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Lenovo’s New ThinkPads Score 10/10 for Repairability— Repair goes mega mainstream with the launch of Lenovo's new T-series laptops

⁨1557⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Beep@lemmus.org⁩ to ⁨technology@lemmy.world⁩

https://www.ifixit.com/News/115827/new-thinkpads-score-perfect-10-repairability

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  • Darkcoffee@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Lenovo also owns the Motorola phone brand, and they’re going to adopt/allow GrapheneOS. I think they know how to grab customers right now, and I honestly like it.

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    • artyom@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      They’re usually also well supported on Linux, and even sell them with Ubuntu pre-installed. Generally not a terrible brand.

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      • idiomaddict@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Is that a good idea for a non tech person* with no Linux experience who absolutely needs to send documents successfully to others the first time without delay or should I just wait until my degree is finished and I am less dependent on document interoperability and have fewer absolute deadlines?

        • My level of technical knowledge is here: if a program or usb device isn’t functioning, I know to check the driver, but I always have to look up what the device manager is called. On the other hand, I am capable of looking things up and following simple instructions, which has to count for something.
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      • currycourier@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Didn’t they have some huge controversy for having spyware pre-installed or something like that a few years ago? Doesn’t take away from the direction they’re moving in now, though! Hopefully they continue to move in this more pro-consumer direction.

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    • helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      They were also the first OEM to support steam deck on their handheld (beside Valve).

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    • OhVenus_Baby@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Isnt lenovo the company that used to make the rugged military laptops that actually had Chinese or foreign backdoors installed?

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      • Kriznick@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        That’s fucking depressing and SO ironic…

        So in order to get more spying machines onto US IT networks, their honey pot is “build a product that is pro consumer”, and it will sell like hotcakes in the IT community.

        What a fucking timeline

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    • 0x0@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      It’s Lenovo reading the room (well, which is unusual), rather than worrying about the consumer.
      It’s still a big corpo and line must go up.
      Nice to see this is turning out to be a net positive though.

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    • obinice@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Motorola has been kinda crap for years now, not supporting their android phones with updates, etc.

      Hopefully this is a new leaf for them.

      Isn’t Lenovo that dodgy company that did the China stuff though? Hopefully they’ve been bought by someone else since then.

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  • pr06lefs@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Just a lil nitpick: article is by iFixit who is a Lenovo business partner. So perhaps less objective than one might hope.

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    • BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      It seems to me that Lenovo’s repairably is more affected by that iFixit partnership than the opposite. I don’t see anything factually wrong or suspicious in the article.

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      • Viceversa@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Nevertheless, a conflict of interests is possible.

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    • lobut@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      I use iFixit’s guides all the time, so I would hope that their score isn’t affected by it. I’ve seen them as being fairly good at their role.

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    • Alwaysnownevernotme@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      As someone who has changed a laptop keyboard before.

      That picture says it all.

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      • MajorasTerribleFate@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Picture’s worth a thousand expletives.

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    • Mexigore@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      They even state it them selves in the article, so it is not like they are trying to hide this. Also they say that this is not the end all be all of reparability, which IMO should merit not then getting a 10/10 but idk what their metrics are.

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    • ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      This is true, but they’re also not wrong that fully-modular USB-C ports is an absolutely huge win. It’s one of the biggest things when it comes to laptops these days.

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      • user224@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        That was where I went “holy hell”. Wearing out ports is something I am constantly quite scared of when plugging things in. Especially things like cables when they want to twist vertically, but the port is horizontal, and, well, it’s a thick cable, so…

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    • jjlinux@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      It’s unlikely that fact will change the repairability of the devices. They risk too much by posting biased and false information on that end.

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  • fubarx@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    There’s a difference between ‘repairable’ and ‘upgradable.’ Most of the comments seem to conflate the two. Lenovo isn’t doing a Framework.

    It’s a smart move. Differentiates them from other laptop-makers for corporate IT, who can do the parts swaps themselves. Also smart is associating the brand with iFixit and working to get a 10/10. That’ll be what sets them apart from all the others, at least for the next year or two.

