T500 speakers

Are the t500 speakers 1 watt just like the t520? Are they both about the same quality? Someone told me they think they sound could be better on the t520, but I don't mind the sound on my t500..
Thanks!
Thinkpad T500 - Intel Core2 P8400 (2.26GHz), 4 gigs of ram, 160GB/7200rpm hard drive, ATI 3650 GPU, WSXGA+ panel

The new ones should be stronger. I recall seeing it phrased implicitly as such. In any case, you can boost the apparent volume by messing with the equalizer, which is essentially audio compression which is not necessarily a good thing: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
@lead_org:
I kinda assumed that the + was preserved.
W520: i7-2720QM, Q2000M at 1080/688/1376, 21GB RAM, 500GB + 750GB HDD, FHD screen
X61T: L7500, 3GB RAM, 500GB HDD, XGA screen, Ultrabase
Y3P: 5Y70, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, QHD+ screen

Similar Messages

Docked T500 - Switch between headphones and speakers

Hey guys,
I am using my T500 with an Advanced Mini Dock at work. I keep the headphones (with microphone) plugged into the docking station.
Sometimes I want to listen to the audio on my laptop's speakers rather than inside the headphones. Is there any way I can make this switch without unplugging the jack from the docking station.
I know that above the volume bar for some systems you are able to switch between headphones and speakers and also, up until ~1 month ago I was able to do this from the SmartAudio utility, but now I can't. I can just switch between SPDIF and headphones.
I am using Windows 7 64-bit and I have all the latest drivers and apps that come using the "System Update" utility.
Please let me know if you have a solution for this.
Thank you,
Ciprian

I'm pretty sure that the blame for this lies entirely with Microsoft and their stupid hardware-detecting W7 OS. Yes, it actually detects when you unplug the headphones, tells you what you just did, and promptly resets all sorts of things. The most sensible thing you can do (apart from reverting to XP, which doesn't do this) is to plug an external stereo jack to stereo jack socket extension lead, and plug either your headphones or speakers into that instead, whilst leaving the plug end permanently in the laptop. Microsoft can't pull that stupid stunt on an external connector, so you should be okay with that.

