When ThinkPads take a shower...

[600X]

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We all know ThinkPads have spill-proof Keyboards. But from what I've heard most ThinkPads still don't even survive a cup of water. I decided to go try myself. But instead of doing a boring "slowly pour a glass of water on your keyboard" test I took my X220i out in the rain. Seems more realistic to me since I don't drink while typing. Anyway, when I took the first picture it was only raining rather lightly so I could leave it outside for a few minutes without getting soaking wet myself. The camera survived it as well. The X220i was unimpressed, though fairly wet and dirty on the outside afterwards.

A few days passed and I started thinking: "Maybe I didn't leave it outside long enough" As if fate wanted it, it was pouring buckets on that day. Basically, a lovely day to take your ThinkPad outside. So that's what I did. Again. Sure enough I got soaking wet, as did my X220i in a matter of seconds. I needed to get my camera though so the X220i was left to enjoy the rain for a few minutes. When I came back I took a picture as quickly as I could which wasn't easy considering that rain was splashing into my eyes and onto the camera lens. That's why the second picture looks a bit shaky.

The X220i took quite a serious hit this time round. When carrying it through the room water was dripping out of the drainage system (those two holes on the bottom) and the system was very heavy because of all the water it had collected. I also noticed some sand or dirt had gotten stuck in the hinges and under the key caps.

The X220 worked flawlessly though. I decided to take it apart and dry it anyway. The inside was surprisingly dry already with only a few drops here and there, but all the ports had filled with water so I needed to blow it out causing it to land in my face. To make a long story short, the X220 still lives up to this day. I would never have expected this from a Lenovo ThinkPad, but there you have it.

Guess newer models still have what it takes after all.

And yes, water is not the only kind of abuse I have put my X220 through.


-Cheers

[emeraldgirl08]

No shampoo or soap for your TP??!!!

You brute!

[yak]

OH
MY
GOD

[pianowizard]

But from what I've heard most ThinkPads still don't even survive a cup of water.

Who said that? I once had an HP business-class netbook that survived half a can of orange juice poured quickly onto its keyboard. (I later damaged the keyboard while cleaning it but that's my own fault.) If a netbook can survive that, most standard business-class laptops should, as long as they are sitting upright.

[wolfman]

I've seen a W520 take a full 20-24 ounces of coffee dead center of the keyboard and that was 15 months or so ago and that machine (my bosses) works perfectly fine (we did replace the keyboard afterwords).

[ajkula66]

The worst I've ever seen was what must've been a full pint of Cherry Garcia that made its way into the tiny body of X24...and the smell once I took the keyboard off...

[600X]

Who said that? I once had an HP business-class netbook that survived half a can of orange juice poured quickly onto its keyboard. (I later damaged the keyboard while cleaning it but that's my own fault.) If a netbook can survive that, most standard business-class laptops should, as long as they are sitting upright.

Multiple people over at the German ThinkPad Forum have experienced their ThinkPad die because of a cup of water, coffee or even red whine. True, these were probably the worst cases and other owners who's ThinkPads survived most likely didn't share their experience but I was still wondering why so many "spill-proof" ThinkPads didn't survive a spill.

Now after soaking my own ThinkPads I can say: Those users must have been really unlucky. Like I stated, ThinkPads do survive this kind of torture easily after all.

[Medessec]

I'll have to try something like this with one of my Thinkpads... although I'm really scared to do anything with any of mine. The gripe of having really unique Thinkpads(SXGA+ X60T, UXGA T60p, W700 /w digitizer)

I did however decide to see how well a 310ED would cope with being tossed from about a 15-20 ft height, when I was 14. It didn't go well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XXP790gqCM

[Mark@Lenovo]

Aurora,

Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing these - definitely got some attention over at Lenovo.

Very cool.

Mark

[Tasurinchi]

It was brave exposing the TP to rain!

Even knowing hat Thinkpads can take quite a beat, I would never dare to expose any of mine to rain in purpose

[crashnburn]

Pack in a Retina screen and I am good to go.

[bemymonkey]

As of today, you're officially my hero

[Cola]

Wow, very nice indeed!

Also, I dunno if you've seen it, but you're on Lenovo's official facebook page now.

[Mornsgrans]

Poooh - you're lucky.

Because rain water contains less salts than drinking water (pH less than 7), there is a lower risk of a short by the water.

[wlmeng11]

Does anyone know the difference between the X220i and X220?

Also, nice wallpaper.

[Puppy]

OMG Does ThinkPad Protection service cover that ?

[lead_org]

Does anyone know the difference between the X220i and X220?

Also, nice wallpaper.

Usually the X220i comes with the i3 CPU. There is no physical build quality difference between the X220i and X220.

[thePCxp]

That was amazing, Aurora! Thanks for sharing that with us and showing that ThinkPads still have what it takes!

[Tõnis]

I love these pictures! The ThinkPads in the rain are interesting, but I'm very curious what the large cut down trees stacked over on the side are for, firewood?

[600X]

I love these pictures! The ThinkPads in the rain are interesting, but I'm very curious what the large cut down trees stacked over on the side are for, firewood?

Yes, that's firewood. We have our own forest to provide us with wood for heating our water. We also have a wood oven.

[Cunha]

I've seen a single droplet of water run down inside the bezel of a thinkpad and damage the display.

Spills on the keyboard are no problem though.

I'm surprised your display didn't get damaged.

[Ash]

The water can soak in the panel's refractor sheets, but you can open it up carefully and dry them

Just avoid leaving fingerprints on the sheets, dont try to wipe them as you'll leave spots, ands dont use anything with fiber (toilet paper) to soak the water as you'll leave fibers

Let dry and reassemble