Dropped my Thinkpad X200 twice in a week and dropped it again...

[chongyixiong]

30 seconds ago.

Tripped on the power cable and the whole laptop came crashing down, side first!

Damn, and it's still working fine! (Well, partly because of the SSD but still...)

Take that, Macbook Pro!

Anyone has any stories about how indestructible their Thinkpads are?

On a side note, how excited are you guys about the Thinkpad X220 - I think it's meh.
Trackpads should be BANNED on all notebooks.
Long live trackpoints!

[audioave10]

You play too rough with your toys...glad it survived.

[EverythingIBM]

I'm in total love with the trackpoints. They are the next best thing to mice (sorry if anyone uses trackballs or trackpads).

My thinkpad T60p died from heat when I went on vacation, so, they're not indestructible. Kind of sad really...
The CD/DVD tray would come slightly loose (but not entirely) when it traveled in my laptop case for awhile as well.

So thinkpads do fail. Sometimes very miserably, and it leaves you wondering why lame cheap laptops are still running fine.

I still have my 1999 iSeries thinkpad though... but it feels so cheap.
EDIT: probably why it's still running fine...

[ricercar]

Tripped on the power cable and the whole laptop came crashing down
....
Take that, Macbook Pro!

 
If you had a MacBook Pro you couldn't trip on the cord and pull the laptop. The MagSafe would have released. Take that THinkPad.

Is the 220 a tablet? DO you use it in Tablet mode often? What do you think of it?

[noodles256]

my friend dropped his macbook and it broke the tile and destroyed the foundation of his house.

you jelly?

[keyboardlover]

You peanut butter?

[ricercar]

Yes it does; guys just can't find it easily.

[keyboardlover]

Yes it does; guys just can't find it easily.

Nice one lol.

[noodles256]

the red thing is an easy button

[chongyixiong]

my friend dropped his macbook and it broke the tile and destroyed the foundation of his house.

you jelly?

I'm more of a jello person but yeah. Only wished that Lenovo would have something similiar in terms of that 'magsafe' thingy.

For the X220, I guess its the IPS panel option that really interests everybody.
I can't even seem to max out my P8600 even if I'm running really intensive programs.

Meh, Core i5? I'll pass.

[noodles256]

the reason I got a macbook was the simplicity. I almost got a lenovo x220, but decided no.

[The Solutor]

Is well known

If you drop an acer, you will trash it

If you drop an HP/Dell you repair it

If you drop a Thinkpad you just pick it again.

[The Solutor]

SSDs RULE!!!

My HP DM1z got a Maximum PC KickAss Award though and doesn't have that annoying Red thing in the middle of the keyboard.

Show Image

 
Trash this joke and buy an x120e

[Pylon]

My friend's Macbook? Keyboard barely works due to spills, it's somewhat yellowed due to overheating, the front screen bezel got melted off (according to him) due to really bad positioning of the heating vents, there's cracks all over the body due to drops, etc., but amazingly it still works.

[chongyixiong]

Trash this joke and buy an x120e

There's 2 things I believe that should never be trashed:
1. 16:10
2. THE Thinkpad keyboard

I really love the AMD Fusion APU and have been looking to pick up the X120e for my mum but it's just not on our shores yet.
Price is pretty steep as compared to the US's $399-499 range.

It's about US$599-699 here though.
 

My friend's Macbook? Keyboard barely works due to spills, it's somewhat yellowed due to overheating, the front screen bezel got melted off (according to him) due to really bad positioning of the heating vents, there's cracks all over the body due to drops, etc., but amazingly it still works.

My brother's aluminium Macbook (2005) also has the same melting front screen bezel problem because the heating vents were positioned upwards near the F1 F2 cluster area. But yeah it still works.

[sinis]

There's 2 things I believe that should never be trashed:
1. 16:10
2. THE Thinkpad keyboard

^sign. Unfortunately, there are only few 16:10 displays out there for desktop gaming.

I worked with a macbook pro for some hours. My lecturer was facing some problems with MacOS, so we switched for a few lessons. It gets mad hot. Where, I suppose, the CPU sits. It was right under the Q-Key and the surrounding area. Typing that hottie was not a pleasure as you might imagine. It was so hot I did not want to touch it.

wrote from my thinkpad

[EverythingIBM]

Apple computers have always been notorious for bad cooling (especially that stint with their boasted fanless mac); and my experience with them proves that.
However, even though they may get to insane temperatures, they do still run fine.

