IBM T40/ T41 Flaws???

[randytho]

Anyone heard of or have an IBM T40/41 and have problems? How about something that annoys you about the notebook?

 

[Shivatron]

The only major (if you can call it that, I've never experienced it myself because I don't own a T-series yet; my 2373G1U is on order) problem I've heard of is a buzzing noise coming from the computer while on AC power. OldSpooky and mocca have had experiences with this problem IIRC and perhaps they would be willing to shed of light on the current status of the problem.

Other than that I've heard nothing but good, which is probably why I chose to buy one...

HTH!

[Edit: Yay for 100 posts!]

 

[azazello]

1) CPU/GPU power circuits buzz ever so slightly when in some power states, like in some instances of scrolling. Not usually noticeable.
2) If you're carrying your laptop with the rest of your junk, the metal sheet that is the top surface flexes when something pushes against it and may cause the LCD plastic to soil and scar against the navpad buttons, unless you insert something in between when closing
3) Status indicators could be better. Personally, I'd prefer bright small LEDs as opposed to icons like now.
4) Cisco's wifi drivers suck - they are the only reason I have to reboot every few weeks. Haven't tried the Intel or IBM minipci cards, but I suspect they're better.
5) The display contrast ratio sucks - the black is outrageously gray.
5) 3 hours on standard battery is still not long enough.
6) P-M 1.3 and M9 are still not fast enough.
7) 512M/80G is still not big enough. You get the idea... (These two will be upgraded though.)

Kicks the ass out of any other laptop I've seen, though.

 

[UltraWide]

I went through 3 T40p's (2373G5U) before giving up on them. 2 of them had bad pixels and the last one had a bad hinge. 2 were from Mexico and 1 from China. Overall the quality is there, it's just that little things are messed up.
The breakdown:

Made in China:
T40p (#1): 1 dead pixel, misaligned LCD cover, everything else good. (not too bad in my book)

Made in Mexico:
T40p (#2) : Creaking hinge, would have become a problem later on.
T40p (#3) : 2 dead pixels, good otherwise.

I returned my T40p and just went with an X24. It came with no dead pixels and it's Made in Korea . I still like my electronics to be made in Japan or Korea, I don't care if China and Mexico have ISO 9000 certified facilities, they still suck.

 

[Pandaren]

I have a T40 made in China. IBM did a great job designing the machine, but there are a few things that could use improvement.

1) There are slight buzzing noises that seem to come from the power circuit areas, but usually I do not notice them.

2) Battery is loose (Sanyo model). Apparently the Sony batteries don't have this problem. I used packing foam to buffer the battery.

3) Keyboard flexed a little bit on the right hand side. Three small and very thin strips of foam fixed that problem.

4) Left palmrest creaks a bit on the edge right above the PC Card slots.

These are all relatively minor problems that I think will be ironed out eventually. Overall, the T40 is a very solid and easy to use machine.

 

[randytho]

Thanks. These are exactly the things I want to know.

Keep em coming!

UltraWide,
About the X24.. it uses a seperate "dock" for internal CD drives right? How do you like that? I'm wanting to go with something small but keep an internal drive.

I've pretty much settled on a T41 as of now, but want to explore all options.

 

[thelittleprincess]

i have the t-40 model 2379-D6U made in china. i really like it overall.

slight negatives: it's an express model so i couldn't configure it - 256mb is not enough - need to upgrade; the thinklight doesn't shed enough light to be worth anything; i can see wht people are saying about pressing on the cover and possibly the screen getting scratched by the nav button -but it hasn't happened so far.

some people complain about the right side under the wrist getting warm - mine does get a bit warm, but doesn't bother me. (I use a targus cooling pad, so maybe that helps with increasing air circulation so that it doesn't get too hot)

people also complain about the buzzing sound - i hear it - but it's so slight compared to other laptops. i go to school where laptops are requirements, and i get so annoyed with everyone else's laptop buzzing loudly. i almost got a fujitsu and am glad i didn't - even though the fujitsu has a dvd burner, it is sooooooo loud. i know 3 people who have it and i can hear it buzz even four seats away. mine sounds like a low whirling sound - that's it.

it's light - love that definitely. no pixel problems. battery life about 3 hours - give or take. most everyone says that's good but i find it frustrating that i can't go without the ac adapter when i go to class (8 to 3pm with lunch hour break....so i can't even go without the ac adapter.) i use a linksys for wireless internet and my internal 802.11b works well (it's just my stupid modem from verizon that sucks - i'm always having to unplug it and re-plug to get my internet connection back)

hmmm... keyboard is alright to use - i think it's a little smaller than standard keyboards and it is "missing" the numerical keypads that's usually found on the right side of keyboards. i actually like the nav button. kinda feel like i really didn't need to buy the cordless mouse i have. i can't think of anything else at this moment. hope i helped. oh yeah, i also bought mine direct from ibm.com with a stockholder discount....but either i couldn't get 3 year warrenty on it because a) it's an express model or 2) i live in california. can't remember which was the reason, but i know it's one of those.

 

[randytho]

The express models... at least the T41s I looked at included std 3 year warranty. If you don't mind me asking what kind of a discount did you get?

Also to everyone who owns one, did you get the Thinkpad protection warranty to cover accidental damage?

