The 25th anniversary edition should just be an X62.
How IBM’s ThinkPad Became a Design Icon (2017)
81–90 of 143 posts
Re: How IBM’s ThinkPad Became a Design Icon (2017)
#82A bunch of old X220 machines are still my only laptops to this day because I simply haven't found anything better since. Every modern laptop I've seen is vastly inferior in some aspect I care about - terrible keyboards, fragile cases, zero maintainability, no Linux support, etc., the list goes on and on. Apart from better CPUs and displays, most laptops have objectively regressed in the metrics I actually care about.…
I really don't know how you deal with the awful screens. Even the nicer IPS screen is low resolution and has bad viewing angles. That alone would be enough to make me upgrade, even if it meant sacrificing everything else on your list.
I have pretty terrible eyesight, so the IPS screen is okay by my standards. Probably not the case for most people, admittedly.
Re: How IBM’s ThinkPad Became a Design Icon (2017)
#83Last year, I decided to build an X62 (Thinkpad X61 or X60 with custom hardware) after reading about it here [1]. Shipment of the modification kit (some plastic parts + a new mainboard) took 2 months from China to Germany. It took me a while to find a brand-new screen as a replacement for the original 1024x786 screen (which has to be modified, including some minor metal-working). After roughly a year of heavy daily us…
The one problem I have, rational or not, is just how worn out those laptops look over time. The plastic gets all shiny and worn down and the thing just starts looking greasy. That's probably the only thing I miss from my older macbook.
My X1 Carbon is only three years old and already looks really crappy. I take it everywhere with me and it's been through a lot - I'm not exactly gentle. To be honest I kind of like how dinged up it is, shows the nice history of planes and coffee shops we've had together and yet it keeps chugging along.
Re: How IBM’s ThinkPad Became a Design Icon (2017)
#84> a ThinkPad remains a ThinkPad.
Uhm, no. My a20p, bought in 2001 still works. I only swapped the HD once and the keyboard every 6 months or so. I bought my last thinkpad 4 years ago and (given limited time and budget) had only a single model to choose because I wanted metal hinges instead of plastic ones.
Re: How IBM’s ThinkPad Became a Design Icon (2017)
#85I'm amazed that there is no mention of the sheer repairability of these devices. I don't think I will ever encounter a laptop line that is generally so user-accessible. A couple of regular screws and you pop the case. A few more and you can replace the entire keyboard. The hard drive was held in by a single screw in most models and you could easily swap it in without even popping the entire case. The RAM had it's own…
I don't know... I had only heard praises like yours on that subject, but I have a T410 and I am really not happy about the access: * plenty of screws, * same-looking screws with different length (I won't disassemble it one more time now, but I think that's the case), * bloody clips that WILL break sooner or later, * disassembly is neither super intuitive nor obvious, * I simply could not figure out how to reach some…
My T43 had a legend on the bottom that told you which length screw to use in which hole, it was pretty fantastic.
Re: How IBM’s ThinkPad Became a Design Icon (2017)
#86Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unfortunately they are going away from that. X280 the same as X1 series do not have easily swapable battery (you can still replace it but you have to get inside of the machine). X280 also don't have Ethernet port even tho there is a room for it. They are replacing SD card readers for useless microSD card readers. X280 have also soldered RAM with no expansion slot. Thinkpads was and to some extend still are great mach…
It's a compromise. You can still get a T480, which does all the things you list afaik. But I'm glad that I can also get an X1 Carbon, which is much thinner and lighter. These things aren't achievable without making some compromises. And for how integrated they are, they're still incredibly repairable. Here's the hardware maintenance manual for mine (X1 Carbon 5, last year's model): https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/…
X260 and X270 size wise was virtually the same and yet had 2 batteries, all the port, docking port and many more goodies. I am in the market for small yet versatile laptop that is easy to travel with and can be used even on a plane. 12 inch form factor of X series was always perfect for me. T series is simply to big.