T500 Problems and experiences with Lenovo's technical support / EZServ

After some issues and numerous calls to Lenovo's Technical Support, I just thought I would share my experiences here.
First off, I currently own a ThinkPad T500, which was designed to be a replacement for my older ASUS laptop.
While the ASUS laptop is still running okay, I have had a hard time trying to get the company to properly warranty the laptop. (they would make falsified claims that nothing is wrong with the laptop, so that they would not have to replace any parts - and when they do replace parts, they would simply create another problem and totally ignore the described problem.) The experiences were so stressful and disgusting such that I am sick of arguing with the company any further. My decision on the ThinkPad was based on that IBM/Lenovo is designed to serve business class customers and theoretically should have "business-class support". For this very reason, I have added the best warranty service they was offered to me at the time (3yr onsite + accidental). I am just guessing at that time I just wanted to get away from small companies and go to a company that would back their customers' laptops.
As soon as I got my hands on a T500, however, I have noticed that something is wrong with the card reader. Apparently the reader on the machine would not read SDHC cards (it does read SD cards, however.) This is a problem because I only use SDHC cards and the machine was not able to read any of them. As the card reader controller is manufactured by the same manufacturer (Ricoh) and my older ASUS laptop was able to read SDHC cards, I thought something odd was going on with my machine. This was also based on the evidence that other T500 owners were able to read SDHC just fine.
In addition to the card reader, I was also having troubles in which the machine would freeze whenever Nero Burning ROM (a CD/DVD authoring software) is used.
My first support call to Lenovo was not that pleasant, given that I was placed on hold for 20 minutes when the rep was looking up specs for SHDC compatibility. The rep also said that they would not troubleshoot 3rd party software and would not help me on the issue. I was also told that I should also call back during "regular business hours (apparently until 5pm EST, or 2pm PST (my time)" (despite that the technical support hotline is open 24/7) so that a supervisor can handle my case. This makes it very difficult for me to get to someone with any authority as I am usually busy throughout the day until late afternoons (~4pm PST -> 7pm EST).
Nevertheless, my second call to Lenovo was much more pleasant. The rep handled my case in a timely fashion and promptly provided replacement parts indicated by my problem. (Onsite motherboard replacement for the card reader, and a separate shipment for the DVD-RW drive). Turns out that the motherboard replacement did fix the SDHC issue, although the freezing problem was not caused by hardware failures, but rather a faulty driver that was corrected after Lenovo released an update months later on the Intel SATA controller drivers.
Five months later, after having to use a broadband WWAN card for my work, I also started to notice there is something wrong with the broadband WWAN card. The card used is the Ericsson F3507g card (or the AT&T broadband WWAN option). Not only would the connection be very flaky, it would also drop connections fairly frequently. It seems that a SIM card pull to another card would result in a perfect connection and ever since I have been using an addon card instead to use the Internet. When I confronted Lemovo with the problem, the experience was worse than the first one. I have made at least six service calls to Lenovo and everytime the reps will waste my time with basic troubleshooting which I told them repeatedly that I have already done (I have even reinstalled the OS but it seems that it does not matter to the reps). Here are some things that are repeated over and over:
1) Can you uninstall the Power Manager Driver and the Wireless WAN drivers and reinstall them?
2) Can you go on to our website and download the WWAN drivers (document ID: MIGR-70000 - I even remembered this number since it was repeated so many times) - and the Power Manager Driver and reinstall it?
3) Can you go to Device Manager (the rep would go step by step to it even though I told him I already know how to get there), and see if there are any "bangs" (exclamation marks) on any of the devices?
4) Since you were able to connect to the AT&T network, then from the hardware standpoint there is nothing wrong with your card. This indicates there is a software configuration or a driver problem. (I have been trying to acquire the latest drivers but what I have was already the latest)
5) Since your card could connect to the network, you should contact your provider for help. (AT&T blames it on the card)
6) I'm sorry but there is nothing I can do to help you. You should contact your provider about the card (despite that I acquired the card from Lenovo and not from them)
7) Are you sure that your card is activated properly? It doesn't show in our systems that the card has been activated properly. You will need to call both AT&T and the Lenovo activation hotline (whatever this is) to have your card work properly. (I have never heard of this before)
Despite telling these reps I have an addon card that works perfectly and that I have done all the basic troubleshooting already, none of them are really willing to give me a replacement card. They would either request that I send my computer back to the depot (which I do not want to do since I use this laptop everyday and that's why I have onsite warranty), fail to help me, or transfer me to someone else that makes me do all the troubleshooting all over again. (Every call I made to Lenovo can be said to be composed of at least 20 minutes of basic troubleshootings with the end result of not being able to help)
After having the case escalated to a team leader, I was told that someone would give me a call within a few hours since their team leader is with another customer. Result? No callbacks. Not within a day, nor two.
Called Lenovo again, they apologized, but samething happened - supervisor on the line - promised another callback by a supervisor - but nothing, nada!
Called Lenovo a third time - was again told the same thing, but I am not falling for that anymore - the rep finally agreed to give me a replacement, as well as as to send out a technician that would fix the LCD cover that is starting to get loose on one side.
At that time, I was so frustrated and this reminds me of the pain I have went through with my old ASUS laptop and their grumpy customer service. It just seems to me that it has to be that difficult to have anything resolved or fixed. (What is especially frustrating is that the basic reps do not have any authority to make any decisions, 90% of the time I will need to be transferred to a supervisor of some sort before my case can be handled successfully - which is hard at times given that I only have until 2pm PST to call them)
Received replacement, but did not fix issue. I have noticed that the GPS (which was part of the WWAN card) also has problems getting adequate signals for a 3D Fix. I have once again called Lenovo, this time raising the concerns with the GPS and seeking for help. Along with the basic troubleshooting, here is what Lenovo has to say about the GPS issue which frustrates me even more:
1) uh, G..P..S? what GPS? (most reps I call say this, shows me that they either don't know what a GPS is or know that there is a dedicated GPS builtin on the Ericsson module. Perhaps they don't even know that ThinkVantage GPS existed)
2) You will need to have active service in order to use GPS (I do have active service, but nevertheless that statement is false since a 3D fix can be successfully acquired with a dummy card - I guess the rep has no idea what he/she was talking about)
3) That's a software issue - you need to call AT&T and tell them about the problem (Again, I guess the rep has no idea that the GPS is not linked to AT&T's networks - there is a dedicated GPS on the card that allows the ThinkVantage GPS tool to acquire proper GPS signals) (Also, why would AT&T troubleshoot a tool that Lenovo made called ThinkVantage GPS? - I don't get it)
4) You need to uninstall, and then reinstall the Power Manager driver and also the latest WWAN drivers. (I did that, did not work - I have told them I even reinstalled the OS from scratch)
5) You need to go uninstall, and then reinstall the Wireless LAN drivers (although I am talking about wireless WAN, not LAN)
6) There are two wireless adapters in your laptop? Are you sure about this?
7) LAN, or WAN? What are you referring to? (I guess some reps are not aware what WWAN means)
After dealing with the numerous reps that have no idea what I was talking about, I have decided that I would just take the machine into depot, which would give me a chance to explain the other issues I have with the machine as well.
