
Happy 20th Birthday, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad - bornhuetter
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/10/05/ibm_lenovo_thinkpad_laptop_turns_20/
======
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.

------
iyulaev
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 the OS can be tweaked to the user's
liking). Get these things right, and I don't care if it has a PIII in it, I'll
use it.

~~~
philjohn
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.

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

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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.

~~~
FlukeATX
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.

------
mhd
I much prefer the black plastic + magnesium alloy frame to e.g. Apple's
aluminum/unibody design. Can take some punishment, without actually showing
it. Wish Apple would've stuck with their earlier PowerBook/iBook G3 aesthetic
(then again, I do admit liking the toilet lid iBooks, so maybe I'm not the
right person to judge these things).

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

~~~
onosendai
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>)

~~~
smacktoward
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...](http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/think_culture/impacts/))

 _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.

------
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...](http://renaissancechambara.jp/2012/04/26/throwback-gadget-ibm-
thinkpad-701/)

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.

~~~
smacktoward
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.

------
jamesbritt
Big fan. Ended up getting a W500 from a Lenovo outlet because the newer
machines have abandoned my beloved WUXGA (1920x1200) screen.

Widescreen? More like shortscreen.

Business machines should not be optimized for consuming entertainment.

------
robin_reala
If I ever move from OSX to Linux then I wouldn’t consider anything but a
Thinkpad. Shame I have no idea where my Butterfly went.

------
alisnic
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)

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

Simply the best machines.

------
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.

~~~
mahyarm
I cracked the T21 lcd screen in college with an overstuffed backpack. The LCD
backplates are not that hard, probably just plastic.

------
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).

~~~
w1ntermute
> 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.

~~~
icey
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?

~~~
cturner
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.

~~~
icey
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!

------
nicholassmith
They made some genuinely interesting hardware, trying different things. I
always thought that the ThinkPads were head and shoulders above every other
manufacturer for PC laptops.

------
dfc
Hands down the best laptop for linux in my opinion. I would be interested to
hear if there are any other laptop lines with such a great history of linux
support.

~~~
ajross
Certainly not the history. But in the modern world there is a pretty broad
selection of nice devices out there. I just bought a Sony Vaio Z (SVZ131190X):
13.3" 1920x1080 screen, quad core ivy bridge, no discrete GPU, 8G RAM, 512G
SSD, Intel 6235 Wifi, ultrabook form factor though not actually branded as
one.

Almost literally everything worked out of the box on Fedora 17 (the sole
exception being the card reader, which is supported by a staging driver Fedora
doesn't put in its default kernels; rpmfusion has a kmod-staging package, or
just build your own kernel).

I love it. The days of tricky Linux support in laptops are, thankfully, mostly
behind us.

------
rshlo
I really think that are still the best piece of laptop hardware around.
Nothing beats my X200 when flying for 11 hours straight. Happy birthday
Thinkpads!

------
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.

------
smcguinness
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.

~~~
prolepunk
I got to ask -- how is the new keyboard? I have T420 from a year ago and it
still had classic keyboard. Is the new one worse?

~~~
smcguinness
I like it. I splurged the $5 more for the backlit keyboard. The only thing
with keyboards is how loud the keys are when they type. I find that it is
pretty quiet.

Only thing I'm not used to is the left Ctrl key position. Ultimately I'm
pleased with the choice, having been a long time dell laptop user and never
having a thinkpad, I'd definitely buy again (as long as startup gets a little
faster)

------
bafjohnson
My father worked for IBM for his whole career - and as I was growing up there
were always a number of Thinkpads in the house right from the 700C.

They were amazing, well made pieces of hardware and to this day I have kept
buying them through the years and currently have a Thinkpad X220 (i7 CPU, 16GB
RAM). The sad fact is that it now gets so little use compared to my MacBook
Air.

Why is that? Purely because I prefer OS X.

Happy Birthday Thinkpad - I'm sorry I have deserted you.

------
foxhop
Long time ThinkPad user; I recently replaced my T60 with a T430:

[http://russell.ballestrini.net/the-pyramid-community-
taught-...](http://russell.ballestrini.net/the-pyramid-community-taught-me-
the-importance-of-test-driven-development/)

I'm very happy with the laptop and choice.