Re: How IBM’s ThinkPad Became a Design Icon (2017)
#87Last year, I decided to build an X62 (Thinkpad X61 or X60 with custom hardware) after reading about it here [1]. Shipment of the modification kit (some plastic parts + a new mainboard) took 2 months from China to Germany. It took me a while to find a brand-new screen as a replacement for the original 1024x786 screen (which has to be modified, including some minor metal-working). After roughly a year of heavy daily us…
I came very close to ordering this, as I still use an x61s for most of my hacking due to the ideal physical form factor and classic compact keyboard w/trackpoint.
One major problem I have is the rather old SXGA+ screen used in the mod has a CCFL edgelight, and the last time I did an LED conversion on a modded SXGA+ x61s the visual results were not great - certainly nothing close to what is had on modern LED backlit displays.
The other issue is getting quality replacement batteries for these old thinkpads. Aftermarket ones tend to suck and OEM ones are either counterfeit or very old stock in my experience.
Furthermore, while this particular laptop strikes an exceptional balance of size/weight and usability with a great keyboard, there are some singificant flaws in the chassis design. Every single x61s I've had (there have been many now) has cracked in two places through normal usage:
1. The left edge of the palm rest immediately adjacent to the near keyboard edge above the pccard slot. There is a stress riser there due to the unsupported palm rest flexing above the card slot cavity. It's just a matter of time before it cracks from fatigue.
2. The top edge of the last CPU fan vent grill. The screen hinge is nearby and the cyclic strain of opening and closing the display eventually breaks the chassis at this thin spot - another stress riser caused by the CPU fan exhaust vent. Once the crack is formed, the area visibly deforms whenever moving the screen.
For the most part those chassis flaws seem to be largely cosmetic, but the crack near the hinge does seem to be allowing new and probably increasing levels of flex causing strain on other components which may fail later.
Re: How IBM’s ThinkPad Became a Design Icon (2017)
#88It's really sad that Lenovo has driven the design into the ground. I have a X201 running NixOS, that I still use from time to time, and I pulled it out recently to show it to friends. Physically speaking it's a revelation . Three USB ports? Check. Because even today, one port permanently has a YubiKey Nano, one port permanently has a Logitech Unifying nano receiver, and I'll probably be charging my phone out of the t…
After seven years of hassle-free service, I upgraded from a T410 to a T480. I miss a few things (mainly the non-chiclet keys and the Thinklight), but otherwise the T480 is—not surprisingly—better than the T410 in almost every way, while retaining much of the heritage and features that led me to purchase my T410 back in 2010.
The T480 is the last of its kind after they butchered the X280. I still have my X230 and use it once and a while but my XPS13 running High Sierra gets more screen time for me.
Re: How IBM’s ThinkPad Became a Design Icon (2017)
#89Bought an X220T a few months ago as a possible sturdy laptop for my mother. Was something like $80? A day after delivery, I had purchased an 8GB ram stick and an SSD for it to keep it for myself. If it had a 1080p screen it'd probably be my main laptop until High Sierra isn't supported by something I need.
Some people are a bit crazy and love the X220 enough to attempt a FullHD mod (with custom hardware and rerouting of the external eDP signal/lane internally). Not for the X220T though. A kit was for sale here: https://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=122640 Edit: better wording
I bought the kit and the display. I took one look at how tiny I need to solder the thing on and sold them both for $200 lol.
Re: How IBM’s ThinkPad Became a Design Icon (2017)
#90I'm amazed that there is no mention of the sheer repairability of these devices. I don't think I will ever encounter a laptop line that is generally so user-accessible. A couple of regular screws and you pop the case. A few more and you can replace the entire keyboard. The hard drive was held in by a single screw in most models and you could easily swap it in without even popping the entire case. The RAM had it's own…
Wasn't that pretty much standard in the old days? Many keyboards just had a latch and then you could remove the keyboard without using any tools. Thinkpads was just slower to get rid of that than the most of the brands. Miss it dearly though. Pretty much all my devices are forced to be obsolete because of non-replaceable batteries.
Apple used to be as good as anyone at this. You could take the keyboard off a PowerBook (to upgrade the RAM) just by sliding a couple tabs: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/PowerBook+G4+Titanium+DVI+Keybo...