Any news on Sandy Bridge Thinkpads

[Utwig]

From what is known next gen will get USB 3.0 (in chipset), UEFI - Matt Kohut mentioned it in his blog, everyone is moving to UEFI next year. There will be probably 3D screen in 15" Workstation:

We have developed and tested various forms of 3D for our 15-inch laptops and mobile workstations.

[artic_squirrel]

let me laugh hard:

[Summilux]

I'm also eagerly waiting for TP announcements at CES 2011...

[Utwig]

Intel allowed laptop makers to anounce quad models in January and dual models in February. Thus at CES we will likely see the new W and possibly T models.

[Summilux]

Good to hear!
Any guesses about X models?

[AMATX]

Intel allowed laptop makers to anounce quad models in January and dual models in February. Thus at CES we will likely see the new W and possibly T models.

Now, if -only- "Announce" = "Availability" we'd be all set, wouldn't we??

[Summilux]

Now, if -only- "Announce" = "Availability" we'd be all set, wouldn't we??

I think the current T and X were already (albeit partly) available last February when they were announced.

[fasteez]

What about a ThinkPad C model for IBM's big birthday next June ?

[jdrou]

I think the current T and X were already (albeit partly) available last February when they were announced.

X201 became available March 1 I believe. I bought mine on the 5th.

[RealBlackStuff]

Here they come: Lenovo launches four sandy-bridge-powered Thinkpad Edge laptops
http://www.tcmagazine.com/tcm/news/hard ... ge-laptops

[ThinkRob]

Here they come: Lenovo launches four sandy-bridge-powered Thinkpad Edge laptops
http://www.tcmagazine.com/tcm/news/hard ... ge-laptops

Yes, but what are the new ThinkPads going to be?

[AMATX]

Yupper...chompin' at the bit to see a W70x model...

[Shinrai]

Yupper...chompin' at the bit to see a W70x model...

I wouldn't hold my breath. Scuttlebutt is that Lenovo is killing 17" Thinkpads entirely for the time being. (If you need a W701 get one while you still can.)

[jdrou]

Doing some googling will turn up some non-English sites with rumors of X220/T420/T420s/T520. Supposedly only the T420s will have USB 3.0 but not the others. Also all 16:9 screens I believe (as widely expected).

[Utwig]

Shoot, 16:9 through and through, including 12" and probably all but 15" will have ultra high resolution of 1366x768 pixels. Only Thinkpad with viable resolution (more than 1000 vertical pixels) will be the 15" T or W which will weigh 2.8kg.

/me goes check that T60p on ebay again.

[penartur]

Shoot, 16:9 through and through, including 12" and probably all but 15" will have ultra high resolution of 1366x768 pixels. Only Thinkpad with viable resolution (more than 1000 vertical pixels) will be the 15" T or W which will weigh 2.8kg.

/me goes check that T60p on ebay again.

I believe there will be an option of 1600x900 (or maybe even 1920*1080) on 14" T.

[Summilux]

What's the big deal with 16:9 screens?
The real problem happened when 4:3 screens were ditched. So 16:10 or 16:9, it's all the same, it's all useless...

[ansible212]

What's the big deal with 16:9 screens?
The real problem happened when 4:3 screens were ditched. So 16:10 or 16:9, it's all the same, it's all useless...

Not so, at least on a 12" screen: you generally get higher resolution with 16:10 than with 4:3, and a proper sized keyboard to boot.

[pianowizard]

maybe even 1920*1080) on 14" T.

Oh yeah, 1920x1080 would be perfect on a 14.5" screen! The pixel density would be 151.92 DPI, within my tolerable range -- my HP Mini 5101's 155.16 DPI is pretty much my upper limit. A few HP laptops have 14.5" screens, though they are only 1366x768.

[anthean]

What's the big deal with 16:9 screens?
The real problem happened when 4:3 screens were ditched. So 16:10 or 16:9, it's all the same, it's all useless...

Agree.

So, now in addition to the iPad, Vizio too is introducing a tablet in 4:3. See: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/05/vizi ... n-preview/

So, what's going on here ? The devices for purely viewing content are now 4:3, while the screens of laptops (for doing real work) are 16:9.

Doesn't this seem backwards ?

Seems that 4:3 isn't so hard to produce afterall--that is, for manufacturers who care what their customers think.

[penartur]

So, now in addition to the iPad, Vizio too is introducing a tablet in 4:3. See: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/05/vizi ... n-preview/

So, what's going on here ? The devices for purely viewing content are now 4:3, while the screens of laptops (for doing real work) are 16:9.

Doesn't this seem backwards ?

Seems that 4:3 isn't so hard to produce afterall--that is, for manufacturers who care what their customers think.

