Always On - Torture testing the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook

cnet.com/alwayson
Lenovo claims this Ultrabook is rugged. Molly Wood puts it to the test as it enters the torture chamber.

[@GRat9717]

You're not supposed to tilt a Thinkpad if you spill something on it! It's designed to drain it out the bottom. Just let it sit - the system will not give a shit.

[@spark6023]

This shows that thinkpads might be exceptionally rugged, but not idiot-proof...

[@friday8091]

It is not idiot - proof, it only shows that it is not proofed against the most often accidents- coffee split. My husband did it to my lenovo and it was a total disaster.

[@yourbff566]

@@friday8091 think pad should be ok

[@GabiGunner]

​@@friday8091as others have pointed out before, I think she may have unplugged the trackpad and keyboard.

[@tombailey8503]

During the emergency surgery, she most likely unplugged the ribbon cables to keyboard and trackpad

[@PinefrostLT]

+Tom Bailey (FishyPenguin) and forget to reconnect them...

[@mlgoverrated745]

She probably broke them

[@livedeliciously]

X1 was fine after the initial spill test, but showed problems after it was taken apart. Hmmm, I wonder...

[@PinefrostLT]

+calpitoc Maybe she broke it and tell that's laptop's problem?

[@josey700]

You are not even supposed to open and dry the machine it will just spill all the water out....

[@connormason7907]

Congratulations, you unplugged the keyboard and trackpad from the motherboard and called it water damage.

[@thebush6077]

You know, I'm actually surprised it survived the oven. Also, I like how they didn't do a drop test... THE MOST LIKELY OF ALL OF THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN....

[@tylerluna35]

ThinkPads are designed so that if you spill some thing you should set it down on a flat surface so it can drain through the keyboard draining holes, NOT to tip it upside down.....

[@spark6023]

These things may be "spill-proof", but certainly aren't idiot-proof :P

[@danielngo2697]

Thinkpad laptop always has holes at the bottom for the liquid to spill out. You never want to let your laptop upside down like that. And never recommend other viewers to follow the stupid thing you did. It is not proper. It is water resistant, not idiot resistant.

[@TheCorkscrew66]

Well actually, the X1 Carbon doesn't have any drainage holes, so the only way to get the liquid out is to tilt the laptop. But I do agree, these tests are pretty stupid.

[@hanmonic]

***** They added holes at the 2nd gen and the 3rd gen

[@seriouslyWeird]

yeah, the carbon she uses does have the drain holes

[@zapador]

Not all ThinkPads are designed to withstand liquids, but some are. The newer generations of X1 Carbon for example. I agree that the best to do in this case is to leave the laptop where it is until everything has dried up.

[@alexwelt]

You are All assholes and dumb

[@NothingNew777]

I mean. You melted it and then tested the seals with hot coffee.....Not exactly a far test but...

[@stere0123]

I call bullshit here, opening the keyboard opened the water reservoirs onto the motherboard instantly damaging it badly. If she had left it sitting upright and didn't touch it, it would have been perfectly fine.

[@godofwar424]

This is why she should RTFM before doing such a thing. Nearly all ThinkPads have spill channels and her stupid messing around screwed them up from doing their job.

[@LisaSamaritan]

Yes, it does have drainage holes at the bottom...

[@friday8091]

Sorry, but you are talking nonsense. I had that kind of accident and laptop was damaged inside, had to have keyboard changed and professional service cleaning. The drainage holes are from keyboard leak not from the side lead through the connection holes

[@ogjohan]

@@friday8091 Ok but is it a ThinkPad X1 Carbon?

[@McDuffington]

As stated by others; flipping the laptop upside down after spillage is a big no-no. Lenovo laptops have an awesome draining system. Just look at the bottom of the laptop to find the special leak-holes. Just keep it straight and let the fluid come out at the bottom. Never flip it around. I don't really consider this a valid torture test.

[@shorea27]

The thinkpad's keyboard is designed to drain liquids at the BOTTOM. Ur NOT supposed to turn it upside down it'll drain and dry itself without ur help. Sheesh.

