What's so good about IBM Thinkpads? - Page 2

IBM has the highest build quality of any brand. they have the best battery life, and their laptps last longer than any others. i still have an ibm from 1996 with win95 on it chugging along. the new ones have freaking airbags for when u drop them and integrated thumb print scanners. u cant beat ibm for inovative buisness machines.

Not really, but they do have accelerometers that turn off the hard drive when they detect motion or shock.

I just ordered a T43 yesterday. This is my first post on this forum as I just switched back to PC from Mac. I was very active on the macrumors forum for the last year or so but I got frustrated with Apple's terrible quality control (I had many bad powerbooks and powermacs over the last few years). I had a T42 a little over a year ago and it was great. I sold it for a powerbook (big mistake) and got scammed in an ebay transaction and almost lost $1900 I fought paypal to keep my money (since you pay them a % of every sale I figured they could pickup the tab when multiple people are partially at fault). I am very excited to get my T43 and I will be holding onto this one

Dell is definetly not second in terms of build quality. IBM is first then Asus. I would rather have an Asus because you get very good quality and it is more stylish and cheaper than Thinkpads.

Congrats. IBM is hands down the best company out there. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either an idiot or a lier. I have been with the company since the aptiva days and have bought laptops and desktops from most of the major names (including boutique vendors like Alienware) and believe me that the quality and service is next to none. And that says allot since my second top name that i use for my business purchases is Dell (just last month i bought a 700m). Anyway the quality and build on the thnkpad is unmatched. I have a t43p and out off all the pc's i own for travel this one is the most reliable and nicest. When you get it you will be completely spoiled with the keyboard. Anyway like i said congrats.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeees! They're still the best built, top notch quality, excellent keyboard. (not leading edge perfomance indeed) software upgrades almost dayly... but Lenovo politics are a little confuse and we don't know where are trying to lead the brand, last week Steve Ward was fired, and I believe the people from IBM that came with him are making the line to the backdoor, new CEO comes from Dell!!! so Thinkpad future is uncertain again...

What's this based on? 32,000 PC World Readers have a different opinion!

PCWorld - Readers Rate the Manufacturers
From the January 2006 issue of PC World magazine

Pretty much nothing will match the T or X series in build quality. Better than Dell, Apple, HP, Acer, Toshy and on and on. The R and G aren't bad either.

Performance specs have gotten to where you can get a pretty decent machine without spending a fortune if you have a discount like educational. They have also improved screen options for some models.

Additionally their wireless performance is superb and they have pioneered many unique features. The Thinklights are pretty cool, but the best feature is probably the Active Harddrive Protection system. Apple now has their own version of this or is licensing it, I don't know which. IBMs hinges are also fantastic and screen housing is better that most anything else out there.

As mentioned the keyboards are pretty much impossible to beat as is their service and reliability.

They are good because they are not made around windows. They are made around unix and windows secondly.

Uh, no... They're definitely made around Windows. None are offered without it, and mine has a "Designed for Windows XP" sticker on it. Just because a lot of people like installing Linux on them after they receive the laptops doesn't mean thsy're specifically designed for Linux.

Ibm ??

I have had IBM Computers in my family since the 5100 and it still runs!! No kidding with it's cassette disks and all. I have had the same 600 Thinkpad for 8 years and it is slow as mollasses but unlike my 7000, 8700, xps,mac ibook, g4 powerbook and acer!! it has Never needed servicing other than a cmos battery which IBM sent me overnight express and i wasn't under warranty!! NONE. For Business they are the Only Brand. On another IBM I had I needed to reinstall the OS and IBM sent me the disk for free!! again no warranty!! No bs for warranty transfer..not like other co's which make you jump through hoops. I loved the mac and the xps but you can't say much when a computer never quits!! Check this out.. just FYI.. my next is the z60m but the 43t is an animal they bang on them all day everyday at say for example time warner..and after 3 years they only replace them to update they are war horses!! when all else goes blue or black i can always boot the ibm!

