RANT: Disappointed with Thinkpads

Discussion in 'hardware' started by mattdocs12345, Apr 13, 2014.

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  1. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    I have been a devoted thinkpad user for the past 10 years. I must have owned at least 7 of them. Anything from the IBM produced to the new ones designed by lenovo. Now ever since lenovo took over thinkpads started to slowly loose their original looks. In the past few years their functionality and build quality also started to suffer. My thinkpad x230, only 11 months old and it already has loose hinges. Meanwhile my 10 year old T23 hinges did not give a bit. The screen on my x230 now has white spots and increased dark shade at the bottom of the LCD. It is just not the quality that I would expect.
    Few days ago I checked out Lenovo website, just out of curiosity. To my suprise the new Lenovo laptops now look like Macbooks. Their screen hinges are more towards the bottom of the chasis. Which means I can no longer hyper-extend my screen. This mostly is a cosmetic change but it makes me wonder whether I should just get a macbook instead of the copy cat. What really is pushing me towards the edge are two serious issues; 1) no more dedicated trackpoint buttons and 2) very week hinges.
    These are no longer cosmetic changes but some serious changes to my workflow. I wont be able to utilize trackpoint the way I used to. Not to mention the loose hinges...
    A few months back I went to apple store with a family member who was getting a new macbook for college. Their 13 inch macbooks have strong hinges. The retina screen is beautiful and from what I read much better customer service than lenovo when it comes to repairs.
    So next year I will be getting a new laptop. And for the first time in 10 years it will not be a thinkpad.
    Im disappointed because I loved the brand and it is sad to see it gone. There are still older thinkpads out there, but they will never be my primary laptops. I will be probably getting a macbook. Just for their solid build quality.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2014
  2. dansorin

    dansorin Registered Member

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    this was expected since lenovo took over. no other way around to get it cheaper, but to loose quality. otherwise, ibm would still be selling the thinkpads. still, i'm using a lenovo and i find it better than dell (in the same price category).
     
  3. whitedragon551

    whitedragon551 Registered Member

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    We use Lenovo exclusively in our company (Managed Services Provider) and we havent had a single issue with Lenovo sending replacement parts under warranty.

    Your issue is the X series. They are pretty terrible. We stick to the T430's+ or the M92/M93 desktop series and they are fantastic.
     
  4. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    My biggest issue is lack of trackpoint buttons. Without proper trackpoint support I loose all incentive to buy thinkpads. Even if I find thinkpads with better hinges, I won't buy them. Lenovo killed the thinkpad brand for me.
     
  5. henryg

    henryg Registered Member

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    Ever since Lenovo took over.... Things haven't been the same. The changes came very gradually. The looks have changed and so did the steel hinges. That is why I'm planning on holding on my X220. Intel i7, with dual SSD drives (Intel SSD 2.5" and Intel SSD mSATA). And best of all... it handles 16 Gigs. of ram.
    I was just about to order an X240, but to my surprise, it appears that the maximum memory is only 8 Gig's.
    Initially, it seemed that the Chinese would follow the old IBM traditions.... Unfortunately, that is not the case.
     
  6. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    I feel like I got burned on X230 with its weak hinges. I was considering getting X220 but I think it is just time for me to jump the ship.
     
  7. henryg

    henryg Registered Member

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    HP? Or other make?
     
  8. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    Before I buy I need to see the laptop itself. There are certain annoyances that I can't stand:
    - loose hinges
    - flexing keyboard
    - screen not glued to the plastic rim
    - loose battery
    - poor quality display
    I have recently visited apple store and to my surprise, macbooks have improved significantly since 3-4 years ago. Their hardware looks rock solid. I still didn't do enough research when it comes to hinges in the new macbooks but from hands on experience they are much tighter than those on my X230. It almost seems like the quality of apple and lenovo products has reversed over the years. With apple getting better and better and lenovo going down the drain.
    Sadly... no more trackpoint. So I will still explore HP but I will not sacrifice poor built quality for trackpoint experience.
     
  9. whitedragon551

    whitedragon551 Registered Member

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    The X1 Carbon has trackpoint. They redid the way the touch pad works. It takes some getting used to but once your used to it, its really no different than it was.
     
  10. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    To be fair Im gonna go to actual store and check out X1 Carbon and other new Thinkpads. Still, I feel like X230 hinges became way too loose after less than 1 year of usage. So I don't know how much faith I can put into anything made by lenovo these days.
     
  11. pajenn

    pajenn Registered Member

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    x1 carbon has the trackpoint and the screen turns 180 degrees; hinges seem fine. 360 degrees would be better (like Ideapad Yoga) since you can get it with touchscreen. my main dislike with x1 (the version i used at least), was the reconfigured F1-F12 keys. the new "adaptive" function keys are absolutely terrible and no actual user likes them. the top row of the keyboard basically displays keys you are supposed to need depending on the application, but actually you always just need the good old F1-F12 keys and now you have to press a separate key to make them appear, and they are flat, displayed keys so pressing them is harder.

    http://blog.laptopmag.com/wpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lenovo-stuff-(16)_675287.jpg
     
  12. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    I watched a couple of reviews of the new touchpad on youtube. Looks like people who use trackpoint are at a loss.
    The new keyboard changes are not welcomed either but they can be adjusted to and are not used all the time unlike trackpoint.

    In the end Im probably gonna go with a macbook and slam debian xfce on it.
     
  13. Aryeh Goretsky

    Aryeh Goretsky Security Expert

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    Hello,

    If the unit is 11 months old it should still be under warranty. Get it repaired now while you can. If there was a design or manufacturing flaw in an early revision of the product, sending it will get it serviced, and the guarranty on that should be good for a few more months, even after the main warranty has expired. You might also want to look into extending the warranty as well.

    Regards,

    Aryeh Goretsky
     
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