[@ollielunnon3641]

+grg yes they did

[@njemtrn1129]

lol why would they do that? those holes are probably why my x230t is still alive. and dont say "not spilling anything on your laptop would be a better reason," lol cause i know that

[@D3nn1s]

ur still supposed to put it upsite down, the holes are way too small for such an amount of liquid to work

[@JohnDoe-sy7fy]

This company has the worst customer service of all time. If I were you and I wanted to build a channel I would not showcase products to people that would force them to deal with their customer service wasting time. Buy Lenovo if you want: 1. Your order to be delayed by 2 months forums.lenovo.com/t5/General-Discussion/Extremely-Upset-Customer-NOT-Solved/m-p/3505736#M32010 2. Your order canceled www.reddit.com/r/Lenovo/comments/5h8c0n/the_worst_customer_service_in_the_17_years_i_am/ 3. No communication with them because you have to wait for hours ON THE PHONE Just don't!! Pay a bit extra if you can and get something else, don't go for dinner a couple of times or reduce your Starbucks a bit to save some more money if that is the issue. If you are a fanboy of Lenovo, like I was, one try to deal with their customer service will convince you that they should not be around and giving them money only does bad to the market....

[@D3nn1s]

John Doe every electronic companies customer service is shit

[@bradn44]

lenovo designed the liquid to drain out with the laptop right side up. not upside down. screwed yourself over there...

[@mcp866]

2:52 switches from BIOS to Google to BIOS

[@bilokenneth]

wow, up-voted

[@jamessoutham]

M CP it was because they were different Camera shots at different times

[@TheTechMan5270]

that not a bios but windows boot manager

[@spark6023]

Why did u ope it after spill testing it n finding its still working?? Also, you heated it more than the macbook air! If only you knew how to test things equally

[@praycmx5]

In System Recovery mode you will need to use the Red Lines part of the Touchpad to click and select. Since the Touchpad drivers are not loaded yet as in a regular Windows boot to desktop. Second point in System Recovery only the Tab and Up Down Arrows will work in the screen you are on. I have 20+ X1 Carbons and they all work this way in System Recovery. Give it a try.

[@nathaniellough5153]

Skip to 5:40, don't look at the screen but listen intently for 12 seconds. You'll hear what I mean.

[@isazisempi2248]

Ha funny

[@giggitygoebbels3612]

I think you ripped the ribbon cable during the surgery bro

[@StopResisting]

Uh, wow. That machine was designed to drain right side up. How does she not know that? All Thinkpads are made that way. Also, did she not know that the X1 Carbon Touch has a touch screen?? Why was she only trying to use the trackpoint and trackpad?? I am beyond amazed by her stupidity.

[@RyanCunningham12]

The X1 Carbon isn't. It doesn't have designated draining holes like the T-Series.

[@kwanlinus6999]

As an X1 carbon user, I would say putting it into a fridge is not a torture test, its just the thing to do after using it under the sun.

[@machmodeling]

1:42 what kind of oven mitts are those? they are kind of cool though. they just dont cover up the whole hand

[@hi11man666]

200 degrees? are u crazy?

[@NSteigs]

Lol I was thinking the same thing. She mentioned leaving it in a car. Like bruh cars probably get to maximum 150 degrees on the hottest of days and that's in the sun for hours

[@reactingmaniac7313]

Go watch plainrock124

[@vardanrathi7777]

@@NSteigs Are you sure about 150 degrees ? LOL. Water boils at 100 and I have seen any car's external go beyond 60 at max !

[@NSteigs]

@@vardanrathi7777 I'm in the US so talking Fahrenheit my guy

[@vardanrathi7777]

@@NSteigs Oh...oh. My bad.

[@YR7A]

huh. functioned correctly after the spill, but after y'all took it apart it failed. makes me think.

[@99domini99]

Why didn't she turn the damn laptop off after the coffe spill?

[@ahmed_nyc]

a lot of laptops will shutdown once the water enter it.

[@PinefrostLT]

+deWaardt yeah. you are watching this precious laptop(want to eat it). and accidentally spills the water on this laptop. or you are use it like normal. but accidentally spills the water on this laptop? in the real life you actually need to spill water on your laptop that you got it from your hard-worked ? this video is unfair.

[@djbis]

Because it is an always-on torture test intentionally designed to prove the laptop's ability to withstand these challenges. See video tittle.

[@mscmatt]

Hey thanks for the reply. I don't have an X1 Carbon, so I can't confirm if it has drain holes or not. I know my T430s does, as well as every other thinkpad I've seen. Just one question - how can the X1 Carbon have a spill proof/resistant keyboard without drain holes on the bottom? The liquid needs a place to go, and unless the keyboard is perfectly sealed (to prevent liquid from going in), it needs to have a way to let the liquid drain out.

