I don't know, MoonMan, maybe it's time to come back to Earth, a.k.a Earf. Lenovo kicks ass. I have an Ideapad Y510 with UbuntuStudio on it and it rocks the house like nobody's business. I can't speak to the support, but from my father's experience, it could use a little fine tuning, but whatever issue he has with his machine is typically resolved.
the support is excellent. I talked to someone, get this, in GEORGIA when I called for support. he didn't treat me like an idiot and realized that i knew what I was talking about and didn't read me a script before sending me a box to ship it to them in. I got it back in 2 business days, and they even found a problem with my motherboard I didn't know I had.
When did support go downhill? My X61 tablet had a weird bezel separation issue culminating into a crack. I called them, mentioned a forum where this stuff had happened before, and they gave me a case number and told me to expect a box. Two days later, I had a box at my doorstep. I put my laptop in it, and gave it back to the shipping carrier. Three days later, my laptop was back with a brand new bezel, cleaned from top to bottom, and no charge.
This sounds like "what should happen", but given my experience with my last three laptops (two Apples and a Gateway), this was freakin heaven.
I have to agree with MoonMan. I paid nearly 3000 dollars for the new X300 with 3 year accidental warranty from Lenovo. The custom computer arrived with a bent case and broken fan from the factory. Because I was moving at the time, 2 weeks later I called their support, received a box, and sent the computer back. I waited an outrageous 5 weeks after 2 escalations with their customer service, using my 6 year old HP laptop as my only computer, and finally received my computer back... with a bent case and broken fan. I open the box (with only my first name... who sends a box with only a first name and no mailbox number to an apartment mailroom??), turn on the computer, to find out that the computer now freezes at the BIOS, blue screens at the Windows loading screen, or turns on with no operating system except a scrambled image or only keyboard lights on. I call their support, and ask why this is happening and what they did... The woman says "Oh let me check... your computer sat on the shelf, we ordered the wrong fan, then sent it back to you 4 weeks later." Long story short, after bearing with the "help" of countless clueless technicians who had no idea what a SSD drive is for example, 3 escalation officers including a rep from Lenovo in Atlanta who was unbelievably rude, and me threatening to go to the New York State Attourney General's office and the BBB, I should be getting a new X300 in 4 weeks. Lenovo is A NIGHTMARE.
While I think Lenovo has its good points and bad points just like any other company, I have to say my experience with their support hasn't been that great. The couple of times I have had to call for replacement parts, they have always come later than they were supposed to. The one time a tech was supposed to come out next business day, it took them 2 business days to even call me to set up the appointment, and another 2 business days after that to show up.
My T61's WLAN card is dead. We troubleshoot over the phone and did not work, the nice guy started a case number and ask if i can install it myself. I said yes. The wireless card came within a week and it works without a hitch.
I even told the rep. Good thing we are talking within the same continent. Not like somebody else, their tech support speaks a funny accent.
He laughed and said, "Did you mean Dell in India?"
There's a computer manufacturer that doesn't have their tech support in India? I really hate it that almost all of the tech supports are in India; they're complete idiots; and half the time you don't even understand what they are saying. For Dells; I recommend not even calling them and just search your problem in google and find a forum.
I've never had anything but good luck with the Lenovo Thinkpads.. they are also the only computer the my IT department buys after switching over from Dell. After getting the first-generation MacBook Pro, I decided that I will definitely stay away from Apple for the next decade or so and the Lenovo laptops turned to be a nice replacement.. sturdier, more business-oriented look and feel.
@oZ: It's funny that you mention Apple. At first, I thought: "Man, Apple tech support is awesome - no matter when I call them, I always get someone from the US!" And then I realized that there is a façade of underpaid telephone techs in the US that can handle your basic needs, like installing applications X and Y or setting up RMA requests.. if you have some serious problems, then you're forwarded to a "higher-level support representative", which is a call-center in India that will take FOREVER to fix whatever you have broken. And they will think that you are an idiot all the while.
I am glad that Lenovo support is US-based.. quite a nice change to the ordinary. In dealing with IT and medical equipment, Welch-Allyn seems to be another company that hasn't outsourced its technical support internationally (I am sure that there are plenty more companies, which I haven't encountered).. Cisco, unfortunately, just has another façade...
Going back to the old IBM Thinkpads, I can say that I think they're beautiful machines. I don't know about Lenovo because I have never used them but from what I see they're damn beautiful as well.
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Stay far, far away from Lenovo! Their products are crappy, and their support has gone to total sh!t.
