IBM really all that good? Not too many think so.

[Preti9cboi]

I've looked at numerous ratings on CNET and various models.
Here's an example.
http://reviews.cnet.com/ThinkPad_T41/4505-3121_7-30567436.html

Only a 7.1 review from "USERS". And the ones who gave such low reviews have extremely crucial problems.

Example, what's up with IBM shipping taking so long to deliever a notebook? I've read numerous reviews on IBM's shipping of the product that arrives 2+ months later!!!!! And i actually have proof of this. My brother ordered an IBM in the month of early december that "WAS" scheduled to be delievered by Jan 6. TODAY is jan 15 and it's still not here!!!

 

[IlllI]

Review date: 11/14/03
Release date: 10/10/03

 

[Preti9cboi]

Thanks for the reply but that doesnt explain why my brother's labtop is late. EXTREMELY late. I just talked to him a min ago. He ordered it on december third and they didnt ship it until jan 6. That's just plain sad and it's still four states away. My brother is not the only person with this problem because i read a few instances on Cnet already.

I understand that is an old review. I didnt even look at CNET review. I only read user reviews because we all know that users get the real end product. Also, that is not the only IBM model that i looked at. "ALL" other current models had no more then a 7 average rating from "users" at cnet.

Incase you didnt bother to check. All user reviews are from 2005 for that model.

http://reviews.cnet.com/ThinkPad_X41_Ta...ssageID=1319997&cval=1319997&tag=uolst
http://reviews.cnet.com/ThinkPad_X41_Tablet/4852-3126_7-31398077.html?tag=uolst
http://reviews.cnet.com/ThinkPad_T42/4852-3121_7-30871787.html?tag=uolst

 

[Trippytiger]

Long shipping times are nothing new with IBM, and Lenovo seems to be continuing the tradition. Mine took over a month to get to me due to supply issues (and then they sent me something else, anyways), and many have been quite late in the U.S. because of customs delays. Nothing to be done about it, and it doesn't change the fact that whatever your brother ordered will be top-notch.

 

[bREwIn dOdgEr dUDe]

 

[bREwIn dOdgEr dUDe]

oops forgot to post... i buy ibm/lenovos for my company, and i've learned a lot of how they distribute/ship the laptops... first of all, i try to order the latest lappy models cuz once a model starts getting a tad dated, distributers (and ibm/lenovo) go right to allocation... meaning that once they're off the shelves, they (ibm/lenovo) will ratchet up production when a good size amount of orders are taken, either direct or from distributors... it is kind of drag, but because the majority of business(es) use JIT (just in time), inventories are very minimal... when models are updated quickly and continually, noone wants to be stuck with a rather large inventory of old lappy's... so a month to two months for delivery is "business as usual"... as far as quality... i love mine, and our company demands the quality...

 

[IlllI]

Originally posted by: Preti9cboi
Thanks for the reply but that doesnt explain why my brother's labtop is late. EXTREMELY late. I just talked to him a min ago. He ordered it on december third and they didnt ship it until jan 6. That's just plain sad and it's still four states away. My brother is not the only person with this problem because i read a few instances on Cnet already.

I understand that is an old review. I didnt even look at CNET review. I only read user reviews because we all know that users get the real end product. Also, that is not the only IBM model that i looked at. "ALL" other current models had no more then a 7 average rating from "users" at cnet.

Incase you didnt bother to check. All user reviews are from 2005 for that model.

http://reviews.cnet.com/ThinkPad_X41_Ta...ssageID=1319997&cval=1319997&tag=uolst
http://reviews.cnet.com/ThinkPad_X41_Tablet/4852-3126_7-31398077.html?tag=uolst
http://reviews.cnet.com/ThinkPad_T42/4852-3121_7-30871787.html?tag=uolst

1. you asked 2 different questions. "IBM really all that good? Not too many think so."
and why is laptop taking so long to be shipped.

what else do you want except 'well thats life'. not EVERYONE will think they are 100% absolutely perfect. it is literally impossible to make a product that every single person would have 0 problems with. impossible.

also, if your brother doesnt want to wait, then why not cancel the order?

 

[Preti9cboi]

It's too late for my brother to cancel.

I was considering an IBM but im not sure if i can wait two months for it. If it takes this long for a labtop to arrive then who knows what type of problems i might have if i ever need to call customer support. I'll probably just get a dell.

 

[bREwIn dOdgEr dUDe]

their customer support is good... really!!!

 

[Busithoth]

customer support is actually quite good (still).
but IBM ain't for all.
fer instance, gamers.
I, however, love them.

 

[Preti9cboi]

Well, i'm going to use it for school and a portable DVD for plane trips.

What's better. T series or X series?

X series seems to be the lightest but how do they fair with playing DVD?
And does anyone know if it IBM has bluetooth technology? I cant seem to find it on their labtops.

 

[Preti9cboi]

Lots of people seem to like IBM but user reviews really scare me. I dont think im going to take the chance.

Here's an example of someone who had an extremely hard time with IBM.
http://reviews.cnet.com/ThinkPad_X41_Ta...ssageID=1396639&cval=1396639&tag=uolst

The reader even goes on to suggest an HP tc4200. Cnet has an 9.0 average "USER" rating. Now that is complete excellence.
http://reviews.cnet.com/HP_Compaq_tc4200/4852-3126_7-31273672.html?tag=uolst

 

[Trippytiger]

If you want to watch DVDs with the X-series, you'll need to get an 'Ultrabase' (I think that's what it's called) that you can put an optical drive in, as they don't have a drive bay of their own. The T-series is bigger and heavier, of course, but it has a drive bay, so you won't need anything else with it.