[@Holistic.LivingTV]

x1 carbon gen 1 has 2 drain holes on the bottom

[@benbauer7866]

Coffee's no good, because it add the extra variable of heat. The extra heat may alter the integrity of the seals as seen in the heat test, which makes the coffee test unfair

[@PinefrostLT]

+Ben Bauer I think like most comments. the seals are broken in the heat test. plus this too. idiot in the video is wasted a good laptop. laptop in my far dream.

[@csumpa12]

The problem with the trackpad and the keyboard is that when you took the machine apart, the connections of these were plugged out and you haven't plugged them in before you put the laptop together. Pls reply if you checked that.

[@SarahhLOVABLE]

Is this the only Lenovo torture test? I've been looking a test on the Lenovo IdeaPad yoga 13

[@mrguy9876]

i haven't spilled tea on mine but i have dropped mine in the snow and it survived

[@ioio3358]

I can’t believe it came alive at 200 degrees

[@Kevz916]

It probably warped the water reservoir on the oven causing it to leak inside the motherboard, this video is just hilarious, anyway I'd still get one of those thinkpads.

[@Agumon5]

So it won't have a problem with 120- 125 degrees in my apartment (closed doors / windows) in Phoenix I assume?

[@IntellitechStudios]

it should be fine but for your sake invest in an A.c. especially in AZ.

[@fuckheadgaminghd]

bro u disconected the touchpad cables and ignored the 2 actual left and right click buttons

[@D3nn1s]

you realize that it takes up to 3d to get ur keyboard back to work? after i cleaned the keyboard of my 2nd pc i had it on the heating for 2d and still didnt respond, the 3rd day it came back to live... u usually have to remove the keyboard tho

[@ehteshamulhoque7393]

This video seems like to make Lenovo Thinkpad series a lot worse then it is. I am no Lenovo enthusiast my any how, but the type of rugged features this laptop has used to make me wonder to have one,then I got my Lenovo Thinkpad X240. Since then it has been split with water,coffee.milk shake's accidently of course and is yet to show a single bit of disturbance. I even have a video of it getting it rolled by my car and it proved out to pass its MIL SPECS with flying colors. I can bet that this lady has been bribed by another laptop company out there which I assume is Apple as she has made a video on the IMac and Macbook Pro to be the toughest to withstand all the so called torture tests she shows do put them through (I doubt the tests she did was on the same Mac at all). So hypocrites there you go!

[@MalamIbnMalam]

Kindly upload that video to youtube

[@PinefrostLT]

+Ehteshamul Hoque I think it's like that. x1 claimed to be water resistant. but problem in the video happen because she's not reconnect it tightly enough as it should? it's sad that x1 is in her hand. not in the people that should have it.

[@MalamIbnMalam]

As an owner of both a Thinkpad W541 and a Macbook Pro 15 mid 2014, I have to say that both machines have their advantages and disadvantages in regards to build quality.

[@kenlebel2145]

Was that 200 F or 200 Celsius?

[@hockeyboi2468]

watching this video on my x1 carbon lol but she left the laptop on while water spilled on it...don't most people immediately react and turn it off? also, submerge in rice?

[@RobertJonHopkins]

One Question, why would you put a laptop in the freezer?

[@christian101112]

I have owned this laptop for quite a while now and I have had it go trough laptop hell and it survived better than any laptop I have owned, including macs.

[@xueminshen]

Where. Is the Wild Card and Drop Test? Did I miss something?

[@lalalamooone]

hey do u really think any laptops can be water proof? yea unless u seal all the holes but if u do that ur laptop will just be a fireball

[@abhilashyt7115]

At last is an OS_operating system failed and if the os were installed those device may work back again and if not check the keyboard/mouse cable is cleaned or not.

[@swedensebbbe]

The X1 Carbon doesn't have drain holes, same as the edge series. It simply holds water out of the keyboard using rubber gaskets. The T and W series with drainage holes would probably hold up better.

[@tiy2627]

3:04 using mouse in windows boot manager?? :))

[@marcusvolpicella5277]

A lot of ThinkPads, including this one, have small water reservoirs which collect water and save the laptop from being damaged. The water is then drained from the holes on the bottom of the laptop. Putting it upside down or taking it apart to try and dry it will actually harm the laptop rather than fix it. It's capable of draining most, if not all of the water on its own.

[@areldcookie5581]

Ikr, they have a dedicated anti spill hole

[@friday8091]

Sorry, but you are talking nonsense. I had that kind of accident and laptop was damaged inside, had to have keyboard changed and professional service cleaning.

[@SoulacroupLesCombes]

I miss those days when Lenovo had not (yet) messed up IBMs quality. Used to have a T520 which was rugged like a brick. The new P15v's housing is cracking without dropping...charging port defect, screen frame cracked....and so on. Never again thinkPad...miss the old IBM quality :/.

