Lenovo 2014 keyboard layout - WARNING !

[pianowizard]

namely this picture https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 8189_o.jpg

Update: 14" 2560 x 1440 IPS
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/5/527729 ... -announced

This is the most incredible tech "innovation" that I have ever come across. Unfortunately, it's "incredible" in a negative sense. When Puppy first linked to that Facebook photo, I actually thought it was hoax. Think about it, a Thinkpad keyboard without mechanical F keys! But now the review on theverge.com has confirmed it, and I am absolutely horrified. Did Lenovo's designers (or "destructors" like RBS said) think the F keys are so far from the home row that even touch-typists need to look at them anyway? Or did they think these keys are hardly ever used? I use ALT F4, F5 (refresh) and F11 (full screen) like dozens of times every day, and occasionally also ALT F7 in MS Word, without looking at them on all the properly designed keyboards that I own. I bet Lenovo made this change just to shave off 0.07 lbs. As obsessed as I am with weight minimization, this "innovation" is a crime, and I hope it won't spread to other laptop brands.

[dr_st]

I am pretty sure weight has nothing to do with this. They made this change, as well as most of the recent changes, because they think that their target market will find it cool and buy their product. Touch buttons are all the craze these days. And it's easier to apply multiple LEDs (changing the marking on the keys) to a touch-sensitive strip than to physical keys.

[GomJabbar]

I think *they* are screwing around with the keyboards to force us all into using touchscreens instead!

What better way than to make the keyboard an anachronism?

[Summilux]

You guys hit the nail on the head.
Lenovo has fully embarked on the touch train. And it seems that the ride won't end anytime soon, because they seem to think that's how they'll beat Apple at their own game.


2012. The end of the world, or so they say. Humanity's prospects are sure getting grim.
But for the moment, there's a more pressing matter, right here and right now.

Emergency meeting at Lenovo headquarters, Peking. A strategic planning session is being conducted with the C.E.O., the board of directors, the head of Japan's Yamato Design Centre, and also Oka Koyama, the star designer of the firm who was recently promoted VP of Design. Big money's on the table, careers are at stake, thousands of workers and their families will be thrown on the streets overniht if the company sinks. Screw the Mayas. Today will be the decisive moment and tomorrow may well be the conclusion of a major era. Humanity has its fate in their hands.



– All right, fellows. Computer sales are recessing. Our current *230 generation of Thinkpads isn't selling well, even with the enhanced keyboard it's fitted with. Consumer research I got back from our design lab at Yamato was overwhelmingly positive, though.
I don't know what's going on, but we can't go on like this. That, I'm certain. Do you guys have an idea or two? Be creative.

– Nowadays everything is about touch. Look, everybody owns a smartphone and a tablet.

– Should we make another Thinkpad Tablet? The first one didn't sell well.

– Probably because it was too thick. Reviewers all pointed to that. But the product was a stop-gap anyway.

– Guys...

– I know. Let's bridge both worlds and make our computers more "touchy". With that we'll regain the attention of tablet users who've stopped buying laptops. Hopefully they'll switch back.

– Brilliant, let's do this!

– Ermm... what about the existing userbase? They weren't exactly happy about the last changes we made.

– Only the geezers will rant, others will rack. We're designing the future. We're cool.

– People like cool stuff. That's why they buy Apple. If we get a wee bit of inspiration from Cupertino... what could go wrong?

– Yeah. They will definitely buy into it if we give them some more "wow" factors. Let's shave off few more millimetres.

– Great, that's decided then. We'll implement it step by step just in case it backfires. It'll be easier to shut the critics...
... oh and remind the PR team once more: We're not trying to imitate Apple. We're building avant-garde professional tools for those who do.




And this is how our own world finished to crumble, and we ended up witnessing the birth of increased productivity, courtesy of Lenovo.
First, one less keyboard row to give way to the brand new XL touchpad. Then, an updated "clickpoint", whose buttons are hidden under the touch surface, to give more way to the more XL touchpad. Then again, a touchscreen option. And now, touch F-keys.

