Lenovo Teases Next Generation X-Series at Expand in SF

[rambo47]

http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/17/leno ... at-expand/

There are some pics on the site linked above. I've been poking around looking for a clean and maxed out X61 as an ultraportable. I've always had a fetish for these things despite being a life-long Mac user. Now, however, I think I'll wait and take a gander at the new X-series when it's released. Geez, I already feel that sweaty feeling creeping up on me. You know the one - it starts in the small of your back, then spreads to your forehead and palms. Always happens when I'm anticipating a new model.

[ajkula66]

I already feel that sweaty feeling creeping up on me. You know the one - it starts in the small of your back, then spreads to your forehead and palms.

Sounds like nausea to me, which is exactly what new models inspire when I'm concerned...

[Puppy]

Another step toward "Edgeing" ThinkPad Classic done

IPS panel option still available, or not as the next "improvement" ?

[ThinkRob]

OMG, pre-production models that we haven't used that look different than the previous generation! Argh! Lenovo, why are you ruining everything! It's the end! The sky is falling!

Snark aside, I like the aesthetics (IMHO it's *much* sleeker than the T400s look), but I must admit I'm skeptical that they've maintained the feel of the integrated TrackPoint buttons...

[Puppy]

but I must admit I'm skeptical that they've maintained the feel of the integrated TrackPoint buttons...

Also notice complete removal of status LED.

[Ibthink]

Thats not true, there are still some status LEDs. Only the HDD light and the WLAN light is gone compared to the T431s.

[Adda]

Teases? words like 'ridicules' or 'ruins' seems more fitting.

Edit: did you look through the picture set? that ultra extra wide, probably best described as 'slit screen' laptop confirms fears expressed in another fairly recent thread.

It's almost getting funny, it seems that no matter what kind of horror we imagine, Lenovo delivers.

So I guess we can expect the next generation of... erm... 'ThinkPads?' to have a touchpad with letters printed on it in place of a keyboard.

[ajkula66]

It seems that it's not just us dinosaurs here who think that Lenovo is about to kill the brand...

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/13/03/ ... ting-worse

[Adda]

Good, but I'm not sure Lenovo will care, one can hope though.

[dr_st]

My take on this:

On first glance, it may seem that this coming *31 generation is a bigger change compared to the *30 series. After all, the only thing they changed on the *30 was the keyboard, and now it's the trackpoint/touchpad, overall looks and even the logo.

However, to me whatever is happening now is just a logical continuation of a trend, nothing more.

The keyboard change was the first time since, well, ever, that Lenovo:
* Made a big functional change in a key component that's been considered near-perfect for over a decade
* Made a change that's, in the opinion of most people who have an opinion, is to the worse
* Did so for apparently no other reason than for their laptops to look more like everyone else's.

If they were willing to sacrifice something as vital as the keyboard, and deal with all the backlash, it must mean that the desire to look like everyone else is overwhelmingly strong inside the company. And if that's the case, then these new changes are not surprising one bit. Huge glass touchpad? Inverted logo? Slim look that emphasizes form over function (fixed battery)?

Everyone does it, that must be what the consumer wants, and that's where Lenovo wants to be. They want to be just like everyone else.

[RealBlackStuff]

The Chinese have always been good at mimicry.
And they are proving it over and over!

All these trends however are good news for us Frankenpad builders, as long as we can keep getting the parts!

[ajkula66]

More torches and pitchforks here:

http://blog.lenovo.com/products/thinkpa ... new-design

[Adda]

I wonder if this reception surprises the people at Lenovo or not.

They probably expected some resistance from the likes of me, but this is pretty bad for Lenovo, the few people who are still on the fence are very hard to spot among all the complaints.

It's also very funny to read posts by Lenovo employees trying to defend their product, they have few arguments anyone really cares about, but I'd have a hard time defending their choices too.

Their explanation as to why they made the changes they have doesn't make any sense, but they say they really thought it through very thoroughly, if that is so, they must have an alcohol problem.

[ajkula66]

I wonder if this reception surprises the people at Lenovo or not.

They probably expected some resistance from the likes of me, but this is pretty bad for Lenovo, the few people who are still on the fence are very hard to spot among all the complaints.

I think dr_st hit the nail on the head with his post earlier in this thread...

Lenovo doesn't care. They're hellbent on confrontation with Apple head-on, and are going about it in the most asinine way imaginable.

They'll lose that battle which I couldn't care less about.

The real problem here is, that we already lost the ThinkPad...

[Adda]

So Lenovo is leaving a niche they had to them selves in order to compete in a completely different market, that is controlled by Apple, a market everyone wants to compete in.
But Apple just continues to take a bigger and bigger bite out of that cake, just like the ThinkPad brand ruled it's niche, Apple rules theirs.

As I see it, the IT industry is giving Apple the market to them selves, as they have the most aggressive marketing and a lot of blind followers, no one else has that.

It seems our technological future will not be made by engineers, but marketing.

[JaneL]

More torches and pitchforks here:

http://blog.lenovo.com/products/thinkpa ... new-design

I put in my two cents worth, not that it will matter:

http://blog.lenovo.com/products/thinkpa ... -836857488

[crashnburn]

So Lenovo is leaving a niche they had to them selves in order to compete in a completely different market, that is controlled by Apple, a market everyone wants to compete in.
But Apple just continues to take a bigger and bigger bite out of that cake, just like the ThinkPad brand ruled it's niche, Apple rules theirs.

As I see it, the IT industry is giving Apple the market to them selves, as they have the most aggressive marketing and a lot of blind followers, no one else has that.

It seems our technological future will not be made by engineers, but marketing.

Some good Product Managers need to come into the middle of this and pick up the best from Engineering and Marketing and productize that.