1967: IBM builds the worlds first floppy disk.
1967: IBM introduces the worlds first 8" floppy disk.
1973: IBM introduces the IBM 3340 hard disk unit, known as the Winchester.
1975: September - IBM's Entry Level Systems unit unveils "Project Mercury", the IBM 5100 Portable Computer.
1981: September - IBM releases the IBM 5150 PC Personal Computer.
1982: April - Eight months after the introduction of the IBM PC, 50,000 units have been sold.
1982: May - Microsoft releases MS-DOS 1.1 to IBM, for the IBM PC.
1982: June - The first IBM PC clone, the MPC, is released by Columbia Data Products.
1982: August - After one year of production, IBM ships the 200,000th IBM PC.
1982: November - Compaq Computer introduces the Compaq Portable PC, the first 100% IBM compatible. It cost Compaq US$1 million to create an IBM-compatible ROM BIOS that did not violate IBM's copyright.
1982: At the West Coast Computer Faire, Davong Systems introduces its 5MB Winchester Disk Drive for the IBM PC, for US$2000.
1983: March - IBM announces the IBM PC XT, with a 10 MB hard drive, 128KB RAM and a 360KB floppy drive. It costs US$5000.
1983: November - IBM announces the IBM PCjr. It is US$700 for the bare configuration.
1984: February - IBM introduces the IBM Portable PC.
1984: March - IBM ships the IBM PCjr. It uses the 8088 CPU, 64KB RAM, and one 5.25-inch disk drive, but no monitor. It costs US$1300.
1984: August - IBM announces the PC AT, for US$4000-6700.
1985: April - IBM abandons production of the IBM PCjr.
1986: April - IBM announces the IBM PC Convertible, 80C88-based, 256K RAM, and two 720K floppy disks, for US$2000.
1986: April - IBM discontinues the IBM Portable PC.
1986: September - IBM announces the IBM PC-XT Model 286, with 640KB RAM, 1.2MB floppy drive, 20MB hard drive,serial/parallel ports, and keyboard for US$4000.
1987: IBM discontinues the IBM PC (model 5150) line.

1992 - ThinkPad 700C
IBM launched the first edition of its ThinkPad series, the ThinkPad 700C. Right from the start IBM set the standard: the first notebook with a 10.4" color TFT screen and a new TrackPoint pointing device. This notebook weighed 5.7 lb And had a memory of 120 MB—respectable for the era.




1993 - ThinkPad 750P/360P
IBM introduced a convertible pen notebook that let you capture your thoughts and ideas so you could spend more time thinking and less time typing.




1994 - ThinkPad 755
The trend to lead the industry continued in 1994 with the introduction of the first notebook with an integrated CD-ROM. The ThinkPad 755 CD helped you load and utilize large amounts of data in an notebook.




1995 - ThinkPad 701C
An IBM researcher, while putting together a puzzle with his daughter, had been struck by an extraordinary inspiration: separate the keyboard in two joint blocks that would expand and withdraw when you open and close the display. The ThinkPad 701 keyboard represented a major shift in technology by enabling a standard-sized keyboard to be incorporated into a small notebook for more comfortable typing.

1995 - ThinkPad 755CDV
IBM introduced a built-in LCD "projection" panel that allowed users to remove the display cover and use the panel with a standard overhead projector to display a presentation without making transparencies, helping save time and money.




1996 - ThinkPad 560
IBM set the standard for a new realm of "ultraportable" computing to give the "on-the-go" users a lightweight, powerful portable computing solution.




1997 - ThinkPad 770
This notebook, the first with integrated DVD-ROM, helped utilize high-quality video in a notebook computer.




1998 - ThinkPad 600
In 1998, IBM defined a new category of "thin and light" notebooks with the introduction of the ThinkPad 600. The ThinkPad 600 Series became the best-selling IBM ThinkPad notebook of all time, and still holds that glory. It was launched in response to customers' needs for a thin and light high-performance notebook at a competitive price. It was IBM's perfect balance of performance and portability for that time.




1999 - ThinkPad i Series
The i Series included the innovative ThinkLight®, a small light that illuminated the keyboard in low-light environment, such as airplanes.

ThinkPad 570 IBM's first Ultrabase™ was available as an option with the ThinkPad 570 to help users get more power and flexibility to customize their ThinkPad notebook.