~~~
xur17
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.

~~~
adestefan
The nice thing is that complete ThinkPads of the T60/T61 vintage with a decent
battery, AC adapater, and HD still command a decent premium in the used
market. Hell I got $175 for a T23 about a year ago.

The market is flush with system off corporate lease, but they rarely include
the above items.

------
ElliotH
Happy Birthday ThinkPad!

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

~~~
bstx
> 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 think it should carry a
ThinkPad label at all, it tarnishes the brand.

Edit: I have the AMD Fusion, not the Intel variant.

~~~
ElliotH
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.

------
OhArgh
One big plus is a lot of them have a middle mouse button, which is very rare
on touch pads.

------
keppy
"It's what Shakespeare would have used on a flight to the coast." _facepalm_

------
philjohn
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).

------
Stratoscope
I bought my first ThinkPad (the classic ThinkPad 600) in 1998. I immediately
decided it was wonderful and swore I'd never use another brand of computer
again.

There was a time after that when they just kept getting better and better: the
A30p with a beautiful 1600x1200 IPS display, and then that same display in the
slimmed-down and faster T60p.

I also bought a bunch of old beaters to use as test machines and what not:
750's, 755's, a 360, and I was so happy when I tracked down a 701c with the
butterfly keyboard.

Then for a while you could get used working A30p's in good condition for $300
or so. Did I mention the 1600x1200 IPS display? :-)

I love the TrackPoint [1] and those great displays, and even better, all the
machines had the same great keyboard! When other laptop manufacturers were
fiddling with this layout and that, every ThinkPad had the same exact
keyboard, and it was a good one too. I could move from one ThinkPad to another
without thinking about it.

Then, they hired a keyboard designer.

You could see the trouble coming in this poll:

[http://blog.lenovo.com/design/keyboard-layout-survey-
details...](http://blog.lenovo.com/design/keyboard-layout-survey-details-
matter)

The poll itself is gone, but the comments on the blog post are still there.
The poll had all sorts of layout tweaks - moving various keys around in an
A-B-C-D test - just the kind of thing a keyboard designer would want to do.

Then the new keyboards started coming along. Commonly used keys were moved
around, and the F1-F2 keys were jammed into a solid tight row with no gaps
between the groups of four keys. These gaps (between F4-F5 and F8-F9) are what
afforded easy touch typing on these keys that are so far away from the home
row.

Trust me, if you're reaching for Fn+F5 (wireless settings), you don't want to
hit Fn+F4 (standby) by mistake. With the old keyboards, that's never a
problem. There's a nice gap between F4 and F5 and you don't have to look at
the keys to hit the right one. With the new one, good luck. (Oddly enough, the
ThinkPad X1 and X1 Carbon _do_ have little gaps here even though they follow
the new layout otherwise. But the other newer models, no such luck. And the X1
keyboards are not compatible with other models.)

Many die-hard ThinkPad fans hated the new keyboards, not because of the
"island" design but because of these frivolous layout changes.

Lenovo's response:

[http://blog.lenovo.com/products/why-you-should-give-in-to-
th...](http://blog.lenovo.com/products/why-you-should-give-in-to-the-new-
thinkpad-keyboard)

Entrepreneurs, read the comments on that post for a lesson in how to
discourage your most avid supporters. :-(

Edit: this comment on that post was insightful:

> I bet the recent supposed user tests also didn't include a significant
> number of dedicated, old-timer ThinkPad programmers, otherwise you'd made
> more of an effort mentioning this in the article, and the outcome would most
> likely have been different. Rather, it must have consisted mainly of random
> people off the street who're used to cheap laptops with keyboard layouts
> changing with every model. So surely they can't be bothered with yet another
> weird layout and thus mark it as "fine".

[1]: <https://www.google.com/search?q=love+trackpoint>

------
eckyptang
Happy birthday - typed on my T61 :)

------
3825
happy birthday, red dot

~~~
3825
In case you didn't know, I was talking about the pointing stick
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointing_stick>

~~~
mhd
"(Redirected from Nipple mouse)"

Thank you, Wikipedia.

