How's current lately for laptops? (was Two questions on Thinkpad T41)

[Dan Langille]

On 9 Jul 2004 at 2:31, Bruce M Simpson wrote:

> Your T41 is... off to the shop for a motherboard replacement.

I'm not sure my problems were related to BIOS or mainboard versions.  
My system worked fine, until it failed.

The history here may be important.

The laptop worked fine for a week. Then it died.  Dead.  It would not 
boot.  I downloaded and ran the DFT (Drive Fitness Test) from 
Hitatchi (http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm).  I 
reported error code 0x70 (Corrupted Sector).

I contacted IBM who sent me recovery media (i.e. install CDs).

Before the media arrived, I ran more DFTs and later found error code 
0x20 (Selected device not present.The selected device could not be 
found on the selected port. Check cabling and HDD connectors. If the
drive is not seen by the BIOS or is not spinning.)

The recovery media failed (unsuprisingly, given the above).  I 
contacted IBM who sent me a new HDD.

The new HDD passed DFT without error.  Yet did not install the 
recovery media.  Installing 5.2.1 had problems too (i.e. newfs was 
instantaneous when setting up a 30GB drive).  When 5.2.1 did install, 
I got repeated DMA ATA errors.  Attempts to use an HDD obtained from 
a third party also failed similarly.

I then headed off to USENIX where FreeSBIE ran fine and provided me 
with a laptop I could at least use.  While there, I had a short 
session with John Baldwin (amongst others). He thought cable or 
controller problems.

While I was at USENIX, IBM then tested the recovery media and sent me 
replacement CDs, which also failed.

By this time, I have tried three HDD, two operating systems, none of 
which worked.  Yet when delivered, the laptop XP ran fine and 5.2.1 
ran fine too (dual boot).

This past Monday, I dropped the T41 off at a service center (Metaphor 
here in Ottawa).  On Wednesday, they reported IBM wanted a new HDD 
installed (which was being done as I spoke with them).  I told 
Metaphor the story, and they thought it unnecessary to try a new HDD, 
and thought it was the mainboard.  I agreed with their diagnosis as I 
thought it was either and HDD controller or the cable (on the T41, 
the HDD controller is on the main board, and there is no cable and 
therefore replacing the mainboard is the only option if the 
controller is at fault).

I will contact Metahpor later today to determine progress and report 
back.  They should be open in about 2 hours.
-- 
Dan Langille : http://www.langille.org/