I don't know about that Visio, but Apple ordered 65 millions of 10" 4:3 screens for 2011. The single display model was ordered in the same number as the number of all thinkpads of all sizes ever produced.
Of course, it is not so hard to order a new screen model when you need 65 million of these each year, as opposed to ten new screen models when you need only 0.5 or 1 million of every model each year.
What is the reason behind apple choosing 4:3 instead of 16:9 for their ipad is another question. The fact remains the same: when in a year you're manufacturing 65 millions of a single ipad model with a single display model, it is quite easy and cheap to get a custom screen model; and when in a year you're manufacturing 5-10 millions of a five thinkpad models with a ten screen models, it is quite hard and expensive to get custom screen model for that thinkpads.
Apple can order custom screens, and lenovo is forced to purchase common screens.

[anthean]

I don't know about that Visio, but Apple ordered 65 millions of 10" 4:3 screens for 2011. The single display model was ordered in the same number as the number of all thinkpads of all sizes ever produced.
Of course, it is not so hard to order a new screen model when you need 65 million of these each year, as opposed to ten new screen models when you need only 0.5 or 1 million of every model each year.
What is the reason behind apple choosing 4:3 instead of 16:9 for their ipad is another question. The fact remains the same: when in a year you're manufacturing 65 millions of a single ipad model with a single display model, it is quite easy and cheap to get a custom screen model; and when in a year you're manufacturing 5-10 millions of a five thinkpad models with a ten screen models, it is quite hard and expensive to get custom screen model for that thinkpads.
Apple can order custom screens, and lenovo is forced to purchase common screens.

Yeah, I hear you.

Poor little Lenovo, they are too small to give their customers what they want.

[pianowizard]

So, what's going on here ? The devices for purely viewing content are now 4:3, while the screens of laptops (for doing real work) are 16:9.

It makes perfect sense for the iPad and this new Vizio Tablet to use 4:3, because for such small screens, 16:9 would be way too short for the viewing experience to be pleasant. This may also be Jobs' rationale for using 4:3 for the iPhone. By the same token, if I could design my own 10.1" netbook, I would opt for either 4:3 or at least 16:10, but unfortunately all 10.1" netbooks in the market are 16:9.

[Summilux]

Not so, at least on a 12" screen: you generally get higher resolution with 16:10 than with 4:3, and a proper sized keyboard to boot.

I heard the X60's keyboard was no slouch either

[...]
So, now in addition to the iPad, Vizio too is introducing a tablet in 4:3.
[...]

[...]
I don't know about that Visio, but Apple ordered 65 millions of 10" 4:3 screens for 2011. The single display model was ordered in the same number as the number of all thinkpads of all sizes ever produced.[...]

Good to hear that!
Even though, as pointed out, it'd make more sense to equip laptops with 4:3 screens instead of tablets; and even though Lenovo seems to have a relatively weak buying power...

[RealBlackStuff]

What about the fact that every LCD manufacturer still has the molds, hardware and technology to produce 4:3 screens?
They all used to make them, just get them out of the attic, dust them off, and start re-using them.
And then take a sledge hammer, to destroy every single 16:9 related item they have!

[Growly]

Bump! CES is on, is anyone there? Any more word?

The real problem happened when 4:3 screens were ditched. So 16:10 or 16:9, it's all the same, it's all useless...

I do agree, but I'd really rather not see it get any worse

[ansible212]

I heard the X60's keyboard was no slouch either

No doubt, but the X-series with widescreen display have a proper full sized keyboard with none of the compromises around the edges (if that makes sense) of those on non-widescreen X-series.

[anthean]

No doubt, but the X-series with widescreen display have a proper full sized keyboard with none of the compromises around the edges (if that makes sense) of those on non-widescreen X-series.

That's fine. I'm not advocating the abolition of widescreen. Just a choice.

Widescreen does make sense for some laptops, and for some users.

[ThinkRob]

What about the fact that every LCD manufacturer still has the molds, hardware and technology to produce 4:3 screens?
They all used to make them, just get them out of the attic, dust them off, and start re-using them.

Even if they do have them though, most laptop makers will probably prefer the cheaper format (16:10/16:9), especially since they're not ordering the sort of quantities that could make 4:3 a viable option.

Yeah, if you're a major tablet maker ordering tens of millions of identical panels they absolutely *will* "dust off" that old tech. If you're a laptop maker ordering hundreds of thousands of different panels... not so much.

[Utwig]

The problem is you're getting less pixels in same volume/form factor for the highest screen density. The wide 14" is slightly wider and shorter than 4:3 15" and now you get either 1440x900 or 1366x768 (maybe 1600x900) instead of 1600x1200. The wide 15" is half a kilo heavier and 5cm wider than 4:3 so it's not same volume / form factor. Also the W series has the heavy powerbrick which further increases travel weight compared to 15" T__p

Or you get 1440x900 or 1366x900 in 13.3" instead of 1400x1050 in 14" 4:3.

Ditto in 12" tablets where you go from 1400x1050 to 1280x800 and 1366x768. Further problem is that once you turn tablet into portrait you now get only 768-800 horizontal pixels.

This wouldn't be that much of a problem as long as you get reasonable density in portable form factor but now only high density displays are 10" 1366x769 (too little for general use), 14" 1600x900 (if they make one) and 15" 1920x1080 (too heavy to be portable).