Help! I sent my T540p back today.

[StevenD]

Okay, I'm using an ancient T60p, the last year they made IPS screens. I got a T61p when they came out, but the screen was crap, so I've been waiting until IPS came back. It came back, and I ordered a T540p.

My assessment: can't use the trackpoint when the buttons are integrated into the trackpad. Tried, just can't do it. One of the problems I haven't seen discussed before: if you look at a TP with mechanical buttons, you'll see that the buttons start *very* close to the center, only about 5mm lateral to the center of the trackpoint's red dot. With the buttons within the trackpad, that middle-ish area activates the middle button. So I have to reach farther to the side to get to the button areas in the trackpad. Then, even when I reach enough, I usually have to hit it three times to get the click to register. Just impossible. I'm a power user, and I need buttons that go lightning fast and with accuracy. And the trackpoint seems to be squirrelly, too.

Then, the screen. Beautiful, but the resolution is too high. Try using Adobe Photoshop. Impossible. Decreasing the screen resolution overall to be able to use Photoshop makes it far worse than running native resolution on a lower-resolution display. This unit isn't ready for prime time.

And it was sooooo sloooow. Much less responsive than my T60p!! Is that something with Windows 8 vs my XP? I hope it was a problem with my particular unit. In fact, my unit was so slow it wouldn't even launch an app, I sent it back, they replaced the HDD *and* the system board, and then it worked, but again, much much slower than my T60p running XP SP2.

So I determined that I can't use Lenovo's current hardware with the buttons integrated into the track pad.

I tried a Z-book from HP. That unit has a 1900 x 1080 IPS screen. Beautiful. And a trackpoint. And real mouse buttons. But the trackpoint was definitely less responsive and controllable than my T60p. And the left and right mouse buttons were much farther out to the side than in the pre-540 TP's. And if you clicked just on the very inside of the mouse button, because you had to reach for it, it wouldn't respond -- you had the hit the button close to its center. Couldn't use it.

The keyboard on the Z-book was like the keyboard on the MacBookPro: a smaller vertical movement of the keys, and thus less "feel" than on the TP's. The vertical travel on the T540p was much better, similar to, but not as good as, on the T60p. So I guess I'd say that the new Lenovo keyboards are ok enough, no huge degradation, but the buttons in the trackpad are a disaster. I didn't use the new TP keyboard enough to see whether the re-arrangement of the keys would be a big problem for me, though. I guess I assumed that I could get used to something like that.

So, now what do I do? I really need to get rid of this lovely T60p. It's had a million programs installed, I get the occasional freeze-up, I need an OS beyond XP for a couple things I want to do, and I really want USB 3.0 ports, which this unit doesn't have.

I think I need to get a W530, which can run Win 8.1, and it has USB 3.0, and it has mechanical mouse buttons, and much faster processor and memory than my T60p. I just don't know if I'll barf looking at the W530's display compared to the T60p, though.

I really tried. I ordered and had delivered the T540p and the Z-book, figuring I'd return them if they were just not acceptable, and they were not. Anyone think I can live with a W530?

Thanks.

[jdrou]

One of the problems I haven't seen discussed before: if you look at a TP with mechanical buttons, you'll see that the buttons start *very* close to the center, only about 5mm lateral to the center of the trackpoint's red dot. With the buttons within the trackpad, that middle-ish area activates the middle button. So I have to reach farther to the side to get to the button areas in the trackpad. Then, even when I reach enough, I usually have to hit it three times to get the click to register. Just impossible.

I definitely notice this on my T440p as well. Fortunately I can use an external mouse 90% of the time so I'm putting up with it for now. The keyboard layout is also a negative but not as much as the trackpoint "buttons" and the rest of the system I really like.

[ajkula66]

Huh...given the conversation in your previous thread, I'm not surprised...

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 92#p736992

I've got two questions:

1) Why Windows 8.x ?

2) Is USB 3.0 an absolute must?

While waiting for your answers, let me throw in my two cents...

While the FHD screen on T/W 510/20/30 is by far the best TN panel ever seen on ThinkPads, it's still a TN panel. Move your head 2 inches one way or another and the colours WILL start shifting.

Late models of T/W 530 were shipped with a different revision of the LCD which is a piece of junk in most users' opinion...so what you'll get with one of these is somewhat of a lottery.

My advice: get a well-kept W520 and call it a day. No screen lottery. Proper keyboard. Very close to W530 hardware-wise.

Good luck.

[600X]

You can get a USB 3.0 card for your ExpressCard Slot in the T60. I use one in my FrankenPad and it is very useful. Transfer rates can go as high as 200MB/s, depending on what you connect.

[StevenD]

Hi, ajkula,

Well, I guess I'm just eager to get the latest hardware that is usable. I love this T60p, but I've bought about 5 of them off of ebay to keep a workable T60p going. It takes forever for this unit to boot or shut down when I need to do that. I get the occasional bsd. External USB drives are an integral part of my backup, and my T60p is banging those drives all day, so I'm dying for 3.0. Sometimes I run MS Word macros that take 30 minutes to run on this unit. And I guess if I have to re-install a million programs, I'd like to do it on the latest OS. Maybe there's even an irrational hope that when I upgrade again, I won't have to re-install everything if I'm using the latest OS.

I found a mfg. refurb W530 with incredible stats and a warranty on ebay for < $1000, so I'll give it a try. I can always put it back up on ebay and go with the 520.

p.s. What is SSDI, as in "Collecting SSDI"? If it's like "dust", I've got a T42p collecting SSDI, and also an A22p, a 600E, and a 560. I've been pounding on TP keyboards for a looooong time!

--Steve

[ajkula66]

It takes forever for this unit to boot or shut down when I need to do that.

That should NOT be the case. I have a couple of machines from that era running W7 Pro 32 on SSDs, and they both start up and shut down very fast.

Sometimes I run MS Word macros that take 30 minutes to run on this unit.

Once again, that shouldn't be happening.

And I guess if I have to re-install a million programs, I'd like to do it on the latest OS. Maybe there's even an irrational hope that when I upgrade again, I won't have to re-install everything if I'm using the latest OS.

I seriously doubt that, but it's your call.

I found a mfg. refurb W530 with incredible stats and a warranty on ebay for < $1000, so I'll give it a try. I can always put it back up on ebay and go with the 520.

Fair enough.

p.s. What is SSDI, as in "Collecting SSDI"?

Here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Sec ... _Insurance

[StevenD]

Here you go:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Sec ... _Insurance

LOL. I guess I should be happy I didn't know!
/SD

[killer]

The warranty on my T520 had expired and it was time to replace it for business reasons. I looked at what was available and the T540p fitted the bill. Without a mouse I would hate the new touchpad arrangement. With a mouse it makes no difference. Good machine with 3 years warranty. Fantastic screen. It will certainly do me for another 3 years.