Is Lenovo completely retarded?!

[jayk]

I can see Lenovo cutting costs where they can on their consumer models (and they have a ton of consumer models), but they shouldn't be doing it on their T/W/X business-class machines. The premium to upgrade to an IPS display is now something like $80, so it probably costs Lenovo half that. The difference between soldering 4G and 8G to the motherboard... probably <$10 (better still, just put two DIMM sockets). I'm all for them marking up options like memory and drives... it's frankly worth it to some people and businesses to have that stuff done at the factory, even at the extra cost. There's just so much bizarre logic in their marketing... why can't I buy a T450s with a discrete GPU in North America? Why can I get an IPS display on a T450s but not a T450. It goes on and on...

How do I get into a Thinkpad marketing focus group? I'd love to unload some of this onto someone who actually makes decisions.

[hhhd1]

How do I get into a Thinkpad marketing focus group? I'd love to unload some of this onto someone who actually makes decisions.

based on their last few years, it seems that they focus on typical consumer only, which probably comprises the majority of the users now, unlike 10 years ago where laptops were for work and education only.

They need to make a decision and dedicate some models for power users and enterprise.

They now have 5 different 15-inch thinkpads, W/T/L/S/Edge, they can't keep one for power users ??
And that is not counting ideapad and essential series.

The whole xx40 series click-touchpad debacle should have taught them were to look for information beside their focus groups, or that their focus groups system need some fixing.

[Kilkenny]

In full support of the OP "don"! Retarded is the right word.
10 years of Thinkpad under the ownership of Lenovo, and they know nothing better
then to produce cheap laptops or half-hearted MacBook clones.

I cant see who any of those new Lenovo Thinkpads would be useful for work,
if you know about the comforts of a T42p / T43p or a T60p.

To cut a long rant short:
Lenovo won't see any money from me, until Lenovo will offer a machine,
which would be similar to a
T42p with a 4:3 high-DPI-IPS-screen,
7-row classic keyboard by NMB,
including a full 5-year-no-hassles warranty, to prove that the build quality would be OK.

If they came out with one of those, I would drop everything and buy it tonight.

[don]

Found a solution:

Bought a i7 T450, added 8GB for 16GB, bought IPS panel for T450S on eBay and just installed it.

That [censored] TN display goes into the trash can. Screw it, I take it to the range, put some .500 S&W holes in it and send it to LENOVO.

Laptop is running strong so far. Now I at least have the basics: i7, 2 RAM slots, option for 32GB ram with new 16GB modules, IPS display, dedicated track point buttons and working docking station for 2 x 2.5k external displays.

Missing the old style keyboards and LEDs tho.

Here’s the link to the IPS panel: http://www.ebay.com/itm/151663293048?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

Needs to be the part no: B140HAN01.1

[jayk]

Sounds like a good solution. Pretty much everything you could want with the current generation of CPUs (except maybe discrete graphics). Definitely worth the extra 0.5lb to be able to put in 16GB of dual-channel memory.

How hard was the LCD replacement? Did it 'just work' (in terms of BIOS and drivers) once you got it installed? How is the display quality overall? Does the dimming work ok?

Did you get a docking station? I've been trying to figure out if these can drive three external displays through the dock (with the laptop lid closed), but I can't find anyone who's tried to drive more than two external screens.

[fb1996]

these can drive three external displays through the dock

They can (depending on the resolution), but you need at least one display that supports Daisy Chaining or a DisplayPort MST hub because the Ultra Dock only allows to use two digital video outputs at a time.

[Ibthink]

these can drive three external displays through the dock

They can (depending on the resolution), but you need at least one display that supports Daisy Chaining or a DisplayPort MST hub because the Ultra Dock only allows to use two digital video outputs at a time.

Or, you just use the VGA port on the dock, if thats an option. He didn´t ask about support for 3 digital displays, jus t "can it drive 3 displays through the dock" - they can.

[fb1996]

Or, you just use the VGA port on the dock, if thats an option.

Of course you can, but I assume that in most cases that's no real option nowadays.

[jayk]

Or, you just use the VGA port on the dock, if thats an option.

Of course you can, but I assume that in most cases that's no real option nowadays.