2000 - ThinkPad i Series
The i Series was the first notebook with integrated wireless, helping users to increase productivity by creating a wireless network.




2001 - ThinkPad TransNote™
The TransNote was a revolutionary portfolio notebook that integrated paper, ink and mobile computing into a digital workspace.

2001 - ThinkPad T Series
2001 also saw the introduction of the ThinkPad T Series, a range of machines that provides a balance of performance and portability. A Titanium Composite body helps keeps the weight down even with a 14.1" screen—a size similar to many desktop models. To aid portability users can swap in different optional components, such as a DVD player, writeable CD drive or numeric keypads. Recognizing the increasing importance of security, IBM introduced in 2001 the world's first security chip (IBM Embedded Security Subsystem) on select models. Users increasingly use their notebooks over multiple networks and in many diverse environments, so IBM developed the system to help safeguard users data and systems.




2002 - ThinkPad A31p
IBM introduced its first mobile workstation, the ThinkPad A31p. The company's first mobile computer was designed to meet the specific, high-performance needs of workstation users. The new notebook combined the mobility of a ThinkPad notebook with the power of a workstation, affording users high-speed graphical performance with wireless technology, security and manageability capabilities.
2002 - ThinkPad X30
This notebook extends the value proposition of superior expandability and all-day-computing in a small and light (just 1.6kg) ultraportable. With up to eight hours of battery life when fully equipped with an optional ThinkPad X30 Series Extended Life Battery, it is a perfect combination of usability and portability that provides the optimal solution for users constantly on the go.





2003 - ThinkPad T41
The ThinkPad T41 is the first notebook equipped with its own parachute: The IBM Active Protection System is an integrated motion sensor that continuously monitors your system hard drive to help prevent some hard drive crashes when a fall or similar event is detected. This innovative ThinkPad notebook is about 1" slim with a travel weight starting at 4.5 lb, a long battery life and comes packed with ThinkVantage™ Technologies.
2003 - 20 millionth ThinkPad
IBM was the first to produce 20 million ThinkPad notebooks — more than any other notebook brand.



2004 -
IBM PCD introduces the first notebook with an integrated fingerprint reader.

IBM PCD ships its 100-millionth PC (counting both desktop and notebook computers).

Lenovo becomes an Olympic worldwide partner. It is the first Chinese company to become a computer technology equipment partner of the IOC.

Lenovo and IBM announce an agreement by which Lenovo will acquire IBM's Personal Computing Division, its global PC (desktop and notebook computer) business. The acquisition forms a top-tier (third-largest) global PC leader.



2005 -
Lenovo completes the acquisition of IBM's Personal Computing Division, making the company a new international IT competitor and the third largest computing company in the world.

Lenovo establishes a new Innovation Center in Research Triangle Park, N.C., to enable customers, business partners, solution providers and independent software vendors to collaborate on new personal computing solutions.

Lenovo announces its first convertible tablet, the ThinkPad X41, with the ability to function both as a tablet and an ultraportable notebook.

lol, ok pal. you think what you want. lol nubs these days.


maybe you remeber this

http://www-306.ibm.com/e-business/on...p/prodigy.html

The super bowl ad

http://rxns-rbn-sea02.rbn.com/ibmpdc...digy90_med.mpg

Wow, so you've proved that IBM both made personal computers and provides enterprise Linux services. That doesn't mean there's a connection between the two. That's like saying Dell's TVs run Windows -- there's no connection between the two separate products that Dell offers.

Yes, IBM provides enterprise Linux services, but those are designed for their servers (they didn't sell their server business to Lenovo).

Based on my real world experience with hundreds of laptops.

Did you read that article? That's comparing reliability, not service. I fully agree with what the survey states (that IBM reliability is top notch), but with the caveat that their SERVICE sucks.

I've had much, much better service from Dell than IBM when something fails, but fewer support calls to IBM than Dell. Heck, I can drop a Dell laptop down the stairs or back over it with my car & have a replacement in my hands the next day. It can take IBM that long just to determine that I have sufficient coverage to be eligible for a replacement.

