t43 fingerprint reader upgrade?

[holr]

hi! I just bought a 2nd hand t43p from ebay and its a model without the fingerprint reader. Is it possible to upgrade the laptop and manually fit the parts so it will work with the fingerprint reader?

thanks!

[Delmarco]

I think the fingerprint reader is the most overrated and underused thing that ever came with consumer end laptops & PDAs in the history of computers. It is also the most expensive frill as well. I know about 9 people at my job and others I've met at the neighborhood Starbucks who have fingerprint readers on their IBMs and whiles everyone seems happy to have it, they either rarely use it or don't even know if it works. Like two people out of the 20 or so I've met use it regularly. One works for the government and the other guy told me, jokingly, it keeps his significant other from finding naughty stuff on his laptop.

I've seen the upgrade on the manual.pdf (see the FAQ section), where you can upgrade the palmrest and replace it with another. I'm pretty certainyou can replace the non-fingerprint palm rest with a fingerprint palm rest.

However, in terms of getting it to work with the rest of the system is beyond my knowledge. But I'm sure it's something you aren't gonna lose sleep if you dont have, unless you are into security big time.

see the FAQs or check back here , someone will help better than i could soon.

[Nick Y]

I think the fingerprint reader is the most overrated and underused thing that ever came with consumer end laptops & PDAs in the history of computers.

I thought, when I orderd my T43, that the fingerprint reader would be unused. I surprised myself by actually loving it -so to speak. It does make logging in so easy, once you are used to it. (By that I mean swiping it correctly; sometimes I have to shade the reader, with my other hand, from sunlight, etc.) Also I have a fingerprint for my wife's 'account'. Then, if I have to do some maintenance or if she wants to use it after me, I can log out as me, log in as her and leave it set up so that she can use it.

Nick

[Delmarco]

I think the fingerprint reader is the most overrated and underused thing that ever came with consumer end laptops & PDAs in the history of computers.

I thought, when I orderd my T43, that the fingerprint reader would be unused. I surprised myself by actually loving it -so to speak. It does make logging in so easy, once you are used to it. (By that I mean swiping it correctly; sometimes I have to shade the reader, with my other hand, from sunlight, etc.) Also I have a fingerprint for my wife's 'account'. Then, if I have to do some maintenance or if she wants to use it after me, I can log out as me, log in as her and leave it set up so that she can use it.

Nick

how do you log in as your wife when she is not there? wouldn't you need her finger?

unless.....oh that would be gross.

[Nick Y]

how do you log in as your wife when she is not there? wouldn't you need her finger? unless.....oh that would be gross.

No, I do not keep one of her fingers in a drawer!
When I set up the account, I set up the password and I installed one of my fingerprints, which, in case anyone is worried about privacy, etc., she knows about. Also, while we have not put her fingerprint on my account so far, she knows the password and hence has access back.

Nick

[DIGITALgimpus]

I use it all the time.

IMHO the big security enhancement is nobody sees your password as you type it in.

Remember: just about all "hacking" involves "social engineering"... not a geek using command line like people think.

How do most find passwords? Just watch your fingers as you type it in. No big deal.

Most people use the same password for everything... so once you get that, you likely have their PW for anything.

[cmarti]

I have seen in many posts everyone talking about upgrade to fingerprint reader but, anyone out there has actualy done it?? Replacing the palm rest? What is required to do it?

It does not matter which IBM T40,41,42 or 43.

Tell us your experience..

[Delmarco]

ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... 192_01.pdf

page 94. describes how to remove, replace and re-install palm rest and/or fingerprint scanners on all T40s, T41s and T42s. You'll need adobe acrobat reader to view file.

or go here...
http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.ws ... MIGR-46464

If you got any T43 model see this file. The palm rest/fingerprint scanner replace and upgrade instructions are on page 95.
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... 9t6193.pdf


if you have trouble will link or need adobe reader go here
http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.ws ... MIGR-58837

The source site is from IBM (and it has detailed FRU/CRU manuals for ALL ThinkPads.):
http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.ws ... 39298.html

good luck

[andrey]

In order to upgrade to the fingerprint the one would need to replace the palmrest and the motherboard. This is the case on T42/T42p at least.

-- Andrey

[holr]

So I would need to replace the whole motherboard too, as well as the palmrest to get the integrated fingerprint reader? Its not a case of hooking up the reader to the existing motherboard? Im getting a 14.1" t43p w/o reader.

[andrey]

So I would need to replace the whole motherboard too, as well as the palmrest to get the integrated fingerprint reader? Its not a case of hooking up the reader to the existing motherboard? Im getting a 14.1" t43p w/o reader.

That is correct. T4x with fingerprint and T4x w/o fingerprint use two different types of motherboards.

-- Andrey

[holr]

ach, bugger. i guess its a luxury i can live without lol Thanks for the answers guys!

[xcoll2001]

In addition, if the user didn't set up a BIOS password it is quite easy to bypass a fingerprint password during startup. It is even written in the thinkpad manual on how to reset passwords and such.

[davidspalding]

Overrated? Underused? I thought so before I got my T43. Now, I use it EVERY time I boot up, wake up, lock the screen (like, every time I got up from the designer's table at Ethan Allen today to walk around), etc., etc. Oh, and I use it to save passwords for about two dozen frequently visited web sites that for one reason or another IE and/or Firefox won't memorize login info for.

Previous poster was right, using a finger-swipe is more secure than typing a password. Um, it's also A LOT EASIER. And FASTER. And more ACCURATE (less bungled swipes than mis-typing a 10+ character password with Caps, numbers, punctuation and precisely timed phlegm-clearing).

So to those chuckling lamers at Starbucks and work who can't be bothered to find out how it works, I say ... RTFM. It took me a few days, and like any information device, learning to use something is more than half the battle.

Now all that said ... if you DON'T have it ... you can live without it. It's not going to clear acne, make your breath minty fresh, or file your tax return for you.

[jeremyj2e]

I vote for the print reader as well. Thing about security is you don't know how important it is until you get hurt. It's like paying for car insurance, sucks until you need it.

[Nick Y]

... I use it to save passwords for about two dozen frequently visited web sites that for one reason or another IE and/or Firefox won't memorize login info for. ...

Sounds very useful but how did you do that? I have only been able to get it to log me in to the T43.

[davidspalding]

Hit CTRL + SHIFT + G. Or double-click the little red padlock icon in your Windows system tray.

Have fun.

[Nick Y]

Hit CTRL + SHIFT + G. Or double-click the little red padlock icon in your Windows system tray.

Have fun.

Thanks.