New Lenovo T43 owner - Dissapointed.

[Shayu]

Recently a new company I started working for offered me as part of a signing bonus, a laptop of my customized choosing. I was hoping to wait for the Core 2 Duo to come out, however, our IT guy ordered a T43 for me instead.

When browsing various Hot Deal forums, you always see the T43 almost double the price of similar specced laptops from Dell. IBM fans would proclaim that this is due to the superior IBM build quality which is undeniably and absolutely positively the BEST, according to them.

I really had to see for myself what the fuss was all about. I received my T43 just a few days ago. And I have to say I am extremely disappointed. I currently also owned/own a "cheap quality" Dell Inspiron 6000 which I am comparing this to.

Specs
IBM T43 1875DMU
Pentium M 1.7Ghz
512MB Memory
60GB HDD
CDRW/DVD
14.1" XGA
6cell batt
$1300 (purchased at full retail price by idiot IT guy in my company)

My other laptop:
Dell Inspiron 6000
512MB DDR2
40GB HDD
CDRW/DVD
15.4" SXGA+
6cell
$700 (hot forum deal)

Quality - My Impressions

Case / Overall Construction
Inspiron 6000 - feels relatively solid all throughout. Keyboard is of great quality, although no drip proof feature that I know of (which is on the T43).
T43 - after reading all the rave reviews from ALL sorts of websites and IBM thinkpad fanboys, I was expecting something better. Under the keyboard where your palm rests, you can push the T43 inwards with your fingertips. It creaks and bends quite easily. My Inspiron 6000 does not creak here.

The Back of the LCD of the Inspiron 6000 is very strong and solid. It takes quite a bit of effort to produce distortion in the LCD by bending the back panel, however the T43 bends with ease. This is contrary to all of the reviews I've read on the T43 and it shocked me.

Screen
Inspiron 6000 - Beautiful, vibrant, SXGA+ screen. It was my first laptop so I wasn't sure if this was the standard, substandard, or good screen, however when I compared this to my new T43....
T43 - The T43 screen angles are TERRIBLE. LENOVO come on! This laptop costs almost twice as much as my Inspiron! The colors seem washed out, Black looks VERY Gray, and if you ever so slightly have the vertical angle a tiny bit off from the best viewing angle, you will notice Washed out colors RIGHT away. The older IBM T43 laptop review from this website says that the screen is of very good quality, but if you look at the T60 notebookreview.com review, you will see that the newer T60 has the same screen problems I am mentioning. Perhaps Lenovo took a dive and took some cost reducing measures?

Mouse/trackpad
The T43 clearly wins here. The Inspiron 6000 mouse buttons feel like they will break within a year. However the T43 mouse buttons feel solid and robust.

Overall

Overall, I am extremely disappointed with my new T43. It fails in quality in areas where my Inspiron 6000, which is half it's price, shines. The Screen on the T43 is a nightmare for me. As notebookreview.com's review for the T60 screen states (T60 is T43's replacement), the T60's screen has the worst viewing angles of any LCD they've seen on a laptop. The case construction was really just average compared to what I was expecting from a $1200+ laptop. When the original reviews for the T43 from IBM were rolling in, IBM had ownership of the thinkpad line. My one guess is that Lenovo started cutting some corners after they took possession of IBM's thinkpad line. I can't believe that the wonderfully praised T43, and the T43 I am holding in my hands this very moment are one and the same laptop.

[Andrew Baxter]

ThinkPad screens never were a shining point (unless you get a FlexView, then they're great but that costs $$$).

I've used both of these laptops also and would have to disagree on the i6000 being more solid. The keyboard feel, Active Protection System, steel hinges and lack of any flex on the T43 casing (it's a hard plastic with magnesium reinforced lid and base) would make me want to drop it 3-feet before I dropped the i6000 3-feet

Also, with a ThinkPad, the small things and learning features over time brings you to appreciate it more. Especially for within an IT department. It's not really a great consumer notebook to get to be honest -- if the goal is to use it for entertainment purposes as well it's the wrong fit.

[SkiBunny]

I tend to agree with your observations about the screen, but not the rest.

Maybe it's a case of high expectations not being met, or maybe yours is a reject (if the casing indeed flexes as easily as you claim).

In any event, having paid full price you can return it.

At $1300 list price for a 1875DMU, you must be in Canada??

For $1300, I can get you one of these T43's for the exact same price (in your name and you order it - if you are in canada - pm me)... maybe both you and your IT guy will be happy with this instead:

Specs
IBM T43
Pentium M 2.0 Ghz
CDRW/DVD MultiBurner
15" SXGA+
IPS + FlexView
Bluetooth + 802.11a/b/g
x300 Graphics Adapter
512MB Memory
80 GB HDD 5400rmp
6cell batt
XPP
Fingerprint Reader + TPM
3-year IBM warranty
266892u... Cdn$1300+tax

[Shayu]

That's the thing abaxter, I really don't see how my screen can be reinforced with magnesium alloy. It feels like rubbery plastic on the outside, and it bends rather EASILY ( i'll make a video and post it sometime this weekend hopefully). I cannot do this with my Inspiron 6000.

Other small qualms were No Windows button (Windows Button + E, or +R to bring up My Computer,etc) which helps you work more efficiently. FN Key where the CTRL key normally is..

[Shayu]

Possibly Lenovo has started cutting corners on their more recent T43's? Did you guys have experience with the older "IBM-owned T43's?

Just a thought...

[SkiBunny]

Yes and i see no difference. I had a newly arrived & opened T43 last week in IBM HQ i was playing with (actually i had 2 dozen or so new thinkpads of all the newer series), and this was one of 3 that fell off the end of the table (about 3 feet) as we pushed more stuff onto the other end of the table. Then someone stepped onto it (ouch). Didn't affect it any. But just in case probably we will sell that one as a refurb LOL (j/k).

[SkiBunny]

Other small qualms were No Windows button (Windows Button + E, or +R to bring up My Computer,etc) which helps you work more efficiently. FN Key where the CTRL key normally is..

yeah i know... solution is to install & run linux.

[wearetheborg]

To stop this Lenovo bashing, I'll chime in and say I have the exact same experience as Shayu on a T42.
The palm rests on my T30 are rock solid, but the T42 not so, and it creaks.
My Inspiron E1505's plam rest feels more solid.
Same thing with the lid.

I dunno why people are still bashing Dell so much tho. Compared to the T30/T42, my precison M90 seems like a tank - I cannot bend/indent the lid with just hand (while lid open), and its a 17". I'm assuming the Inspiron 1705 would be the same as apparently they ahve the same metal casing (the 1505 is plastic)

[ZaZ]

My T42 was very solid. The Z61m I wrote the review for was a tank which leads me to believe they are not cutting corners.

[SkiBunny]

Hmmm i just noticed that the T41 2373 that i am currently typing on has a creeky right palm rest.
But this model has been tossed around alot... i treat my laptops rough especially when i travel they take a lot of abuse like any lugguge.
But my T20 and T23 are still rock solid.