THINKPAD T510 FIRST LOOK REVIEW!!!! [ Edited ]

[erik_h]

Coming soon

Erik Hammarlund

[erik_h]

http://hammarlundlaw.com/posts/33

[cwarner]

You might want to have a chat with lenovo's customer service department. I've been following some people's impressions of their new t410's and haven't read about any issues with keyboard flex. Hopefully it's just a defect that they can take care of for you.

Either way, not a good start for the t510's

[Mark_Lenovo Administrator]

Erik,

Thanks for the great write up and the youtube video.   Hopefully, you'll expand your review to look beyond the keyboard as you spend some more time with the system... I think we'd all be interested in your ongoing thoughts.

In the mean time, let's explore your keyboard observations....

In the past we got a lot of feedback on this, but the focus was always on the left side of the keyboard where there was initially a lot of clear span area, and the reduced weight keyboard, sans stiffener plate from earlier T61 keyboards would tend to flex there. (August 08-Nov 08 builds were the time we heard the most on this).  Starting in Nov '08, we shifted manufacturing to use the T61 keyboard while an update / enhancement was developed. 

In April '09 and onward, we returned to using the weight reduced keyboard, but added  support brackets inside the system to reduce flex / improve the feel on the left side.   Very rarely were there any complaints with the right side of the keyboard because there is so much support from the magnesium roll cage there.

Since your system is showing flex on the right side, I have to suspect one of the following things may be a possibility:

1) The keyboard is not properly seated in the system.  The rollcage casting (magneslium) has a couple ridges toward the bottom (palm area) of the keyboard tray.  When the keyboard is installed it must be pushed down and slid under the bezel below the LCD.  If it isn't forward enough, a corner could be resting on this ridge, causing the keyboard to sit high on the right side, and creating the hollow area underneath.   Try removing the 5 screws on the bottom with the keyboard icon next to them - remove the palmrest and check the keyboard / reseat it.

2) The keyboard could be slightly bowed.  While you have the system apart from my suggestion in #1 above, remove the keyboard (careful with the ribbon cable) and visually check to ensure it is not warped.  You can form it slightly with your hand if needed.

3) Lastly, while you have the keyboard out, check the area under it for any wiring that might not be tucked into the appropriate recessed channel in the roll cage.  Some of the wires may have paper labels and if one is folded and sticking up, it could prevent the keyboard from seating properly.

Mark

[erik_h]

I'll take a look in a minute.

I'm continuing my review, in parts--Part 2 is up (just ports for now) and the real meat of the review will come soon.

[jminiman]

"I wished that the T510 included Lenovo's new "always on" USB port, designed to let you charge your Ipod without powering up. But in light of the other ports, it is not a great loss." Why do you say this? According to Lenovo Blogs, this feature only comes on discrete gfx models:

Our internal disclosures are careful to say that you need discrete graphics to get this feature on your system.  Frankly, I’ve not been able to find out why this limitation is in place and whether it is a “support” statement or a physical hardware limitation statement.

[lkpcampion]

Hi Jminiman,

Does he have the discrete graphics on the spec in his post? I would be very disappointed too if the always on USB port is not on the T510.

[PaAra]

"On paper, this is an impressive machine: Intel i7 620-M quad core processor, NVIDIA 512M graphics card, 4G of RAM, and Windows Ultimate 64 bit."

fromm http://hammarlundlaw.com/posts/33

[lkpcampion]

Hi, PaAra,

I actually meant to say "Doesn't he have the discrete GFX...?" as a question. Thanks for clerifying it.

Campion

[andyP Community SuperMod]

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jminiman wrote:

"I wished that the T510 included Lenovo's new "always on" USB port, designed to let you charge your Ipod without powering up. But in light of the other ports, it is not a great loss." Why do you say this? According to Lenovo Blogs, this feature only comes on discrete gfx models:

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I've just looked at the Jan tabook, ps. 96 & 97. It seems to me that both integrated and discrete systems have the powered usb, but the integrated doesn't have the e-sata/usb combo.

integrated p.96 "Four USB 2.0 (one powered), external monitor..."

discrete p.97 "Three USB 2.0 (one powered), one USB 2.0/eSATA combo port"

This leads me to believe the OP has a system with discrete graphics. I guess we'll find out as the next installments are released.