[Puppy]

because they think that their target market will find it cool and buy their product.

Unfortunately there are no public sales data but I can imagine that IdeaPads (consumer) and former Edge (prosumer) models sells well. Who actually buys that crippled T/W/X .30 and .40 series ? The same question is for Carbon and Helix. I have not seen ThinkPads used in companies here in Europe recently, definitely not these post .20 series. There are mostly HP, Dell and Macbooks now.

[dr_st]

Just because they think something will happen, doesn't actually mean it will happen, that's for sure.

The company I work in has Thinkpads (including *30 series with the chiclet keyboard), some X1 Carbons, some HPs, including the HP revolve tablet. Macbooks are creeping in.

I guess Lenovo is trying to win the market with a trendy-looking business laptop. It must look trendy otherwise it will loose in "sex appeal" to the Macbook clones.

[pianowizard]

I am pretty sure weight has nothing to do with this. They made this change, as well as most of the recent changes, because they think that their target market will find it cool and buy their product. Touch buttons are all the craze these days. And it's easier to apply multiple LEDs (changing the marking on the keys) to a touch-sensitive strip than to physical keys.

I bet it's a "kill 4 birds with 1 stone" situation. "Adaptive keys" are innovative, the LED strip is slightly cheaper to make than a bunch of actual keys, it also takes slightly less time to install than plugging in a row of actual keys (i.e. saving on labor), and the laptop's total weight is reduced by 0.07 lbs as well.

I really don't think Lenovo cares about Thinkpads any more. It's just using the brand name to help sell the consumer-grade products. Most consumers don't know the difference between Ideapads and Thinkpads. All they have heard is "Lenovos are good", not realizing this reputation is based on the Thinkpads, not the Ideapads.

[cheetahdriver]

I knew the 701c, the 701c was a friend of mine. Lenovo, you are no 701c....

Don't blame the touch train for this. I have a Surface Pro, and a Surface Pro 2, and the Type Cover 2 (while not as good as a T60) is an adequate typing device (this from someone banging this post out on a Das Keyboard). With the touch, you don't miss the trackpad. Garbage like this is why the W520 is my last thinkpad. I actually am migrating the W520 over to my wife, as the Surface Pro2 is my travel machine. When I get rid of the Ideacentre K430, I will be a Lenovo Survivor.

[GomJabbar]

Don't blame the touch train for this. ... With the touch, you don't miss the trackpad.

Well, I wouldn't miss the TrackPad anyway. Would miss the TrackPoint though.

Let me don my Tin Foil Hat.
I think Lenovo (and probably others) are trying to ween us off of the classic built-in keyboard/trackpad/trackpoint combo (on laptops) that we have been accustomed to all these years. By making the built-in keyboard just *adequate* and annoying, it will lose it's appeal with many. Soon, people just won't care if Lenovo's keyboard is part of the package or not. Might not be long and the built-in keyboard will be a thing of the past. If you want a decent keyboard, you will start off with a touchscreen device and add a keyboard as an option - just as my wife and daughter both added Logitech keyboard/covers to their iPads.

The thing Lenovo is missing is that the classic IBM keyboard and all it encompasses was *The Major Design Feature* of the ThinkPad. Take that away, then why bother staying with the ThinkPad line? When typewriters were still in vogue, the IBM Selectric was king of the hill - because the typing experience on one was unequalled. IBM knew what they were doing when it came to keyboard design. Lenovo should not mess with IBM-designed keyboards willy-nilly. True, there could be some improvements, but any "improvements" must be approached with care.

I honestly don't know what I will do when my X220 is no longer a viable machine.

[Puppy]

I honestly don't know what I will do when my X220 is no longer a viable machine.

