One more question for T40 owners

[mocca]

I just notice recently on both T40 and T40p that I have that the LCD when the computer start (just when the IBM splash screen disappear and load up Windows logo loading screen) that the screen is a little bit flickering. I can see some white horizontal lines on the screen (only for a fraction of a second) similar to screen flickering effect). This only happen when the screen refresh when starting up Windows (between the IBM splash screen and the Windows loading screen). Do you see this effect on your T40 or T40p?

Mocca

 

[Bloodstein]

Nopez...

Time to complain

 

[taftalidje]

Mocca,
I've got my T40 3 weeks ago directly from IBM. No display flicker so far.
BTW, what is a deal on the pre-installed WinXP Pro? I didn't receive any CD. Called IBM and asked what to do if need to reinstall OS. They sent me 4 CDs with IBM recovery software, but still no WinXP.
I just bought a new OEM Hitachi 80Gb HDD from NewEgg. Where can I get HDD bracket identical to one that came from IBM with original HDD? I could't find it neither at NewEgg and IBM, nor by "Googling" the web.
Do you use 2nd hard drive for the T40 using the HDD Adapter for Ultrabay Slim?

 

[mocca]

About the flickering screen, it is very brief and if you don't look at the screen carefully, you might not see it (it only appear to be about two or three flickering before the Windows loading screen come up). I see this on both T40 I have and another one in the computer center here in my university as well. I didn't pay much attention to it at first since it doesn't affect any usgae and only appear between the IBM splash screen (when booting computer) and the Windows laoding screen). The flickering is only about two or three time and look more like screen refreshing (hard to explain).

About the recovery cd, the one that IBM sent to you will reformat your HDD and reinstall OS and programs to the factory status. If you want to install Windows XP only, you will have to use your own WinXP copy AFAIK. As for the partitioning HDD, you don't have a choice either if you use the recovery cd. You can either get a program that do the partitioning after WinXP installation or install fresh WinXP from your own copy. I talked to IBM about this too but it seem to be industry standard by now that you don't get a Windows CD, only recovery cd which is pretty much useless if you want to configure the Windows installation as you want to. The drive carrier can be bought from IBM directly (I remember seeing it about a month ago on the IBM web site.

Mocca

 

[NeoMadHatter]

you guys should start a IBM T40 website with all the stuff you guys have. all this information is probably very important to others and would serve as a good resource for all those who are looking into getting one. just a thought. i'd get one if i could afford one. i have to stick with my dell 600m instead.

 

[eriqesque]

Linkage

Anything you guys have to offer I am sure he will use.

 

[nanyangview]

mocca..i have that line too on my new IBM t40P (64MB M9GL)

who cares..it won affect usage

 

[mocca]

I'm just curious about what cause this problem. To be honest, it is getting quite annoying to me now since I notice it everytime I start up my laptop. Anyway, I went to the computer center in my university and they have the XGA version of T40 there so I tested it as well. The XGA screen do indeed flicker too but doesn't produce the white horizontal lines. This might be becuase of lower bandwidth needed for the XGA LCD refreshing process (just pure guess here). I also talked to an IBM certified technician there. He seem to be surprise that this happen (the Dell D600 and D800 doesn't have this problem) and ask me to send him more info about this and he will post it on the certified support forum. I sent him the info and will post back here if I get any solution to this problem.

Once you notice it, it really get annoying considered that I paid $3k each for the T40p and T40 I have here and the screen still flickering and having that annoying horizontal lines (which should not be there).

Mocca

 

[mocca]

BTW, nanyangview, you see the horizontal lines or just the screen is flickering? On both my T40 and T40p, I can see couple of horizontal lines when the screen is flickering (look like the screen is refreshing but cannot refresh fast enough).

Mocca

 

[taftalidje]

Mocca,

Yesterday I checked for horizontal lines, and YES, I noticed them too. Then I upgraded my T40 with a new 80Gb Travelstar. Both, HDD and that recovery package from IBM are really impressive.

Anyway, I got all the latest updates for WinXP and drivers, INCLUDING ONE FROM ATI, and guess what - NO MORE HORIZONTAL LINES mentioned above.

