IBM Thinkpad - Pros and Cons

[bwright@landauerinc.com]

I support a fleet of about 20 Thinkpads (various models). The past two years, this fleet has produce at least 12 incidents where the hard drive has generated bad blocks, its about a 50/50 shot weather or not a chkdsk /f /r fixes the issues and if it doesn't a full format, or total replacement is necessary. Sometimes the 'fix' has only lasted 1-6 months and then has to be done again.

Anyone else have a high failure rate of drives in thinkpads?

Please give me your experiences.

Aslo, anyone else have a problem with IBM not putting a windows key on there laptops? But still putting the MS stamp "Designed for windows".. Thats crap.

[Jenson]

I'm a systems analyst and our department has about 10-12 Thinkpads in service. They are all the T42 model, and I have had mine almost a year as have most of them, some longer by a couple months. We haven't had one issue with the Thinkpads and have been a very reliable (although all are under 18 months old). We have had no problems that weren't company software related.

My T42 has a Designed for Windows XP sticker on it also, and no Windows key, but I don't mind, I never did use it anyway, but I don't even know why they put that sticker on there, it just makes it look ugly.

Matt

[dr_st]

Aslo, anyone else have a problem with IBM not putting a windows key on there laptops? But still putting the MS stamp "Designed for windows".. Thats crap.

All new Lenovo Thinkpads have the Windows key - Z60,X60,T60. I think it's safe to assume that it's here to stay on the Thinkpad keyboard.

[Cymen]

That sticker comes right off. Come on, you know you want to. Just peel it off. I took both of the stickers off my work ThinkPad .

[MP5]

isnt that bad sector is because of user abuse?
edit: u made me want to peel off the windows logo, i wish it wasnt stick too strong

[dietcokefiend]

That sticker comes right off. Come on, you know you want to. Just peel it off. I took both of the stickers off my work ThinkPad .

grrrr

Someone needs to secretly slap an asset tag on your laptop. good luck getting that offf

[rcadian]

I've had my R40 for three years and for the past year and a half I've had bad blocks on my 40gb Hitachi HD (there are now 8 red squares when I run HD Tune). For me, CHKDSK works nearly every time, rescues my orphaned files and so on and the machine then boots up fine. Twice I've had seemingly more serious problems but somehow they have resolved themselves.

However, as the CHKDSK takes so long, and I can't predict when bad blocks are going to happen or appear (I've gone from 0KB in bad sectors to 80KB in bad sectors) I'm now about to replace my HD.

Rc

[dr_st]

I've had my R40 for three years and for the past year and a half I've had bad blocks on my 40gb Hitachi HD (there are now 8 red squares when I run HD Tune).

Couldn't you replace the drive under warranty? Or was it a 1-year warranty?

[Cerebral_mamba]

HOw do you check for bad sectors?? I mean with windows XP?

[dr_st]

CHKDSK does it. You can schedule a scan through HD -> Properties -> Tools -> Error Check.