get used. The car might be a better analogy, because it's not limited to classic cars that sit in garages, only making it to the occasional show; one could be fanatical about keeping his daily driver "mint." With cars, I think if one were to follow all of the manufacturer's recommendations (even down to oiling the ball bearing inside the ashtray every 7,280 miles) for any given model it would consume all of one's time.

I was just curious how those in this group were with their ThinkPads in this regard. As far as the poll above is concerned, I'm in the middle category, with a slight lean toward the first.

Tõnis

[rkawakami]

Almost all of the Thinkpads I use on a regular basis have some sort of physical issue; be it the infamous T2x crack on the front left corner, to the missing port covers off a 600X. However, there are some systems I don't use that much because they are in such good condition or are relatively rare (an LG branded T23, for example). The T23 I'm typing on - not my usual 'daily driver' but generally kept running 24/7 as much as possible - has at least a dozen keys with partial or totally missing lettering. Combine that with the cat fur which is growing out from between the keycaps and you have a system which I would be very embarrassed to display in public .

For the systems which I've sold off, I've tried to have them prepped as best as I can. Clean keyboards, all plastics intact, all known weak spots checked and repaired or replaced, and a good scrub of the outer surfaces.

So, I'm kind of bipolar I guess .

P.S. Since only one option could be voted on, I selected the middle-of-the-road response.

[killer]

... middle option for me as well. I don't want to wear rubber gloves to use my kit.

[ajkula66]

All laptops in my signature are very well-used, but my ThinkPads have perfect LCDs which is the only thing I'm peculiar about...

701C runs as good as it did when it was new. Not a museum piece by any means, but extremely presentable once the lid gets opened.

A31p is currently being transplanted from one chassis into another, that's how bad the old one was. I have a brand new keyboard and palmrest ready to complement its flawless IPS LCD.

T43p has more sticker residue anywhere and everywhere than almost any laptop I've ever seen. Once again, its LCD is dead mint.

Baby ToughBook has seen some severe abuse from previous owners and has a couple of bright spots on an otherwise nice LCD. With this one, its utility function is the primary one, and it's hard-or downright impossible-to beat it as a "beater" for daily use...

Personally, I try to stay away from the very idea of keeping "dead mint" machines for myself, since I'm well aware of the everlasting temptation to sell them as well as of the fact that it takes very little use for a laptop to go from "dead mint" to "average" in my experience...and in my hands...

[dr_st]

Like most, I voted for the middle option.

My 4-year old T42 2373-F7G, which is now in the possession of my sister does not show any noticeably marks of wear, outside what cannot be avoided on a frequently used machine - keyboard shine and scratches on the rubbery finish of the lid. Flexview LCD has been replaced once due to whitespot. In the past two years the machine has been used essentially as a desktop replacement, and the exterior has not deteriorated further.

My "daily driver", the company-issued T60 1952-F76, shows the most wear - very shiny keyboard, worn out lid corners, some worn out finish on the LCD itself, and the worst - permanent, irremovable, circular pressure mark on the screen from the soft rim trackpoint cap pressing hard into the LCD. This is caused by a combination of several factors: 1) me carrying the laptop almost daily in a packed bag (although one with a separate laptop compartment), 2) the fact that the soft rim sits higher than other caps, thus making more contact with the LCD, and 3) the fact that the lid of the 14" machines is much thinner and not as rigid as that of the 15" machines.

The T60 2007-QPG, which replaced my T42 as the personal laptop is the newest of all, and shows almost no wear. I bought it second hand from a person who probably used it most of the time as a desktop replacement, and probably not too frequently. Despite the laptop being ~1.5 years old when I got it, even the shine on the keyboard was minimal, and all stickers were still in place, and not worn out one bit. Flexview LCD has been replaced due to the same whitespot issue. Since I use it docked most of the time, I expect and hope it won't show signs of heavy wear for years to come.

[Harryc]

My primary TP must remain out-of-the box perfect in every way. That's just the way I am ... the problem is that I have (5) primary Thinkpads .

[DrThinkpad]

I take an extreme care of my thinkpad, but I use it so often and let it on for so long that some things have happened to it with time... ie. There are no scratchs or dents but the lid has rubbing marks from my carrying case... the palmrest looks like someone would have sandbrushed it... and the fan is starting to make noises. The screen is in perfect condition though, and my T40 has no problems whatsoever.

