Thinkpad T400 Build quality

[prince_kassad14]

where are the experts ??

does any one have a complain from his T400 ? please give me your vote

please give a degree from 1 to 10

1- Build quality =
2- Performance =
3- Keyboard =
4- features =
5- portability =

i love to hear your comments after giving your degree

please advice me

[Brad]

My experience with a second hand T400 that I picked up about 4 months ago is as follows:

1- Build quality = 9
2- Performance = 10
3- Keyboard = 10 (after replacing the shipped keyboard with the Lenovo recommended replacement)
4- features = 8 (LCD not 4:3 and no flexview)
5- portability = 8

My .02c

Brad

[defender]

Hello
I have a T23 - no problems, great laptop
I have a T41 - he is still at a local laptop service, having problems with the video chipset...because of some flex in my bag
I have a T400 - one month and no problems. Good laptop, nice looking, good performance and an interesting feeling when I compare him with other brands - looks, design, quality, thinklight and so long
In my opinion all the goods today have some poor quality than the older ones: cars, electronics, everything. I never compare the quality of a T23 with a T400, that's the era - never compare the quality of an old mercedes with a new one's.
But being a Thinkpad lover, they have to be really worse compare to the other laptop brands to make me change my mind and give up on T model But...as I look on my T400, I'll still be a Thinkpad guy many years from now

sorry for my english, not a native english speaker

[Brad]

Welcome to the forum!

You have a nice collection there. Thanks for sharing.

Brad

[Marin85]

And I would add nice battery life with the 9-cell due to switchable graphics and improved overall power saving and LED-backlit display.

[prince_kassad14]

you know what you encourage to buy T400 i am so happy to hear that about my future laptop
but another question here what about the flexes that guys talking about ?

1- flex in keyboard ( is it horrible ? ) or acceptable ?
2- flex in the right keyboard and flex in the right and left side of the touch bad ?
3- the plastic frame around the screen ?

i want the experts opinion about that ?

in the comparison of the other brands , Thinkpad still the king ?

share me experts

[Tony Chan]

Based on 5 months ownership with my T400 with led backlight, integrated graphics, and keyboard replaced with T61 nmb by Lenovo :

1- Build quality = 8 ( palmrest squeaking when pressed, more than any of the previous thinkpads I owned ).
2- Performance = 10 ( what can I say. More power than I even need for a laptop, GREAT battery time ).
3- Keyboard = 9 ( would have give it a 10 if I didn't own a T40p with nmb keyboard ).
4- features = 9 ( very tempted to give it a 10 as well, if it comes with sxga+ screen and/or flexview screen with led backlight of course )
5- portability = 8 ( would have give it a 9 too but once you hold a x200/x300, the bar sets too high for me ).

Overall it's a great machine. My company use Dell laptops and they really have improved a lot with their latest models, but there's still noticable gap. I think things I like most comparing with my previous T6x/R6x are :
- great range of brightless for the led screen. Now I can use it under outdoor easily
- great battery time. a 6 cell typically last for 5hrs and I can get a 9 cell and/or ultrabay to extend to close to 10hrs !!!
- very good wireless ( I have 5300 N ), lots of features ( bluetooth, firewire, thinklight, camera, and different options for ultrabay.
- reasonably "futureproof" as it will take 8Gb ram, WiMax ungradable, cpu can be swap in future.
- and I'm sure there are more...

Hope this helps.

[wswartzendruber]

I'm about to publicly sacrifice my sanity here, but I did slam my fist down as hard as I could on my (closed) display. I knocked out part of the HDD, but the screen is fine. The owner of the house told me to not break the tiles off his counter.

[archer6]

The First Four Months With My T400

1) Build = 9.5 / No creaks or random noises. High quality materials, very nicely assembled.
2) Performance = 10 / Bought a CTO and maxed it out with the fastest processor, most ram, etc.
3) Keyboard = 10 / Hey.... it's a ThinkPad and the finest keyboard of any laptop. Great tactile feedback.
4) Features = 8.0 / Above average "regular" TFT, if Lenovo provided a better display that would make it a 10.
5) Portability = 9.5 / Wow... at only 4.7 lbs, you gotta be kidding me, super easy to carry.

Nice laptop... I endorse it completely.

