To Lenovo product team,
Ever since I brought my first Lenovo netbook (S10), I started to have some sort of great obsession
toward the ThinkPad line notebooks. I really believe it is due to the quality of the engineering, just to
name my favourite, you guys are generously enough to put in a battery chip which does wonderful
power management.
Finally, I brought my first ever ThinkPad tablet (X200) about 2 weeks ago, while the performance and
portability is great, it suffered from a number of software issues.
The drivers preloaded with the operate system was “OK”, they did the job alright. Unfortunately
these drivers do not live up to the performance expectation. Therefore, I ran the famous, and yet
legendarily ThinkVantage System Update for my needs. The scan and the download process were
good, which presented me with all reverent updates which your competitors are still trailing behind.
There were 48 updates across the entire system, about 1.5 hours later. All the updates were
installed appropriately and my ThinkPad was good to go.
The problems started after the updates were installed after a day, I could not help myself but to do a
system restore because the entire system was unable to work. Drivers like SmartAudio and Ericsson
mobile broadband network card were failing to provide decent services. The SmartAudio presented
warning message about “beam forming”, it came up whenever I converted the ThinkPad to
tablet/laptop mode. Also, connection to 3G network was continuously failing, network card did not
obey the option by Access Connections / software on/off setting. While I searched on the internet
these issues had been publicly and widely discuss in forums. Still there seems there is no action
taken by the officials! Neither the drivers were not pulled off the update server nor upload an
improved version. While I mad and whined about many start up applications that Lenovo preloads
on ThinkPad, I feel disgusted by how Lenovo does not uses them properly. There were no messages
given to me ever regrading my issues, it had lead me starting to believe the Message Centre is a
useless application.
Applications are failing too, I suppose the Messages Centre was designed to give users import
messages from Lenovo officials regarding customers’ ThinkPad performance, warranty and
experiences that it wants users to aware of. There was absolutely no information available for
general users give these dodgy drivers, consider if they have no IT support/at a remote location.
Who are they going to ask for help? Contact with “experts” while using a failing 3G connection or I
should wish them luck to explain what the “popup” is when converted to a tablet/notebook mode to
helpdesk. Also, some really silly behaviours were displayed on applications, Access Connections
keeps loosing 3G connection settings after crash (APS), 2 absolutely the same default power plans
appears on Power Manager that refuses to be removed by user?
If Lenovo really has the heart of pushing SMB notebooks such as the newly SL series, or even the
high-end once like the X301. I failed to see why Lenovo has any advantages at all over competitors,
even with the ThinkPad’s brand and famous built quality.
For me it is very disappointing, stress and sad to experience these situations, people might say that I
have too high expectation of ThinkPad, but isn’t that’s all about ThinkPad? High quality, reliable notebooks which go with users wherever they go and still prove stable services in extreme condition
(storm research sponsor)? I really hope the Lenovo team can have a deep thought about how
general users’ experience can be the top of the line in this industry, while the ThinkPad team are
always proud that they are no-Apple. At least they listen and act to address their users’ concerns
about drivers (New MacBook SATA 1.5 GB), even though they tried to cover up their mistakes by
removing help documents from help pages (Mobile Me status update blog, use of antivirus
recommendation). Microsoft as well, they kept failing to give customers a reliable hardware (XBOX
360 RROD), but people even buy another Xbox for that purpose, apparently the software and
experience had attracted their users despite these problems! If ThinkPad product team can have less
pride and more modest move to learn from mistakes and gains off your competitors, I believe we all
here as Lenovo enthusiastic and customers can really really benefit from it and we as customers and
ThinkPad team will be more proud than ever about the computers that we use are truly reliable in
ever aspects hardware, software and user experience.
I look forward to see discussions and improvements that in a foreseeable future and I am always
going to be a loyal customer and friend with everyone here. Thanks.
Best wishes,
Kit Yeung
If you would like to contact me, message me using the PM feature. I am more than welcome to see
feedbacks and we may become good friends.
P.S. Sorry for my dodgy English that you might read here, I came from Hong Kong and currently
studying High School in Adelaide (it’s my last year and I’m suffering load of pressure ). While
English is my second language, I constantly find grammar and spelling are very annoying to deal with
(at least for me).
Note from Moderator: E-mail address removed from public view to protect your privacy.
Moderator, Thanks! Did not think of that problem, changed to adapt.
Message Edited by JaneL on 07-25-2009 09:21 AM
Message Edited by hkyeung on 07-25-2009 08:33 AM
