Lenovo Thinkpad T500 Does Not Boot Windows

Laptop Guide 2009

About five years ago, the Lenovo brand was known only to computer scientists and citizens of the People’s Republic of China. Today, this international company with headquarters in Beijing takes the fourth place in the world in terms of PC sales. In China itself, Lenovo is number one at all. the concern has covered almost 30% of the domestic PC market (you yourself understand that the domestic market of the Middle Kingdom is not at all the same as the domestic market of Liechtenstein). How in such a short time did a company without a world name manage to become on a par with the largest manufacturers of computers?

To begin with, Lenovo is a state-owned company. than 40% of its shares are owned by Legend Holdings, an enterprise of the PRC Academy of Sciences. The company, which was called New Technology Developer Incorporated and (subsequently) Legend, was founded in 1984 to import computer hardware into China (today it sounds funny!) And to develop character encodings for hieroglyphs. In 2003, Legend became the largest PC manufacturer in China and was ready to enter the global market. Then the company was renamed Lenovo. One version of the origin of the Lenovo brand says that this word is consonant with the Latin expression de novo, which means “from the very beginning” or “all over again”. Transparent hint.

A deal fundamentally important for the company was concluded in 2005: Lenovo bought the personal computer division of the truly legendary IBM with all its offices, design bureaus, a maintenance network and employees. At the disposal of the Chinese were the world famous brands ThinkCentre and ThinkPad. IBM desktops and laptops have been the corporate standard for the vast majority of multinational concerns for many years, which meant a stable sales market.

The Chinese would not be Chinese if they missed this chance. Soon, the unprofitable division of IBM began to make a profit, computers under the legendary brands were constantly improved, and the quality remained at the same high level. The IBM brand, which under the terms of the deal Lenovo has the right to use until 2010, disappeared from the ThinkCentre and ThinkPad nameplates a couple of years ago. its own logo gained the necessary weight in the eyes of demanding customers. Sales of Lenovo’s own models also increased significantly, which were noticeably prettier and seriously tightened in quality.

Lenovo now produces four lines of laptops: the corporate ThinkPad, consumer-designed IdeaPad, as well as the budget G and E43. Within the framework of these rulers, several series are produced, recognizable by a single letter at the beginning of the model name. As a general rule (with the exception of the SL series), the closer the letter is to the end of the alphabet, the cooler the computer. Thanks to such simple marking, knowing only this letter, we can confidently name the type of laptop, its class, the likely “stuffing” and even the approximate price.

Let’s start with the corporate line of ThinkPad as the most common and most numerous, and then take a look at home laptops.

Thinkpad

The ThinkPad family has five series: R. standard office corporate laptops, SL. small business machines, T. high-performance business-class laptops, X. thin and light image computers, including tablets, and W. mobile workstations.

The design of the latest generation of machines can easily be confused with the ThinkPad, released three, five, seven and even ten years ago. All the same grungy black plastic, angular shapes, the invariable bright red TrackPoint pin manipulator, a matte screen with a small margin of brightness, designed for office work. Surprisingly, the classic conservative design of the ThinkPad is not at all out of date, and laptops don’t look like newcomers from the past. One cannot but rejoice at the fact that Lenovo retained one of the most important advantages of the IBM ThinkPad. the keyboard, which for many years was considered a reference both in terms of ease of use and design and quality.

Lenovo Thinkpad T500 Does Not Boot Windows

The cheapest ThinkPad are SL Series notebooks. Behind the pathos abbreviation (do you know what a Mercedes Benz SL roadster is?), There is a 100% state employee: the for the “Eselki” start at 17 thousand rubles (about 580)! The series includes four models: SL400 (14.1″, 1280 x 800 pixels), SL410 (14″, 1366 x 768 pixels), SL500 (15.4″, 1280 x 800 pixels. pictured) and SL510 (15.6″, 1366 x 768 pixels). Some models use LED backlight matrix.

Processors. from Celeron to Core 2 Duo T-series, DDR2 / DDR3 memory up to 3/6 GB, hard drives from 160 to 500 GB, integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD or NVIDIA GeForce G 105M 256 MB hybrid graphics, DVD recorder. A set of ports is unexpectedly good: 4 x USB 2.0, FireWire, VGA and even HDMI. Some versions have 0.3- or 2-megapixel webcams and Bluetooth adapters. Operating systems. from Vista Home to the latest in the WIndows 7 season.

R-series machines are the most popular of inexpensive ThinkPads, and they have all the features of corporate laptops: carbon-fiber reinforced cases, full-size waterproof keyboards with the TrackPoint branded manipulator, fingerprint scanners, support for docking stations and port replicators. The laptops use ThinkVantage technology, which includes PC diagnostics and maintenance tools, network connection settings, and system recovery.

