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Lenovo Switches To Windows 10 Signature Edition Image For Its Future ThinkPad Laptops (mspoweruser.com)

Posted by msmash on from the Clean-Windows-experience dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Ahead of tradeshow CES 2017, Lenovo today announced major changes coming to its ThinkPad lineup of laptops and PCs. First, Lenovo has decided to ship 2017 ThinkPad models with Microsoft's Signature Edition Windows 10 right out of the box. So, users don't have to worry about bloatware anymore. Signature Edition PCs are clean, fast and protected. The second big announcement is that Lenovo is now offering optional Intel Optane 3D drives on select ThinkPad models. Due to the small capacity, initial Optane M.2 drives will be used for caching in the ThinkPad T470p, L470, L570, T470, and T570. Third, Lenovo is moving to the Microsoft Precision TouchPad drivers for consistent touchpad experience across ThinkPad devices. The Windows Precision Touchpad drivers provide high precision pointer input and gesture functionality.

99 comments

  1. Lenovo lately by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    They got really really good at making the shittiest laptops possible in the past few years.

    1. Re: Lenovo lately by slasher999 · · Score: 2

      I bought a T440s a couple of years ago direct at a bargain price and it's been fantastic. As good as any ThinkPad I've used over the past almost 25 years including the T20, 600 series, 760 XL, 755 and 701. Probably a few others.

    2. Re:Lenovo lately by damn_registrars · · Score: 2

      That may be true with the IdeaPad and other consumer level laptops from Lenovo. I challenge you to point out a better laptop on the market today than a ThinkPad. I just replaced my X201 with an X260 - only because I needed more RAM than my X201 could address, it still runs fine - and the X260 is faster, more reliable, lighter, and less expensive than the MacBook Pros that my colleagues opted for instead.

      --
      Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    3. Re:Lenovo lately by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      I didn't close my laptop backpack and my T430 fell out of it in a mall onto a hard tile floor. It bounced several times. No damage whatsoever, not even a chip. Compare that to a macbook, I dropped the same laptop on one from half a height once and it actually dented the keyboard surface of the case. I can't imagine what a drop from that height would do to a macbook. It certainly wouldn't look the same.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    4. Re: Lenovo lately by citizenr · · Score: 1

      T440s .....As good as any ThinkPad I've used over the past almost 25

      LIAR, just look at that touchpad
      at least they somewhat listen and fixed it back to normal with T450

      --
      Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
    5. Re: Lenovo lately by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The T450 was a step in the right direction, now if only they would put the function and volume keys back where they belong....

    6. Re: Lenovo lately by justthinkit · · Score: 1

      I bought three Lenovos four years ago. Two Z570 and a G580, all with 4GB RAM and spinning rust. All still performing perfectly. Reinstall software is a push-button process (used once so far). Couldn't be happier.

      --
      I come here for the love
    7. Re: Lenovo lately by fluffernutter · · Score: 2

      You don't need a touchpad when it has touchpoint. Much more accurate and no need to take your hands away from the keyboard.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    8. Re:Lenovo lately by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      I didn't close my laptop backpack and my T430 fell out of it in a mall onto a hard tile floor. It bounced several times. No damage whatsoever, not even a chip. Compare that to a macbook, I dropped the same laptop on one from half a height once and it actually dented the keyboard surface of the case. I can't imagine what a drop from that height would do to a macbook. It certainly wouldn't look the same.

      Yeah, and you're getting one hour battery life from your new MacBook Pro, too, without providing a scintilla of evidence "because you're too busy". Yet you seem to have time to follow and respond to multiple Slashdot threads, including this one.

      You sir are both a liar and a poser.

      And I sincerely doubt you are a Developer as you alluded to yesterday by claiming you were "down to one hour of battery life after 50 charge cycles, running only Firefox and 'standard Development tools'." Yet you couldn't be bothered to look at Activity Monitor's "Energy" tab to see if something had inserted a big ol' fat drinking-straw into your MBP's battery, because "Apples are supposed to 'Just Work'."

      Riiiiight...

