User:Samiam
OK, I am a long time user of Thinkpads running Linux, starting with the 365XD, and upgrading to a 600X which I have been using since 2001.
Let me start off with a rant about the Thinkpad 600X's BIOS. If the Trankpoint is enabled but broken, the BIOS refuses to boot with an error 8611. This error was such that it was impossible to enter the bios screen to set up the BIOS to disable the trackpoint. The system refused to boot at all; I finally got it to boot after pushing on the trackpoint during the boot process so that the BIOS would see the trackpoint; I then disabled the trackpoint, allowing subsequent normal booting.
I don't think a broken trackpoint is something that should stop the booting of a computer. I think it's poor bios design to have this be a fatal "I refuse to boot" condition.
And, yes, I have already bought a replacment keyboard on EBAY (with a good trackpoint) for about $20.
Update: I got a replacement on Ebay for only $20 including shipping. The keyboard was from a 600, but fit fine on my 600X. Being a used keyboard, it was a little grubby; I got from sanitizer from a tanning salon to clean off the keyboard before installing it. I now have a working trackpoint again. My cimputer now looks like a Pentium II but is really a Pentium III 450. :)
Update: The keyboard was a little rattley when I type on it, especially the space bar. After replacing the space bar from my old keyboard, and still getting the !@#$ rattle, I relized that I didn't screw in every single last screw that holds the keyboard down. In order to make sure that my Thinkpad keyboard has the characteristic solid ThinkPad feel to it (which, IMHO, no other laptop kayboard compares to), I need to make sure it is well-connected to the rest of my ThinkPad.
- Sam
