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Beginning
of this month, my boss decided that I get a better desktop as I do a lot of
coding (scripts and web apps). He suggested that I get a desktop that
allows us to add a second video card so I can use dual
19 inch Planar LCD
monitors so I can do my coding on one and other applications on the other.
So we decided to switch me from my older IBM ThinkCentre M52 8215 small form
factor to this new Lenovo ThinkCentre M55e tower desktop which has
a dual core processor to handle all my needs. Well it come with Windows
Vista Business installed and re-imaging it with one of our standard images was a
pain because Lenovo puts a diagnostic partition on the hard drive and for some
odd reason after a re-image all you see is a blank screen (I think it was trying
to boot from that other partition). So I had to install Windows XP Pro (we
experienced some problems with Vista freezing on us) from scratch and install
everything as per my own specification (which I don't mind at all). Now I
have a clean and stable system that is setup to my exact specifications. I
have been using this desktop for about two weeks now and haven't had a problem
yet.
THE DESIGN AND INSTALLATION :
Well, the look isn't what you would want
in a gaming system that
Alienware makes, but it is adequate for an
office environment. The case is all black with a Lenovo logo on the top
and a ThinkCentre logo right under the drive bays. There is a power button
on the right of the ThinkCentre logo with has a white dot in the middle to make
it stand out in all the blackness. There are two LED lights placed evenly
under the power button for the power and the hard drive. Right under these
are the front panel USB and audio jacks; the mic and headphone jacks are placed
between two USB ports (nice touch I would say). One thing I liked about
this case is that it is very easy to open and you can easily remove and install
the components inside (no tools are needed). The ports are color coded so
even a rookie can hook up all the cables.
PROS AND CONS :
There are several features I like about this tower better than the smaller form
factor of the M52's. First is that it has more room inside and therefore
has better airflow to keep the system cool and so there is less noise from the
fans. The M52 processor fan has a tendency of being loud when the
processor has some load, but this M55e is better and I do not hear the fan at
all. It is a bit faster than the M52 also. The doubled hard drive
capacity (160 GB) was very much needed for me because I store a lot of scripts
and data on my local drive. The integrated video card is good but could
have been better. I am used to screen resolutions higher than 1280 x 1024
and for some reason I cannot set it higher than this. That is because the
monitors maximum resolution is 1280 x 1024. I hope the second monitor I
get has higher resolution capabilities.
INSTALLATION :
No installation is required because it is a desktop. All you need to do the
first time you open the package is to plug in all the cables and turn it on.
Basically that is all of the installation and you are ready to be on your way.
THE WARRANTY :
Lenovo provides a three year limited warranty and is entitled to parts, labor
and on-site repair service. Service is available Monday-Friday, except holidays,
with a next business day response objective. Many parts can also be delivered to
you using the Customer Replaceable Unit (CRU) method.
You can visit Lenovo’s website (www.lenovo.com)
and click on Support & downloads for warranty service, status, and information.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE :
I have been using this new desktop for just over two weeks now and I have not
had any problems. I did however have problems with Windows Vista was
installed, but that is no longer the case since I installed Windows XP Pro.
I also purchased the Logitech USB wireless mouse and it worked just as I plugged
in the little USB adapter in the back. I did not have to install any
drivers for it, which is good. Moving this tower around on my desk is no
problem as it is very light weight. I tried opening the case up and
install a video card that we had in stock (later found out that it doesn't fit).
I put this tower on my desk and I do not feel vibration or noise on the desk at
all. I have a desktop at home that I have on my desk that creates this
humming noise and vibrates the whole desk, but not with this tower.
I
mainly use this desktop to browse the internet, connect to a virtual desktop on
our server via and Citrix ICA client, write VBScripts, write PHP, ASP, HTML, and
Javascript code, use an instant messenger, use Microsoft Office applications,
and use remote desktop to help our users when in need. I can perform all
of these tasks without any problems on this machine. On the older M52, the
fan used to speed up and make lots of noise when I was multi-tasking or even
using Firefox with multiple tabs. The dual core processor really does help
a lot.
FINAL THOUGHTS :
So far I have been impressed and pleased with the performance of this tower.
I mean I am used to high screen resolutions and faster speeds but I think I will
settle for this at work. If I want something faster and more powerful I
will just use mine at home. I would highly recommend this desktop computer
to everyone or for any office/home use. This pc will fulfill most of your
computing needs without any hiccups. So buy one today. |