    9. Re:Lenovo lately by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Oh my god I have a stalker. I never thought this would happen in a million years. I take it as an absolute complement sir.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    10. Re: Lenovo lately by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      Not everyone is foolish enough to use a touchpad.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    11. Re: Lenovo lately by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is the problem, the touchpad in the 440 removed the trackpoint buttons, so if you want to use the trackpoint, even with the touchpad disabled it will respond to clicks, as it's needed for the trackpoint! Totally idiotic design!

    12. Re:Lenovo lately by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 1

      With thousands of people reading Slashdot, it is completely unsurprising that someone would remember your name in connection with a comment they read earlier if the topic happened to be one that the person has an interest in. Just because somebody happens to remember a comment that you made before doesn't mean that you're being "stalked." Get over yourself.

      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
    13. Re:Lenovo lately by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      But this isn't just someone who has remembered a past comment, this is a person who took the time out of his day to seek out another one of my comments just so that he/she could respond. As a person who values his time, I an honored.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    14. Re: Lenovo lately by invictusvoyd · · Score: 1

      So, users don't have to worry about bloatware anymore

      ha ha ha .

    15. Re: Lenovo lately by Duncan+J+Murray · · Score: 1

      Yep, my T450s is terrific. My history doesn't go back as far as yours, but my T450s has a better fit and finish than my T40 I bought new back in the day, the keyboard is just as nice (ok, except I do miss the 7th row), and I guess only time will tell if it proves as durable as that machine. It's certainly less creaky.

    16. Re:Lenovo lately by Duncan+J+Murray · · Score: 1

      My disclosures before I get started - I'm a Thinkpad fanboy, sorry.

      But look, what GP is saying is not that out of the world. I've dropped Thinkpads onto hard surfaces several times - they usually just bounce. One time a hinge broke, admittedly (but that was after 9 years of use...). Is this all that surprising given that most Thinkpads are tested to do this?

      Everyone knows the aluminium shell of the macbook is fairly soft, and dropping in onto a hard surface leaves a floor-shaped mould on the laptop.

    17. Re:Lenovo lately by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 1

      And you know that ... how?

      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
    18. Re: Lenovo lately by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The touchpoint was and is one of IBM and Lenovo's biggest mistakes! I remove the cap, so I don't notice that its there, and I can't inadvertently move the mouse pointer while typing. Yes, I have tried using them, they are nothing but a huge pain in the ass! I bet 99.99% of users that got an IBM laptop without a touchpad and just a trackpoint went and got themselves a mouse of some kind!

    19. Re: Lenovo lately by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      That is the problem, the touchpad in the 440 removed the trackpoint buttons, so if you want to use the trackpoint, even with the touchpad disabled it will respond to clicks, as it's needed for the trackpoint! Totally idiotic design!

      And based on whether you use the trackpoint or the touchpad, the simulated buttons move to the top, or bottom of the touchpad respectively.

      I avoid having to click the actual clickpad. Using 2-finger tap to right click reduced a lot of pain, though right click-drag actions seem painful as the cursor moves off the target while clicking.

      By far the worst computer pointing device I've ever used.

      The computer also only has 2 fucking USB ports even though the case has room for more (wireless mouse + USB VPN token = no more ports). And the keyboard is missing half the keys, and the function keys default to auxiliary functions (brightness, wireless, etc) which is fucking annoying when you direct someone to use a keyboard shortcut in an application and the wireless disables instead.

    20. Re: Lenovo lately by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 1

      I have an L440 and its not bad, but it did come with that nutty touchpad. for $40 more, I could (and did) buy a direct replacement that had 3 real buttons. problem is, drivers for it are 'strange' and I can only access mine in a dumber mode. I never found the right win7 driver for that replaced pad. so it was actually a step backwards and while it kind of works and does look better (grin), its still not as good as if it came that way.

      I have a t420is that is great. last of the real keyboards, had good port assortment and a useable 3button touchpad. since it was a current model, thru today, I only had to replace the dud fan/heatsink, and that was a $20 part from ebay and about 2 hours of time to get the tech ref manual and undo about 100 screws to get to it (sigh). after that, its good as new and good for another few years.