[@asyncawaited]

I can see CNET's logic here. They wanted to put the computer into the hands of an idiot consumer and see how it turned out. The problem is, it's poised to make viewers believe the idiot is an expert, which is laughable. There are several great torture tests on the Internet. This isn't one of them.

[@thespecter6845]

1:51 Gordon Ramsay: IT'S UNDERCOOKED

[@MarkSparksProduction]

if you had of try the same coffee test on any other laptop it wld of been the last time yu used it... nd yes im a proud ower of the x1 carbon touch...

[@harryshou4702]

you shouldnt have opened it up when there's liquid inside

[@BrianAndersonTT]

If your Thinkpad has drainage holes at the bottom don't ever turn it upside down just force shutdown and unplug. It's gona need a while of drying and cleaning, like a week depending on the method, but it can be saved like new.

[@CNHabs]

Exact! Leaving the Carbon in a car on a hot day isn't gonna do anything to the X1!

[@8-bitarcadebrawlergaming176]

i have this laptop but it's broken because will not boot in the operating system instead it's booting the preparing automatic repair forever

[@xandrumifsud]

My Favorite Tech Show!!

[@2RandomStudios]

The biggest issue you'll have with the freezer is the moisture after the ice melts.

[@user-ci9xo7hy4b]

i had a thinkpad and i spilled coffee and the keyboard was sticky but i typed on it and the keyboard fixed its self

[@geraldnlang]

please do another one with the thinkpad/ideapad where you actually test the drainage system they claim and please do the drop test. :)

[@UnspokenSniper]

Why you didn't do that with the MacBook Air 😭😭😭

[@chrisv4000]

You first called it a cake, then called it a pie?

[@hockeyboi2468]

I think it's just in case someone leaves the laptop in the car during winter. Similar to the heat test for leaving it in the Summer.

[@shanezack1732]

I want to see when you put in the oven to stove and you see how it is

[@TheBusGuy]

Well, Near the beginning when you mentioned the MacBook Air not waking up after the cold test, that was because you HELD the power button down too long...

[@MisakaMikotoDesu]

The water doesn't drain out unless it's a huge volume.

[@MrVerniers]

Wrong! The 'terrarium of death' as she states in a recent video could barely reach 190°. Also the Thinkpad is rugged enough to handle twice the drop height of the MBA easily. About the swimming in water: She kept turning it around making water flow everywhere, which she doesn't with the MBA and all that while it was still on, what would be the worst? A turned of MBA in a tray of water which later dried for days or a turned on laptop with fluid turned in it? Later on even opened....

[@ChrisEOfficial]

-Mom,what's for dinner? -Your ultrabook,dear!

[@tsukanahibayashi4140]

She should’ve done the tests on the Lenovo thinkpad t410

[@KitKat-ve2em]

CNET is a company that tests and reviews products. Its not one person buying high tech devices and then destroying them. No one is going to put their computer in an oven, but the tests are just measuring the limits of the device. You can leave a device in a hot car and its almost the same as an oven, and so on.

[@shayamaddex996]

the problem with the x1 is it lacks the drain holes of other ThinkPad

[@shayamaddex996]

That's a good point. If your ThinkPad gets wet hold it open and right-side up at all cost.

[@oxidize3]

It turns -30 around here in Canada where we live, not something very unusual. I usually leave my XPS to thaw for about 10 min before turning it.

[@pattycarljackson]

it makes sense there are people who may leve their laptop in a car and its in the middle of the winter or have it int heir backpack and its cold out some electronics freeze up and slow down when they are cold

[@MetroidMan90]

Was that 200 degrees celcius or fahrenheit?

[@FJheals]

F

[@16FRS]

Sounds like you did not reconnect the keyboard and trackpad properly? I always wash my thinkpad keyboard in the sink and i've had it completely submersed in water, and alas no damage. If nothing is responsive, it's probably disconnected. My sister's laptop had the same issue (an HP) after I did not properly reconnect the keyboard after cleaning it out from a coffee spill. Just sayin'

[@dahotrod1533]

Please test a Thinkpad T570.

[@earthtothesky8777]

who wants to cook a laptop anyway?

[@earthtothesky8777]

latrell edwards who wants to eat it then??

[@mubasharqadeerSAP]

women....

[@jaysonbiswas5484]

I will never hand over my thinkpad x1 carbon to you.

