Lenovo Basic and Pro Dock Design Flaw / Suggestion

Just and idea. Not sure if this can get back to the design team?
Lenovo laptops have their CPU and venting to the top left of the keyboard.
1. Both the Basic and Pro Dock have the laptop release mechanism directly blocking the CPU venting. This does not appear to be helping convect heat away. Consider moving the release mechanism somewhere else in the next iteration?
2. Would it make sense to integrate a cooling fan into the docking station?
Ex-IBMer. My 10 prior laptops were either Lenovo X or T Series laptops. They included the highest specification Intel CPU at the time. The use case is not graphics intensive. All 7 of the 10 laptops suffered overheating issues after 2 years. Have stuck with Lenovo as like the track button and computing power to weight ratio.
Thanks.

Hello Mark.
Thanks for the reply.
My use case is that I need to work with data that cannot be copied to my device, and on a physically connected network.
(A matter of data security)
1. The Helix does not have an ethernet card, and as suggested in the device specs pdf file, a physical network conection can be obtained by using a usb dongle.
2. Using a USB mass storage to use data that cannot be saved on the network, or for data that was approved to be shown in meetings.
3. For use of a large external storage device (external 1+ TB hdd), to use large files.
Having to connect and disconnect the USB devices every time I dock/undock the device, will be very annoying,
and might even prevent docking/undocking, if the device holds open files for long processing.
(I believe the Helix was designed to be used for real work, and not just as a content consuming tablet)
I know changing the location of the USB port is a complicated task, involving a lot of physical components, unlike a software or a firmware patch.
Since I consider Lenovo, to be a company that designs high end, reliable, and highly usable devices,
keeping business oriented uses in mind, seeing that a constant USB port connection was overlooked was a very disappointing surprise.
Again - many thanks for the reply,
and for taking my comment into consideration.
PS
An idea that just crossed my mind : make a dock that has a demerit/groove where the tablet has the USB port, and supply a USB extension cable, that will "shift" the USB port and "unblock" it.
I know this is not the most elegant fix, but it is "quick fix", that can be used until the board, case, and all other elements are re-designed to move the USB port to one of the tablet sides.

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Welcome to Lenovo Community!
As per the query we understood that you are looking 2 external monitors for your ThinkPad T420i.
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Hope this helps.
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Lenovo Helix design flaw ?

I saw this device and got very interested, might almost say exited.
I decided to take a deeper look, and was very disappointed.
I saw that the USB port on the tablet, is on the same side with all other connectors.
This means that when I connect the tablet to the dock keyboard, this port is blocked, and not accessible.
You might think that this, by itself, is not too bad.
But - the probelm is - if you use the USB port in tablet mode, and want to dock the device,
you would have to disconnect the usb device, dock the tablet, and re-connect the device to the dock.
In my opinion, this is very inconvenient, especially to people who use external storage device almost all the time.
I would wonder if Lenovo did not see this design flaw, and if they have any plan to change this.

Hello Mark.
Thanks for the reply.
My use case is that I need to work with data that cannot be copied to my device, and on a physically connected network.
(A matter of data security)
1. The Helix does not have an ethernet card, and as suggested in the device specs pdf file, a physical network conection can be obtained by using a usb dongle.
2. Using a USB mass storage to use data that cannot be saved on the network, or for data that was approved to be shown in meetings.
3. For use of a large external storage device (external 1+ TB hdd), to use large files.
Having to connect and disconnect the USB devices every time I dock/undock the device, will be very annoying,
and might even prevent docking/undocking, if the device holds open files for long processing.
(I believe the Helix was designed to be used for real work, and not just as a content consuming tablet)
I know changing the location of the USB port is a complicated task, involving a lot of physical components, unlike a software or a firmware patch.
Since I consider Lenovo, to be a company that designs high end, reliable, and highly usable devices,
keeping business oriented uses in mind, seeing that a constant USB port connection was overlooked was a very disappointing surprise.
Again - many thanks for the reply,
and for taking my comment into consideration.
PS
An idea that just crossed my mind : make a dock that has a demerit/groove where the tablet has the USB port, and supply a USB extension cable, that will "shift" the USB port and "unblock" it.
I know this is not the most elegant fix, but it is "quick fix", that can be used until the board, case, and all other elements are re-designed to move the USB port to one of the tablet sides.

Who needs apple to make the bezels for the macbook pro? Lets get together and tell apple they must! It is a design flaw.

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Hi,
Looks like Macbook Pro late 2013 has a weakness, due to a design flaw. Let me explain:
My Macbook Pro late 2013 (13inch, Model: A1502) developed a dent (see attachment) and an Apple Store (Genius Bar) technician told me that this is a result of "excessive pressure" on the bottom case. He also mentioned that because the case is made of soft aluminium and it is only supported around the border (about where the screws are located), any "excessive" pressure in the middle may result into the aluminum case being damaged by the internal components; in this case the damage appears to have been caused by an internal bracket.
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" I need to understand what went wrong and, if possible, how to prevent this from happening in the future"
So what's underneath the area w/ the "blister"?
"It looks like the bottom base is only supported around its border. The middle of the bottom case has no backing to support it."
That's pretty much been the case w/ every MBP I've ever had apart. Nothing past 2012 however.
" While Apple could have designed a support structure around the battery cells and over the motherboard (logic board) and the back case, there is no support structure at all"
In earlier versions of the MBP there is a "separator" between two areas of the upper case but it doesn't supply any support to the bottom case.
So here's my take on this; Apple has made these MBPs thinner and thinner. In the MBPs I've taken apart 2008 - 2012. In the 2010 I have here the bottom case is very thick and judging by tapping on it is definitely tempered (or heat hardened or stress hardened). I don't have the proper caliper but the edge reads .044 Inch.
There have been other issues on these communities that relate to the thinness of the top or the bottom cases in these newer machines.
Never seen a newer machine but my feeling is judging by the issues seen around here is that the materials are much thinner and probably not as hardened or tempered.
" how “excessive” can the pressure be on a Macbook Pro inside a high-quality, padded backpack?"
To help prevent this from happening again and if this were my MBP I would use/make a hardened case just for the laptop. Say two sheets of 1/4" hardboard w/ a 1/4" separator of high density foam. Wait I'm describing a high quality laptop case.
As Ogelthorpe says, backpacks are not the most delicate way of transporting a laptop. I've seen damage worse than this to laptops, iPads, iPhones, Kindles etc. Especially at the school where I was the main tech. I would say: "What happened to this?" and the kid would say: "I dunno it was just in my backpack".
I've watched backpacks fall from shelves, get stuck in lockers and get smashed into each other in the hallway.
I'm sure you're much more delicate w/ your MBP but as the saying goes ".... happenes!"

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Unfortunately no - "Power on with AC attach" is disabled.
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Cheers and regards,
• » νιנαｿѕαяα∂нι ѕαмανє∂αм ™ « •
●๋•کáŕádhí'ک díáŕý ツ
I am a volunteer here. I don't work for Lenovo

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Hi Tom
Thanks
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Lenovo Basic and Pro Dock Design Flaw / Suggestion

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