Here are some of the issues I am having with my T500 right now (please comment if you have the same issues or perhaps have a possible solution/workaround for it)
1. The left side of the LCD cover has a pressure point, which causes the cover to dislodge from the rest of the panel slightly when pressure is applied from the back side of the cover. (Could be caused by closing the lid, for example) - IBM technician applied some adhesive to the inside, which helped it from dislodging, although the left side is still a little filmsy compared to the right.
2. This error randomly pops up at infrequent intervals: "Display driver igfx stopped responding and has successfully recovered."
The latest GFX driver is installed and all updates have been installed. OS has been reinstalled but problems still occurs infrequently.
3. This error also pops up at infrequent intervals: "Active protection is not functioning as system detected the abnormal sensor status. To diagnose the sensor device, run PC DOCTOR DOS - HDD Active Protection Test and if it still shows, contact Help and Service for repair." The only problem is, my laptop only came installed with PC Doctor 5 for Windows and when I run it"
I ran a sensor check in DOS using the diagnostic CD and the sensor checked out okay. This error seems to happen mostly after I changed a setting in the Active Protection System software. (ex. changing the suspend time, etc)
4. By default, the internal microphone does not work. In order for the internal microphone to work, the Advanced multi-stream mode must be enabled in the SmartAudio control panel. If both redirection options are enabled, the internal microphones and the speakers would then work normally. However, the hotkey controls on the ThinkPad would not control the right device when headphones are plugged in (since headphones are classified as its own device when the Advanced stream mode is enabled) - Mute and volume controls thus only controls the internal speakers' volume, and have no control whatsoever when headphones are plugged in.
5. The brightness on the T500 is rather dim. I am not sure if that's how the monitor is, but I can hardly see anything unless the display brightness is close to the max setting. I have the 1680x1050 matte screen.
6. The WWAN card does not make a stable connection to the network and ThinkVantage GPS does not acquire a 3D Fix even when under direct sky for >20 minutes. What is interesting though is that if I turn off the monitor screen (Fn+F3) or close to lid, the WWAN connection will be very stable and GPS will function normally (acquire fix usually within 2-3 minutes). If the monitor/screen is turned back on after a GPS Fix is acquied, the signals will quickly deteriorate and the updates will either become delayed/inaccurate or a fix will be lost. The brighter the screen, the harder it is to get a fix or a stable connection. (At the max setting it is almost impossible to get a fix while at the lowest brightness a very weak fix can be acquired - this is the case even many sattelites have been detected) Perhaps something with power consumption? Or the LCD drawing too much power?
7. Although it does not happen very frequently, pressing Fn+F3 to turn off the display might cause the LCD to flicker on and off non-stop.
8. This used to happen more with the older version of the Lenovo Fingerprint Software - but sometimes the software tends to get stuck at the welcome screen after returning from sleep/suspend/standby mode. The screen will remain at Please Wait forever and a hard restart will be required to get back into Windows.
9. At frequent intervals the sound from the internal speakers would stop working and only the headphones would work. The sound might, however, come back if I leave the headphones plugged in long enough and unplug them. Restarting the Windows Audio service will temporarily restore audio but the same issue tends to happen again soon after that. Driver issue? (I am not sure if it's relevant, but I tend to put my computer to sleep instead of shutting it down)
I have explained all of these issues on a piece of paper that I have included in my shipment to Flextronics. I have also included in big letters to make sure that they do not send the laptop to the address where they originally sent the "box" to. This is because I am only at that address a few days during the year and I don't plan to be there most days during the year.
On the first day, it seemed that the status changed from "Machine being repaired" to "Hold for customer information".
Apparently I missed a call from a number with an area code of 901 (which is Memphis, TN - I assume this is Lenovo's support center, since this is where the package was sent to). No messages were left on the voicemail. Called the number back, but was however told that I dialed the wrong number and no one has ever called me on this number (the lady on the phone was quite rude too) I then called the 800 EZServ number instead, turns out that they wanted one of my passwords which I gave them.
The evening after I saw that the machine was successfully repaired and that it is being shipped back to me. However, no tracking number was provided. (There still isn't a tracking number on the EZServ status page)
Hoping that my machine was repaired in good condition, I took a day off so I would be able to wait for UPS to deliver my laptop.
Such that I have something to work with, I called the EZServ # and see if they had a tracking number for my shipment. At the same time, I asked what components were replaced and/or what components were installed to the system. To my surprise, they reimaged the whole system and I was not even informed about this at all! (I do understand I checked the Yes box in the problem description page, but I felt that it was important that the repair center let their customers know before their data will be destroyed - luckily I imaged my laptop right before I shipped it out so I have a copy of my data) In addition, it also seemed that they did not read any of the pages I enclosed in the shipment since nothing about the WWAN card was ever mentioned, despite special emphasis placed on this when I called Lenovo to have my computer sent back. It seemed that the rep only recorded one of the problems I listed above, which was unsatisfactory.
The repair process was disappointing, as I have included in my problem description that I have previously tried reinstalling the whole OS from scratch and the problems did not go away. Reimaging the system will also probably have no effect on the problems I have described in the problem description.
What is more surprising to me though was that they totally skipped the notation I put on to have the notebook shipped to an alternate address relative to the box address. To make this impossible to miss, I miss drew a big * and circled it many times so that anyone would see it if they were reading the sheet. I found out shortly after checking on the UPS website that the city the package was being shipped to was that of the wrong address, and not the city of that of the alternate address. I was horrified after knowing that the package would not arrive today but yet I still took a day off work. (How disappointing?!)
Again and again, I called EZServ to see if I can have the package intercepted so it can be delivered to the right address. An intercept was placed on the package, although I received a call 30 minutes later from UPS saying that the intercept failed since the package has already been delivered. UPS also told me there is no way the people living there can simply return it and continue on with the intercept. Not happy with what I am hearing, I called EZServ and see if they can set up a pickup request to have the package delivered to my address. The first rep hanged up on me shortly she answered. The second rep called UPS, placed me on hold for more than 20 minutes, then hanged up on me. The third rep called UPS, and told me that they have esculated the case and that "UPS will handle everything", whatever that means. (she refused to disclose any more details). She told me that I would be receiving a call from her shortly on the details on the upcomings and promised that I would be receiving my laptop back. As with Lenovo, I didn't receive any callbacks. I called EZServ once more, and all they would say is tell me to wait. Sick and tired of waiting and calling and not getting anywhere, I drove 100 miles to where they shipped my laptop and picked it up there. I just don't know whether to trust the EZServ people anymore....
As far as the laptop goes, I didn't have time to open the box or to test it yet. But I will let you all know once I have taken a look at the results.
While the past experiences have been painful, I haven't lost all hope in Lenovo yet - although I really think that the customer service can really improve on certain levels.
Please give me advices on what to do next!
Thanks for reading this!
Message Edited by swg0101 on 04-04-2009 11:02 AM