I don't know, MoonMan, maybe it's time to come back to Earth, a.k.a Earf. Lenovo kicks ass. I have an Ideapad Y510 with UbuntuStudio on it and it rocks the house like nobody's business. I can't speak to the support, but from my father's experience, it could use a little fine tuning, but whatever issue he has with his machine is typically resolved.
My IT department disagree with you. Next unsubstantiated point please.
Oh and I see it has a MagAlloy frame. Yum!
the support is excellent. I talked to someone, get this, in GEORGIA when I called for support. he didn't treat me like an idiot and realized that i knew what I was talking about and didn't read me a script before sending me a box to ship it to them in. I got it back in 2 business days, and they even found a problem with my motherboard I didn't know I had.
Thinkpads are the only laptops I buy.
should have clarified: georgia in the united states of america.
When did support go downhill? My X61 tablet had a weird bezel separation issue culminating into a crack. I called them, mentioned a forum where this stuff had happened before, and they gave me a case number and told me to expect a box. Two days later, I had a box at my doorstep. I put my laptop in it, and gave it back to the shipping carrier. Three days later, my laptop was back with a brand new bezel, cleaned from top to bottom, and no charge.
This sounds like "what should happen", but given my experience with my last three laptops (two Apples and a Gateway), this was freakin heaven.
I can't say I've ever had to ask for support with a ThinkPad.
I have to agree with MoonMan. I paid nearly 3000 dollars for the new X300 with 3 year accidental warranty from Lenovo. The custom computer arrived with a bent case and broken fan from the factory. Because I was moving at the time, 2 weeks later I called their support, received a box, and sent the computer back. I waited an outrageous 5 weeks after 2 escalations with their customer service, using my 6 year old HP laptop as my only computer, and finally received my computer back... with a bent case and broken fan. I open the box (with only my first name... who sends a box with only a first name and no mailbox number to an apartment mailroom??), turn on the computer, to find out that the computer now freezes at the BIOS, blue screens at the Windows loading screen, or turns on with no operating system except a scrambled image or only keyboard lights on. I call their support, and ask why this is happening and what they did... The woman says "Oh let me check... your computer sat on the shelf, we ordered the wrong fan, then sent it back to you 4 weeks later." Long story short, after bearing with the "help" of countless clueless technicians who had no idea what a SSD drive is for example, 3 escalation officers including a rep from Lenovo in Atlanta who was unbelievably rude, and me threatening to go to the New York State Attourney General's office and the BBB, I should be getting a new X300 in 4 weeks. Lenovo is A NIGHTMARE.
While I think Lenovo has its good points and bad points just like any other company, I have to say my experience with their support hasn't been that great. The couple of times I have had to call for replacement parts, they have always come later than they were supposed to. The one time a tech was supposed to come out next business day, it took them 2 business days to even call me to set up the appointment, and another 2 business days after that to show up.
@sinai
I like your modification hahaha.
My T61's WLAN card is dead. We troubleshoot over the phone and did not work, the nice guy started a case number and ask if i can install it myself. I said yes. The wireless card came within a week and it works without a hitch.
I even told the rep. Good thing we are talking within the same continent. Not like somebody else, their tech support speaks a funny accent.
He laughed and said, "Did you mean Dell in India?"
There's a computer manufacturer that doesn't have their tech support in India? I really hate it that almost all of the tech supports are in India; they're complete idiots; and half the time you don't even understand what they are saying. For Dells; I recommend not even calling them and just search your problem in google and find a forum.
I've never had anything but good luck with the Lenovo Thinkpads.. they are also the only computer the my IT department buys after switching over from Dell. After getting the first-generation MacBook Pro, I decided that I will definitely stay away from Apple for the next decade or so and the Lenovo laptops turned to be a nice replacement.. sturdier, more business-oriented look and feel.
@oZ: It's funny that you mention Apple. At first, I thought: "Man, Apple tech support is awesome - no matter when I call them, I always get someone from the US!" And then I realized that there is a façade of underpaid telephone techs in the US that can handle your basic needs, like installing applications X and Y or setting up RMA requests.. if you have some serious problems, then you're forwarded to a "higher-level support representative", which is a call-center in India that will take FOREVER to fix whatever you have broken. And they will think that you are an idiot all the while.
Reminds me of an episode of Foamy the Squirrel: http://www.illwillpress.com/tech.html.
I am glad that Lenovo support is US-based.. quite a nice change to the ordinary. In dealing with IT and medical equipment, Welch-Allyn seems to be another company that hasn't outsourced its technical support internationally (I am sure that there are plenty more companies, which I haven't encountered).. Cisco, unfortunately, just has another façade...
Going back to the old IBM Thinkpads, I can say that I think they're beautiful machines. I don't know about Lenovo because I have never used them but from what I see they're damn beautiful as well.