Cheers...

[prince_kassad14]

thank you all guys for your reply its very helpfull

[archer6]

<snip> Based on 5 months ownership with my T400 by Lenovo : #5- portability = 8 ( would have give it a 9 too but once you hold a x200/x300, the bar sets too high for me ).<snip>

As far as portability?

I do have an excellent solution that I have personally implemented and tested. I simply bought an X301 as well, nice and portable...

Oh, and by the way... the only thing better than a new ThinkPads is several new ThinkPads!

I know I'm so sick...

Cheers...

[Tony Chan]

Haha.. you know what? I seem to pick up bad habbits from forum members here ( of stocking up tps ) and actually have been thinking of getting a X301 as well, but money gets in the way

Besides, I'm afraid that I get so used to the powerful cpu of T400, I might not content with X301's cpu. I do plan on getting a ssd into my T400 too.

[lordy]

deployed around 200 T400's so far

1- Build quality = 7 (flex above the keyboard and palm rest, more than T61)
2- Performance = 10 (plenty fast despite bloated SOE, great battery life)
3- Keyboard = 5 (seen quite a few keyboards with dud keys or trackpoint buttons when unboxed new, plus fair bit of flex compared to previous models)
4- features = 9 (LED backlit screen, WAN options)
5- portability = 8 (size is quite good, although even the 6 cell battery sticks out the back)

other things of note:
- no IDE ultra bay's available with new SATA connector, this is quite annoying as we are refreshing from T43's >.<
- 9 cell battery performance is like wow
- wireless and ethernet has been quite problematic, pretty sure its driver issues tho, only problem is that we are using the latest Lenovo drivers (WinXP). although Intel Reference Drivers solve these issues

[cseufert]

1- Build quality = 8
While its not classis IBM style build quality, its up there. Mine has a bit of warpage along the back edge, its pretty pronounced when you look at it with the lid shut, the gap between the lid & chassis is all over the place.
2- Performance = 9
Wish it had just abit more graphics grunt, i have the discrete option, plays TF2/CS Source ok, havent tried anything newer on it.
3- Keyboard = 10
For some reason i got a nice keyboard (alot of people seem to get one where the back of the keyboard id like perforated sheet metal, mines just plain sheet, no flex there.
4- features = 9
Pretty amazing what they can pack in these fellas
5- portability = 10
Yar, apart from the 9 cell battery sticking out a fair way, and weighing more than the laptop (almost), its [censored] portable for how capable it is.

The Wifi reception is fantastic. Runs nicely, Vista is abit of a pig thou at times (as is the nature of the beast). And the factory pre-load has alittle too much that runs at startup for my taste.

[Dead1nside]

My initial impressions are it's lighter than the T61, seems cooler also. Performance is better too. Build quality is maybe half a mark lower than the T61, but then again it is studier in some parts. The keyboard is still fine.

[CLARANCE]

does any one have a complain from his T400 ? please give me your vote

please give a degree from 1 to 10

1- Build quality = 8 (I think I can accept this quality, It fit my demand, although non Magnesium alloy shell )
2- Performance =9 ( very well performance, after add 2GB ram )
3- Keyboard =8 ( sometime miss my T42 keybord)
4- features = 9 ( yes , It's thinkpad.)
5- portability =7 ( if you run all day ,choice X)

[732]

1- Build quality = 9
2- Performance = 10
3- Keyboard = 9-10 depends which one you get (6 different available) - I prefer NMB without holes. The worst is Chicony with holes.
4- features = 7 no HDMI, no webcam by standard, no high end graphics card available
5- portability = 9

[archer6]

does any one have a complain from his T400 ? please give me your vote

I love my T400 and my report says it all...
http://www.thinkpads.com/forum/viewtopi ... 16#p497916

Cheers...

[asiafish]

1- Build quality = 9
2- Performance = 9
3- Keyboard = 7
4- features = 10
5- portability = 11

I bumped the keyboard down because of the flex issue (mine is a Sep 08 production) but back up because of extremely good feel and lack of flex on the T61 replacement keyboard

Features a perfect 10 because, well, this thing is loaded

Yes, an ELEVEN for portability because who can complain about 13 hour battery life (9 cell + ultrabay), gotta love that.