Maybe we should start to collect those magic 15000 orders of ThinkPad with classic keyboard (instead of IPS display earlier)

[jcvjcvjcvjcv]

Ha; that number of 15K should be a lot lower when they can use existing parts.

But as in the case of 4:3 screens; it has nothing to do with supply or demand; they just don't want it.

They claimed that there was not enough demand for 4:3 T61's; yet the price premium was $200 and a 3-month wait. Sure....

[cheetahdriver]

[quote="GomJabbar"]...Soon, people just won't care if Lenovo's keyboard is part of the package or not. Might not be long and the built-in keyboard will be a thing of the past. If you want a decent keyboard, you will start off with a touchscreen device and add a keyboard as an option - just as my wife and daughter both added Logitech keyboard/covers to their iPads.[/quote]

Actually, I am already there. I have the Type Cover 2 for the Surface Pro 2, but I also just got a Blue MX switch KB pro that will link up with BT, so I don't actually have to use the Type Cover 2. It will still be my "Travel" keypad, but I will also carry the bigger keyboard with me for the hotel room (where I also have a second screen). Mix and match....

[sethstorm]

I knew the 701c, the 701c was a friend of mine. Lenovo, you are no 701c....

Don't blame the touch train for this. I have a Surface Pro, and a Surface Pro 2, and the Type Cover 2 (while not as good as a T60) is an adequate typing device (this from someone banging this post out on a Das Keyboard). With the touch, you don't miss the trackpad. Garbage like this is why the W520 is my last thinkpad. I actually am migrating the W520 over to my wife, as the Surface Pro2 is my travel machine. When I get rid of the Ideacentre K430, I will be a Lenovo Survivor.

I hope this doesn't reach the W series anytime soon. Dropping about $2000-3000 has been about the only way I've managed to avoid most of the insanity.

This is also why I still keep a T60p around - it still can hold its own and has most of the stuff done right, including the keyboard.

[Adda]

I hope this doesn't reach the W series anytime soon. Dropping about $2000-3000 has been about the only way I've managed to avoid most of the insanity.

This is also why I still keep a T60p around - it still can hold its own and has most of the stuff done right, including the keyboard.

You fear that the useless keyboard and trackpoint on new Lenovo's will make it's way to the W series, making it even more useless then it already is? it will happen, the pointless W540 is just the beginning.

Sooner then later, the ThinkPad will just be a happy memory from a time when the IT industry actually pursued progress, rather then chase butterflies.

They don't care about you, they don't want to help you, they are not your friends, all they want is your money, and they will fill you with BS to the end of times to get it.

[laowai]

I hope this doesn't reach the W series anytime soon. Dropping about $2000-3000 has been about the only way I've managed to avoid most of the insanity.

This is also why I still keep a T60p around - it still can hold its own and has most of the stuff done right, including the keyboard.

You fear that the useless keyboard and trackpoint on new Lenovo's will make it's way to the W series, making it even more useless then it already is? it will happen, the pointless W540 is just the beginning.

Sooner then later, the ThinkPad will just be a happy memory from a time when the IT industry actually pursued progress, rather then chase butterflies.

They don't care about you, they don't want to help you, they are not your friends, all they want is your money, and they will fill you with BS to the end of times to get it.

Yep, I'm personally just happy with keeping the T60 alive and kicking. Holding out for another year or two when the cretins over at 51nb come out with their "T70" mobo upgrade. I've entirely given up on any hope that Lenovo will ever make another laptop that I would even consider buying.

[Molybdo42]

Hello guys I'm a new member of this forum because I just can't continue to watch Lenovo destroying the ThinkPad.

The disaster with the keyboard layout goes even deeper.

In order to change the keyboard of the X240 or X1 carbon (2014 version) you need to REMOVE EVERYTHING :
- back cover
- wireless
- internal battery
- audio
- fan
- motherboard
- LCD...