Swg0101
Thanks for sharing your details - it seems like we should focus on recovery of your system at this point.
I've sent you a PM - I'll look for your private message response with your contact information and case details so we can look into this and get you some help.
Best regards,
Mark
ThinkPads: S30, T43, X60t, X1, W700ds, IdeaPad Y710, IdeaCentre: A300, IdeaPad K1
Mark Hopkins
Program Manager, Lenovo Social Media (Services)
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Lenovo T500 Brief Review

Hello Lenovo Community!
Recently, I bought a Lenovo T500. After much research and reading many user's opinions as possible (two of which that was really helpful was on this forum by MidnightSun and www.notebookreview.com) I chose the T500. In my research, I could not find many video reviews and was kind of disappointed (obviously, it was not a deal breaker.) I would have liked to have had more written reviews, video reviews and just in general more information. So, I want to do this review to help future researchers become informed consumers! If anyone has any questions or suggestions (e.g.. Of bloatware to remove or any tips) please chime in!
Preface
Before I begin my review, I want to say that I am in no way an expert at computers beyond the basics. I've never bought a laptop before, and my old computer (given to me) was a Gateway M465-e, a business oriented laptop. It came with 512 RAM, 1.6 Ghz, 15.4" screen and I really liked it. It lasted me 5.5 years (and still going) although the past few months, it has really taken a dip (hence the reason for buying a new one!) I will be comparing my experiences with the T500 with that Gateway. I will be using my computer for mainly working with spreadshett, word documents, surfing internet, media hub (especially for iTunes), and, OF COURSE, playing video games! Whoot for switchable graphics!
Specs
Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 (2.8Ghz, 1066mhz 6MBL2)
Windows Business Vista 64
15" WSXGA+ TFT, CCFL Backlight
ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 with Intel Advanced Management Tech.
2GB DDR3 SDRAM
Camera
UltraNav
160 GB, 7200 RPM
Fingerprint Reader
Intel Turbo Memory 2GB
7-in01 Media Card Reader
Express Card Slot and Smart Card Reader
Integrated Bluetooth
Intel WiFi Link 5300 AGN with My WiFi Tech.
6 Cell Li-Ion Battery
Initial Impression
My computer took about a week to arrive. The packaging was fairly simple. I had expected the box to be bigger (why, I have no idea. I guess this is commensurate with the premium price. Hah.) Inside were the usual suspects: the computer, manuals, startup booklet, power adapter, XP BackUp CDs, ThinkPad nubs (replacements) and battery.
At first look, I thought it was quite big and bulky. However, after comparison with my Gateway, I found it to be slimmer and lighter (I chose the T500 primarily because of resolution; I really wanted the 1680x1080 resolution.) Personally, I love the sleek black look. It makes it look ominous, menacing and clean. It felt sturdy, but not as much as I had expected (I had this crazy idea that it could take a light-medium bang from a hammer.) Perhaps the image formed from reading about IBMs were a bit inflated. Anyway, it was clean, all the ports were where they are meant to be, it smelled nice, and of course looked pristine! It implored me to turn it on.
Build and Design
As aforementioned, I am becoming a huge fan of this design. From the creased overhang of the top bezel to the asymmetrical screen position, I love it! Little details like the hashed/ribbed strip from the top left corner and the imbedded "UltraConnect" lettering above the screen really make the ThinkPad feel like it warrants the price, special and unique. The top of the ThinkPad is made of a rubber-plastic material that allow a good grip. There is minimal logos and stickers. I especially like the indicators on the top (when it is closed) as well as on the bottom of the screen (when opened.) The hinge also seems to have been well built as it has a lot of resistance in opening the lid. When it is opened moving the the notebook does not move the screen at all (I hate it when you have to readjust your screen after swinging it from one place to another.)
One thing that bothered me a little was the vertically-positioned USB ports. I have a USB-port-extension device which increases my number of ports by 3. However, I am unable to use this device because of the shape of the device and because of the vertical port. It is difficult to describe, see below for picture. Anyway, having only 3 ports is quite terrible, considering my 5+ year old Gateway had 4.
Keyboard and UltraNav
One of the first things I looked for was the much-feared keyboard flex. This seems to have been mostly remedied because there this minimal flex on the right portion. There is, however,flex on the left portion of the keyboard (maybe left of the u-h keys.) It is only when I press quite hard that it flexes. When I am typing regularly, as I am now, it is utterly unoticeable. The keyboard, overall, is quite good. I like the clicky feel of it and can type on it with no hinderances or reserve. The volume buttons are VERY welcomed as they provide responsively (my old GW I had to hold the Fn to adjust.) I just say that the position of the PgUp/PgDn/Home/End and Esc button is a bit awkward as I have to move my hand quite out-of-way to access them. This is but a minor issue. I also wished that the delete button wasn't where it is. I use the delete button quite a bit and it is kind of difficult (as in the out-of-the-way sort)
As for the UltraNav, I am quite fond of it, although there are times when I prefer the normal touchpad-and-button. For me, the UltraNav is quite sensitive and can be frustrating to use. One moment you're shooting across the screen just fine, but then finding that one small spot on the screen is quite tedious. And yes, I know you can adjust it, but I just can't seem to find the perfect level. I have seen older ThinkPads, and think that I would have liked to have the red strips on the UltraNav buttons.
Display