Computers are equipped with 14.1-inch (up to 1440 x 900 pixels, model R400) and 15.4-inch (up to 1680 x 1050 pixels, model R500. in the photo) widescreen displays, Core 2 Duo processors, up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory, hard drives up to 320 GB, integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD or ATI HD 3470 256 MB hybrid graphics system and a set of wireless interfaces. Some models feature 1.3-megapixel webcams, Blu-ray burners, and even the new-fangled Display Port.

ThinkPad R costs quite reasonable money: from 24 thousand to 44 thousand rubles, depending on configuration.

ThinkPad Ts are the darlings of lower and middle managers: these powerful computers are affordable enough to not annoy high-level bosses, and at the same time expensive enough for their owners to distance themselves from the office plankton sitting behind the laptops of the R and SL series. Price range. from 38 thousand to 70 thousand rubles.

There are three models in the series: T400 (pictured) and T400s with 14.1-inch screens (1280 x 800 or 1440 x 900 pixels) and T500 with a 15.4-inch display (1280 x 800 or 1680 x 1050 pixels). The T400s differs from the T400 primarily in an enlarged touch panel with support for multi-touch technology: touching the touchpad with two fingers, you can scroll through documents, drag and drop and zoom. In the top version, the display itself becomes touch. In addition, T400s are lighter and thinner than the T400 due to the LED backlight.

ThinkPad T configurations are very diverse, but they are all based on the dual-core Core 2 Duo. In addition to the integrated graphics, these laptops come with quite powerful hybrid systems with ATI Mobility Radeon HD3650 and HD3670 cards. Along with conventional hard drives, solid-state SSDs are also used, and Blu-ray recorders can be used as optical drives. At the top of the lid is a traditional ThinkPad LED flashlight that illuminates the keyboard. The ThinkPad Roll Cage chassis provides enhanced durability.

Among the purely “corporate” chips. hardware protection against theft of Intel Anti-Theft, which ensures data inaccessibility in case of theft or loss of a laptop. Of course, there is also a fingerprint scanner and a ThinkVantage button.

The owner has three USB 2.0 ports, an IEEE 1394 port, a universal card reader, an ExpressCard | 54 slot, VGA and Display Ports. Naturally, there is also a proprietary connector for connecting a docking station or port replicator. Among the options featured are the integrated UltraWide Band Bluetooth and WiMAX controllers. some of our models are sold with a Yota contract.

The pinnacle of engineering for ThinkPad designers is the X-Series, which includes the thinnest and lightest laptops in the family (not to be confused with netbooks!). There are five models in the series: 12.1-inch X200 and X200s, 13.1-inch X301 (pictured), as well as the X61 Tablet and X200 Tablet keyboard tablets with 12.1-inch touch screens. These single-spindle laptops weigh only 1.25 kg, and the X301 is equipped with an optical drive and is therefore a little heavier. from 1.33 kg.

Computers are housed in charcoal and fiberglass, and in the X200 / X200s, the top and bottom covers are also made of magnesium alloy. Thanks to the frame, the screen is so rigid that an open laptop can be lifted by the upper corner of the cover and nothing will happen to the display. do not even try to do this with ordinary laptops! LED backlighting is standard on the X301 and optional on the X200s. By the way, only the X301 has a touchpad, all other models are content with a proprietary trackpoint with three buttons.

ThinkPad X-series configurations for every taste: from modest Celeron and Core 2 Solo to powerful Core 2 Duo with reduced power consumption, from 2 to 4 GB of RAM, hard drives up to 320 GB or SSD-drives up to 128 GB, built-in Wi-Fi modules, Bluetooth, and in some versions. WiMAX.. Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD. The hard drive shock protection system disables the hard drive by a signal from the acceleration sensor.

The maximum battery life of the X200s is impressive. up to 13.2 hours. True, stated. The real, as you know, depends. A lot of what.

The price range for X series laptops is from 22 thousand to 71 thousand rubles, tablets cost 65–85 thousand rubles.

A few words about ThinkPad W. mobile workstations. Everything is as it should be: screens 15.4″ and 17″ 1920 x 1200 resolution, professional ATI FireGL V 5700 512 MB graphics cards or NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700 1 GB. ThinkPad Model W700ds (in the photo) is unique in its own way. from the main 17-inch side an additional 10.6-inch screen extends, which is convenient to display, for example, Photoshop panels. Prices. from 62 thousand to 140 thousand rubles.

Ideapad

This is Lenovo‘s own brand. Here you can already talk about some kind of design: if the first “non-ebony” Lenovo laptops, which appeared several years ago in Russian retail, were defiantly ugly, then IdeaPad play on equal terms with other industry leaders.

The IdeaPad family has three series: ultraportable U, universal Y and netbook S (we agreed to talk about them separately).