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    21. Re:Lenovo lately by michael_wojcik · · Score: 1

      I've had half a dozen ThinkPads, IBM and Lenovo, over the years. My current one is from 2009. I've dropped all of them multiple times - just something that happens when you work in a lot of different environments, with cords strewn around and whatnot. I knocked the latest one over onto a hard floor again just a couple of days ago, which probably makes at least two dozen times it's taken such a tumble (while running).

      The only problem I've had with this one is dust and cat hair collecting in the vents to the point where it overheats. One IBM ThinkPad needed its CPU fan replaced after a few years. Another had the drive fail catastrophically, but that's more Hitachi's fault (it was a Death^WTravelStar). One eventually developed an occasional RAM failure; never tracked that down to RAM or motherboard.

      On the whole, though, they've been very tough and reliable.

  2. Just spyware by Somebody+Is+Using+My · · Score: 2

    Lenovo didn't like that all those third-party shovel-ware apps were getting in the way of their own spyware.

    1. Re:Just spyware by operagost · · Score: 5, Informative

      I would like a laptop that is clean, fast, and protected from Microsoft's update mechanism rebooting it while I'm using it.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    2. Re: Just spyware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Then set your active hours for windows update to like 3am - 4am or something.

    3. Re: Just spyware by squiggleslash · · Score: 4, Informative

      You can't, that's one of the major complaints, you can't just set it to a small number of hours you'd be very unlikely to be using the computer.

      Also, why the hell does it need to reboot to install updates? Ubuntu et al don't unless you update the kernel, which 99% of the time you don't.

      Real answer to GP: disable the Windows Update service. Re-enable it once a month and manually run updates, then disable it again. Just make sure you don't forget.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    4. Re:Just spyware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Er...?????? Why not use an OS that isn't provided by Microsoft. Then you won't be subject to the update mechanism.
      I'll leave the choise up to you but IMHO, almost anything is better than Windows 10.

    5. Re:Just spyware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And I would like a laptop that is clean, fast, and protected from Microsoft.

    6. Re:Just spyware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't know about them, but about 20 programs I run that are heavy industrial software that exclusively runs on windows without any kind of useful analog on Linux, and stability is poor enough on the systems they are designed for without trying to get them working in a wildly different environment.

    7. Re:Just spyware by ProzacPatient · · Score: 1

      On the one hand it is annoying but on the other I think forcing updates on people helps remove vulnerabilities from the wild. The Professional version, iirc, you can disable automatic updates rebooting your PC with the group policy editor, and given the typical casual user of Home edition it's probably a good thing that only the Professional version has that option otherwise you'd end up with angry users complaining that Windows is responsible for their personal information being stolen despite the fact they never bothered to update.

      Furthermore I think forced automatic updates are probably why we see more social engineer attacks against clueless users now than in the past (like those Indian guys calling people up and claiming to be Microsoft support and that they detected a virus on your PC) but unfortunately not even software can fix stupid.

    8. Re:Just spyware by GreatDrok · · Score: 1

      "heavy industrial software that exclusively runs on windows without any kind of useful analog on Linux"

      I have a Windows 10 VM on my Mac and VMWare runs everything I throw at it very well and when I'm done I close it down. It associates file types with the Windows applications so they open on demand. Best of all, snapshot the clean install with all activated software you need and mount working files from a network share and then if Windows screws up you can revert to the snapshot. Amazing how well stuff that would previously be considered impossible to run in a VM actually runs today. You just need to assign enough resources to Windows and all my machines have at least 8GB of RAM and Windows runs well enough in 4GB although I could easily push it to 6GB. There's only really one reason today to use Windows as anything other than a classic environment for some specific programs and that is gaming but I wouldn't mix work and play on the same box anyway. My work machine is a Mac with a Windows VM, my play machine is a desktop tower I built specifically for that and nothing else. If you don't like the Mac then you can just as well substitute Linux (I've done just that too) but the main point is to protect yourself from Windows by not making it the primary platform. They can't spy on you when the VM is off and you can strip most of the nasty stuff from it prior to making the snapshot.