The display is great, it is of the matte variety and is non-reflective (rather, minimally reflective.) It is clear and crisp throughout without any dark areas or any irregular eveness. It looks great at 1680x1080. The viewing angle range is wide and being 15.4" has lots of estate. The one thing I would like to comment on is brightness. My friend, sitting next to me, has a MBP, and I must say, it is far bright than the T500 at maximum brightness. And, yes, I did allow the screen to reach full brightness. This is not so much a big issue at the moment, but I do kind of worry that in a few years my non-LED display will become much less bright. But that's a trade off I'm willing to take (for screen resolution.)
Performance
In terms of performance, it seems to be slightly slower than I had imagined. I expected that it would blaze through everything and it mostly does. When adding my 10k+ songs onto iTunes, it took a significantly shorter time than my Gateway, but longer than I would have liked.
I played Bioshock, at first attempt at maximum resolution (1680x1080) and with all the bells and whistles turn on. It was sluggish, and barely playable. I had to turn the resolution down quite a bit before I thought it was smooth (as on Xbox or a PS3). I surmise this might have something to do with my RAM amount because even just sitting idle 65% of physical memory is used (darn you Vista and ThinkVantage!) The performance, I suppose, could be called as snappy and powerful and will handle, I'm sure, anything I will throw at it during normal usage (e.g. not gaming.)
Battery Life
When I ordered the computer, I didn't put too much on the battery because the T500 will be my desktop replacement and will be plugged in most of its life. Despite this, I have attempted a to measure battery life on a charge; I must say that it is pretty good. On a full charge and normal usage, i.e. wireless, multiple tabs on while online, Windows sidebar, and Skype, I was able to get about 5 hours plus or minus half an hour (I usually don't use my computer in blocks of 5 hours, so when I do stop, I put it to sleep.) This is pretty good considering I have the 6-cell battery and is not really a priority for me. Though still important when considering the price of the system as a whole.
Audio Speaker
The speakers are generally weak compared to my Gateway. The volume isn't has loud and the quality of the sound is not as good. This too like the battery life, was of low priority because, even though I use the T500 for media, I have a set up at home where I can plug it into a system that amplifies the sound and quality through speakers.
Heat and Fan
Compared to my Gateway, the ThinkPad is infinitely better in terms of dissipating heat and reducing noise. On the GW the fan would run incessantly, even without any taxing programs being run. Then it would turn into hyper fan mode and eventually shutdown from overheating. In the ThinkPad, the story is completely different. Even when I ran Bioshock, though audible, the fan never was intrusive. The heat, too, was quite good. It gets warm but never hot. If you want to see numbers, you should look at the review on notebookreview.com. I don't disagree with those numbers.
*******EDIT********
I apologize for not continuing the review as stated earlier. I won't review much else, UNLESS REQUESTED (and please, if you want me to review some part of the machine, I will more than happily do so, so just ask!)
For the final part of this review, I will give, what will be my final impression on the machine (that is, before my long-term; which won't be for a long time.)
Final Impression
I have now had my T500 ThinkPad for quite some time now, having used it for various tasks and knowing its idiosyncrasies, can say that overall I would give it a 8.5 out of 10. I really hate giving a definite Yes or No to these things, but if I were to be asked whether I recommend this computer or not, I could not say without full reservation that I do. There are several reasons for this: Firstly, though I love the resolution (as aforementioned, 'twas reason I opted for the T500 over the T400), I wish it were brighter, i.e. LED-bright, but at this resolution, and as of this review, it is not offered. And sitting next to a MBP owner, who's gorgeous screen is a stark reminder of superiority in terms of screen brightness, it instills a sense of uneasiness because of the not-cheap price--though to be fair, a spec'd up 15.4" MBP is significantly more expensive (~$600 more; I have the 3 years accidental damage and warranty.) At full brightness, it is a joy to look at, anything lower however is much darker. For example, with all lights off and in darkness, the lowest setting was difficult to see---what?---I expect to be able to see (read: use) it comfortably without straining my eye at every setting. Otherwise, what's the point? This is to say the screen is not bright enough at all levels. I understand the remedy is as easy as turning up the brightness, but that is not the point.
Secondly, ThinkVantage is helpful however it is ultimately a bloatware for me. When I open up the Task Manager, I would say about a third of the processes taking up my memory is ThinkVantage stuff. Taxing my system when most of the time I don't need it. To uninstall it would kind of defeat one of the uniqueness of the system (I mean, they even dedicated a button for it) and just doesn't seem right. I have yet to do so because I don't know the kinds of effect it will have on the system, so it may or may not be done.
Thirdly, there have been several crashes. For example, yesterday instead of my usual Fn-F4 (sleep), I closed the lid instead (which should yield the same effect.) As I got home from work, I found that not only has it not been sleeping, but had had the processor running inside my protective case. It was HOT and as I opened the lid, I saw the Blue Screen of Death. Additionally, it takes a long time for the computer to go to sleep (I'm talking about 30 seconds-1 minute.) My 6 YO Gately does it in 5-10 seconds, but then again, it runs Windows 7. This is probably the fault of Vista, though and can't be blamed on Lenovo.
All in all, if I could re-order a system from Lenovo, I would consider the T400 with LED and the same configuration (though I would want the T500's more powerful graphics option.) I realized that though I initially wanted the large screen size, I would trade it for portabiltiy. I realized the T400's screen was sufficient after looking at the MBP. I still wouldn't get a MBP because it just doesn't offer the flexibility of a PC (I find PCs easier to manipulate in general.) Happy shopping!
Message Edited by StrangeL0ve on 07-21-2009 11:34 AM