The U series includes four models: U110 (pictured) with an 11.1-inch screen (1366 x 768 pixels), the U330 and U350 with 13.3-inch displays and the 14.1-inch U450. The cover and computer case are made of plastic with elements of aluminum and magnesium alloys. Everywhere. LED backlight LCD matrix.

The spectacular design of the U-series evokes strong associations with HP products: the computer cover, the space above the keyboard, and even the bottom panel, which the laptop owner rarely sees, are decorated with intricate patterns. The lid of the laptop can be black, red or dark blue (only for U330), and the pattern on it is embossed. Unlike the ThinkPad, here is just a realm of gloss. designers came off as best they could. The U110 model was especially distinguished. it shines all! Even her touchpad is glossy.

Stuffing. Intel Celeron, Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Solo processors (U330 only), 3 to 8 GB of RAM, integrated or ATI HD4330 512 MB (some U330 and U450), hard drives up to 320 GB, DVD recorder ( U110 has external), Wi-Fi, optionally WiMAX and Bluetooth. Everyone has three USB ports, a 5-in-1 card reader, and the U333 and U450 also have an HDMI port.

Security tool. VeriFace technology, capable of using the webcam to “recognize” the owner in person. Effectively, but because of this system, the OS boot much longer. However, you can choose a modification with a fingerprint scanner. In computers, there is an acceleration sensor that sends a signal to the emergency parking of the heads of the hard drive when the laptop crashes.

IdeaPad U is much more “popular” than ThinkPad X: start at 18 thousand rubles and end at around 30 thousand.

Series Y. portable multimedia computers that are quite capable of replacing the home desktop. There are six current models: Y330 (13.3″, 1280 x 800 pixels), Y430 (14.1″, 1280 x 800 pixels), Y530 (15.4″, 1280 x 800 pixels), Y550 (15.6″, 1366 x 768 pixels), Y650 (16.0″, 1366 x 768 pixels) and Y730 (17.0″, 1440 x 900 or 1920 x 1200 dots).

Compared to IdeaPad U, Y have a more restrained design, but still there is a lot of gloss, especially in the “fifties” models. 17 inch Y730 (in the photo) is available with a blue or orange cover, and in the latter case, the selected block of digital keys is replaced by a Game Zone game module with a mini-display, enlarged arrow keys and programmable buttons.

Computers are equipped with dual-core Core 2 Duo processors, up to 8 GB of RAM, hard drives up to 500 GB (two hard drives can be installed in the Y730 model), DVD recorders or Blu-ray drives and a set of wireless interfaces. An indispensable attribute of a multimedia machine is a speaker system with a micro subwoofer. Graphics accelerators in most versions are discrete: these are ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450/3650 256/512 MB, NVIDIA GeForce 9500M G 512 MB or NVIDIA N10M-GE1 256 MB. The options with Radeon 3650 and GeForce 9500M can even be considered gaming with a stretch, although, of course, this is already the day before yesterday.

The number of ports depends on the model, but as a rule, the larger the computer, the more connectors and connectors — I also use Newton’s bin. All models have HDMI and a universal card reader.

The of laptops from the IdeaPad Y line are very low for universal home laptops: from 25 to 65 thousand rubles, depending on the model and modification.

State employees

G-Series laptops are cost-effective in-house computers. Although some refer them to the IdeaPad line, they appear on the Lenovo website as a separate family. Why it is so. I personally do not understand, because these machines fit perfectly into the IdeaPad concept: a “pimpled” cover, gloss everywhere, wherever possible, rich equipment and affordable price.

All machines have a built-in Wi-Fi adapter, some modifications are also equipped with WiMAX and Bluetooth controllers. There are three USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI connector, a universal card reader and an ExpressCard | 34 slot.

Lenovo G550 is sold for a minimum of 16 thousand. a maximum of 28 thousand rubles, depending on configuration.

E43. super-budgetary, and that’s it. Design reminds ThinkPad, but without their inherent “pedigree.” There are a lot of modifications with different processors. from single-core Celeron to Core 2 Duo. In principle, the E34 is not remarkable, except for the price, which starts with 15 thousand rubles. It is suitable for the role of an office computer or a “typewriter” for a student.

Sami with a mustache

Some still quite unfairly consider Lenovo a maker of faded copies of the legendary IBM ThinkPad. Meanwhile, the company not only adequately continued the IBM traditions of quality and ergonomics, but also regularly updated its ThinkPad lineup. IdeaPad’s own line of laptops also proved to be very successful both in design and construction, and in price. Quite interesting is the budget G-series: for ridiculous money, a 15.6-inch screen, a keyboard with a digital block, and even an HDMI port are offered. Some confusion is caused only by the E34 series. in the segment of superbudget rooms there are many other offers with a much more interesting design and filling.