The worst culprits for bad heating, I'd say, are the new iMacs. They idle at 70C, lack proper airflow, and probably don't have a nice hefty copper heatsink.
Even though they'll burn your hand, they seemingly work fine otherwise. Apple *doesn't* use cheap hardware, their computers are just plagued with bad design in the name of new age aesthetics.

SSDs RULE!!!

My HP DM1z got a Maximum PC KickAss Award though and doesn't have that annoying Red thing in the middle of the keyboard.

Show Image

 
Ripster, that HP is just your run of the mill china trash. Sorry bud.

[.XL]

@EverythingIBM - the new iMacs run insanely hot, but without any issues at all. I find it interesting that though the computer will burn you when you touch it it's actually running fine. One of my coworkers plays Starcraft 2 on that bad boy ultra settings and though it does get extremely hot there's never any issues with the hardware.

@OP - I've actually dropped my Macbook pro more than 3 times. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say 6 or 7. And that doesn't count all the times I'm tired from a loooong day and fling my bag into the back seat of my car, only to realize that my Macbook is still in there...and it runs fine regardless

I like the x120e a lot...I really want a small, cheap portable laptop to run BSD on. Then I'd turn my macbook pro into a desktop and finally be able to get Windows out of my life

Until Windows 8. I wonder how that'll look...I'm definitely quite interested.

[The Solutor]

There's 2 things I believe that should never be trashed:
1. 16:10

 

Sadly 16:10 is gone.

You will see just 16:9 displays in the future

2. THE Thinkpad keyboard

The chiclet style keyboard of X120e / Edge 11 is likely one of the best keyboard out there, but sometimes the integralists doesn't like it and prefer the classic one.

Looks like lenovo agree with me, the new top of the line X1 has the chiclet style keyboard.

[EverythingIBM]

Sadly 16:10 is gone.

You will see just 16:9 displays in the future

The chiclet style keyboard of X120e / Edge 11 is likely one of the best keyboard out there, but sometimes the integralists doesn't like it and prefer the classic one.

Looks like lenovo agree with me, the new top of the line X1 has the chiclet style keyboard.

 
The chiclet keyboard is one of the most RIDICULOUS things I've ever seen. It's important to have taller keys. If I wanted to go and buy a PCjr, I'd do so.

Oh look, lenovo is releasing a desktop version of the thinkpad edge keyboard:

[The Solutor]

The chiclet keyboard is one of the most RIDICULOUS things I've ever seen.

 
Clearly you have no idea about what I'm speaking about.

Touch one of it and then come back with a more reasonable sentence.

[chongyixiong]

Sadly 16:10 is gone.

You will see just 16:9 displays in the future



The chiclet style keyboard of X120e / Edge 11 is likely one of the best keyboard out there, but sometimes the integralists doesn't like it and prefer the classic one.

Looks like lenovo agree with me, the new top of the line X1 has the chiclet style keyboard.

Clearly you have no idea about what I'm speaking about.

Touch one of it and then come back with a more reasonable sentence.

Yeah, even the new Dell monitors are all 16:9. I better snap up another U2410 when they go even lower.

Regarding the chiclet keyboard - it's quite good, better than standard laptop keyboards (but still lousier compared to the X200's) but I find that they are spaced quite wide apart and I also don't like the looks of it.

Long live traditionalists!
Somehow it just feels wrong typing on it - my opinion of course (and yes this was based on the X100e chiclet keyboard)

[The Solutor]

Regarding the chiclet keyboard - it's quite good, better than standard laptop keyboards (but still lousier compared to the X200's)

 
Unless you specify what keyboard you have any comparison is pointless.

I got my x200t after the x100, and was a drama.

Now I swapped the x200 KB with the NMB version and is now (almost) on par with the x100 one.

If you tested an x100 with the chicony keyboard being used with an X200 with the NMB one your firts impression is obviously the opposite respect mine.

[EverythingIBM]

Clearly you have no idea about what I'm speaking about.

Touch one of it and then come back with a more reasonable sentence.

It doesn't matter how good the switches or membranes are made! I do NOT like perfectly flat keys, and they MUST have a decent amount of depth.

I've used plenty of macbooks to give their chiclet keys a spin. While they are indeed quite nice, they don't fit my criteria.

Actually, my favourite keys are the old school domes, like on the C64 (minus the cheap key switches of the C64). Feels very nice on the fingers.

[The Solutor]

It doesn't matter how good the switches or membranes are made! I do NOT like perfectly flat keys

 
Not only you haven't touched one, you haven't managed to see a photo.