I have upgraded from 2gb to 4gb RAM (Vista bu 64bit) but T400 was still slower than the old MSI notebook. I had MSI 12", 1.8ghz sempron, 2gb RAM, 160HDD with UBUNTU 8.04. Now T400 with P8700, 4gb DDR3, discrete Ati 3470. What really helped me was NOT using Vista at all! I'm now on RC of Windows 7, it's much faster (boot, turning off, and aslo system respose is I think 4 times shorter than Vista has). Just wanted you to know how are these systems different. But if I had a choice, I would go for some linux distribution. Sadly fingerprint reader and thinkvantage software are not supported
Message Edited by popo666 on 07-11-2009 10:20 AM

Win8/T500 headphone jack stopped working. Conextant Audio Software issue?

I have a T500 - 2081CTO, and in the last week or less, the headphone jack has stopped working. There was a windows update recently so I'm assuming that's the culprit. I typically let it do it's auto-update thing without paying much attention, so I don't know what exactly changed or why it would kill the headphone jack. I've tried looking for Conextant drivers, but those don't seem to have changed since 2011. Win8 and the T500 has always been a bit flaky, but this at least has always worked. How can I test that it's the software and not a hardware issue? And if it is software related, what do I need to fix it?

I now think that it's possible there wasn't a "problem" so much as an inconvenience. While at home, I incrementally re-installed everything that I still wanted and saw no problems with the headphone jack. However, once I returned to work and connected the laptop to my dock with USB speakers, the USB always take precedence. Previously, the computer would recognize that headphones were plugged in and switch from USB to internal (ie. headphone jack) as default, and switch back to USB when the headphones were removed, always skipping the on-board speakers. That ability now seems to be missing and I need to manually set the internal speakers as default whenever I plug in headphones and manually back to USB when they're removed. Is there any way to get this functionality back? I loved how it "just worked" before. Now it's "just broken".

ThinkPad T500 won't start ...

Hi everyone.
I am using this forum as i have no other options left, in fixing a Lenovo ThinkPad T500.
The first time, with both battery and power plug connected, or just battery / power connected, when the pw button was pressed, nothing happened (no video, no audio signals, no fan, no hdd, no status leds).
So, i disassembled the laptop, removed all it's components (memory module, keyboard, trackpoint, fingerprint reader, hdd, cd/dvd drive, lcd, wireless, internal modem, cpu, cmos battery).
After a reassembly of the laptop, at power on, status leds are like in the picture below, the cpu fan is running for a couple of seconds, and the hdd is running without the hdd status led flickering, but there is no image on lcd and no audio signals. I tried to power on the laptop with battery and power, just battery and/or just power. In the picture below, there are only the necessary components connected: cpu, memory module, lcd, speakers, keyboard, trackpoint, and also hdd and cv/dvd drive. I also connected a external monitor, but there was no video signal.
As i have no video and/or audio messages/signals, i can't fully diagnose the laptop. I am hoping that someone have had the same situation, or knows what might be the problem.
I would appreciate any help!
THANKS.