Actually that's what I do right now with my T530. The VGA-driven display doesn't look great (the picture is fine, but the contrast range sucks for some reason), but for what I do it's ok. I was never able to get three external digital displays going... whenever I connected one with the built-in displayport it would disable one of the dock digital displays (plus I don't really want to manually plug in the mini-DP cable every time I dock).

I just recently learned about driving multiple monitors from a single DP output (via a hub) - I wonder if that would work for my setup. I have a Mini Dock Plus Series 3 (http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/migr-76767)... could I drive two monitors from one of the DP outputs with a hub? This doc doesn't mention that capability:
http://www.partnerinfo.lenovo.com/partn ... ptimus.pdf

[fb1996]

could I drive two monitors from one of the DP outputs with a hub?

Unfortunately not, because MST only works with DisplayPort 1.2 or above.

[bblumberg]

Some really good replays here especially the link to "T440p and swap the touchpad for the one with buttons", this might me an option and everything hhhd1 had to say is spot on.

Be careful swapping the touchpad. Working on the T440p is NOTHING like working on a T420, T400 or older hardware. The ribbon cables with little clip endpoints are particularly easy to mess up (I broke a clip), I knocked a key off the keyboard, many small bits of plastic came out when I gently popped off the keyboard bezel, etc. I have worked on Thinkpads for more than 15 years doing most every type of replacement (other than screen) with nary a problem. It can be done, but I spent a frustrating few hours today messing up my T440p....

Bruce

[bit_twiddler]

T420 and X220 may be running systems, but their build quality is mediocre and the screens are abysmal.

Actually, the T420 build quality is pretty good, and I can't imagine a laptop that is more reliable.
I agree about the screen, though... just can't get used to 16:9.

Maybe now that 3d printing is coming along, we'll be able to design our own laptops in a few years.

[axur-delmeria]

Maybe now that 3d printing is coming along, we'll be able to design our own laptops in a few years.

Hopefully.

For now, it's more like "making a custom chassis to hold a mishmash of parts together."

Something like: take an RPi2, an iPad 3 screen (with HDMI to eDP converter), a 5v powerbank, a Thinkpad 240X or X-series keyboard, and somehow make a Thinkpad lookalike. :O

[don]

Sounds like a good solution. Pretty much everything you could want with the current generation of CPUs (except maybe discrete graphics). Definitely worth the extra 0.5lb to be able to put in 16GB of dual-channel memory.

How hard was the LCD replacement? Did it 'just work' (in terms of BIOS and drivers) once you got it installed? How is the display quality overall? Does the dimming work ok?

Did you get a docking station? I've been trying to figure out if these can drive three external displays through the dock (with the laptop lid closed), but I can't find anyone who's tried to drive more than two external screens.

Takes about 30 min. Take your time pulling off this thin sticker on top of the bezel with a thin piece of plastic. 4 screws hold the screen. Everything works, no BISO or driver needed and the display is A LOT better than this TN bullshlt.

Got the Ultra Dock with 2 x Display Ports for my 2 x 32"Samsung 2.5K. Never tried 3.

[micrex22]

....but now I actually prefer the feel of the chiclet keys. I'm not sure what you mean about failing under heavy loads, but I've never had a problem with mine. If anything, it seems like I used to get a bit of dust under the keys of the old full-size keyboard pretty regularly (fortunately it was easy to pop them off and clean them)... that hasn't happened yet in 3.5 years with my T530.

I mean failing under heavy 'speed' loads. These keys do not have membranes that can withstand more than 120 WPM-- they start to go solid if triggered too fast. And since the keys don't have a cylindrical shape your fingers will start to slide off at 100 WPM (unless you have the rubber dusted FRU which again is a hand bag from which manufacturer you get it from). It is *impossible* to type 140 WPM on a lenovo chiclet. An earlier NMB T6x series can push those high speeds, though.

On that note, macbook chiclets can't hit speeds like that either, but I digress. We're not in the 1980's anymore, so there's no need for a PCjr chiclet style keyboard on any laptop.

[markos]

T450 has 2 RAM sockets BUT no IPS at all.

How about getting a T450 and changing the screen to a FHD IPS panel? I'm thinking of doing this myself.

[fb1996]

In some countries, the T450 is now available with the Full HD IPS screen.