I wanted to buy the new Lenovo X1 Carbon (14th generation), and I was presented with the shit show above. Let’s go through the gauntlet:
First a cookie warning (where you click on the box bottom right). OK, that’s normal, even though a site selling laptops shouldn’t have any of those cookies that you have to warn about.
Then a “rebate on your first order” thing pops up. (It’s approx $30.) You have to hit the non-huge-button text on the bottom right to reject the offer.
Then a chatbot pops up and takes focus so you can’t scroll down to buy the laptop. Click on the top right X to remove.
Or so you’d think — after clicking, you get a “are you sure you want to end this chat?” I didn’t start a chat, so there’s nothing to end! But click on the “Ja” to the left.
Then, a while later, if you’re just looking at the specs, you get a popup for “we appreciate your feedback” that’ll only take a minute to answer. (Hey, if any Lenovo people are reading this — consider this feedback.) Click on the “Nei, takk” to the bottom left or the “X” on to top right to close.
Congratulations! You’re now allowed to buy the laptop you explicitly went to the Lenovo web site to buy!
Well, except that that rebate pops up again, but at least it doesn’t steal focus this time around.
Oh, and did I mention that this web site doesn’t work in Firefox, but only Chrome? In my Firefox, at least, it doesn’t allow you to scroll down more than half the page, so you never get to the “configure model” link. (But perhaps that’s because of a plugin or something? Dunno.)
Oh, and it asking me for my location after I’ve logged in (so it already knows my location) is just *chef’s kiss*.
Positive points: You can buy it without paying the Microsoft tax (i.e., without an OS).
Now I have to wait until the beginning of May for it to be built! Excitement increases!
It seems really nice, though — Lenovo laptops in general are pretty repairable, but they’re really upping it with this one: You can pop the keyboard off without even using a screwdriver! Magnets! Magic! Which is particularly important with the X1s, because the keyboards are the weakest thing about them — the trackpoint has a tendency to start drifting after a year, and the key caps have a tendency to become a bit wonky. My 12th Gen’s CTRL key has become wobbly, which is why I want the new model.
Besides, it’s got USB-C charging both from the left and right hand side, which removes a persistent annoyance I have with the current laptop.
Lenovo: Fantastic laptops, but literally the worst web pages in the world. Perhaps it’s a way to avoid selling so many laptops? Perhaps they don’t have enough production capacity? That’s the ticket.
*starts tapping fingers while waiting*