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    • brucethemoose@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      The “upgradability” part in a small laptop is questionable to me, anyway.

      The GPU is really compromised in that chassis, as having it in a slot compromises cooling big time, and limits how much power it can use. And while I love upgradable RAM for the CPU… it’d be better if they used faster CAMM modules. Many other brands have upgradable SSDs/WiFi.

      Swappable ports are awesome, no question.

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    • tempest@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      A think pad t series is not really much harder to take apart than a framework. Just more screws and fewer magnets. The screen is probably an exception however.

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      • hereiamagain@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        That’s his point. It’s similar to framework, but not the same.

        Easy repairability is great, truly.

        But framework offers more than that, easy repairability AND upgradability, because they offer new upgraded parts with the same compatibility as the old ones, so you can just drop them in.

        Lenovo is not yet doing that. Which is fine. Just a noteworthy difference.

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    • LedgeDrop@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      There’s a difference between ‘repairable’ and ‘upgradable.’

      Absolutely! I’ve got a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 (laptop/tablet thingy).

      I’ve upgraded/replaced the ssd - no problem.

      Unfortunately, this laptop has an issue with the keyboard: the left section/panel intermittently stops sending inputs. Meaning, keys like escape, a, w, shift, l-control - just stop (even in the bios). I’d read that they keyboard “collects” static which causes problems with certain sections of the keyboard.

      I thought I’d see how difficult it would be to replace the keyboard. I watched a teardown video, and of course you need to remove everything… but I lost it when, the person in the video used a heat gun to melt “plastic rivits” that connected the keyboard to the motherboard case. Then with the replacement keyboard needed to remelt the plastic rivits.

      This laptop is not repairable. In fact, I swore I’d never buy another Lenovo again as a result. … but if their focus is on making them repairable (and their recent partnership with GrapheneOS) - I might be eating crow tonight.

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      • jj4211@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Note that ThinkPad and IdeaPad are practically different companies with how Lenovo acts.

        Fully expect IdeaPads to continue to be shit. ThinkPad can do the most wondrous good stuff in the world and IdeaPad will stay garbage.

        And yes, I went through the same exact maddeningly shitty keyboard replacement procedure. Never again IdeaPad, though ThinkPad has been fine.

        Bonus points, ThinkPad brand never shipped Superfish, and most of the firmware security flaws have been IdeaPad side. It’s amazing how half-assed they are with that brand yet pretty competent with ThinkPad.

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      • crabArms@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        oops, that’s Motorola

        www.lenovo.com/us/en/d/motorola-smartphones/ Same company, actually, so you were basically right the first time!

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  • avidamoeba@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Ooh yes baby! As an early Framework adopter who’s repaired it already a few times, including a solder job on the board, I am happy to see it. I am getting increasingly angsty about where Framework would go in the future as its VCs crank up the profit knob. Having the biggest real manufacturer in the world introduce an alternative is fantastic. With that said, it also depends on Lenovo actually making parts direct-for-purchase available at decent prices. Without that, repairability serves just as marketing wank.

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    • Tywele@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      An advantage that Framework still has is their upgradeability.

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      • avidamoeba@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Fact. But to be honest, the strenght of the body of the Framework is pretty weak. Drops and more pressure result in permanent bending. I’ve already replaced one bottom.

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    • ATS1312@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Is that a magnesium body plate?

      As is tradition for thinkpads.

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      • avidamoeba@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        I thought they went away from it for their latest gens.

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  • Allero@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    One thing to highlight: T-series Lenovo laptops are mainstream business products shipped at a huge scale.

    This is not a small-scale experimental product for the tinkerers. This may define the biggest laptop segment if it works out well. It might be the first time in a while that something like this hits such a huge market.

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    • 14th_cylon@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      wtf are you talking about? this isn’t “hitting the market”, this is staple of the thinkpads for ever.

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      • Allero@lemmy.today ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        These particular models are about to be released, hitting the market. With all renown Lenovo got for good long-term support, this is their most repairable product as of yet.

