Crapware doesn't bother me, since that gets wiped before I start using the box, including the biggest offender of all them crapwares - MS Windows. Unless you're concerned about one of those disk-firmware-rewiring NSA uglies, that's a foolproof solution to the nastyware problem.
Hardware is good, in case of trouble on-site warranty works well (once you've learned your way through the ibm website). Be informed about what you buy, skip the comically broken models (see adaptive keyboard) use common sense and your thinkpad will be good. Nothing out of the usual when buying tech stuff.
Though in a not so distant future if lenovo declines continue, it may be wise to stay away from their brand altogether.
[1]: http://arstechnica.com/staff/2014/01/stop-trying-to-innovate...
A friend bought a $1000 laptop (U330 touch) from them and a piece of plastic holding a hinge broke. When I looked at it, it was clear that the part could have been 10 times (yes, 10) thicker without adding much weight (about a gram I guess) and probably zero cost.
I find this mistake nearly unacceptable but the evil part comes when you ask for warranty and they tell you that you must have done something wrong, why would a hinge break otherwise? And you accepted the warranty terms, so its their right to say so.
Quality control also was an issue as the laptop first came with a malfunctioning keyboard and a non operating touch screen.
So yeah, now is not a good time to buy anything from Lenovo.
We bought T440s a year or two later and both were just abysmal. The trackpad, the keyboard, everything is crappy and fails to work properly. No one at our company would use them and they sit in a closet now. I've been monitoring Lenovo's laptops recently and they all seem to be getting worse and worse.
I have read similar things about basically every laptop(heck even cars, TVs, Fridges) brand in existence.
Ars Technica just reviewed the 3rd generation version: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/02/thinkpad-x1-carbon-re....
Mess with my muscle-memory and you're sure I will never buy your laptop. Same reason I'll never consider MacBooks: Non-standard keyboard.
OK, that's one part of non-traditionalism :-) Luckily, the Ctrl and Fn keys' functions can be swapped in the BIOS (but obviously, the key labels will stay put).
I referred to the strange setup of the Caps Lock key, and the missing 6th row with function keys. (Although the functioning of the function keys is different in the 3rd generation model than in the 1st generation model).
Then again, the first thing I did when I bought it was install an extra SSD and install Linux.
This is exactly why I've been recommending Chromebooks to anyone who asks my advice for about a year now.
Microsoft's Windows Installation Media Creation Tool [1] enables you to download a clean Windows 8.1 ISO that can be used to re-install the operating system and wipe out all of the preloaded bloatware on any PC.
To do the same with a Windows 7 PC, visit Microsoft's Software Recovery website [2].
From Windows 8.1 Update 1 onwards, there is a built-in PowerShell cmdlet called Export-WindowsDriver [3] that will backup all of your third-party drivers prior to reinstalling the OS.
Export-WindowsDriver –Online -Destination c:\DriverBackup
Once you have created a bootable USB flash drive from the Windows ISO [5], another useful tip is to create a folder called $WinPEDriver$ in the root of the drive and copy the drivers you backed up into here. Windows will automatically install the drivers found in the $WinPEDriver$ folder during installation of the OS.
[1] http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-re...
[2] http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery
[3] https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn614084.aspx
[4] http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Info/Double-Drive...
Chromebooks are the worst possible thing, I tell everyone to stay away from these crippled google branded piece of slavery.
I advise either a second hand quality laptop or a brand new one while budgeting a little extra for cleaning the crap that manufacturers preload inside to allow for such a low selling price.
(An unnecessary hassle, I agree)
What did they do? If they detect a "counterfeit" FTDI (in other words, a clone not necessarily claiming to be an FTDI), the driver bricks your chip!
Yeah, you can fix it using Linux, but it's a pain in the ass.
Or use Linux and be away from this cancer of MS Windows ecosystem.
For instance, is it "only the OS installed" if it includes hardware-specific support for the display adapter, or a fingerprint reader?
Anyway, all laptops I have seen include either a generic Windows OS installation disk, or an option to order one for the price of mailing cost. But of course even with these you might have something included which you do not consider "only the OS".
It would sure be nice to bring home a Windows machine that only had Windows on it and any necessary but minor applications from the manufacturer (like a settings application or drivers and not some photo sharing spyware).
The second gen X1 Carbon has two "innovations" I could live without. A clickpad and an LCD serving as function row keys. I must not be alone in my woes, as the third gen X1 Carbon reverted the change and has normal trackpad buttons and real function keys.
Other than that, the same quality Thinkpad build. It's not a war tank as the R40 was but, then again, it does not have the weight constraints that allow for a rollcage.
I know it is fashionable to say Lenovo fumbled the Thinkpad brand but, at least in the top of the line products, this isn't true. Of course, this is anecdotal, based on my company's purchases and nothing else. If you listen in forums, the landscape is much as the one here on HN (even if 90% of those who speak never bought a "chinese" Thinkpad)
I suspect the cheaper Lenovo laptops are shitty though.
We've tried HP and Dell in the past with the same ugly results. Horrible default images full of crapware, though not MITM bad. The only difference is that we had 10x the hardware issues with Dell and HP. We always need to make our own images. Windows OEM is a nightmare of shit crapware, which is a shame as the stock windows product is actually, dare I say, good? At least good for business use cases.
I also find it amusing that anytime there's some kind of issue in the US people instantly yell NSA, but thus far no one has thought to think this could be the CCP's attempt to spy on people by weakening SSL. I'm sure its trivial for them to grab the private key from Lenovo. Seems like the cyberwars are heating up.
Personally, I hope this becomes a major scandal. This deserves lots more press. In fact, every anti-virus product should remove this and the certificate. Anything short of that is irresponsible. This is congressional investigation worthy right here.
I even considered buying a Lenovo recently when a pretty nice looking ThinkPad was on sale, but a couple of friends have had very bad experiences with their Lenovo laptops. Both have had to go back to Lenovo for repairs; one of them had to send it back twice, and on the second go around demanded a new one instead of a repaired one, because the "repaired" one was worse than when it went in for repairs.
That said, there's "bad QC", which is forgivable with time and a sincere effort by the company to correct it, and then there's "evil". Intentionally shipping adware is evil.
Given this, I can genuinely think of no way for Lenovo to ever get my business for any product.