So I repeat touch one of it, then judge.

I've used plenty of macbooks to give their chiclet keys a spin.

If I'm speaking about champagne, doesn't matter how many liters of cocacola you drank.

Mackbook keyboard are just crap.

[.XL]

Not only you haven't touched one, you haven't managed to see a photo.

So I repeat touch one of it, then judge.



If I'm speaking about champagne, doesn't matter how many liters of cocacola you drank.

Mackbook keyboard are just crap.

Interesting that you say this - I've read here that the best keyboards are the old IBM thinkpad ones, but outside of that I feel it's the general consensus that as far as chiclets go Apple has some of the best. And in my personal experiences the Apple keyboard is much, much nicer than the vast majority of chiclet offerings from Asus, HP, Dell, etc. Whatever chiclets I've tried I find I much prefer the Apple ones.

And if the man doesn't like flat keys, he doesn't like flat keys. Making him try more and more keyboards won't change his mind on the fact that he doesn't like flay keys...

[noodles256]

ew, apple aluminum is gross. thinking of getting a matias for my iMac

[The Solutor]

And if the man doesn't like flat keys, he doesn't like flat keys.

 
Again.

Look at least a photo and then talk.

TP chiclet style are not flat. Actually they are more curved than the classic TP keyboards.

[Pylon]

FYI the Edge's keys have more curvature to them than a number of traditional keyboards. The one on the Dell Latitude E6410 I'm typing on for example is basically flat.

And yes I've checked out Edge 14's on 2 different occasions (Staples and Micro Center)

[zmurf]

I have a four year old Thinkpad T61 (14" 4:3 screen version) which is more or less the only computer I use at home (If you don't count my Amigas). Have have spilled coffee in it twice, dropped in into the pavement once, tripped it down by the cord 3 or 4 times... two of those was into a stone floor, and had it "crushed" under ha tipped over motor bike when the computer was in my pack back (My T-83 calculator broke... but the laptop survived.). It is truly a hard computer to break... it has some nifty scratches.. but thats all... and I dont even have a SSD disk... Its the original disk in it...

[.XL]

ew, apple aluminum is gross. thinking of getting a matias for my iMac

Totally agree - as far as laptops go they're good keyboards but as a desktop keyboard you can't beat a Realforce/Filco! I'd never waste that $69 on an Apple aluminum...

Again.

Look at least a photo and then talk.

TP chiclet style are not flat. Actually they are more curved than the classic TP keyboards.

 
Again, we're not talking about thinkpad only. We're talking about generic chiclet keys. When EverythingIBM mentioned he didn't like the keys he was talking about CHICLET keys in general.

There's no need to be rude.

[chongyixiong]

Unless you specify what keyboard you have any comparison is pointless....

I am pretty sure mine's the NMB one - as evidenced by the blue rubber domes.


It's definitely noisier than the Chicony one (tried that on another person's X200) and I find that I love the tactility of this more.
 

Not only you haven't touched one, you haven't managed to see a photo.
...

 

Again.

Look at least a photo and then talk.

TP chiclet style are not flat. Actually they are more curved than the classic TP keyboards.

What do you mean by curved and flat? The surface of the keys?
When I type on my Thinkpad and I'm thinking, I like to run my fingers on the surface on the keys round and round and I find that I can't do that on the chiclet style keys. Heh.

Personal preference I guess.

Question: The X1 keyboard seems to be slightly different than that of the Edge's? Is it because of the backlit construction?

[The Solutor]

It's definitely noisier than the Chicony one (tried that on another person's X200) and I find that I love the tactility of this more.

Yes NMB is a bit noisier, Chicony has also better trackpoint buttons. But NMB is definitely less mushy.

When I type on my Thinkpad and I'm thinking, I like to run my fingers on the surface on the keys round and round and I find that I can't do that on the chiclet style keys.

I agree if I compare the classic TP keyboard with an Apple like chiclet keyboard, the edge ones is definitely different.

Question: The X1 keyboard seems to be slightly different than that of the Edge's? Is it because of the backlit construction?

Maybe also because the reduced thickness of the notebook.

What do you mean by curved and flat? The surface of the keys?

Yes I mean the surface. Anyway this keys are curved in both way, surface and shape.

[The Solutor]

Again, we're not talking about thinkpad only. We're talking about generic chiclet keys. When EverythingIBM mentioned he didn't like the keys he was talking about CHICLET keys in general.

