Lenovo Thinkpad X60s vs Toshiba Portege R500

Urgh. I’m getting Laptop Envy. My Lenovo Thinkpad X60s doesn’t seem that nice and shiny as compared to the latest notebook offerings in the market, considering:

1. It only has a 1024×768 screen, and it’s not really bright
2. It’s battery is much less than the claimed 4 hr and 9 hr for the normal and extended batteries respectively
3. The hard drive is only 60gb, and at 5400rpm, it’s pretty slow

Just check out this notebook from Toshiba! It’s cheaper than what I bought my Thinkpad X60s for, and so much more advanced! Only gripe I have about it is it’s slower processor speed

Toshiba Portege R500-E260

Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology Core 2 Duo ULV U7600
(1.2GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB);
Intel 945GMS Express Chipset;
1.5GB DDR2 SDRAM (no slot left);
120GB SATA Hard disk;
Built-in Ultra-slim DVD Super Multi Drive;
12.1″ WXGA Transflective LCD Display (LED Backlight Technology, 1280 x 800);
Intel GMA 950, up to 251MB shared video memory;
1 Type II PC Card slot;
USB 2.0 x 3; i.LINK (IEEE) 1394;
SD-Card slot;
Expansion Bus (for replicator);
Built-in 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN;
Built-in Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG (802.11b/g);
Built-in BlueTooth 2.0+EDR;
Touchpad;
Fingerprint Reader;
Intel High definition Audio Support;
Built-in Mono speakers;
Integrated Microphone;
Windows Vista Business;
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium;
Microsoft Office 2007 Standard;
Notebook carrying case;
USB Optical Mouse;
1.09 kg (with 6-cell battery and integrated optical drive).
6-cell lithium ion battery with up to 10 hours of usage.

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Lenovo Thinkpad X60s Sent to Service Center for Repairs

I’m using a Lenovo Thinkpad X60s, and recently I realised I couldn’t charge the battery anymore. Whenever I plugged in a battery, it just wouldn’t charge. So I lived on direct AC power for quite a while, hoping that the problem would miraculously fix itself. But that didn’t happen - so with great dread, I decided that I had to send it in to the service center.

I have loads of sensitive information on my Thinkpad, so before I could send it in, I did a full backup of my system, then formatted it clean. I thought I’d just drop it off at one of IBM’s many drop-off points in Singapore, but the customer service officer told me that it’d add a delay of a day or two, so I decided to just drop it off at the service center directly.

So off I went to Changi, and gave my laptop to the technician. He told me that service times took anywhere from 3-5 working days, so I was pretty much prepared to be laptop-less for the whole week. Imagine my surprise when I received a call from them the very next day, saying that my laptop was ready for collection!

A nice card that came with back with my repaired Thinkpad

Apparently there was a problem with my Thinkpad’s motherboard, which prevented it from charging the batteries. So they replaced the motherboard, charged my battery, and even cleaned up the whole notebook so that it looked as good as new for me!

I’m happy

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Good Laptop / Notebook Battery Usage

One of the easiest things to kill is the battery of a laptop/notebook. In fact, it is common that some people may notice their laptop battery life growing shorter as the weeks go by.

One reason why this is so is because of the way the battery is being used. To ensure that batteries last for the long term, they need to be used properly. Most people keep their notebooks plugged in all day, and whenever they can find a power socket.

They may unplug them to move around, i.e. to go to school, home, or work. But once they arrive, the first thing they do is take out their AC adapters and plug in again. This means that on most days the notebook battery is going from 100% charged to 97% or 98%, and then being recharged to 100% again. This makes the batteries wear out prematurely, as each time you do this, you add another charge cycle to the battery.

Batteries have lifespan determined by the number of charge cycles they can take, and with each charge cycle, the battery’s lifespan is affected.

This is especially true for users who put their laptops on ’stand-by’ mode, as ’stand-by’ mode consumes minute amounts of battery, and once plugged in, the battery will charge again.

Lenovo users won’t have this problem though, as Thinkpads (I’m not sure about the other models), provide options to change battery charging behaviour. For instance, I can set my battery to charge only when it’s below 80% - so unless it’s below 80%, the battery will never be charged. And once it drops below 80%, the battery will continue to charge until it is at full 100% capacity.

Of course, I can also change the options so that no matter what, my battery will always charge to 100%.

With proper battery usage, you can expect to see your battery’s lifespan to be prolonged, and reap the maximum from your battery.

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Steelpad QCK Mouse Pad

I never saw the need for mouse pads - afterall, my mouse worked perfectly on my table-top. Or so I thought.

But one day, I had the good fortune to try out the Steelpad QcK that my friend brought, and since then, I’ve bought my own, and never been happier.

Have you ever faced these problems with your mouse?

• Base of mouse frequently gets dirty
• Mouse cursor jumps occasionally
• Hard to perform precise clicks/motions (Not impossible, just hard)

Then you’d be glad to know that all those problems may be solved with using a good mousepad. I’m not talking about those cheap, plasticky mousepads that are given free, or that can be bought for a dollar at your computer store’s bargain bin.

These mousepads are professional / gaming grade, and cost from $10 onwards. In fact, the average price is around $30, which is what drew me to the Steelpad QcK - the incredibly affordable price!

It’s a professional mousepad, made of cloth on a rubber non-slip base, and costs from around $10-$14, depending on where you get it from. This is a really great price, considering what you get.

The Steelpad QcK offers a smooth use of your mouse that makes it a joy to use. The QcK can be folded and unfolded for transport and storage, which is a great benefit for people on the go.

As the QcK is both black and made of cloth, it does show and retain a small bit of hair and dirt. No problems with that though, as it’s easily cleaned by giving the QcK a quick wipe with a damp cloth.

Dimensions for the Steelpad QcK Mini are 9.8×8.3 inches (250mmx210mm) which allows it to fit even small table sizes.

Note that the SteelPad QcK is also available in 2 other sizes: SteelPad QcK (M) and SteelPad QcK+ (XXL).

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