WRONG...the article didn't have anything like that in it. There was one quote from an IBM customer praising the service & support experience he had. It did note that there were too few responses to most for the service/support questions to rate Thinkpad in many service categories. I guess when you're product is so reliable, your customers have no service experiences to share...good or bad.

Given the choice, I'd rather have an extremely reliable PC that didn't need service, rather than top notch service that I had to rely on regularly.

One customer, huh? Not quite 32,000.

Like I said, the article said that people were satisfied with the reliability of the machine. I agree with that. I also maintain that Dell service is better than IBM's. They don't have enough responses about IBM service to even compare it in the article, so I don't know how you think my statement was wrong.

I guess that one guy's opinion holds a lot of weight with you.

If you had better experience with Dell service than IBM then... good for you.

But if you are trying to tell say that IBM service is completely crap then again, it's only you...

Alot of IBM customers has been satisfied with their services but hey... no companies are perfect right? Any brand happens to give crappy services once a while. Look how many threads that Dell costumers complaning about their services and compared it to IBM you will quickly realize what I mean.

Plus you are really exagerating about Dell giving you the replacement the next day. I respect the fact that you had bad experience with IBM services but please understand that this is very personal. Even tough you ''claim'' to have experience with hundreds of laptop your personal experience is still not credible compared to PCworld.

Unless you can prove me with credible proof that IBM service is really crap to the majority of IBM costumers, I still think that PCworld article is way more credible than a bad experience of an average Joe.

Alright guys, enough. You've had bad experience with ibm's customer service, you've had good experience with ibm's customer service. We got it.

It's all good - I agree with what you're saying. I'm just saying that in my experience - and I know you guys don't know me from Adam & I could be making this stuff up - but in my experience Dell service is consistently better than IBM's. I don't refute the article, either - I think they're right on the mark about IBMs quality. The article just doesn't compare service, so it's not really relevant to my point.

However, I am not at all exaggerating about having a new machine in my hands the next day from Dell. It's happened probably three times now over the past 4 years or so. Someone majorly f***s up their computer - drops it, spills coffee on it, whatever, and if it's not repairable the Dell CompleteCare warranty kicks in & they overnight a new machine to me. I swap the HD & any peripherals back into the new one & ship the broken one back.

BUT - having said that, there's a reason I use a T42p rather than a Precision mobile workstation - it's a much lighter, nicer looking and IMHO, more reliable machine than the Dell. The Dell has a slight edge in specs (256MB video vs. 128) & service, but I still prefer the Thinkpad, especially when I have to carry the thing around an airport.

Thanks for the history on ibm...very cool. You go back man!

Am I the only one who's gonna say it?!? (sorry if I missed someone who did

We'd all drive the porsche/bmw/benz/etc...if we could. The thinkpad is the benz. I don't have one because my company goes cheap (like alot of cos)

Ima sales eng and i can say your laptop says a loooot about you (and your company). And not just at my level (geek) but VPs and directors too.

Break open a dell in a customer meeting and...eh...hp...eh...thinkpad...ooh...wow...it's no joke. you KNOW someone wasnt messingg around. (note period at the end there)

How many cos give their people a benz to drive? Not many methinks. you get the ford taurus (dell latitude) because it works (mostly) btw i luv dell AND ford BUT

I'd have a new T60p by any means necessary if i could...if jesus himself came back to this earth he would have a T60p...because it, too, is perfect.

NEW T60p
With Intel Duo Processor Up to T2600 (2.16ghz), ATI Next Generation FireGL (256MB),
Fast PC2-667MHZ Memory up to 2GB.

7200rpm 100gb sata 15" UXGA flexview WWAN/WLAN/PAN and all the other cool "p" things (keybrd light, fingerprint reader, yada yada) too I hope!

DIFFERENT TOPIC::::::::::::::CHECK THIS OUT::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkonther...g_down_wi.html

The next gen of geek toy...xp pc meet winmobile smartphone...and marry pplease! Laptop/pda killer?? Maybe for someone like me...anyone else?


Dell Lat D600 - 1.8 1GB SXGA 80GB 7200rpm 802.11a/b/g bt 1.2 pcmcia evdo (rocks)