Am I reading this correctly !? I just can't believe it.

for X240 :
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail. ... D=PD028929

for X1 carbon (p72) :
http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc ... a26110.pdf

If yes, then it's nuts in a single generation Lenovo managed to obliterate every-single-advantage across the entire range, even the legendary ThinkPad repairability ! Those computer are no longer made to be serviceable, when it fails, THROW IT ! Can something be done to stop this madness ?

T440 seems to be barely spared, but for how long ? Next year, will Lenovo replace every screws with glue to gain 0.453 mm ?

I really hope that this picture on the development cycle is right (http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/c ... tCycle.gif), because for me ThinkPads are beyond hopeless (unless, to make it worse, they put an optical Trackpoint on the next generation ...).

[BillMorrow]

errr....

"for those who do"..??!
do what..?

sounds a lot like obama's "HOPE" thing..
hope for what, no one ever found out until it was too late..

et tu lenovo..!

[Puppy]

In order to change the keyboard of the X240 or X1 carbon (2014 version) you need to REMOVE EVERYTHING :
- LCD...

That's silly

This is also clever idea http://support.lenovo.com/en_FI/detail. ... D=PD029265 Install a new LCD front bezel whenever theold one is removed.

[Adda]

I have said it before, Lenovo doesn't make Thinkpads anymore, I have no idea why they keep pretending that they do.

[qviri]

And to think I made fun of a friend's consumer-grade Toshiba for having the tilde between the right Alt and Ctrl in 2005.

That laptop fell apart in about two years, anyone want to make bets about this exciting new offering?

[A31]

You need to realise that things move on. With the launch of Windows 8 in 2012 and 8.1 last October, it's no wonder that manufacturers are starting to move towards touch-orientated devices. This is clearly the way in which things are going, and you will find that just about every player in the market has a touch option available for Windows 8. Competition exists, as you are aware, and so if everybody wants touch screens, then the demand for touch screen computers increases. If everybody out there apart from Lenovo (for example) starts selling computers at a reasonable cost with touch screens, and Lenovo doesn't. Guess who doesn't get the sale? Everybody's going it to stay in the game. It's just like the transition between 4:3 and widescreen monitors - manufacturers need to adopt this technology to stay in the game if they want to offer products with the latest technology (which they all do).

You will also find that Lenovo has removed the trackpad buttons in order to make using mouse gestures with Windows 8 easier. Mouse gestures weren't really a big deal with Windows 7 and earlier, but with Windows 8 (especially on non-touch displays), you could argue that it is becoming a bigger deal. Most laptops these days have similar trackpads (or 'clickpads') to what Lenovo is now offering on their latest models - including the cheapest and lowest-end models from companies like Novatech who are a UK-based retailer. Again, it's a trend which is being adopted because manufacturers can save space by removing dedicated touchpad buttons, which means the touchpad can be bigger, making mouse gestures easier.

As I have said before, you need to realise that technology moves on and new things have to be adopted - including on ThinkPads. If the ThinkPad (or any computer for that matter) never evolved with new technology, they'd all be looking exactly as they did in 20 years or so ago. If you don't like the new models, simply don't buy them. Buy something else. But don't waste your time moaning about them. Before you say 'nobody wants a touch screen on a laptop!' (or similar), bear in mind that a few people on an internet forum does not represent the majority of users. I bet if you spoke to most people looking to buy a laptop now, they'd be interested in a touch screen option. Just like if you spoke to somebody 10 years ago who was looking to buy a laptop, they'd want Wi-Fi built in. Same kind of idea. We always want the 'latest and greatest'.

Now, please don't attack me. Things move on, hardware and software changes. You have to embrace it.

[ajkula66]

Things move on, hardware and software changes. You have to embrace it.

Not if the change is clearly in the wrong direction, which the abysmal adoption rate of W8/8.1 shows *for a fact*...

Just like Microsoft, manufacturers need to listen to their customer base once in a blue, or they WILL suffer the consequences. Some of them already are.

