One thing bothering me about my new IBM Thinkpad T42

[Tran]

I love every aspect of my new T42 except the cover. I like the finish and everything but it's so easy to get fingerprints or something on it and they are damn hard to get off!

anyone know how i can clean it? I think it's made out of magnesium/titanium or somehting like that
just a wet cloth? Wonder if tthat'll be ok since "oily" fingers make such a mess

Edit:
Also, i keep accidently opening my DVD rom drive when i'm moving my computer around or something.. i just know some day i'm going to open it by accident and then break it or something..
so is there any way to disable to button on the drive? (ie just use eject from windows)

 

[Wuzup101]

I clean my powerbook with a microfiber cleaning cloth from www.radtech.us. I dampen it slightly and then just wipe over the case. If you think you have finger prints on yours try owning a powerbook... they practically collect fingerprints

 

[eLiu]

To clean the casing, I use a lint-free cloth (kensington brand--got it from mom's office) with some rubbing alcohol, windex, or whatever is handy (same for the keyboard, which attracts oil like crazy...and becomes shiny). But any kind of lint-free/microfiber cloth would be fine. 3M has something that doesnt even require cleaning liquids--just dampen it, wipe, and you're golden. I have kensington's screen cleaning liquid for the LCD too...it works out pretty nice. I clean my T42 once every week/other week, depending on how dirty it's getting.

And, I dunno about the DVD drive...just be careful? Maybe check the BIOS and see if there's some option in there....though I doubt it.

 

[Tran]

btw i wanna make one thing clear..

this laptop does not have a cover like any other laptop i've ever seen.
It's not plastic, and it feels a bit "furry" to be honest
That's why i'm asking specificly

 

[fbrdphreak]

I was actually JUST about to start a thread about this. I had a thought and I wonder if anyone has heard of this: what about some kind of plastic film to cover the top of the ThinkPads like they have for cell phones now. You know the color-changing "skins" they have on www.3gupload.com, well I would imagine there has to be something like that for different laptops. That would be ideal for the Thinkpads (I have a T42 as well) and could just go over the top cover. It would eliminate finger prints and you could even get some cool effects. Anyone?

 

[ViperV990]

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.polygfx.com/product/laptopSkins.htm
">http://www.polygfx.com/product/laptopSkins.htm
</a>

Edit: LOL, I like how they also have the same stuff for your fridge...

 

[arsbanned]

Rubbing alcohol? I'd be careful with that. Start with extremely mild agents and progress only as necessary.

 

[IdBuRnS]

From thinkpads.com:

18) What is the best way to clean my ThinkPad?s LCD? What about the case? Can I just use Windex and a paper towel?

Windex, napkin, and paper towel are big no-no?s. Use a lint-free/micro-fiber cloth and screen cleaning fluid (which is a mix of water and Ethanol). Never spray the cleaner directly onto the screen, always spray it onto the cloth first. You can use the same cleaner for the case, or just a slightly watered cloth. These cleaning supplies are available at Office Depot, Staples and other office/computer supply stores.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=1689