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  • BlackLaZoR@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    They got scared by Framework sucess

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    • jj4211@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Well, good…

      Though reparability is a good part of it, another would be a concrete commitment that the form factor of various things will be consistent generation to generation, that Gen 8 boards will fit into a current laptop.

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    • hkspowers@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Exactly, but it still won’t get them my money. I believe in rewarding companies who had the balls to listen to their customers first with my dollars. Framework will be my next laptop no matter what any other competitor comes out with.

      They’re the only reason we’re seeing any companies starting to u-turn and make modular/repairable laptops.

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      • 0x0@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Framework will be my next laptop no matter what

        Big tent Framework?

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    • 0x0@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      I kinda doubt Framework’s success, no matter how large by niche manufacturer standards, even reaches Lenovo’s sales on a bad day.
      Good that they’re (apparently) changing though.

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    • boonhet@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      I suppose Framework will be the better laptop for individuals looking to buy a new laptop, but also business class laptops come with fancy enterprise things like on-site repairs. So I think large corporations, the main customers of new T series Thinkpads, will continue buying them just the same anyway.

      I think the people benefitting the most here actually are going to be the people buying off-lease Thinkpads. Those of us who know a quality used laptop is better than a cheapo new one (like a Pavilion or Ideapad), but also don’t want to spring for a brand new laptop (in which case Framework would be the best option - they’d be great used too, but they’re not that common on the used market)

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    • bender223@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      yeah, my company recently switched away from dell to Framework laptops. a couple of my coworkers with the Framework laptops really like them. They like how sturdy they are. The magnesium alloy case doesn’t flex at all. Our dell laptops with plastic cases often get dented and bent so eastily, and cause various problems.

      We also have a couple Lenovo laptops, and I haven’t heard of any issues. Generally, the plastic used for Lenovo’s cases are noticeably thicker and harder than dells’.

      I definitely feel a sense of ease knowing that if anything goes wrong with our framework laptops, I will most likely be able to fix it.

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      • thermal_shock@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        That’s awesome, but what issues did they have with dell? They’re pretty easy to disassemble and repair if you don’t buy the cheap consumer shit. But I’m all for straying away for framework.

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      • 0x0@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Our dell laptops with plastic cases often get dented and bent so eastily, and cause various problems.

        My work’s Latitude barely flexes, apples to apples?

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    • Brkdncr@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Lmao

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  • rekabis@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Yes, but if you are running Windows on them, do they still inject Chinese state-sponsored malware into Windows on every boot from UEFI/BIOS storage?

    They were caught doing this on several occasions, to the point where Lenovo products are forbidden across significant swaths of the U.S. government and military.

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    • matlag@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Err… were they? I remember vulnerabilities and a ban from SOME of the US gov agencies, but not clear if it was because of spying concerns or because they wanted a US supplier.

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    • quips@slrpnk.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      How this hasn’t killed all serious interest is beyond me.

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      • Pirate@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        There’s this thing called uninstalling the factory OS and reinstalling with a clean image. If you go a step further you can even get rid of Windows altogether and install Linux.

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      • rekabis@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        Goldfish memories by most muggles and normies.

        Plus the latest shiny and feature FOMO.

        And then you have procurement who are told to get the most at the least cost, allowing state-owned companies to undercut most competition. Without clearly-specified guidelines that exclude dangerous tech, most rank-and-file salarymen will be told by Dilbert bosses to order the hardware or look for a different job.

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    • drmoose@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Source?

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      • rekabis@lemmy.ca ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
        • www.theregister.com/…/lenovo_firmware_nasty/

        One example of many.

        You must be new to tech to not remember this. Wasn’t all that long ago.

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      • Nugscree@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Trust me bro ^*tm^

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    • BCsven@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      They can’t be a 10, only framework gets a 10. Nothing compares.

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    • BCsven@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      My memory was fuzzy, but I think it wasn’t UEFI but apps/drivers, but j could be wrong

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      • rekabis@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        You are correct, however they were malicious in nature and loaded on every boot from the UEFI/BIOS. They required Windows and auto-terminated the install if they already existed.

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  • cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    That’s nice you can replace the charging port without reflowing the motherboard now.

