David Hill returns to blog

[IRN]

http://blog.lenovo.com/design/time-to-blog?

Might be worth the time to leave comments supporting classic Thinkpad Design.

[ajkula66]

Oh he'll be getting an earful...not that it will have any bearing on Lenovo's continuing practice of consumerizing the brand...

[sysiphus]

^ I'm afraid you're right...

I started writing a big long angry post about how I used to buy nothing but ThinkPads, how I loved the keyboard, that TrackPoint, the modular design, the build quality, the Linux compatibility,...but how I have no interest in their current line of products, due to the keyboard changes. But there's little point. Lenovo's already gotten a plethora of feedback to that effect, and all they've done in reply is get rid of the TrackPoint buttons.

I thought I'd be secure in my switch to HP Elite products, but if the leaks are accurate, they're ditching the sensible elements of their designs, too. Sigh.

[RealBlackStuff]

Why do a lot of people always need the latest model?
They are definitely not the greatest anymore.
A laptop like the T410/T420 or T510/T520 or the W/R versions of it will be good for years to come.
T430/T530 and newer are no longer of interest.

[pianowizard]

Why do a lot of people always need the latest model? They are definitely not the greatest anymore. A laptop like the T410/T420 or T510/T520 or the W/R versions of it will be good for years to come.

Well said -- this is also how I feel. This statement applies not just to Thinkpads but most other brands as well, e.g. Dell's Latitudes peaked during the late D and early E era. In my view, laptops are never suitable for demanding tasks anyway. Their screens are too small and usually low quality, and they heat up like crazy when performing difficult computations. I save such tasks for desktops with nice, big monitors and superior keyboards. All my laptops are over 4 years old, but they will be good for many more years for the simple things that I use them for.

[elray]

Why do a lot of people always need the latest model?
They are definitely not the greatest anymore.
A laptop like the T410/T420 or T510/T520 or the W/R versions of it will be good for years to come.
T430/T530 and newer are no longer of interest.

Likely, a good number of "us" do not.
But today's latest model is tomorrow's off-lease bargain - so we certainly should try to influence their design.

There is no reason to cede ground to trackpointless, buttonless, tactile-free designs, just because Lenovo is hiring "design" and marketing folks who can't type, and/or grew up on Cupertino products, and can't figure out "what that pesky red eraser-thingy is for".

[Summilux]

http://blog.lenovo.com/design/time-to-blog?

Might be worth the time to leave comments supporting classic Thinkpad Design.

Yeah, nah... seeing how he was doing PR for the chicklets and goose-bumped touchpads (not that I personally cared, as a trackpoint user), that'd just be a waste of time. I wouldn't even bother reading anything coming from Lenovo, mind you.

What for, huh? Getting brainwashed with their arguments about how their new "innovations" are the results of listening to "consumer panels" who had expressed a "notable demand for ever thin, touch-based and hermetical systems" and subsequently appreciated the new laptops featuring chicklets keyboards, brand new "touchpoints" and soldered RAM that the company came up with?

No thanks. They have lost all credibility so they can keep their marketing BS for the Apple-fed public they're targetting.

[lophiomys]

Full ACK.

[JaneL]

Please do leave your comments on that blog entry... Be polite but firm.

[JaneL]

OK, here it is. Have at him because he still isn't addressing the real issue.

http://blog.lenovo.com/design/richard-s ... d-keyboard

[Adda]

I donno why David Hill even bothered posting that, just made himself look clueless

[ajkula66]

Left my $0.02 worth...

[lophiomys]

it is very hard to stay polite, if you are permantely ridiculed as a customer.

[ssd_thinkpad]

Lenovo brought back flexview displays. Having used other brands including apple, hp, sony, panasonic I very much prefer Lenovos. For me the most important thing on a computer are good input and output devices, and the new IPS models with the legendary keyboard (yes, the island style keyboard is very good) are the best option on the market.

[Adda]

Lenovo brought back flexview displays. Having used other brands including apple, hp, sony, panasonic I very much prefer Lenovos. For me the most important thing on a computer are good input and output devices, and the new IPS models with the legendary keyboard (yes, the island style keyboard is very good) are the best option on the market.

Are you trying to sell something?

[Puppy]

and the new IPS models

The new models does not have IPS but AHVA displays made by AUO Optronics. There were way too much issues with the X220/X230 e-IPS ones made by LG.Display. And yes, that makes almost no difference. Both are superior to outdated ugly TN ones Lenovo have served in top models for ages.

[Summilux]

Lenovo brought back flexview displays. Having used other brands including apple, hp, sony, panasonic I very much prefer Lenovos. For me the most important thing on a computer are good input and output devices, and the new IPS models with the legendary keyboard (yes, the island style keyboard is very good) are the best option on the market.

Now that Lenovo has switched to chiclets, they aren't any different from other brands.
At best they're on par, no that they've started putting more efforts in the display department. But they certainly aren't better anymore.

[Ibthink]

@Puppy,
Only the T440s / T440p FHD Display should be AHVA, the T540p / W540 FHD++ and the X240 HD and FHD displays should be AH-IPS or e-IPS, we will see what it is in the end (the X240 displays are made by LG, the W540/T540p displays are still unknown, I don´t know yet from which manufacturer they are).

[QWERTY Andreas]

The new models does not have IPS but AHVA displays made by AUO Optronics. There were way too much issues with the X220/X230 e-IPS ones made by LG.Display. And yes, that makes almost no difference. Both are superior to outdated ugly TN ones Lenovo have served in top models for ages.

Each time i see a post like this, it actually leaves me wondering. The TN panels in the W5X0 (except W500) do have better color accuracy than most IPS displays out there, on notebooks. I think it is pure ignorance to say that a display is better, just because it is IPS. Its certinatly about what you are doing with the display.

A color sccurate TN display, is better than a crappy IPS display - for photoediting.

Just my 0.02$

[Utwig]

Now, that good displays are back, how much would it take to kick start 7-row keyboard mod for Tx40 series?

[ajkula66]

Now, that good displays are back, how much would it take to kick start 7-row keyboard mod for Tx40 series?

My understanding is that the keyboard on *40 series has both a different connector as well as being of different physical size...so it's a no-go.

[Summilux]

My understanding is that the keyboard on *40 series has both a different connector as well as being of different physical size...so it's a no-go.

Also, issues with remapping the keyboard layout in the BIOS. This still hasn't been done for the X230.

[Adda]

http://blog.lenovo.com/design/a-leg-to-stand-on

This is funny, seems he doesn't wanna' talk about keyboards anymore

[Puppy]

The TN panels in the W5X0 (except W500) do have better color accuracy than most IPS displays out there

There is no real color accuracy of TN panel because it is just "lab values" that are valid if you place your eye directly above a TN panel pixel only. Every small change of viewing angle makes any TN panel colors very distorted.

You can not expect NEC/Eizo Pro monitor color quality from a notebook display, especially in terms of backlight uniformity (no active compensation there). Most of people would say that any "inaccurate" e-IPS / VA panel just looks much better than so called "lab-accurate" TN one at first glance, that's the point.