Space between the harddrive and the touchpad T60

[johnnyzero]

What goes in the Space between the harddrive and the touchpad in the T60? I've been looking around the internet but so far come up with nothing. It looks like it could be where a card reader would go. Does anyone have any insights?

[LegendaryKA8]

Could you clarify this a little bit? From right to left, this is what you will find on top/inside/in front of the palmrest area:

Hard drive access door and HDD
Fingerprint Reader(if so equipped, on top)
Speakers(front edge)
Touchpad and Trackpoint buttons(top)
RAM slots(inside)
Wireless switch(front edge)
Infrared emitter(front edge)
Card Reader(PC and ExpressCard).

AFAIK, the T60 never had an integral card reader. I am simply using a PC-Card adapter to do that.

[johnnyzero]

Sorry that was kinda vague. My palm rest configuration is a little different from yours. I have a T60 (widescreen) model number 6369-6RU if that helps. From right to left, the setup is as follows:

Harddrive
fingerprint reader
touch pad
Ram (beneath touchpad)
wireless radio switch
IR Transmitter
and pc card reader (express and regular)

My speakers are in the back under the lcd (between keyboard and lcd). If you take the palm rest off, to the immediate left of the harddrive(between where the touchpad and fingerprint reader would be with the palm rest on) there is an empty space. In the front of the empty space the plastic from the bottom panel is lowered and there is a piece of clear plastic to the right of the gap where an led light would go. There is also a removable piece on the front edge of the palm rest just to the right of the touchpad right mouse button that covers where the slot is. If I need to give any more information let me know.

[johnnyzero]

Ok after much searching, I found my answer. http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=63063 Look at the T61p. Its got the front SD card slot. My only question is now, where do I find one of the readers?

[richk]

This is a confusing thread. Is it possible you have the wrong motherboard? The slot is part of the motherboard. (soldered on) Wide-screen T60 machines do not use the same MB as the 4:3 machines

[msb0b]

My T60 widescreen type 8743 has this door too. It's on the front edge to the right of the touchpad buttons. The door covers up a slot and a lightpipe. It does seem to be for a card reader, but the PCB behind the slot has no devices or traces. In the past, I thought it might be possible to affix a small USB reader there with double sided tape, but I have not found one small enough to fit.

[richk]

I need to retract my last post. I was looking at a T61 board. The T60 has a space for the reader, but there's "nobody home"

[spwhiting@]

My T60 widescreen (6371-CTO) has an opening to the right of the tochpad on the front edge that has a plastic cover on it. Does anyone know the FRU for the card reader and the connections to the motherboard?

[yak]

I found photos where the cover is visible, here's one:
http://taiwan.cnet.com/sharedmedia/Comp ... _101_o.jpg

Funnily, it isn't here:
http://www.widter.com/foto/lenovo/ThinkPad_T60Wide.jpg

Still, most of the photos I've seen had it.

Is it possible that the wide T60 shares some parts with T61? The FRUs seem to be different but judging from the photos they seem to be physically the same.

Anyway, my guess that the card reader cannot be retrofitted because the MB lacks the necessary components/connectors.

[johnnyzero]

Unfortunately, it does seem that the card reader is a part of the MB on certain T61p models. I was hoping it might have been like the bluetooth daughter card and could be added on. Oh well, thanks everybody for your help.