[dsvochak]

I chose "Computers are disposable. Live a little! Beat on it!" but not because anything on the machines I have has been "beaten on". While a great machcine, a Thinkpad is just a machine. Things happens, parts wear out, parts break. Life's too short. If it breaks, fix it. If it can't be fixed, replace it and move on.

[mattbiernat]

when i get the computer it better be in a perfect condition - that is no dead pixels, no bleeding, no scratches, but after that I pretty much abuse that thing.

[craigmontHunter]

I use it, and I chose the last option because even though I do not try to go out of my way, I am a person that takes it everywhere with me, and use it nomatter what. I have figured out that a T41 will happily operate at sub 0 degrees C and both my laptops have fallen off of tables and various things. It gets used and the trick is to make it last while using it for its intended purpose.

[jdhurst]

I took the middle option. I expect my daily driver to 100% reliable - nothing less is viable. So I allow minor defects, but repair major ones (the most major being a lid). I had my T41 apart several times, and eventually broke off the standby switch (carelessness on my part). If it had not been so close to retirement (my T61p was in house), I would have fixed it. ... JDH

[neenee]

Same here. I prefer a stable system to one that looks pretty.

Over time, it will scratch and dent and though I do mind that when it happens and for a little while after, that feeling will pass.

Until I get that first blemish, I'll be very careful, but after that my laptop will slowly grow into a tool to be used in any way necessary.

[Temetka]

While I appreciate a pristine machine as much as the next person, it doesn't really matter to me.

I kinda like heavily used machines also as they have that post-apocalyptic mad max thing going on. It looks more manly.

[Bojje]

Well hopefully I will soon be getting my first thinkpad, so I don't have to take that good care of my laptop anymore. I have been the owner of a dell machine until now, and it has been a living hell trying to keep it nice. But I will probably start out taking very good care of my thinkpad, and then when it gets it first scratch I will stop caring

[NorrisCell]

+1 for middle of the road

It really depends on what sort of defect. Like several others above, the LCD is something I'm particular about. Scratches on the lid? Sure. Shiny keys? No problem. If there's a flaw in the LCD though, I find myself focusing on it. It all depends on how noticeable the flaw is during normal use. Functionality is much higher on the priority list than having a good looking machine. In the world of shiny pink lids and fancy embedded logos I'm often told my TP is "ugly" in comparison to other laptops. Fine with me. I don't pay for pretty

[t140568]

My R50 has a few small scratches and one TINY crack in the plastic by the left hinge. If it earned some broken plastic in the line of duty, it'd wear it as a badge of honor... like a scar. And we all know... chicks dig scars.

[doctor bloomquist]

That's a complex one... I bought my T23 second hand, so from the get go there were some issues - to the seller cosmetic, to me structural. The plastic surrounding the keyboard had split, due to the stress of opening and shutting very stiff hinges. I dread to think what was happening to the motherboard underneath

I was more in the 'fanatical' camp when I first bought it; like with every other purchase put off till boiling point took it to bits, cleaned out all the dust, new lid catches, trackpoint, internal wifi, battery, loosened the hinges, glued the cracks... This thing was my baby for a month or so, I went as far as to wax the lid to restore the lustre! You can't beat a good old fashioned tin of armor-all hi shine.

Now that I've seen its guts & it's shared a few nightmarish assignments with me, I see it as a more of a tool; an extremely well designed joy to use. Its scratches add character! Puts me in the middle catagory I suppose - I would never call the thinkpad disposable.

It's funny you should mention fountain pens, I have a few. The one pen that's 'collectable' and without scratches etc I hardly ever use for fear of damage. I can only really enjoy using a pen if its bought with some sort of blemish, wierd eh!

[AlphaKilo470]

My 600X, as nice as it runs, probably will never be stolen unless it's come upon by an incredibly desperate thief. The wrist pad has paint worn off in the bottom left corner, the outside has plenty of scratches and wear spots in the paint on the top and bottom and the keyboard is pretty shiny. It's definitely seen some use. The screen also has some pressure marks in it as well as some water damage (only visible when the screen is displaying dark colors in the area) in the top left corner from when a family member accidentally doused my laptop with a couple gallons of water. Since the cosmetic condition pretty much means I'll never make back what I spent on this laptop (bought it earlier this year off eBay), I'm gonna keep it in use until either I actually need more computing power and/or the thing just dies. I really don't care how my daily driver looks so long as it's attractive from a distance.