Lenovo's low profit margin and an almost-monopolistic-status on the Chinese market has saved them this far.

We'll see what tomorrow holds in store.

[emeraldgirl08]

Which is why I am now moving on to a desktop as my next project

@A31. One potential fault to your observations. Clearly Windows 8 is not the runaway success that Microsoft had hoped for. Why else would 8.1 include the option to have the classic start button? Also there was the recent buzz with HP and its decision to remove W8 and push W7. Touch is helpful to a certain point however might not resonate with peeps who dislike grime and fingerprints on their screen. There are also certain things that the industry is infringing on consumers. Not sure if you see this trend at all. IIRC Intel has strict definitions of Ultrabook branding that manufacturers must conform to to fit the definition therefore manufacturers have shaved and removed components in an effort to meet the definition. All in all I'm content with my gang of ThinkPads at the moment. I started playing Skyrim with my T500 and for 5 year old hardware it holds up at a respectable clip however I feel bad for pushing it too much hence my desktop decision. I feel lately the laptop market has generated zero enthusiasm from me. There is only so much I can take when it comes to the lack of backbone in the industry- or any industry.

Follow the leader syndrome.

Does not fly with me and never has so I will build something on my terms

and as always- YMMV.

Source for HP and W7:

http://bgr.com/2014/01/20/hp-windows-7-pcs-return/

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2089403/ ... emand.html

[A31]

Not if the change is clearly in the wrong direction, which the abysmal adoption rate of W8/8.1 shows *for a fact*...

Granted, Windows 8 hasn't perhaps been as successful as first hoped, but you can't deny that touch-orientated devices are the way things are heading, whether you like it or not.

How many people are now starting to use tablets and smartphones to do things such as browse the internet, write emails, play games and so on? Tablet and smartphone popularity has gone up massively since the iPad was launched in 2010 really. You can't deny that touch is the way which the industry is heading. Which is why we're seeing operating systems such as Windows 8(.1) which are optimised for touch displays (and for the record I've been using it on my non-touch 24" display for the past year and it's been fine) and laptops and even desktop monitors with touch displays.

[ajkula66]

Granted, Windows 8 hasn't perhaps been as successful as first hoped, but you can't deny that touch-orientated devices are the way things are heading, whether you like it or not.

W8 has been nothing short of a disaster, sales-wise.

How many people are now starting to use tablets and smartphones to do things such as browse the internet, write emails, play games and so on? Tablet and smartphone popularity has gone up massively since the iPad was launched in 2010 really. You can't deny that touch is the way which the industry is heading.

You're comparing apples and oranges.

Tablets and phones are doing well. If we discount Windows-based phones and tablets, that is. Which are doing horrendously bad.

However, PC manufacturers have been doing very poorly and there's absolutely no reason to believe that introduction of touch screens on conventional PCs will do anything to change that fact.

Let's face it, vast majority of people does NOT want to touch the screens of their laptops, or desktop monitors.

Which is why we're seeing operating systems such as Windows 8(.1) which are optimised for touch displays (and for the record I've been using it on my non-touch 24" display for the past year and it's been fine) and laptops and even desktop monitors with touch displays.

And that's exactly why it took W8 more than a year to beat Vista's adoption rate...

The entire touchscreen idea is viewed as a nonsense in most of the corporate world, as is W8.

As I've said before...

Just like Microsoft, manufacturers need to listen to their customer base once in a blue, or they WILL suffer the consequences. Some of them already are.

Ask yourself why Apple hasn't offered a laptop with touchscreen yet. Or has plans to do so within foreseeable future.

[JohnD.]

Ask yourself why Apple hasn't offered a laptop with touchscreen yet. Or has plans to do so within foreseeable future.

George, you bring up an excellent point. I don't know how much iOS7 & OSX have pieces in common with each other (if they have anything in common code wise) but Apple has kept it separate in their laptop & tablet devices. I could not see myself swiping from the right on the screen of a laptop.