      --
      "I have the attention span of a strobe lit goldfish, please get to the point quickly!"
    9. Re: Just spyware by Aighearach · · Score: 2

      I'm running a different linux flavor, but if I run updates I can still just wait until I would have otherwise rebooted, and then I'll be running the new kernel. So even then I'm not rebooting for updates. They could program the update system to reboot you in an emergency scenario, but it has never happened. Users who don't understand how to read the news and apply an update are generally people that instead will reboot to solve any sort of problem. So it solves itself for everybody without any need for update-driven reboots.

    10. Re: Just spyware by somenickname · · Score: 1

      Also, why the hell does it need to reboot to install updates? Ubuntu et al don't unless you update the kernel, which 99% of the time you don't.

      Because Windows has an awful filesystem, no sane concept of an init system and a laughable driver model. I'd love to blame the Windows Reboot Insanity on laziness but, architecturally, it's just not possible for it to update like a Linux/Unix machine. And, I mean at the fundamental kernel and filesystem levels.

    11. Re: Just spyware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If only there was another operating system that had a driver model with a fixed ABI where I could run the same driver for 10 years without recompiling.

      I would say that COM servers and core services dependencies are a significant factor, eclipsing the filesystem -- locking issues can be resolved pretty easily by staging files to a separate location, then switching them and if it were that easy, they would have already done it.

      Let's say a dbus-like service on linux was locked into memory with lots of dependent services that had no concept of what the protocol actually was, but instead used API function calls to a shared library to talk to it. Now you want to upgrade dbus so you replace all the client API libraries, except processes that are using its shared library have the old version loaded. Since the application clients all use exposed client library interface, the developer doesn't have to worry about using an incompatible version of the library with the interface, right? They can change internal function parameter lists and variable offsets, because they are not part of the API. Except now the old version of the client library is turning everything into garbage interacting with its SHM, core OS subsystems are failing, and everything is on fire, oh god, oh god.

      Finally, realize that Microsoft's Windows unit is a business and in that setting, the decision makers are always going to prefer spending resources on features that marketing can sell as opposed to fixing minor inconvenience bugs with huge core implications like reboot-less updates. Getting someone to sign off on that grand idea would probably be a mission in its own right.

    12. Re: Just spyware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or a better example, let's say you have a buffer overflow in glibc's dns handling. You can update the shared library to fix the bug, most *nix systems will allow this, but the library is still loaded into every process using glibc (just about everything not statically compiled) thus every process and service is vulnerable until you restart each of them. Do you restart all services, or do you restart the machine and let startup handle it? Does your answer change if you have to do it to 100 machines with various workloads across an enterprise domain?

  3. NO bloatware? Spyware? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's great no bloatware. What about the spyware for the Chinese government data collection?

    1. Re:NO bloatware? Spyware? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Chinese government doesn't care about you and won't use what they collect against you.
      If you are running Windows 10 you have worse things to worry about.

    2. Re:NO bloatware? Spyware? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      But now only Chinese government and Microsoft are spying on Lenovo users. And since MS likely sells its data to NSA, the spying is in balance; all the data goes to west and east.

    3. Re:NO bloatware? Spyware? by damn_registrars · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What about the spyware for the Chinese government data collection?
      Really not an issue. The people who are using the laptops that are used for collecting data for the Chinese government - notably the ThinkPads are not amongst those - are happily giving away all their data to facebook at the same time. Lenovo is just cutting out the middle man for the Chinese.

      --
      Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    4. Re:NO bloatware? Spyware? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They must have figured out how to hide it all in the firmware.

    5. Re:NO bloatware? Spyware? by gweilo8888 · · Score: 1

      That's great no bloatware.

      Or at least it would be great if it were true. Unfortunately, it comes with Windows 10 preinstalled, and that's a primo piece of bloatware right there.

    6. Re:NO bloatware? Spyware? by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      That's great no bloatware. What about the spyware for the Chinese government data collection?

      That's in the CPU microcode, and there is no known remedy. Same as every other brand of computer.

      Governments know what you're doing already. These are improvements to protect you against mean civilians.

  4. Aha by udachny · · Score: 0

    Sounds wonderful, as long as I can insert a USB stick to boot from and install Mint on the laptop, which is the first thing I do to any computer I get.

    --
    MY OTHER COMMENTS
    1. Re: Aha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Signature edition means MSFT admins your BIOS, so no Linux on your new ThinkPad, ever.