I have a different standard when selling though. While I have sold some junk heaps, unless noted otherwise, the ThinkPads I sell tend to look pristine. I'm sure some members of this forum can vouch for how clean the laptop was that I sold them.

[sqmaster1234]

WARNING: HERE BE LONG POST

Little sad story here:

I had a 770z (Which I still own, use, and love, that was in perfect (hardware) and I mean PERFECT condition. I was SO proud. Then one unlucky week, that changed.
I was looking at that wonderful matte rubber on the older ThinkPad palm rest, and noticed, along with the notorious palm sweat marks, there was a small scratch. Needless to say, i stupidly (don't care if it's not a word) rubbed/scratched it a little, and not there's a little silver spot showing where the chassis is exposed. I like, no LOVE to keep my stuff in PRISTINE condition, so this was a big deal for me. I see it and think of what could have been.

MAIN BADNESS PART
I made the mistake of leaving it between bed an nightstand, with a GINGER ALE ON THE NIGHTSTAND when relatives were around, and came back inside from a walk and found my beloved ThinkPad on the bed, with streaks of liquid on it. THE GINGER ALE SPILLED ON THE THINKPAD, LEAKING INTO THE CHASSIS GETTING EVERYTHING WET. I freaked. after dissasembling the laptop and using up lots of paper towels, i booted (amazingly) to a wonderful TP BIOS screen. what wasn't so wonderful was that instead of getting a satisfying POST "Beep", I got the painful and scary sound of crackling speakers (not physicalle, but like when you don't fully plug in a headphone jack on lower-quality phones). I shut down, let dry some more and tried again the next day. I was happy to see it boot into windows 2000 fine. However, after that day, i sometimes got the clicking speakers instead of the POST beep for a while, but that went away after uninstalling Linux. When I boot up now, a month after the event, i get CMOS clock errors, and have to set the clock, reboot, then reboot again, and hopefully i get windows without having to set the clock again. It also won't boot at all unless plugged into an ac adapter, but after reading another post today, I have come to the conclusion that the Ginger Ale incident shorted out the CMOS battery and I'm going to test it and then replace it when I get back to my office. All in all, the thinkpad is in ALMOST mint condition, accounting for the scratch and fried backup Battery XD.

I don't think the broken grille is such a big deal
I have a friend who had a computer with NO grille, just exposed heatsink!
:O

[T22 4me]

Thinkpads Rock;but,they are made to be Portable.I dont intentionally abuse my T40p ;but,I carry to and from work,Use it in the Truck (as a GPS/War driver and/or waiting @ the mall),Drag it out on the Deck 3 out of 4 evenings.Hell I drag it everywhere with me.It gets bumps and scrapes and that is to be expected as did the T41 it replaced.I now have a T60 as well and am a little more picky with it ;but, not much.I treat them just like I do my Old Ford .Run it till it breaks,Fix it while you can & replace it when it cant be fixed.

[VipFreak]

It would be nice if I could prolong wear and tear, but the fact is I'm not one of those that can keep my stuff pristine while still using them. I got my used x61 tablet in pretty new condition, but I know it's not gonna last in my hands. I don't abuse it, but I'm also not THAT careful with it.

[ZaZ]

I'd say fairly close to new, though not quite with a little shine on the keyboard and a few minor marks on the lid. It doesn't leave the house too often.

[virge]

I went with the middle of the road, but I would lean towards pristine. My daily driver is my T42P which runs 24 hours a day Mon-Fri. I sit in front of it most of the day, and do occasionally carry it to meetings. The cosmetics (I've invested in a new lid and palmrest) are important when making an impression on clients so no major scratches, scuffs, or cracks allowed.

My X30 is a travel machine and its not as pretty (although it got a recent "wash" by a leaky water bottle in my carry-on...) I put up with it because it mostly sits in hotel rooms with an appearance now and then at a seminar.

For non-first string and home machines, I prefer a little beat up. I sold a T23 on this forum because it was too mint. I was afraid of using it and putting shine on the keys or scuffing up the lid. I didn't even want to open it up to use it to test parts from a non-working T23! My main "beater" machine at the moment is a 600X in a 600E shell. Because its not "beautiful" I didn't have any qualms cutting a notch in the lid and sticking in a wireless antenna/cover from a T4x.