ThinkPad turns 20

[Latios]

It is October 5th, 20 years after the ThinkPad came to fruition(and 4 years before I was born ). Looks like things have come a long way since then, so here's to 20 years in celebration and memory

There's been a blog post with an interesting summary of ThinkPad facts written
http://blog.lenovo.com/news/20-fun-fact ... e-thinkpad

Thoughts about the direction ThinkPads have been taking anyone? Do you think they still carry the same pride they used to? Or have they gone down the path of most other manufacturers? Has Lenovo made them better or ruined them for good? And, what's going to happen next?

[JaneL]

I think they've systematically killed off everything that made us love ThinkPads in the first place.

[Puppy]

ThinkPad is already dead

[ajkula66]

I think they've systematically killed off everything that made us love ThinkPads in the first place.

I know a lot of people who feel this way...

Personally, my feelings on the issue at hand are mixed.

Prior to introduction of *30 series, I would've said that Lenovo has managed to keep up with the tradition, at least to a degree.

After the keyboard layout change, I'm done.

I've got about enough parts to keep all of my ThinkPads/FrankenPads running for the next five years without major issues. After that, we'll see what's what.

[Cigarguy]

Yeah the keyboard change is a real turn off for me. The keyboard, easy of service and maintenance and ruggedness was what got me on the Thinkpads. Currently got a new T420 coming my way. When it's time to replace the T420 with something more modern I'm going to have a real hard time looking for something else. Fortunately that time won't come for a while yet.

[Latios]

I guess I can see where you guys are pointing. Lenovo seems rather hell bent on their path down this road of alienating us. I was at least expecting them to offer optional keyboards when the pictures first surfaced in April

Prior to introduction of *30 series, I would've said that Lenovo has managed to keep up with the tradition, at least to a degree.

They did state in their blog(yes it's a blog but still) that they'd keep the old keyboard, but how long wasn't mentioned. It's interesting how they're pretty much saying that their keyboard is absolutely perfect in every way and how we should be the ones giving in. Perhaps at the end of the day it's just what sells to the masses

[ZaZ]

Prior to introduction of *30 series, I would've said that Lenovo has managed to keep up with the tradition, at least to a degree.

It's just a different world. Gone are the days when most people and institutions are willing to lay a good chunk of change for a notebook like they did in the years ago. Had Lenovo been making like the old days no one would buy them as they would be too expensive. Personally, I consider my X220i to be an excellent notebook. The fact that I got it for 1/3 what I would have paid in the back in the day is all that more impressive. I've used both the X230 and T430 with the new keyboards. I didn't mind them one bit, though I was never much of a shortcut key user.

[Antarctica32]

I've got the Carbon, and I'm typing on it right now. As you can see from my signature, the Carbon isn't my first TP. I was strongly against the change in the layout, and honestly I really felt Lenovo was doing it to appeal to the masses. After using the X1c for a month now, I can say I am very satisfied with it. The change in the KB layout really isn't that big of a deal. After all the drama, you can really see how little ThinkPad has changed over the years. Truly no other technology brand has changed as little as ThinkPad. Now I see that although many of us have not supported these changes, they were the right thing to do. I hear people say that ThinkPad has changed too much and that the new designs are nothing like the old. The new designs have always been improvements on the old. As long as ThinkPad continues to be a brand known for extreme reliability and performance, it will still be ThinkPad. That is where I would like to see ThinkPad continue: always being a leader in innovation and technology. We must move forward, creating new designs and technologies, but not forgetting our roots of great design history.

[Radioguy]

If I were a small bit of red rubber, I'd be pretty anxious about now.

There's several things most here know to be uniquely "ThinkPad', but the trackpoint is #1. Prior to the MacBook keyboard introduction, if you asked me if Lenovo would sooner change to those or lose the trackpoint, I'd assume the latter. Not that I'd want that, mind you, but so large a contingent have become reliant on the touchpad these days, that I'd assume Lenovo would think they could rationalize that more than the more ergonomic change of keyboard styles. Clearly, they thought losing it would be the last straw for us, but I feel less sure of that all the time.

Right now, it seems the last bastion of TP design, beyond the color black, is that little drop of red. I think it needs a pat on the back...or the head.

EDIT: Can't help myself. Did a 1680x1050 wallpaper of the 20th Anniversary logo.
http://imageshack.us/a/img255/1228/thin ... r16801.jpg

The 15th was better in so many ways.

[Latios]

Right now, it seems the last bastion of TP design, beyond the color black, is that little drop of red. I think it needs a pat on the back...or the head.

There was a point where Lenovo played by writing a blog post about killing off the TrackPoint. It was of course met with harsh criticism and never dwelled on again. Likewise, there was also one article about the chiclet keyboards stating that the 7 row would be retained and that didn't hold for long. The storm that erupted over them pushing it on us got over 200 comments and they haven't come clean yet.

The new designs have always been improvements on the old. As long as ThinkPad continues to be a brand known for extreme reliability and performance, it will still be ThinkPad. That is where I would like to see ThinkPad continue: always being a leader in innovation and technology. We must move forward, creating new designs and technologies, but not forgetting our roots of great design history.

Noted. But I must question whether it has always been for the good of things. In my opinion, the changes in aspect ratio have gone too far with the massive bezels on the bottom of the T420/30 and X220 tablet. Newer developments with the cheaper lines I'd say have tarnished the name as something that they just want to sell in droves.