There's no need to be rude.

 

Sorry but this is a thread dedicated to thinkpads, I mentioned a specific keyboard. Who cares if the Apple keyboard are crap when speaking about classic TP keyboards V.S. chiclet TP keyboard ?

There's no need to be rude.

No intention to be rude, but at the same time arguing about something never touched, never encountered is a bit pointless IMHO.

[The Solutor]

It seems to me that if we find other scissor switch keyboards that use NMB blue domes we might be able to identify some of the better choices out there.  Everyone I've looked at has been that spermy looking translucent.

 
My tp edge 11 (i sold it) had red instead of blue domes, but looks more an exception than a rule.

[BucklingSpring]

Is well known

If you drop an acer, you will trash it

If you drop an HP/Dell you repair it

If you drop a Thinkpad you just pick it again.

What happen if you drop an XArmor?

LoL - If you keep doing it, you may want to ask a Getac for Xmass.

[The Solutor]

What happen if you drop an XArmor?

If the crash ends on your head a big echo can be listened in a large area...:fish:

[chongyixiong]

My tp edge 11 (i sold it) had red instead of blue domes, but looks more an exception than a rule.

Show Image

Just looking at the pictures alone, I seem to deduce that the NMB domes have a higher quality (like thicker).
And maybe that's why it offers more tactility than the Chicony ones (which look fragile), and therefore translates to better keyboard feel?

Like a more harder to collapse dome and therefore slightly higher actuation force and therefore better tactility feedback?

Just sayin'

[BucklingSpring]

If the crash ends on your head a big echo can be listened in a large area...:fish:

 LoL - I like your choice of smileys.

I never complained about the XArmor metal plate. But put that way I say ouch.

Now check the stabilizers and let me know if you bent those paper clip grade bars or broke any of those ridiculously thin plastic inserts?

And I forgive you already.
1-   You didn't get you XArmor to play cricket.
2-   You like it so much, you wouldn't never waste such a fine piece of machinery on my worthless face on purpose. It must be an accident.

:-) Have a great day.

[sinis]

any update? is it broken yet? drop it again lol

colorless domes on mine

[BucklingSpring]

(Well, partly because of the SSD but still...)

Well x2, You are right, SSD has much higher G protection.
But today's harddrives are freakin tough too.

Shock (Gs)
Operating (2 ms) - 350
Non-operating (2 ms) -1000
 
With the Free Fall Sensors (FFS), it takes 2ms to lock and get in the 1000g protection state. I couldn't find the equivalent of free fall height to produce that kind of Gs.
In case of of a fall, the laptop itself will dissipate some energy before the impact reaches the drive.

In other words, in today's laptop, couples of feet free fall impacts are more likely going to break other critical components way before it damage the harddrive.

[The Solutor]

Just looking at the pictures alone, I seem to deduce that the NMB domes have a higher quality (like thicker).
And maybe that's why it offers more tactility than the Chicony ones (which look fragile), and therefore translates to better keyboard feel?

Like a more harder to collapse dome and therefore slightly higher actuation force and therefore better tactility feedback?

Just sayin'

 
NMB offers more tactility and the sensation of a bit stiffer keys, surprisingly enough ripometering both keys reveals that NMB keys requires less force to activate them.

[The Solutor]

RipOmeter numbers?

 
I ripometer ed them because you asked, I tend to not remember things already written, so I remember that there is 5g of difference but not the absolute values

[The Solutor]

Lol.

Do Italians build cars this way?

 
Do Americans are used to ask the same thing every month ?

Don't blame me if you forgot the values you asked

[keyboardlover]

I hear modern Italian cars are well made.

[The Solutor]

I hear modern Italian cars are well made.

Really not too hard make cars better than american ones

[EverythingIBM]

Really not too hard make cars better than american ones

 
Most american cars are just outsourced parts from japan, and china for everything else.

So it's japanese & chinese quality.

[keyboardlover]

Depends what make you're talking about. Buicks are very reliable (though ugly as hell).

[The Solutor]

Depends what make you're talking about. Buicks are very reliable (though ugly as hell).

 
Reliability is just a single parameter to define a good car.

The american monsters that are still working in Cuba are just extreme examples.

Clearly the latest crisis, and the foreign competition are forcing the US car industry to evolve

[keyboardlover]

I've been waiting for the new Alfas to arrive on U.S. shores. They keep pushing the year back.

At this rate I'll get my group buy doubleshots AND Duke Nukem Forever before I see the new Alfas here.