 

[Biggs]

-uses a single slot cover for both PCMCIA slots
-LCD manufacturer varies(Samsung, ID Tech, LG). I heard there is a fourth one for the new T41's but I forgot the name
-the placement of the I/O ports aren't "practical". Personally, I prefer the arrangement in the T2x series
-quality varies in the sense that I've read some complaints of the keyboard not properly secured, lots of flexing on the wrist rest area, loose batteries, missing screw cover(s), etc.
-extended battery(T40P) is unsightly
-keyboard still doesn't compare to the ones used on the 600-series(though much better than the T2x series)
-lack of a firewire port
-read some reports that the CPU fan seems to be constantly spinning(i.e. doesn't slow down when there is little load)

 

[Pandaren]

-the placement of the I/O ports aren't "practical". Personally, I prefer the arrangement in the T2x series

The T40's port placement actually makes more sense. It is much easier for me to plug in ethernet or modem cables into the left side than in the back. Also, having side USB ports makes it very easy for me to use a USB Memory key. On my old Dell system, I would have to turn my notebook around and plug the key into the back of the machine (which I found annoying).

 

[UltraWide]

The only laptop I know that is X-series sized with an optical drive is the Panasonic Toughbook W2. I like my X24 a lot actually, it is small so that I can use it anywhere and it has wi-fi with the built-in antenna on the edge of the screen, just like the T40p. The X24 can boot from my USB CDRW so it's not a problem for me, the rest of the installs I just do by sharing my desktop's DVD drive on the network. If you want a desktop replacement I would go with the T41(hopefully you are looking at a model with 1400x1050) but if you need a companion system to your desktop the ultraportables are not a bad choice.

 

[randytho]

Yes I am looking at the SXGA+. I'd like to see HDD capacities go up a little without price increase. Would be nice to have a 60 gig instead of the 40 gig. (5400 RPM of course.)

I also think the port placement is better on the side than back.


Thanks for all the info.

 

[thelittleprincess]

Originally posted by: randytho
The express models... at least the T41s I looked at included std 3 year warranty. If you don't mind me asking what kind of a discount did you get?

Also to everyone who owns one, did you get the Thinkpad protection warranty to cover accidental damage?

i paid $1649 or $1659 and it was originally $1949. why i chose the express model? b/c it offered sxga+ with the pentium 1.4ghz (i don't need anything higher thatn that...plus anything higher was really expensive for my range.) and after looking at the different screens, i really liked the sxga+. the lack of a warranty doesn't bother me anymore - i figured, most likely it it craps out, it would occur right when the warranty is over (just the luck i would expect) and by the end of three years, i'd probably want a new one. if you can afford it, configure the laptop however you want - i just needed the minimum in terms of processor - although i could use more memory now (256 is just a tad too slow) hope that helps.

 

[randytho]

Looks like I need to find a friend with that discount.

 

[Shanteli]

One thing that was pretty annoying was the fact that the keybard had no "Windows" key.

 

[Pandaren]

One thing that was pretty annoying was the fact that the keybard had no "Windows" key.

It's really a non-issue. The IBM keyboard customizer software allows you to set the right hand ALT key to act as a windows key.

 

[Viper0329]

Does the T40 play DVD+R's?

 

[MWink]

Originally posted by: Viper0329
Does the T40 play DVD+R's?

My T40 came with a Hitachi-LG DVD-ROM and it can read DVD+R discs but NOT DVD+RW discs.

 

[Yomicron]

Originally posted by: Viper0329
Does the T40 play DVD+R's?

I'm not sure. My T40 has a Matshita UJDA745 DVD/CD-RW combo drive, this comatibility list has the UJDA 710 and the 720 listed, so the 745 probably also supports DVD+Rs and just isn't listed.

On a side note, I know from personal experience that it can read DVD-RAMs.

 

[Shanteli]

Originally posted by: Pandaren

One thing that was pretty annoying was the fact that the keybard had no "Windows" key.

It's really a non-issue. The IBM keyboard customizer software allows you to set the right hand ALT key to act as a windows key.

Yes you can bypass it but it is still annoying.

 

[Biggs]

Originally posted by: Pandaren

-the placement of the I/O ports aren't "practical". Personally, I prefer the arrangement in the T2x series

The T40's port placement actually makes more sense. It is much easier for me to plug in ethernet or modem cables into the left side than in the back. Also, having side USB ports makes it very easy for me to use a USB Memory key. On my old Dell system, I would have to turn my notebook around and plug the key into the back of the machine (which I found annoying).

Well, like I said, it was my personal preference. For example, the placement of the USB ports can be a "hassle" when a right-handed person uses a mouse because the cord will have to travel "around" the back of the laptop. Basically, I like the sides to have a more "streamlined" and "cleaner" look, so to speak.

P.S.
Since the PCMCIA slots are placed on the extreme left, it is another point where flexing occurs.

 

[sciencewhiz]

My only complaint is the battery is a little loose. I also found that the brightest screen setting is too bright for me (but that's a good thing

How are you guys measuring battery life? I just got mine this week, but on saturday, I used it for an hour or so, then left it on standby for about 3 hours, then used it for about 3 hours, and the battery was only at 38%. And that was the standard battery, I haven't tried my 9-cell yet.

 

[xbum]

Originally posted by: Shanteli
One thing that was pretty annoying was the fact that the keybard had no "Windows" key.