    2. Re: Aha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So the failure of Linux to support an Intel device is magically 'MSFT admins your BIOS'? This place truly gets stupided every day.

    3. Re: Aha by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Is it really a good idea to have a private corporation control your bios?

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    4. Re: Aha by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

      Windows gamer pro with Pro overclocking only $70 year comes with free xbox live gold.

    5. Re: Aha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It isn't, but that's okay, because the AC made it up anyway. Microsoft in no way 'admins your BIOS', whatever that means, for Windows 10 Signature Edition computers.

    6. Re: Aha by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      So you can still dual boot linux?

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    7. Re: Aha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can potentially boot Linux on the cheap spare lenovo I got, if I can convince gparted to repartition the disk, or I'll have to image the existing partitions and wipe the disk.

    8. Re: Aha by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Signature editions means that ACs with no idea what they are talking about need to upgrade their tinfoil hats to a new version.

      Signature editions place no requirements on the BIOS that aren't already part of the standard works with windows requirements. The only thing Signature edition requires is that a TPM module is in place for bitlocker support, that no pre-loaded software is installed, and that all drivers for the device come through the windows update program instead of 3rd party crapware programs.

    9. Re: Aha by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Is it really a good idea to have a private corporation control your bios?

      hahahahahahahahahahah, oh man. You should get a full tinfoil bodysuit.

  5. proprietary drivers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Now, the question is, is this going to be take two of the same BS they tried to pull, using proprietary drivers and disabling boot to other devices, in order to force users to use windows 10 and eliminate the ability to boot off of another OS, and failing that, to even see the hdd due to said drivers not being available under linux?

    1. Re:proprietary drivers by nnull · · Score: 2

      Probably. That's why I went with a Dell. I never believed I'd buy a Dell before, but I don't regret it. It's been pretty good and they've been really linux friendly of late, even their support. I remember when I could load linux onto Thinkpads without much issues (I have an old one running Freebsd on one without issues), not anymore.

    2. Re:proprietary drivers by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      using proprietary drivers

      You mean like the standard Intel drivers which Intel still haven't provided for their RAID controllers?

      disabling boot to other devices

      Something which they have never done.

      and failing that, to even see the hdd due to said drivers not being available under linux?

      I don't know man, why don't you ask Intel who still have no RAID drivers instead of Lenovo who have now provided an updated BIOS that enabled a broken mode that if users turn on cause a big drop in battery life on Windows.

  6. "clean, fast and protected" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah... That's exactly my idea of any Windows version.

    Sorry, but Windows will never again be taken seriously. It's the same crap as every other shitty "cloud solution".

  7. Hosts file protection against included? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    My life hasn't been the same since switching to APK's hosts file generator! This is an opportunity you CAN'T pass up, Lenovo, since your making changes anyway. You'll be the "talk of the town" next year once word gets out!

  8. Too late by Billly+Gates · · Score: 4, Informative

    Spearfish and so called drivers that are really malware software that keep re-installing themselves through the Windows Store puts Lenovo in my DO NOT BUY list.

    --
    http://saveie6.com/
    1. Re:Too late by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 1

      spearfish?

      do you mean superfish?

      (silly names, both)

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  9. Not new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My Thinkpad P50 from this year already came with the Windows 10 Signature Edition, so I don't think this is actually new at all.

  10. Can I dual boot by fluffernutter · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I can still dual boot this to linux.... right??

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    1. Re:Can I dual boot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      No, blame Linux for refusing to have anything to do with proprietary softwares.

    2. Re:Can I dual boot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      No, blame Linux for refusing to have anything to do with proprietary softwares.

      What? How dare you suggest such a thing! GNU/Linux and all FOSS is flawless. It is the users and corporations that need to be blamed.

    3. Re:Can I dual boot by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      I think the issue is that the licensing on the proprietary software would restrict what they could do with their own software and expose them to crippling legal costs. It's not as simple as 'they don't want anything to do with proprietary software'.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    4. Re:Can I dual boot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The two posters above me are morons.

    5. Re:Can I dual boot by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 0

      I think the issue is that the licensing on the proprietary software would restrict what they could do with their own software and expose them to crippling legal costs. It's not as simple as 'they don't want anything to do with proprietary software'.