[@nikanj]

I've definitely spilt coffee on my laptop before. More than once. Dell Latitude D600 - Dead immediately. Dell Adamo 13, came back to life in a week but then died to some Pepsi.

[@ThorsteinKlingenberg]

Also, why not do the tests in the same order? The Macbook Air was drop-tested before you killed it with water..

[@yoitzo]

didn't galaxy s3, iphone 5 and iphone 4s pass?

[@wopmf4345FxFDxdGaa20]

What is the point of the oven test? Who in any kind of circumstances would accidentally put a laptop to oven? I am not expecting that any laptop needs to survive from it and it will do damage to the battery in every laptop, because lithium ion battery doesn't like heat. The cold test instead is relevant as some areas are cold.

[@michaelhansen6138]

***** no it was 200

[@ethandemir7474]

+quotidianlight 200 degrees for 2 hours! The hottest day ever recorded in the world was 134 F in Death Valley, CA.

[@ethandemir7474]

+quotidianlight on a 130 F day, on the dashboard or on the seat, constantly getting direct sunlight... Maybe. And if that somehow happens, the series of improbabilities we managed to tie up also tell us that we should not own any electronic gadget from the get go. Secondly, she is not even being consistent on her ridiculous torture tests. Spills room temperature water on a macbook air and decides to switch to a super hot coffee on a thinkpad. That, itself damages the credibility of this already nonsense test series.

[@ethandemir7474]

+quotidianlight That's very sad... I read an article on nhtsa.gov and the highest they clocked was 172 when outside temp was 100 F.

[@wopmf4345FxFDxdGaa20]

***** I highly doubt that's air temperature. The meter may of course be 200c, if it's directly in the sun. :) But I am not sure, you might be right . . .

[@MartinYankov]

i wish this vid wasnt edited tho. let the camera zoom on the timer of the fridge and fast forward the video.

[@spencersmat]

half of the ones theyve tested, especially the phones have survived things like drops in pools and fish bowls

[@xerejuneseve6333]

Cold will do little damage by water, heat [>200'C],will melt the solder and is more dangerous .

[@Justin-dy7ep]

2:22 when you smell tha 😺

[@jamesalexander1441]

This has at least proved that the X1 isn't idiot-proof.

[@avashfulful]

Was she pressing the trackpoint?? o.O

[@KevinPhanPlus]

Yeah. I hate it when I'm watching a movie while baking cookies and put my laptop in the oven with the cookies too!

[@john-hj8ob]

She's crazy.

[@garrettcooper8183]

This is so unfair. The macbook was sat in a tray so it basically swam in water. Even worse it was dropped before the water test. Also the terrarium of death is most likely hotter than her oven

[@arthurgu3800]

during emergency surgery, she should have UNPLUGGED THE BATTERY!!!!!!!!!!

[@hjlee6192]

having the name 'thinkpad' in itself shows that it has gone through military testing. they specifically make and test thinkpads to survive the cold, hot, sandblasted, liquid and everything else that i dont know.. haha

[@jamesgreenidge]

Think she messed it up more by busting inside it to wipe it out! It seemed to be responding okay before she did!

[@rolfjohansen5376]

200 'C?

[@Ivory.shadesofwhitesplattered]

Wow, that's not biased or anything..I just watched the Macbook Air 11" test right before this, and in this one she did the following differently: 1. She attempted to turn on the MBA immediately after the heat test. It passed. She gave this one 30 minutes to cool before attempting boot up. 2. No drop test. The MBA was subjected to not one, but three different drop tests! It passed all of them. 3. She had the MBA on a 1/2" deep cookie sheet for the liquid test. CNET is always a Microsoft fanboy!

[@freen773]

i know 8 years late but being a windows fan certainly doesn't mean one must favour lenovo

[@mscmatt]

I don't think she should have tilted the laptop upside down after pouring the coffee on it. Most thinkpads are engineered with drain holes on the bottom; so the liquid can pour out. I think the keyboard sits in a "trough" with holes on the bottom. Tilting it upside down may cause the liquid to end up in places where it shouldn't. This is a fail on the tester's part.

[@chrisv4000]

Lenovo designed the ThinkPad series of products to be coffee resistant.

[@kanehi]

Lenovo's are usually spill resistant. Opening it and trying to clean made it worst.

[@MythuSiva]

sticky coffee is definitely comparable to water since they both leave residue.

[@joshhh2494]

great video loves it

[@southernstalliongaming7544]

Thank you thinkpad

[@KikoRoyeca]

What if you're stuck in the middle of nowhere while winter! BETTER THINK.