I'm pretty sure that any new X- or T-series laptop should support Bluetooth (except possibly the X32, but I'm not positive about that). Not every model comes with BT, though, so you'll need to do a lot of looking if you want to find one that does, or just add it in yourself.

 

[Trippytiger]

Originally posted by: Preti9cboi
Lots of people seem to like IBM but user reviews really scare me. I dont think im going to take the chance.

Here's an example of someone who had an extremely hard time with IBM.
http://reviews.cnet.com/ThinkPad_X41_Ta...ssageID=1396639&cval=1396639&tag=uolst

The reader even goes on to suggest an HP tc4200. Cnet has an 9.0 average "USER" rating. Now that is complete excellence.
http://reviews.cnet.com/HP_Compaq_tc4200/4852-3126_7-31273672.html?tag=uolst

Most people don't have problems with their Thinkpads. Because a minority of people have had some serious problems with theirs (it happens - even Thinkpads are far from perfect), doesn't mean that they are bad laptops. I suspect their lower ratings are due to the price/performance ratio, which, though competitive, tends to be a bit poorer than other manufacturers.

The X41T is a bit of a different case, though, as there do seem to be some slightly more widespread problems with it. Even so, I want one.

EDIT: Also notice that there are only 19 user reviews for the tc4200, and 27 for the X41T. Neither of those is really enough to get an accurate picture of what the products are like.

 

[GoSharks]

Happy users (like me) usually dont go around posting reviews. when somebody has a bad experience, they will be more likely to post such a review. I've had my T23 for 2.5 years now, am extremely happy with it, and have had no problems at all. My battery even still holds about a 2 hour charge.

 

[The Linuxator]

Originally posted by: GOSHARKS
Happy users (like me) usually dont go around posting reviews. when somebody has a bad experience, they will be more likely to post such a review. I've had my T23 for 2.5 years now, am extremely happy with it, and have had no problems at all. My battery even still holds about a 2 hour charge.

Extremley delighted user here :raises hand; and I am not even using a T-series (mine is an R50e) you can imagine how happy I will be once I upgrade to a T43 .
Support is top notch, warranty replacement is a breeze I have heared here on AT of some people getting their laptops replaced within 48-65 Hours HOLY SHT!!!

 

[ValuedCustomer]

Thinkpads are "that good", don't let a few bad reviews mislead you. Keep in mind the vast majority of Thinkpad users are professional users meaning the machines are owned by the companies they work for. On top of the already mentioned point that people are more typically inclined to report bad news rather than good, most I'd imagine in the professional world aren't going to give their opinions one way or another in regards to equip they don't actually own.

 

[ShellGuy]

I love how people rely on Cnet reviews for their own idea if a laptop is good or not.. I have never really posted a review of a product on anysite. Why not come to anandtech and ask what do you guys think. People don't buy IBM for the performance mostly they buy it for the build quality and for the Tech support both of wich are top notch. They for the most part aren't a consumer product they are really made for business. Which for the most part arn't worried about cost but the TCO which takes into account how long you will be down if you have a failure.. If I could afford it I would get an IBM..



Will G>

 

[AmigaMan]

Originally posted by: ShellGuy
I love how people rely on Cnet reviews for their own idea if a laptop is good or not.. I have never really posted a review of a product on anysite. Why not come to anandtech and ask what do you guys think. People don't buy IBM for the performance mostly they buy it for the build quality and for the Tech support both of wich are top notch. They for the most part aren't a consumer product they are really made for business. Which for the most part arn't worried about cost but the TCO which takes into account how long you will be down if you have a failure.. If I could afford it I would get an IBM..



Will G>

The problem with coming to a site such as AT is that you get the fanboy syndrome (and I'm not naming names .

That being said, I actually believe the IBM Thinkpad fanboys here. Most of them are as ValuedCustomer said professional users. Preti9cboi, you should read up on some posts by WackyDan, he'll set ya straight.

ALthough I've never owned one, most of the people here at the software development company I work at use them and love them over the Dell Latitudes we used to give out. But they don't give developers laptops so I'm stuck with my personal Inspiron 9200 for development...

 

[fbrdphreak]

Your first problem is that you're reading reviews from CNET. Not only are CNET reviews atrociously worthless, but from my experience you don't exactly have the most computer literate people using their services.

Did your brother custom order his notebook or buy an "Express" (i.e. prebuilt) model? Custom built ones add a few weeks build time. The other delays are generally due to customs, unfortunately.

EDIT If anyone else is having trouble receiving their Lenovo orders on time, shoot me a PM with the order number.

 

[Ayah]

IBM is the pinnicle of quality in the laptop world. Their laptops are top of the line, and cost top of the line prices.. But their support is extremely good. Build quality is also good.

 

[simms]

You believe in Cnet but you don't see the huge forum of advice that is available to you at http://forum.thinkpads.com.

And for you to ask if an X series is OK for playing DVDs... maybe IBM isn't right for you. The X series is an ultralight, some even weight around 2 lbs. They DO NOT contain any optical drives for you to play DVDs or CDs on.. they are for the business traveller who needs battery life and mobility.

T-series are the showcase and blend between perforamnce and size.

FWIW, Lenovo/IBM uses UPS, and you know who you can blame for that. UPS is responsible for those delays - not IBM/Lenovo.

 

[Stu L Tissimus]

I used to have an old Thinkpad 600X. My father got it in 1998, and gave it to me when his company gave him a new ThinkPad two years later. I used it until about 2004, when I bought a new laptop. It still runs perfectly, it's just that the battery is all but gone, but that's to be expected after so many years of use.

Thinkpads are as durable as all hell, and they work well at everything you throw at them.