      I thought you were under a Time-Crunch deadline? What are you doing trolling Slashdot?

    6. Re:Can I dual boot by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Listen, enough of the pissyness because I don't want to spend my time doing what you want me to do. Maybe I watched TV and posted on Slashdot all morning, but I know what I need to get done but I will have to push. The only thing that matters to you is that I would rather do something else with my time. I rebooted recently and I'm not even sure if the problem is still happening. The thing that I didn't have time for is testing with different software. And, as I am sitting down here, for work, to get my shit done, this post was worth it but nothing more.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    7. Re:Can I dual boot by unixisc · · Score: 2

      Only 'libre-Linux' has that requirement: most mainstream Linux distros have no issues w/ that. GP's question is whether the BIOS is something that would support Linux in UEFI mode or anything like it.

    8. Re:Can I dual boot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "signature edition" windows oem distribution license *requires* bios lockdown. you cannot disable secure uefi boot, and afaik you can't load custom keys either. the hardware is basically a windows 10 "computing device" not a "personal computer".

      microsoft has been playing the long con on us all. all those years of allowing oems to pile on the crap and are now just leveraging the "clean pc" in the form of "signature edition" windows.... here's a nice clean bloatware (except for our own, of course) free pc...... with a catch (that we don't tell you about at purchase)

    9. Re:Can I dual boot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, a post containing 100% bullshit! What an achievement!

    10. Re:Can I dual boot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I wouldn't say your post is 100% bullshit, that'd be giving you too much credit for a content-free one-liner.

      The GP is correct though, Signature Edition laptops from Lenovo (Yoga pieces so far) are locked into windows via a weird hdd configuration, as per Microsoft's licensing deal, and there's no reason to believe there will be a different deal for Thinkpads. Sad times.

  11. W00t f4?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    the abov3 1s far if you don't already aware, *BSD an operating system

  12. but will they kill their horrific Store software? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I just got an update of some Lenovo software crap on my thinkpad, and I'm not impressed.

    First my laptop started to flash a Window while I was using it, and the CPU fan started to spin. I took a look in the task manager and saw that some kind of installer was running. I think the update was likely triggered by not having opt out of "Critical Update" in Lenovo Companion, except the updates do not show in installed updates.

    The update ended up failing a little at first with a cryptic error message about a unspecified file that was not found. After a first reboot I got the same error popup. After several reboot and crazy CPU load for huge amount of time things started to be more in order, but now the CPU load is still notably higher at computer startup, after the logon.

    Their new architecture with Lenovo Settings and Lenovo Companion is pure utter CRAP. You can get several dozen of Lenovo.Modern.ImControler.PluginHost processes, each using between 10MB and 20MB of RAM... Some of those process are also deferred spawn at startup or logon and consume non trivial amount of CPU, making the CPU fan spin a few times during a minute or a few minutes.

    I then just launched Lenovo Settings and was greeted (after a huge load time) by a message asking for permission to install tools with cryptic names. That message is modal. It has no X button. The only button it have is OK... WTF? After clicking on it, after a while I was told I had to reboot my computer. WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK??? A few other reboot latter of my shutdown took forever (but eventually succeeded)

    One of the stupid thing it installed was the "active protection" shit. This computer only has an SSD, so JUST GO TO THE FUCKIN HELL! And then die there in a "while true" loop, because the uninstaller is not listed anymore in "Program and Features". I nonetheless managed to find the uninstall command by searching in the registry, and to my horror the uninstaller informed me that part of this insane excrement was even loaded in explorer - one more reason to get rid of it.

    I've removed "Lenovo Companion" but I'm hesitant to remove the "Lenovo Settings" and then the low level deps, because I'm not sure there is any other way than "Lenovo Settings" to control the "Dolby" sound option. So yeah Lenovo == spyware, broken and utterly bloated software using hundreds of MB to display 3 button, modal windows that make no sense, uninstallable crap, and so over.