Hi CiprianLazar,
Regarding USBs, check whether their pins aren't bent, check this KB:- http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/R-L-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/ThinkPad-T400-T500-R400-R500-hangs-on-boot-a...
Keep us updated.
Maliha (I don't work for lenovo)
ThinkPads:- T400[Win 7], T60[Win 7], IBM 240[Win XP]
IdeaPad: U350
Apple:- Macbook Air [Snow Leopard]
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Lenovo T520 quiet speakers

Hi.
My new T520 speakers are very quite (about as twice as quiet as my old Asus laptop). I tried reinstalling the Conextant drivers, but nothing changed. I looked at some settings in SmartAudio, but nothing helped either so I'm thinking that the issue might be hardware related. When I use my headphones the sound is also twice lower when used on my phone (same headphones).
I wanted to know if anyone else is having the same issue and is it software or hardware related? My friend has a two year old T500 and sound on his laptop is way much louder.
ThinkPad T520 i5-2410M(2.3GHz), 4GB RAM, 500GB 7200rpm HD, 15.6in 1600x900 LCD, NVIDIA NVS 4200M 1GB
Solved!
Go to Solution.

IF the above does not work - I had to fix it the below way
HI All
i have solved a similar problem with my conexant audio hd , by uninstalling conexant audio hd drivers via control panel (add/remove programs), then allowing windows to install the standard windows "High definition audio device" drivers...
after restarting, then within control panel - sound - speakers properties - enhancements, tick bass boost and loudness equalization. press OK , and then your sound should be twice as loud.. worked fine.
this was within windows 7, but i assume should work for other versions as well. best of luck.. took me a while to find the solution so please repost else where if you found this works for you!! thanks !

SOLVED - T500 - Lost sound volume after a very recent update

I keep my T500 current with new drivers, however in a recent update (I do not know which) I lost almost all the volume on my speakers and headphone.
Has anyone experienced this?
Has anyone found a solution to this problem?
Thanks,
Persio.
Solved!
Go to Solution.

ONeill, thanks for your response and interest in helping.
I am running Win 7 Ultimate x64.
I have just finished doing a series of tests with NO success.
All my drivers are current with the Lenovo Support Site drivers' versions.
I have unistalled the Conexant driver using the Device Driver screen and let the system reinstall (PnP).
I have unistalled the Hot Key Drivers, tested without them installed, and reinstalled them.
I have reinstalled the Conexant driver fresh from the Lenovo Support Site.
The problem I am having is the following:
In a silent room, using the SmartAudio aplet from Control Panel, I can barely hear the sounds with the volume set at 100%. This is true for the internal speakers and for a headphone plugged into the system.
This indicates to me that the it is a volume issue.
I would appreciate your comments and suggestions.
Persio.

Microphone Jack on Dockingstation and T500

Hi,
I just installed Win7/64 on my T500. It seems that everything is working ok. However, Windows doesn't recognize a microphone beeing plugged into the dock's mike jack, headphone jack works though.
If I plug it into my T500 directly, it works.
I am using the Win7 audio-driver because 6ea111w conexant driver for xp and vista doesn't install. (no devices found)
Has anybody similar problems and a solution?

Hey @Tololino ,
Welcome to the HP forums.
I understand you have some questions about the audio connection on your Stream 7 tablet.
Could you please clarify what you mean by not working? Does sound continue you play from the internal speakers and record from the microphone when the headset is connected? Do the headphones work but the microphone doesn't? Could you please clarify this for me.
The service guide for the Stream 7 series tablets lists the audio port as a "headphone/microphone combo jack, 3.5 mm." A 3.5mm connection should work fine.
Is your headset detected in the audio playback and recording devices? To see these long press (right click) on the speaker icon to open playback or recording devices.
If it's listed in here you may need to change the audio playback and recording device settings to use the headset instead of internal speakers or microphone.
Thanks.
Please click the "Kudos, Thumbs Up" at the bottom of this post if you want to say "Thanks" for helping!
Please click "Accept as Solution" if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
The Great Deku Tree
I work on behalf of HP.

T500 Windows 7 Audio

Dear Friends,\
Just installed Win 7 Beta on TP T500. Seems all in order except ZERO audio. Could someone help me out on this?
Thank you
Susan

bmacnaughton wrote:
The sound controls show (in green) sound being generated. If I plug in headphones, either USB or via the front sound jack they work fine. It seems like somehow the sound driver is routing the signal intended for the internal speakers to a black hole (or maybe the front sound jack).
Hi:
For the problem you report above, the fix should be very quick and easy.
Open the SOUND control panel. Under the PLAYBACK tab (that is the default tab, the one on the far left), see which item has a green check mark beside it - I will bet you a cup of coffee that it is HEADPHONES. Just click on SPEAKERS, then press the APPLY button.
You should now have sound from your speakers.
Cream, no sugar, please.
Michael
W520 (4270 CTO), which replaced a W500 (4062-27U), which replaced a T42P, which replaced an A21P...

T500 + Vista Ultimate Audio (Headphones) problem

My new T500 running windows vista ultimate seems to be having some audio issues. The inbuilt speakers work fine and I hear everything well. However, if i plus any external speaker or headphones to the computer's headphones jack, there is no effect. The sound still comes from the inbuilt speakers instead if the headphones.
I tried uninstalling the audio driver but it does not solve the problem. When I look into the device manager, it reports that the audio device is working properly. I still tried to install the driver but the driver installation fails.
any ideas or suggestions?

