Build Quality questions about T400

Afternoon my brethren.

I've been doing my fair share of legwork in terms of researching my next laptop and I've come across alot of press and reviews (notably a certain video on youtube) that draws concerns about the build quality of the T400. I apologize in advance if this was rehashed into the stone-age when the product launched, but if you have a few minutes, some clarification would be great as I'm definitely interested in buying one.

The two largest issues I've read is that the keyboard is no longer the "uber-mega greatest keyboard on the planet" keyboard that Lenovo built it's legacy on. How much truth is there to that? Despite what I've read, photos and such still show the keyboard to be pretty thick and strong looking..

The second is I've read alot flex and lack of strength that we've been accustomed to with the Lenovo line. For T400 owners, how sturdy are your laptops? Could you toss it off your desk and stand on it like the T60's or is this thing much more brittle? (And by brittle I mean probably still tough as nails, just not as much so...)

Thanks for your opinions. I appreciate it in advance.
-Dan

 

Regarding the keyboard issue, Lenovo has mostly reverted back to its previous keyboard design (the ones in the T6x series), which has no flex. If you get a flexy keyboard, you can contact Lenovo for a replacement keyboard, so that's no longer an issue.

 

I can't comment on the T400 cause I've not seen one, but the T61 is still available in the Lenovo Outlet. The T61 is a solid machine. The R61 which is slightly larger probably offers better value.

 

Thanks alot, I appreciate it. That's one less thing to worry about.

I'd likely never attempt it, but for normal use purposes, they're still uber-spill proof and such, right?

I'd have to be a Shiva-like god to have enough fingers to count the amount of times I've spilled coffee or wine on my keyboard......

 

Unfortunately if I went the route of Lenovo, I'd be ordering online. No Lenovo outlet stores up in my neck of the woods unfortunately. Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

The specs say spill-resistant, not spill-proof. There's a difference.

Lenovo's outlet store is online.

 

The sturdiness of T400 is quite good with the new (old) keyboard, but not quite up to the old t4x/t6x series. There is a bit more flex in the lcd and chassis alike, but I would still put them near the top of the field today. As far as spill goes, I second they are spill resistant, not spill proof, we've had a few accidents in our studio involving bottled water and keyboards and they had to be replaced.

 

Thanks for your input. Good to know.
-Dan

 

I've got a T400, 2764. My Keyboard is great, no flex.

However, I do have some (relatively minor, but worth mentioning) qualms about the build quality of the overall machine.

I've got an issue with my right palm rest that bothers me: the top/front piece of the palm rest can be lifted off of the bottom and side pieces a little bit, enough to be annoying. I've been fiddling with it today, and have managed to reduce the amount that it can wobble, but it's still aggrivating. I worry about what would happen were my machine to fall on this corner. That said, it's a lot more sturdy when the laptop is closed. This particular issue seems to be pretty common with T400s, but does not exist on my girlfriend's W500 (possibly due to a different design for the hard-drive access cover).

The optical drive can also be moved about in its slot with no effort at all: using one finger, if I apply any upwards pressure, I can lift the drive and produce a squeaking noise. This does not seem to be due to any structural fault - it seems to be because the drive is thinner than the slot. Annoying. I haven't heard about this issue from anyone else, but that's probably because it's pretty minor.

I also seem to have been unlucky in that I received a machine with a slight bulge in the area between the ThinkVantage button and the power button. Other people who have discussed this issue on this board have found that results from some wires crossing over top of each other. It hasn't bothered me enough to convince me to open up my machine to that extent, and I don't think it's a functional problem - except that it looks weird.

So there's my laundry list of annoying-but-not-really-a-huge-deal T400 problems. The only issue of these that really gets me is the palm rest: it is extremely annoying. It seems pretty clear that Lenovo has some issues with the production of the T400.

I think you were right on the money when you asked about it bring 'brittle.' If I were to toss my T400 off of my desk, I would be extremely worried that the case would crack. I'm confident that the machine would still function and that my data would be safe, roll cage and shock mounted hard-drive and all, but what am I going to do with a cracked laptop? To an extent, I feel like I've got a car with great air bags and seatbelts but no side-impact beams, if that makes any sense.

Does this all constitute a reason not to buy a T400? I'm not sure. If I had it to do all over again, I would definitely give more though to the alternatives, perhaps a T60. However, I think that it's pretty likely that I would end up making the same decision to buy the T400. It really is a nice machine and, warts aside, I'm happy with my decision. I just wish the palm rest wasn't so worryingly weak!

 

The trend with Lenovo's newer T and R series seems to be towards lighter and thinner materials that are geared towards weight savings and enhanced mobility.

But as a consequence, the newer thinkpads (especially the T400) are way less sturdy and solid, and have a ton more flex. The exterior plastics (for the palmrest, as mentioned) are thin and cheap feeling and the overall fit of the plastics is terrible as well. They feel loose in certain areas (ie, near the bottom right corner) and they'll squeak when you pick up the laptop from some angles.

I pretty much agree with I5aac on most things (I like the car analogy, lol). But I'll take it a step further and state the fact that the roll cage underneath is different and weaker as well. If you open up the system and take a look at the magnesium alloy chassis, there's alot less material covering the different components when you compare it to the older thinkpads. Specifically around the optical drive, hard drive, and underneath the left palm rest. It's more like swiss cheese... less material and alot more flex and bend.

I think I know which review you're referring to (which I think is a pretty good and honest review), and I found these other videos demonstrating some build problems too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY5Qpq1UUZE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I85-g_W1eCM

I can produce the same amount of bend and flex and odd snapping sounds in my T400 as well...

At the end of the day, if I knew what the build quality was going to be like, I probably would've opted for a Dell latitude, Sony BZ series (which is new), or HP/compaq business laptop. Most of them offer similar features (on board accelerometers, magnesium alloy chassis, spill resistant keyboards) at similar or better prices, and come with better exterior plastics and fit and finish. And.. to be honest the weight savings of the T400 are completely negated if you choose to get the heavy 9 or 6 cell batteries.

 

I also want to point out, why is it that some people experience no flex in their T400's, while others do? Doesn't this seem really inconsistent of Lenovo? Shouldn't they have a better way of ensuring that every person who orders a computer is getting the same/best version of their product?

(Sorry to sound like a lenovo/thinkpad basher, I actually love the thinkpad, I'm just a bit disappointed by the newer versions for obvious reasons, lol)