    I'm not sure if they will *REALLY* switch to signature edition, or if they will insist on their modern app slow and bloated craps like "Lenovo Settings". If they keep it, I'll not buy their laptops anymore. Laptop builder usually just don't know how to make software, and I don't understand why they continue to try to do so. 300MB of RAM and worse boot time to display a few dozen of on/off switch, most of them being already built-in in the OS, is even worse than unacceptable: the engineers who accepted to produce than shit should be euthanized.

    Just buy a Surface Book; MS is way less likely to try to taint Windows...

  13. Further improvements possible by sciengin · · Score: 1

    To make their devices even cleaner, faster and most protected they could get rid of Win10 completely.
    Now Im not saying they should install Linux instead, but while they are already looking for a decent OS to replace Windows... why not.

  14. All high-end PCs should have this. by ErichTheRed · · Score: 1

    I think companies will still build their own image or use the Windows 10 provisioning tools to slice and dice the image deployed by the factory, but for Lenovo's laptops this makes sense. ThinkPad professional series users (T and P series) are paying a lot of money for their machines compared to the $300 consumer junk at the low end of the line. I'm just about to replace my T540p and the prices are super-high, almost Apple level margin. It should be noted that you do get what you pay for - ThinkPad users are pretty loyal customers and the laptops have a certain "anti-hipster" all-business look and feel.

    I think all PC manufacturers should adopt this approach. Leave the bloatware for the consumer models...after all, everyone needs 3 firewall and antivirus applications running on home machines. Ever since Windows 7, Microsoft has been working with the vendors to build more of the software controls into the OS for various hardware components, reducing the need for buggy vendor applications to do things like control volume and brightness. (One of the worst things about building a hybrid desktop-laptop disk image for PCs is managing the multiple post-OS installations of vendor packages that are required to control things.)

    This just makes good sense. It gets Lenovo some good press to put the bloatware security debacle behind them, and sets the tone for other manufacturers. After all, aren't PCs dying? Doesn't everyone use business apps on a 9" tablet screen? In that market, people who need PCs are going to pay specialty prices to get a quality product.

    1. Re:All high-end PCs should have this. by Incadenza · · Score: 1

      ThinkPad professional series users (T and P series) are paying a lot of money for their machines compared to the $300 consumer junk at the low end of the line.

      I bought one of those €300 machines for my son. Totally worth it: het dropped it on the floor within a month, and the charging cable bent the chassis. Thing wouldn't close anymore. But after unscrewing a lot of screws, and a small plier job, I managed to get everything working again! Even their consumer junk is built quite well I must say.

      Best thing that happened to that machine was a failure of the Windows partition. I had to re-install Windows from scratch on a fresh formatted disk, and that left no trace of the Lenovo bloatware. Machine seems to be running 100% OK (but still as fast as molasses) on the vanilla Windows drivers.

  15. Avoid Reboots with "Metered Connections" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    You can avoid unexpected Windows 10 updates by setting the network connections to be "metered connections".
    Windows will then avoid downloading updates in the background because it thinks you are paying a lot for the bytes.
    Google "windows 10 metered connection"

    1. Re:Avoid Reboots with "Metered Connections" by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      But it still nags you all the time.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  16. Re: but will they kill their horrific Store softwa by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We are talking about ThinPads here, not the garbage Lenovo sells at Walmart.

  17. bios fake raid on the m2 cards used for caching? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 2

    bios fake raid on the m2 cards used for caching?
    Some windows only driver?
    Even at 128GB I want to use the pci-e storage as an real boot disk and have apps and other data on an 2th disk.

  18. Dont buy lenovo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    No one in their right mind should buy a lenovo product with how bad their customer support and website are, horrible.

  19. Precision drivers suck in my opinion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My Dell has precision touchpad with Microsoft drivers. They suck in my opinion, just ask many who have complained about them with Dell's XPS line. I have a Inspiron and frankly the lack of customization is scary and you cannot install anything else if you don't like it. I end up using a mouse now because the touchpad lacks so much in precision.

  20. Which SKU is this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What the hell is Windows 10 Signature Edition? Is it a special SKU for Lenovo or do they mean just a plain vanilla Windows 10 Home installation?

  21. Lol, too funny by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

    I love how PCs without the pre-installed shitware are marketed by Lenovo as "clean, fast and protected".

