Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad • Hacker News Board

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#51

Post by smacktoward » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 6:13 PM UTC

ilamont wrote: post #38

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.…

The butterfly keyboard is one of those fascinating little cul-de-sacs of computing history: a brilliant design that never went anywhere. But it sure made an impression; to this day I can't think of ThinkPads without thinking of it.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#52

Post by kooshball » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 6:14 PM UTC

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 used both of those, and the implementation is horrendous. It's nothing like the smooth feeling on a thinkpad

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#53

Post by kooshball » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 6:15 PM UTC

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.

Seems unlikely. There is a huge paradigm shift to touch, it doesn't really make sense go back to non touch input devices.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#54

Post by pbj » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 6:22 PM UTC

icey wrote: post #39

w1ntermute wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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?

x1 carbon owner checking in. screen is bright and matte so no glare issues. that said i certainly would not use it for serious photo editing or graphic work. however the keyboard plus trackpad are outstanding, plus you have the mouse nub if you hate trackpads. overall it's a very worthy alternative to a mba.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#55

Post by smacktoward » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 6:23 PM UTC

onosendai wrote: post #34

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 woul…

Oh, in IBM history "Think" was much bigger than just notepads. "Think" was a command from venerated IBM founder Thomas J. Watson, and in the Olden Days IBM used to put that slogan on wall signs (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_%28IBM%29) that were hung EVERYWHERE.

Even in the restrooms: (http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/think_c...)

In a restroom at IBM’s Watson Center, a supervisor had placed a sign above the sink. It had a single word on it—‘THINK!’ The next day, when he went to the restroom, right below the sign, immediately above the soap dispenser, someone had carefully lettered another sign that read— ‘THOAP!’

They also made desktoppers with the slogan for executives, and the story goes that you could tell how high up in the legendary IBM bureaucracy an IBMer was by how big and ornate his THINK sign was -- junior execs got tiny signs made of plastic, senior ones got big ones made of fancy woods and metals.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#56

Post by philjohn » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 6:46 PM UTC

iyulaev wrote: post #48

One thing the Thinkpads do right, by me, is the keyboard, which I'm surprised no one here has mentioned. They have just the right depth of stroke, and the backing tends to be very solid to minimize flex. One thing that I wish most manufacturers would understand is that specs matter much less than the user interface. And for geeks, the UI is typically the keyboard, the display, and to a lesser extent the mouse (since…

This.

It's an absolute joy to type on a Thinkpad keyboard. I haven't tried the new "chiclet" one that's been introduced, so I really hope that haven't ruined it.

The ThinkLight is also brilliant - much better than a backlit keyboard IMHO.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#57

Post by philjohn » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 6:50 PM UTC

Writing this on my work-issued W520. Absolutely lovely machine.

It's a workstation class laptop that isn't huge (like the equivalent Dell) and doesn't roast my legs (like the equivalent Dell).

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#58

Post by icey » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 7:03 PM UTC

cturner wrote: post #49

icey wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

I got one the first day I could order in the UK with a US English keyboard, and I love it. Running ubuntu. I was on a two year old macbook pro before. I'm not a screen connoisseur, but it's non-glare yet bright. I like it. But the vertical resolution is lower than on older thinkpads. Fewer lines of code.

Thanks! I went from a T61 to an MBP a few years back, but I do mostly .net development so I've been considering going back to a Lenovo. This is useful!

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#59

Post by pearle » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 7:22 PM UTC

philjohn wrote: post #56

iyulaev wrote: post #48

One thing the Thinkpads do right, by me, is the keyboard, which I'm surprised no one here has mentioned. They have just the right depth of stroke, and the backing tends to be very solid to minimize flex. One thing that I wish most manufacturers would understand is that specs matter much less than the user interface. And for geeks, the UI is typically the keyboard, the display, and to a lesser extent the mouse (since…

This. It's an absolute joy to type on a Thinkpad keyboard. I haven't tried the new "chiclet" one that's been introduced, so I really hope that haven't ruined it. The ThinkLight is also brilliant - much better than a backlit keyboard IMHO.

I have both the X220 (standard kb) and X1 (chiclet kb). The X220 keyboard is much better than the X1.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#60

Post by smcguinness » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 7:49 PM UTC

I just got the T530 about a month ago. It was a rough order process as it was delayed numerous times. (This will be fixed by moving onshore now). It has been a great machine.

The only complaint I have about it is the slow wake time. For whatever reason (even after following some optimization tips), when it wakes from closed cover or timeout it takes forever.