Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

reghardware.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 74 posts

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#22

Post by flurpitude »

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 had a Toshiba with one of these, around 1999/2000. Didn't like it much though - it made my finger sore.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#23

Post by ConstantineXVI »

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.

Both HP and Dell's current pro lines have a nub on their keyboards; and Unicomp (fka Lexmark/IBM keyboard division) sells a Model M variant with one as well. Apparently Unicomp is claiming to own the patent as well[0]

[0] http://pckeyboard.com/page/category/EnduraPro

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#24

Post by s_henry_paulson »

This is probably the only forum where this rant will, be relevant, but as someone who has used ThinkPads for a long time (and has a business that sells them), I have to say the "back" and "forward" buttons on the newer keyboards are a terrible design.

I can't even count the amount of things I lost by accidentally bumping the "back" key before I disabled them with third-party software, and people we sell the laptops to have the same experience.

But out of all my years with ThinkPads, this is my only complaint.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#25

Post by linker3000 »

Used to be a fan, but over the last 2 years or so we've noticed that quality seems to have dropped, especially on power units. Older models go on-and-on, but with more recent purchases we've had a couple of PSU deaths and one laptop died completely when it was impaled on its docking station and had to have its system board replaced under warranty.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#26

Post by kwanbis »

s_henry_paulson wrote: post #24

This is probably the only forum where this rant will, be relevant, but as someone who has used ThinkPads for a long time (and has a business that sells them), I have to say the "back" and "forward" buttons on the newer keyboards are a terrible design. I can't even count the amount of things I lost by accidentally bumping the "back" key before I disabled them with third-party software, and people we sell the laptops t…

Agree about all you said. What third-party software you used?

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#27

Post by ElliotH »

bstx wrote: post #6
ElliotH wrote: post #4

Happy Birthday ThinkPad! Not a fan of their customer service, but my little X121e is the best laptop I've ever used.

> but my little X121e is the best laptop I've ever used. What do you compare it with? I have one too (but currently dead due to infamous reset loop bug) and I think it is the worst ThinkPad I have owned. The screen is horrible, lackluster build quality and fit'n'finish, so so Linux support and the underside of the keyboard needed to be stuffed with cardboard to type properly. Given the budget price point I don't thin…

I have the Intel variant, as I understand it the fusion is a little bit worse. I compare it to various laptops from the likes of Samsung and Toshiba I've had. I'm not calling it the best in the world, just the best I've used. I like how easy it's been for me to mod it too. It is however my first ThinkPad. Others may be much better.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#28

Post by protomyth »

sspiff wrote: post #9
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.

There's patents that made them so rare? Damn it! I love those things, they just work so well, with so little finger movement.

I doubt they charge more than all the trackpad patents

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#29

Post by FlukeATX »

s_henry_paulson wrote: post #24

This is probably the only forum where this rant will, be relevant, but as someone who has used ThinkPads for a long time (and has a business that sells them), I have to say the "back" and "forward" buttons on the newer keyboards are a terrible design. I can't even count the amount of things I lost by accidentally bumping the "back" key before I disabled them with third-party software, and people we sell the laptops t…

Are you talking about the ones right near the arrow keys? I loved those! Unfortunately (or fortunately for you!) they seem to be gone on the newest T series, replaced by PgUp and PgDn.

Re: Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad

#30

Post by tammer »

alisnic wrote: post #7

I own a X60s, bought it for 170$, I was never so happy owning a laptop, this little thing is amazing. And it is also cute (in a hardware geeky way cute)

I'm still using my X31. With Arch Linux it's still as fast as I need it to be.

Simply the best machines.

Post reply on HN