Too bad Apple can't write software to run on Windows.
iTunes is s h i t.
I guess they don't care about Vista uesers

T500 speaker broken

Hello,
all of a sudden, this weekend my internal speaker seems to have gone broken.
I don't know what happened, I just realized my sound broke when watching some youtube and NBA videos. It seems when being on the lowest volume level the sound is alright. When setting the volume up, it screetches and cranks, sounding like back coupling. System restore doesn't work for some reason. It's really annoying not being able to use the speaker anymore.
I mounted the sound output to my amplifier and it works perfectly. However, I want to be able to use the speaker which seems to be broken.
Does anyone know this?
How do I go from here? I purchased it 3 months ago and I need my ThinkPad as it is my working place. But I can't leave my ThinkPad that way... it's not what I paid so much money for...
Karsten

I found out, that my microphone or some building block of my sound card must be broken. I turned off the microphone via Windows XP sound panel and all of a sudden all was back to normal. I this realized this when listening to some output, my keyboard typing was transmitted over my speakers! So I figured, there must be something wrong with my microphone. They seem to be linked. I knocked on my T500 plastic left and right of the touchpad and that got transmitted through the speakers, too. It's really really strange. This explains the back coupling.
Since I don't need my microphone for anything right now, I can live with it currently. Although the hardware remains broken nontheless. I might have to send in my T500 later this year, I can't afford to miss it right now...
Technically, can anyone explain what might be broken when the microphone's input gets output to the speaker/s?
Karsten

T500 freezing with Windows 7

Newbie to these forums.
I bought a T500 back in 2009 and it came pre-loaded with Vista. In the past few months I've since upgraded to Windows 7 64bit and have had problems with the computer freezing up, seemingly at random.It never did this with Vista, so I'm inclined to think it's a software problem rather than a hardware problem.
Symptoms:
-screen goes black
-computer completely non-responsive (have to force a restart by holding power button down)
-if any music was playing then the speakers get stuck on the last sound and cause a buzzing noise
I think the issue might be with the drivers, but even after installing all the seemingly appropriate drivers, the problem persists. Any thoughts? I figured I'd ask here before taking it into the shop.

I have seen a few instances of SSD failing and the results are total lockup, BSOD, etc I am not sure if there is HD diagnostics you can run on them or even running HD tool on them.
Having see that the recovery on a typical HD is very high while on SSD when its failing/failed that it, you'd done. Pickup a good HD EG Momentus by Seagate and go down that road and get it working and enjoy your system. You can move it via eSATE externally if you want later or attempt the Ultrabay track.
T520 Model 4239 Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2860QM CPU @ 2.50GHz
Intel Sandy Bridge & Nvidia NVS 4200M graphics Intel N 6300 Wi-Fi adapter
Windows 7 Home Prem - 64bit w/8GB DDR3

T500 Outlet Order

I'm hopint that Mark_Lenovo can help with this one. I ordered an refurbished T500 on November 27th. The order did not get posted until December 4th and they are giving me an estimated ship date of December 14th. I have dealt with the Outlet before and usually their service is much prompter than this. I called and asked if they could expedite shipping due to the delay or if I could pay to have the unti delivered faster - I was told there was nothing I could do.
The problem is that I have a new employee flying in from Portland, OR to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a week of orientation. This is his new computer and it won't make it in time. Lenovo says that it is the solution for business but it sure is making it difficult right now. I sincerely hope that someone from Lenovo can look at this and help me out. The order number is 2E40EP.
We currently have more than 30 Thinkpads and various IBM/Lenovo workstations throughout our company. I make the decisions regarding our purchases - I have been very loyal to the brand for many years but my confidence is shaken.

Thinkpads are touted as a business solution. My clients would never accept this kind of response time, holidays or not. If we do not not deliver to our clients in a timely fashion they purchase elsewhere. It is all about customer service - and I am afraid that companies are losing sight of that. My clients would laugh if I said "Sorry, we're backed up . . ."
The flip side is that I just placed an online order for some new speakers. The company called within 20 minutes with some suggestions - most of which I went for. They shipped the next day. They were also experiencing a "Holiday Rush" but they were prepared for it.

How do I set upmy Imac to allow using both my computer speakers and a Bose SoundLink system as outputs at the same time. I can use one or the other, but not both.

how do I set up my Imac to allow using both my computer speakers and a Bose SoundLink system as outputs at the same time. I can use one or the other, but not both. From systems Preferences I must select one or the other. I want both to work all the time.

Hi,
I would recommend you to use 0FI_AP_4 rather using both, particularly for many reasons -
1. DS: 0FI_AP_4 replaces DataSource 0FI_AP_3 and still uses the same extraction structure. For more details refer to the OSS note 410797.
2. You can run the 0FI_AP_4 independent of any other FI datasources like 0FI_AR_4 and 0FI_GL_4 or even 0FI_GL_14. For more details refer to the OSS note: 551044.
3. Map the 0FI_AP_4 to DSO: 0FIAP_O03 (or create a Z one as per your requirement).
4. Load the same to a InfoCube (0FIAP_C03).
Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Nazeer

T500 speakers

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