    What does that tell you about the PCs that don't come with the Signature Edition of Windows? Does that mean they're "dirty, slow, and vulnerable"?

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    1. Re:Lol, too funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thank you taking the time to fill out our customer survey questionnaire, in answer to your question,Yes.

      In the interests of full disclosure "clean, fast and protected TM" is a copyrighted term that might not have the natural language meaning your expect.

      Have a nice day.

    2. Re:Lol, too funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It means it's free and clean of STD's, since they don't use Chinese prostitutes to build your laptop, but instead use children under the age of 10 to build your laptop. It's quite a leap for Lenovo.

    3. Re:Lol, too funny by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      What does that tell you about the PCs that don't come with the Signature Edition of Windows? Does that mean they're "dirty, slow, and vulnerable"?

      Are you asking if water is wet? Because the answer is yes.

    4. Re:Lol, too funny by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      Are you asking if water is wet? Because the answer is yes.

      It was more of a rhetorical question, but yeah.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  22. Infected hardware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So this just means that Lenovo is not embedding their spyware and malware directly into the hardware somewhere, and no longer need to install it through windows? gotcha.

  23. Re: but will they kill their horrific Store softwa by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We are talking about ThinPads here, not the garbage Lenovo sells at Walmart.

    Yes, I am talking about a ThinkPad.

    Incidentally, did you think Lenovo Settings has a shitty version for non-ThinkPad and a "good" one for ThinkPad? Because seeing the disaster the "good" one is, I wouldn't want to be within 1000000000km of shitty ones...

  24. Still won't stop candy crush by the looks of it by Duncan+J+Murray · · Score: 1

    or 'get office' or 'xbox live'.

    or system notifications that your version of office is out of date?

    because that is the signature of Windows 10...

    1. Re:Still won't stop candy crush by the looks of it by chrish · · Score: 1

      Bought my wife an ASUS VivoBook yesterday that (happy surprise!) came with the Signature Edition of Windows 10.

      Can confirm, Candy Crush is there and the OS also automatically logged her into some sort of Skype preview.

      --
      - chrish
  25. Re:but will they kill their horrific Store softwar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And my experience? On a laptop? If I CARED about sound quality, I'd not be using LAPTOP speakers, so I wouldn't personally care about dolby configuration at all. The sooner that the advanced features (dolby surround control etc) are built into W10 so there's no need for and 3rd party crap, the better.

    I'm so glad my computer came with W7 pre-loaded, W8 disks and when I upgraded to W10, all the HP crap was blown away.

  26. It's OK for me... by snookiex · · Score: 1

    As long as they put back all the indicator LEDs and physical kill switches they removed in the last versions. I'll wipe Windows off anyway.

    --
    Open Source Network Inventory for the masses! Kuwaiba
  27. "and protected" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    except for the windows part!

    https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletins.aspx

  28. Will the "Win key" return to Thinkpad, soon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Never thought I'd buy a Dell exact same words here, till I read about the XPS13, etc. then I stumbled upon this guy selling E6400's by the c***load for $99 apiece. Windows7 is ignored because I installed from a live USB.

    Will return to Thinkpads that don't force Windows on me. It has been a while that the Windows Key was missing from Thinkpad keyboards. I may be with Dell for a spell... ...and today's captcha is exorcism

  29. Pro edition active hours extended to 18 hours by yuhong · · Score: 1

    From https://blogs.windows.com/wind... : "starting with Build 14942, we’ve changed this [active hour] range for PCs on Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions to 18 hours."

  30. "consumer" vs "business" computers by yuhong · · Score: 1

    Ah, "consumer" vs "business" computers. I wonder whether this even makes sense.

    1. Re:"consumer" vs "business" computers by damn_registrars · · Score: 1

      Ah, "consumer" vs "business" computers. I wonder whether this even makes sense.

      Clearly there is a market for them. No different from consumer vs business cars, or consumer vs enthusiast bicycles, really (to name but a couple examples). Although considering how little my ThinkPad cost this time, I can't really see an argument for buying a consumer laptop unless you are in love with the silly consumer bits (ie, touch screen monitors and similar stupidities).

      --
      Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.