John

[pianowizard]

W8 has been nothing short of a disaster, sales-wise.

It's a disappointment, but not a "disaster". I read just a couple days ago that, a year after the release of Windows 7, it had a market share of 17%. For Windows 8, 15 months after its release (i.e. sometime last month), its share slightly exceeded 10%. So, Windows 8 isn't doing THAT poorly. Besides, the success of 7 wasn't entirely because it was perceived as a great OS. Many people upgraded to 7 simply because they couldn't wait to drop Vista.

Personally, I like 8 more than all previous versions of Windows. But its drastic difference from previous versions will inevitably slow down its gain in popularity. It's kind of similar to the transition from 4:3 to 16:10. Many people resisted it, even preferring 1024x768 over 1280x800. But over time, more and more people learned to appreciate 16:10.

Tablets and phones are doing well. If we discount Windows-based phones and tablets, that is. Which are doing horrendously bad.

I again disagree. The sales of Windows phones are climbing steadily in many parts of the world, even surpassing iPhones in parts of Europe. And the Surface tablets also had some surprisingly good sales figures in the past quarter or two.

However, PC manufacturers have been doing very poorly and there's absolutely no reason to believe that introduction of touch screens on conventional PCs will do anything to change that fact.

Let's face it, vast majority of people does NOT want to touch the screens of their laptops, or desktop monitors.

The vast majority of people haven't had a chance to try. I finally bought my first touchscreen laptop about 3 weeks ago, and quickly realized the advantage of having an additional way of interacting with the computer.

The entire touchscreen idea is viewed as a nonsense in most of the corporate world, as is W8.

The corporate world is notorious for being slow to adopt new technologies, e.g. some firms are still using Windows 2000.

Ask yourself why Apple hasn't offered a laptop with touchscreen yet. Or has plans to do so within foreseeable future.

I don't see why Apple's decisions matter. After all, its laptop/desktop market share remains pitiful.

[ajkula66]

It's a disappointment, but not a "disaster". I read just a couple days ago that, a year after the release of Windows 7, it had a market share of 17%. For Windows 8, 15 months after its release (i.e. sometime last month), its share slightly exceeded 10%. So, Windows 8 isn't doing THAT poorly. Besides, the success of 7 wasn't entirely because it was perceived as a great OS. Many people upgraded to 7 simply because they couldn't wait to drop Vista.

I'm not buying into "wanted to get away from Vista" argument, for two reasons:

a) XP's market share is still almost 30%

b) Many, many corporations *never* adopted Vista to begin with. They just plain ignored it, and are pretty much doing the same with W8/8.1

I again disagree. The sales of Windows phones are climbing steadily in many parts of the world, even surpassing iPhones in parts of Europe. And the Surface tablets also had some surprisingly good sales figures in the past quarter or two.

Europe never bought into Apple craze the same way U.S. did, so yes, in certain markets Windows phones might be doing OK. Globally, they are a disaster. Well, they are doing better than BlackBerry...see here:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57616 ... hone-grow/

As for Surface...I like this quote:

It's all relative, especially when we discuss absolute sales. Microsoft may make things interesting with its Surface, but selling less than $1 billion worth of tablets at a time when Apple's clearing $11.5 billion -- and even that is only good enough to be a distant second to Android -- is not going to cut it for Microsoft.

source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/on/microsof ... et-market/

The vast majority of people haven't had a chance to try. I finally bought my first touchscreen laptop about 3 weeks ago, and quickly realized the advantage of having an additional way of interacting with the computer.

Sure they did. They own smart phones and tablets. Hence the idea of offering touch on conventional PCs, which is not flying too well, and likely never will.

I don't see why Apple's decisions matter. After all, its laptop/desktop market share remains pitiful.

Because just about every manufacturer apart from possibly Panasonic does their absolute best to imitate them...so they must be doing something right. In the U.S. they are right behind HP and Dell and actually doing better than Lenovo, judging by final quarter of last year.

