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Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

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Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#31

Post by xur17 »

foxhop wrote: post #21

Long time ThinkPad user; I recently replaced my T60 with a T430: http://russell.ballestrini.net/the-pyramid-community-taught-... I'm very happy with the laptop and choice.

I'm in a similar position. I have a T60 right now, and I have been considering upgrading to a T430, but I really don't have a huge need to. My laptop runs fast enough for the stuff I use it for, and it's still in good condition (but I'd still love to get a new, faster computer).

I've been using the laptop practically every day for the past 4 years, carrying it to campus, etc, and it's been holding up quite well. The only downside is that they don't offer very good graphics cards for it, so it wouldn't make a good gaming computer. It does have a really nice keyboard thought, and makes a great development PC.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#32

Post by deltaqueue »

I've been using IBM (and now Lenovo) Thinkpads for quite some time, and despite being a fan of their X series (currently using an X220) I REALLY wish Lenovo would consolidate lineups and focus on higher quality offerings. Even small stuff like offering a TN panel on an X series instead of an IPS panel seems foolish. Having just upgraded my display from TN to IPS, it's such a stark difference that I think Lenovo should default to selling these kinds of higher-end product lines with IPS.

When IBM solid Thinkpad, it was a premium brand. It still maintains that connotation among IT professionals today (who know the lineups and history), but there are so many models out there that are absolute crap (or at least, look like garbage) that it's diluting the reputation.

This is pure speculation, but I haven't heard "that Thinkpad looks awesome" or "that machine looks well built" in quite some time (X1 carbon aside).

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#33

Post by jgrahamc »

I loved the ThinkPads I owned. In the mid to late 90s I was flying a lot around the US and used to carry one of the ThinkPads where you could remove the CD drive after lifting up the keyboard and install a second battery.

That machine also had a removable hard drive that I used to pop out when leaving my computer in hotel rooms so that I didn't mind if the machine was stolen.

On long flights I would carry up to six batteries with me which led to a funny exchange with Nicholas Negroponte who imagined (writing a Wired) a day when batteries had a power meter on them (imagine that!). I wrote to him to say that my solution for long flights was that I numbered my batteries and used them in order. He replied to the effect: "The simple solutions are often the best".

The Wired piece from 1996: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.12/negroponte.html

  Now when I travel, almost everyone is pecking away at a   
  keyboard. The one-line monochrome message has evolved into 
  a full-color, 12-inch display. That is enormous progress, 
  but at a powerful price. I now carry eight to ten battery 
  packs during long trips. I won't even consider a laptop 
  design that includes unstackable batteries. The fact that 
  most batteries don't indicate their charge state is 
  pathetic. It's as if the designer assumed that the laptop 
  would always be used plugged in, and that people would 
  travel with one spare battery at most.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#34

Post by onosendai »

alrs wrote: post #5

Only a few more years now before the patents run out on the trackpoint, at which point it will be "reimagined" by Apple.

Random fact, there's actually a bit of a story behind the trackpoint being red.

As I was told by a guy at IBM, and I haven't been able to confirm this elsewhere, is that at the time the Thinkpad was originally conceived, IBM design guidelines mandated that the only red elements on a piece of hardware should be the power switches. However, the team behind the Thinkpad design though (rightly) that a red trackpoint would look awesome on the black keys. Their solution? They put it down as 'magenta' on the specs to get it approved.

And while on the subject of Thinkpad lore, the name comes from notepads that were distributed to IBM employees with the word 'THINK' emblazoned on the cover (http://davetroy.com/posts/think-then-and-now)

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#36

Post by miahi »

tedunangst wrote: post #18
Symmetry wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that why so few other laptops have them? Well, I'm looking forward to it.

For a time Dells came with them. I have a Fujitsu that has a stick. Then suddenly they stopped making them. I think the patent is available to license, companies have chosen not to license it for whatever reason. It's not like there aren't patents associated with touchpads.

I have an old Compaq (n620c, lauched ~2003) and that has it too. Current HP EliteBooks have them.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#37

Post by w1ntermute »

deltaqueue wrote: post #32

I've been using IBM (and now Lenovo) Thinkpads for quite some time, and despite being a fan of their X series (currently using an X220) I REALLY wish Lenovo would consolidate lineups and focus on higher quality offerings. Even small stuff like offering a TN panel on an X series instead of an IPS panel seems foolish. Having just upgraded my display from TN to IPS, it's such a stark difference that I think Lenovo shoul…

> I haven't heard "that Thinkpad looks awesome" or "that machine looks well built" in quite some time (X1 carbon aside).

That's because a large sector of the tech industry (and a lot of non-techies as well) has been drinking the Apple Kool-Aid non-stop for the last ~5 years.

That said, I think the X1 Carbon is the flagship model we've been waiting for. It ticks all the right checkboxes, and if you can handle the new keyboard (which has been getting surprisingly good reviews), then I think it's the way to go.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#38

Post by ilamont »

In the mid-1990s, I bought a used IBM ThinkPad 701 in Hong Kong. Ten years before netbooks, this wonderful little laptop had a very unique approach to compact size: A "butterfly" keyboard that unfolded when you opened the laptop. There are some photos and historical information about the 701 here:

http://renaissancechambara.jp/2012/04/26/throwback-gadget-ib...

Supposedly, the design was inspired by a black bento box.

Although primitive by today's standards, it was a solid little laptop that served me well for the tasks I was engaged in at the time -- writing, Web surfing, learning HTML, and playing Doom.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#39

Post by icey »

w1ntermute wrote: post #37
deltaqueue wrote: post #32

I've been using IBM (and now Lenovo) Thinkpads for quite some time, and despite being a fan of their X series (currently using an X220) I REALLY wish Lenovo would consolidate lineups and focus on higher quality offerings. Even small stuff like offering a TN panel on an X series instead of an IPS panel seems foolish. Having just upgraded my display from TN to IPS, it's such a stark difference that I think Lenovo shoul…

> I haven't heard "that Thinkpad looks awesome" or "that machine looks well built" in quite some time (X1 carbon aside). That's because a large sector of the tech industry (and a lot of non-techies as well) has been drinking the Apple Kool-Aid non-stop for the last ~5 years. That said, I think the X1 Carbon is the flagship model we've been waiting for. It ticks all the right checkboxes, and if you can handle the new…

Do you use an X1 Carbon? I've heard a lot of people remarking about it, but very few of those people actually seem to use one.

If you do, how's the screen?

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#40

Post by lbraasch »

T21 -> T41p -> T61p -> x220. I think it's safe to say I'm brand loyal.

I've always felt that Thinkpads look cooler with a beat up the case. I'll never own a sleeve or protector. They don't require one.

I have a hard time saying that about any of my other electronics.

As a side, I've just flown from LAX -> Sydney -> Perth on a single charge using the Slice battery and standard 6 cell. Took out season 5 of Mad Men in 720p in the process.

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