>> What is the key used for? > I bought two Thinkpad docks in the late 1990s. One didn't have a key, and it was locked, so for that particular model it simply meant that the item could not be used.
The other purchase was far worse. It had a key, but the dock never worked, and despite promises from the seller ... ebay sellers at least are motivated by their feedback; this was a private sale (and it turned out that the person who sold the dock to me had himself bought it on ebay). On this list, I am frequently reminded of the transaction. This is the last email I wrote, about 4 months after the initial purchase: "Have you found the docs for the 701 adaptor to the dock ii ? I'm less and less happy with the incomplete nature of the dock ii you sold me. It didn't have a power cord, that's a minor issue, but it was also missing the ide cable. You stated that the ide cable was an extra and expensive option, but that's simply not true. It is part of the dock ii. It is on the dock ii parts list. It is also in the box. See the picture on the following auction, for example. [2012 the following link, of course, is dead] http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=102467383 What seems to happen is that, because the cable is in its own bag, not inside the dock ii unit when it is delivered, in a corporate environment it (the ide cable) often gets put in a metal cabinet somewhere and forgotten. [2012 that is basically what the IBM rep told me when I tried to pry one away from them]. The cable IS expensive (IBM wants $40 for it), but it is part of the dock ii. I paid $155 for your dock ii + 701 adaptor + 701 printer cable. New dock iis have been going for $60 (including shipping). The bid on the above item is $48, although it wouldn't surprise me if it goes higher, as the supply seems to be drying up. I think that what I paid is ample. If you don't have the cable, I think we need to negotiate a chargeback." -- happy Jonathan Berry and Erika http://members.shaw.ca/berry5868/fun.htm _______________________________________________ Thinkpad mailing list [email protected] http://stderr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/thinkpad
