Abandoned Support for X40 ?

[billbolton Community Moderator]

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TechCowboy wrote:

When I googled:

(thinkpad OR IBM OR Lenovo) "total cost of ownership" lower*

Google gave me about 38,500,000 hits, most prominently from Lenovo and IBM.

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So the answer to my question then is simply that there is no specific context from IBM regarding the X40.

The end of any realistic commercial lifecycle for measurement of the TOC on an X40 has passed by any reasonable measure.  If you want to keep using, good for you...... but you have no case for complaint that it is not supported by the current versions of vendor utilities, tools and drivers.

Cheers,

Bill

[TechCowboy]

Erik, I appreciate your comments.

If you are looking for a specific promise of Lenovo support beyond 5 years, I wish you the best of luck.

I referenced Lenovo's long standing promotion of lower total ownership costs as justification for premium prices.  You wanted a specific citation.  I offered that a Google search yielded about 38.5 million specific  references to Lenovo's long-standing promotion.  Did you look at any of these specific instances?  What more do you wish on this point?

If you wish to argue 5 years as an arbitrary limit for cost of ownership calculations, you may argue  with yourself forever.  What is your point?

When Lenovo promotes lower cost of ownership as justification for premium prices, Lenovo does not limit cost of ownership to 5 years.  When I cite Lenovo's longstanding promise of lower ownership costs, I cite Lenovo's promise as Lenovo most commonly promotes its promise:  without specific time limit.

Do you doubt that Lenovo promotes lower cost of ownership as justification for premium prices?  What is your point?

Erik, when you advise that nothing prevents me from installing ThinkVantage software on older machines, you are entirely incorrect.  At install or launch, Lenovo ThinkVantage software generally  tests for  machine type and  operating system.  Lenovo generally denies current Win7 ThinkVantage software to Win7-updated X40 ThinkPads, even when this thread, this forum and this community persistently confirms that Windows 7 and Windows 7 software run just fine on X40/X41 ThinkPads, sans optional Aero.

To me, arbitrarily denying Win7 software to Win7-updated ThinkPads dishonors Lenovo's longstanding promise of lower ownership costs.  Lower ownership costs implies longer functional product life.

I have never suggested that Lenovo must guarantee that Win7 software runs on X40 machines.  When this thread, this forum and this community persistently confirms that Windows 7 runs just fine on X40 ThinkPads, I ask why Lenovo arbitrarily denies current Win7 ThinkVantage software to Win7--updated X40/X41 Thinkpads.  Do you remain unclear on my question?

With Lenovo's warning that Win7  ThinkVantage software is untested on Win7-updated X40/X41 ThinkPads, the vibrant ThinkPad community could work together.  Together, we could try this software on our machines.  We could share our experiences.  We could help each other resolve issues, as issues may arise.

When Lenovo arbitrarily denies us the opportunity to install Win7 ThinkVantage software on Win7-upgraded X40/X41 ThinkPads, Lenovo denies us the opportunity to work together, to explore and to resolve issues; and to extend the productive life of our machines.  When Lenovo denies us the opportunity to install--at our risk--Win7 ThinkVantage software on Win7-updated X40/X41 ThinkPads, I believe that Lenovo breaches its long-standing promise of lower cost of ownership by arbitrarily curtailing the productive life of our machines.

I do not suggest that ThinkVantage software is essential to the continued, useful function of Win7-updated  X40/X41 ThinkPads.  Yet, if ThinkVantage software is useful, ThinkVantage software may enhance our long-serving machines, thereby reducing our total cost of ownership for as long as we can keep our ThinkPads productive--if only Lenovo honored its long-standing promise of lower ownership costs.

Erik, you are playful to bait me that I have some sort of case to make.  What is your point?

If Lenovo allowed us to install Win7 ThinkVantage software on Win7-updated X40/X41 ThinkPads, would you help us test and resolve issues, to help extend the productive life of our machines?

[erik Community SuperMod]

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TechCowboy wrote:

If you are looking for a specific promise of Lenovo support beyond 5 years, I wish you the best of luck.

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you seem to be the one looking for such a promise, not i.   i already know that support ends after the five-year mark.

your system is over five years old.   nothing is guaranteed, warranted, serviced, or supported at this point.

that is my point.

(edit: typo)

[TechCowboy]

Bill, thank you for sharing your confusion as to whether Lenovo promotes premium-priced ThinkPads as the lower cost of ownership solution.

Please help me understand your confusion.

Do you believe that Lenovo promotes ThinkPads as the higher cost of ownership solution?

Do you doubt that ThinkPads command a premium price?

Google provides about 38.5 million specific references to Lenovo and IBM promoting lower ownership costs as justification for premium prices.  Have you read any of these 38.5 million, specific references?

Thank you for not minding that I and thousands of others keep our ThinkPads functional and productive for more than 5 years.  Lower cost of ownership for a premium-priced product implies longer product life.

You have mis-characterized my concern.  My concern is not the absence of Win7 ThinkVantage software.  My concern is that Lenovo arbitrarily prohibits Win7 ThinkVantage software from Win7-updated X40/X41 ThinkPads, even when this thread, this forum and this community persistently confirms that Windows 7 runs just fine on X40/X41 ThinkPads, sans Aero.

Bill, if you are unconcerned that Lenovo dishonors its longstanding promotion of Thinkpads as the lower, cost-of-ownership solution, bless your heart.  I am happy for you.

If your confusion persists, I hope you can find clarity, however you may wish.

[TechCowboy]

Erik, thank you for sharing your mistaken belief that I am looking for promises from Lenovo.

Thank you for telling me that my system is over 5 years old.  In fact, my system is 6+ years old.

Thank you for sharing your concern about guarantees, warranties, service and support.

In my posting here, I have neither advocated nor requested additional guarantee nor additional warranty.

I understand that Lenovo has not tested ThinkVantage software on Win7-updated X40/X41 Thinkpads.  When ThinkVantage software tests for machine type and operating system, Lenovo generally disallows current ThinkVantage software on Win7-updated X40/X41 ThinkPads.  I wish that Lenovo would let me install and launch current ThinkVantage software on my X40, at my risk.  I regret that my wish seems to have troubled you so deeply.

Thank you for clarifying that you have not understood my concern.  Please forgive that I confused you.

Thank you for sharing so many unrelated concerns of your own.

[Mark_Lenovo Administrator]

Techcowboy,

I think banaman provided the basis for why Lenovo is not providing Win 7 support for the X40.   When Windows 7 came out, Lenovo made a determination as to how far back (what previous systems) we would test and ensure / support Windows 7 drivers for and these ended with the '61 series.

Support is considered in the context of the OS and drivers that the system originally shipped with.  The OS and hardware config sold are considered the supported environment.  

As I think the point of support on Windows 7 on X40 has been asked and answered, I'm closing out this thread.

If you want to discuss specific drivers / feature function tips / tricks to get Windows 7 to work on an X40, then please start a new thread focused on that technical point.  

Thanks!

Mark