[pianowizard]

I'm not buying into "wanted to get away from Vista" argument, for two reasons:

a) XP's market share is still almost 30%

b) Many, many corporations *never* adopted Vista to begin with. They just plain ignored it, and are pretty much doing the same with W8/8.1

All I said was that the success of 7 wasn't *entirely* because it was good. *Part* of it was that people disliked Vista. Lots of people around me, including the entire institution that I work at, upgraded from Vista to 7 shortly after it came out, mainly because they had been told their computers would speed up dramatically. I understand that you are familiar with the corporate world, but that's just a small portion of the world.

Europe never bought into Apple craze the same way U.S. did, so yes, in certain markets Windows phones might be doing OK. Globally, they are a disaster. Well, they are doing better than BlackBerry...see here:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57616 ... hone-grow/

I saw that article when it first came out, and was quite impressed by the growth of Windows phones. In just a year, it grew from 1.9% to 5.7% in Germany, 5.1% to 10.8% in Great Britain, 2.6% to 4.7% in the U.S. No change in China, but iOS saw no change in that country either. To me, such growth is impressive, and certainly is not a disaster.

Sure they did. They own smart phones and tablets. Hence the idea of offering touch on conventional PCs, which is not flying too well, and likely never will.

I started using touchscreen smartphones back in 2007, and since then I've been using my smartphones more than anyone that I know. Still, I couldn't quite predict whether I would like touching the screen of a conventional computer, until I actually bought one. Everyone understands why touchscreens are useful for smartphones and tablets -- of course they are useful, since they are the only input method for these devices. But mice, touchpads and trackpoints have worked fine for computers for decades, so most people just assume (without even trying) that touchscreens wouldn't add anything to the experience. How much time have you spent touching computer screens?

Again, I have used my new touchscreen laptop for less than a month. I am learning that the touchpad is better in certain situations, while the touchscreen is better in others, and sometimes keyboard shortcuts would trump both. I feel that I am enhancing my productivity (and possibly also minimizing the risks of repetitive strain injury) by switching among these three input technologies.

Because just about every manufacturer apart from possibly Panasonic does their absolute best to imitate them...so they must be doing something right.

Apple is doing something right, but not everything that Apple does is right. For example, Apple isn't running Windows. That doesn't necessarily mean Windows is bad.

[ajkula66]

I understand that you are familiar with the corporate world, but that's just a small portion of the world.

That's the portion of the world that has ample funds to spend, whether we like it or not. And as of right now, it's not spending much of anything on W8/8.1

I saw that article when it first came out, and was quite impressed by the growth of Windows phones. In just a year, it grew from 1.9% to 5.7% in Germany, 5.1% to 10.8% in Great Britain, 2.6% to 4.7% in the U.S. No change in China, but iOS saw no change in that country either. To me, such growth is impressive, and certainly is not a disaster.

Android still rules. The way I see it, it will continue to rule.

How much time have you spent touching computer screens?

You're talking to the wrong guy here, old friend. I absolutely, positively *loathe* touching the screen of any kind. That's why I never come near my wife's iPad 2 (which, incidentally, I gave her for our anniversary a few years ago) and would still be on a "dumbphone" even if I were not provided with a "free" BlackBerry from my employer.

Having said that, I know I'm not a typical user and am by no means trying to imply that majority of the mankind sides with me in the aforementioned respects.

Apple is doing something right, but not everything that Apple does is right. For example, Apple isn't running Windows. That doesn't necessarily mean Windows is bad.

I never said that everything Apple was doing was right. But they did get quite a few things right, one of them being bringing back the beauty of IPS out of its cave...sure, there were hi-end Precisions and EliteBooks with their lovely screens, but it wasn't until Retinas hit the market that the rest of the manufacturers started aiming for hi-end, hi-resolutions IPS panels...