Just to let you know guys.

PS. I could not find that HDD carrier (bracket) at IBM site.

 

[mocca]

I update the driver but it doesn't help What model of T40 do you have, taftalidje? And do you have XGA or SXGA+ LCD? Because the XGA lcd also refresh the screen as well (three times to be exact between the IBM and windows loading screen) but doesn't produce the horizontal lines. On the SXGA+, on the other hand, do produce these lines and it is quite random from machine to machine.

The HDD carrier for the ultrabay slim part number is 62P4554. You can goto the IBM website and search for this part number. IIRC, it is $45.

Mocca

 

[taftalidje]

Mocca,
I've got 2373A1U (1.6GHz, 1Gb of memory, Radeon9000 with 32Mb) with SXGA+.

Thanks for carrier info. But, I did not look for a 2nd HDD carrier. I was looking for a dingy metal bracket, like the one that has carried my original 40Gb HDD. I've got my 80Gb HDD from Newegg as an OEM product, without bracket for $237.00, and I currently use it as my primary (and only) HDD. The same stuff at IBM site is sold for $499.00, but it appears with bracket.

 

[nanyangview]

mocca, i dun get it what u mean

i only see the white lines for a split second during bootup but everything else is rock stable

no flickering whatsover in WinXP.

 

[mocca]

nanyangview, yes that is exactly what I meant, the white lines that appear when the screen flickering or refreshing (just split second). In Windows XP, it is rock solid as well but the white lines annoy me greatly once I know it is there. What I don't understand is that why is these lines show up between the IBM and Windows loading screen?

Mocca

 

[taftalidje]

Mocca,
Sorry for earlier misinformation ... white lines are back again.

 

[mocca]

nanyangview, BTW, do you use the same handle at the Rage3D? If so, can you explain to me what happen with the flickering/shimmering lines on the R9800P? I'm thinking about getting one of this series but I cannot find the original post that contains the symptom of the problem?

taftalidje, you can probably call IBM and see if they can sell you the HDD cover (I believe that is what it is called). I believe the LCD flickering on the T40/p can be fixed with a new BIOS update. Hopefully, the IBM certified technician can find some more info about this problem.

Mocca

 

[nanyangview]

for the shimmering problem, radeon 9800 do not suffer from the problem. My AIW 9700 are plaqued by that problem pretty bad and it took me several RMAs to get me the latest revision to get the it fixed.

so if ur getting the R9800, ur pretty much 99% safe from the problem. I said 99% cos i saw some members on the board have shimmering problem too on their 9800. But it is a safer buy than the first generation 9700 and AIws

 

[azazello]

The video card switches display modes when going from the boot screen to the Windows startup screen. (Obviously installing the drivers won't affect that, since the drivers are not loaded when the alleged flicker occurs.) It's not unusual for the card to output crap on screen when switching modes - it's effectively resetting itself, and if the procedure is not implemented perfectly (i.e. the buffer is not wiped before switching modes), the display is stuck for a moment with a corrupt buffer from the previous video mode. I get that when switching video modes in XP - a thin line of garbage on the bottom of the screen. That said, I have never seen the flicker in question, but I wouldn't worry about it if your display and backlight functions fine when <b>not</b> switching video modes.

 

[Viper0329]

Is it just me, or do people seem really damn picky about the T40 now? Not trying to thread cap.


I've never noticed it with mine.

 

[azazello]

Well, I do think that Mocca's pickiness has cost IBM several hundred dollars by now. Some of his "problems" are quite ridiculous.

 

[mocca]

What do you mean? My problems are either solved by info on this web board or by sending in my unit for service (which I did once because of the messed up LCD with vertical lines on the LCD). How did I cost IBM if I ask questions about problems on this board, please explain? And this is not about pickiness either, it is about getting some problems or issues that I didn't expect solved. I use many laptops in the past and all of them pass the same tests as my current T40 and T40p. I've never see anything like this on other laptops I have which make me curious a lot about this.