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    • normanwall@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Our business stopped buying them completely after they fucked us around with the USBC port burnouts and didn’t acknowledge it, I know it’s not a huge amount but they will lose hundreds of thousands of dollars of sales from us

      So many laptops just wasted before they patched it

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  • sasquatch7704@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Happy for them, I’m sure the 100 people that still can afford computers will appreciate it.

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    • Tja@programming.dev ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Thinkpads are usually acquired as enterprise retire their stock, 2 or 3 year old devices for a fraction of the new price.

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    • drmoose@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Thinkpads are generally invredibly cheap due to scale. You can also refurbished last years model for under 400 usd.

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  • SnailMagnitude@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Nice to see this pop up as Apple announce their 5yr plan to flood the world’s landfills & scrap yards with 8gb fused ram Neo’s.

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  • Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    I wonder if this will suit up the “they don’t make them like they used to” crowd.

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  • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Lenovo not dropping the ball on their thinkpad reputation but improving it. Very impressive

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  • CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Ok but how long is it going to be supported? If they abandon the idea its just a particularly expensive regular laptop, even if they keep supporting it you’re locked into ThinkPads ecosystem. It’s not truly repairable until its a standard that doesn’t rely on the benevolence of a single company.

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  • SpookyCoffee@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    We’re so back

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  • JayGray91@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Now if I can buy it cheaper empty without microslop spyware installed on it, that would be great

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  • derAbsender@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Could they please Cooper are with Framework and create Universal Joints?

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  • FireWire400@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Ripper job on Lenovo’s part; I’d give them flack for using LPCAMM2 instead of DDR but honestly, it is ultimately the better choice for laptops and it’s totally cool to see it instead of soldered RAM.

    Ideally they’d bring back the old keyboard layout based on the T25, but that’s more or less nitpicking at this point.

    My personal problem are the speakers; although ever since getting my hands on an M1 Pro MacBook I’m kinda spoiled in that regard.

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  • Blackmist@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Does 10/10 mean it’s got RAM and drives accessible without needing to disassemble the whole fucking thing?

    Nice to see both aren’t soldered onto the motherboard, but we’ve still gone backwards in the last 20 years.

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  • brie_cheese@piefed.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    I’ve been a ThinkPad user for about 4 years now, got a second-hand T470s running Fedora. It’s been an amazing experience! I’m not one for brand loyalty, but (so long as Lenovo doesn’t fuck them up) ThinkPads will always be my first choice for a laptop.

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  • ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Return of socketed mobile CPUs when?

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  • errer@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    What’s the price of this compared to a comparable (feature-wise) laptop? Just curious what the repairability premium is.

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  • koncertejo@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    The issue I had with my previous Lenovo Thinkpad wasn’t that it wasn’t repairable when it broke, it was. The issue was that the cost of just replacing the keyboard was prohibitively high. Higher than the cost of a new laptop. So it became e-waste.

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  • Astertheprince@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    They still don’t seem anywhere near as rugged as the tanks that were the IBM thinkpads. Which is a shame. The OG thinkpads were some of the best built laptops there were. Still better than some of the other cheap crap that passes for a laptop these days, but still a shell of its former glory.

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  • Hiro8811@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    My only question is if the the ram comes with a torque key

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  • jaschen306@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    In the early 2000s, my longest lasting laptop was an IBM T14. I replaced the battery twice and increased the memory. I retired it right before the pandemic. It lasted over 15 years.

    I replaced it with another Lenovo T14. Great keyboards and comes with Fedora workstation or Ubuntu out of the box.

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  • NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Is there a version that doesn’t have the AI cuntery baked into it?

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  • SethTaylor@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Lenovo, you say…?

    Its global headquarters are in Beijing, China, and its North American headquarters is in Morrisville, North Carolina, United States;[

    Nah…

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  • ClydapusGotwald@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Get repairability too bad they start at 1200 USD

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  • NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    But I won’t buy anything lenovo.

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  • rodneylives@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    It wouldn’t be difficult to make Lenovo laptops more repairable. I’ve had two, and both required taking the whole thing apart to replace the keyboard, the part most likely to have problems. I hate that about them.

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