ThinkPads [thinkpadx40issues, thinkpadlenovoupdates, thinkpadreference, thinkpadx40] come pre-installed with a nifty little tray app called Access IBM Message Center. It periodically alerts users when important ThinkPad updates are available. Until this week, I hadn't received any notifications since Lenovo [lenovodeal, thinkpadlenovoupdates] officially took over the ThinkPad product line from IBM.
This week, the Message Center icon lit up with a notification that there was an important update for the Intel WiFi drivers. When I clicked the update link, the new Lenovo ThinkPad web site prompted me to launch the ThinkVantage Software Installer application. The Software Installer synced up with an updater web service and found a slew of new updates for my ThinkPad, ranging from device drivers, app software, and even a new BIOS. With a single hiccup (I had to run the app twice to get all downloads), the ThinkVantage installer automatically updated everything flawlessly.
Since I installed the updates, my ThinkPad has felt more responsive than before, and wireless connections are much more stable. I'm thrilled to see Lenovo providing the same amount of active support that made IBM ThinkPads legendary.