As for people being a little bit more critical about the IBM T40, it is just natural. When you pay more for something (in this case a lot more since T40p cost $3.5k after tax and everything), you expect a better quality out of it. It is just natural unless you have tons of money to spend or don't really care about it because either you don't pay for it by yourself or you just simply don't care. If you don't care about somehting, it doesn't mean that other doesn't.

From many of my questions, posts and other people on this board and on the IBM forum, many issues have been identified and solutions are found (i.e., the noise from processor area issues, etc.) So please do not post something like my posts cost IBM money or T40 users are picky. I believe every T40/p users that post questions on this board didn't do it to complaine but rather try to find a solution for the problem. Please do not complain when someone asking a question that you might not see a problem or merit out of it. Be thankful when you find a solution ot your problem when someone spent a lot of time posting, analyzing, and discuss the problem to get the solution.

Mocca

 

[azazello]

You have cost IBM a considerable amount of money in technical support by sending back laptops with superfluous problems. (Not that your actions can hurt IBM financially in any tangible way...) Most of the problems you describe are inherent in the design of the T40 line or the components used, and are the result of a reasonable manufacturing trade-off. I understand that IBM (and, in no small part, ATI) overcharges for the T40p since it's their flagship, but your discussion of every little imperfection is not going to change the way they are manufactured, and as I view it, is mostly a waste of time. I definitely didn't find the solution to any potential T40 problems from your "analysis". In fact, I don't consider anything that you discussed to be problems - merely design limitations.

Oh, and T40 users are picky, almost by definition - if they weren't, they would just choose any one of the less "perfectionist" models.

 

[mocca]

If you consider the problems that I and other T40/p users discuss here as merely imperfection and willing to accept them, it is your opinion. Let me states the obvious again, everyone have different standard and opinions. You might consider something as normal and merely an incovenient or just an annoyance, while some people might consider the same problem as something that need to be fixed. Everyone is entitle to their own opinion and if you don't have anything useful to discuss on the topic of a thread, then please don't. By saying that I sent few of laptops back to mfg because of the problems I have will cost IBM doesn't help anything since you don't even know why did I sent them back. Understand that everytime I sent laptops back to mfg (I did this a few times in the past since I purchased at least 20 of them in the past few years, both for myself and for works), I pay for the new one and accept the double charges in the mean time before they refund my account. If the machines are not defective, I would not bother sending them back and accept the charges and waste my time on them.

Most of the time I sent the laptop back is because they have obvious defect such as the casing is dent or the laptop is DOA. On the current T40 and T40p, I didn't sent them back nor have any plan to do so. I sent one in FOR SERVICE because of the broken LCD (permanent vertical lines on the LCD). So, if you don't have any insight or anything useful about the topics, please don't post here. It is not only distract people from the discussion but also rude (as per stealing people thread). Not to mention, you attack me without understanding the whole saga. If you must know, the T40p I sent back to IBM have a BIG dent on the palmrest area which any idiot will notice it (still don't understand how can it pass the QC). Another one have SCRATCH (permanent if you must know) on the LCD which again make me doubt the IBM QC very much. I don't normally return anything unless it cannot be solved via support or it is obvious that there is something wrong with it.

As per T40 user is picky by nature, then you must also think that people that buy top-of-the-line Acura, Mercedez, etc. are also the same. Evryone entitle to their expectation for something they buy, don't put your opinion or pass your judgement on others just because you are not like them.

Mocca

 

[mocca]

Oh, I forgot to mention the solutions to the buzzing noise problem. There are two partial solutions (which we, user of T40/p found, not IBM tech support):

1) Call IBM and get a new AC Adapter (02Kxxxx part number).
2) Reduce the graphic hardware acceleration by a notch (hardly affects any gfx performance, at most by 5%).

When apply both solutions, the noise is reduced by more than 50-75%. This noise is very loud in some system (as few other T40/p users can tell you and my own T40 system) and minor on some systems (as the T40p I have here). If you don't notice the noise, then good for you but it doesn't mean that it is not a problem for others.

Mocca

Add: I will stop bantering with you at this point. It is just pointless since it is obvious that we have different opinion. I simply want to find out who have this problem or anyone have any solution to the annoying lines problems. If you don't consider it as a problem, then simply ignore the post. Thanks.