Thinkpads Forum

What are some of the rarest IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad models? I know about the TransNote, the 240Z (I believe this was East Asia-only, but I think I saw a US market 240Z on eBay around a year ago) and the Reserve Edition, but any others worth noting? I've seen only one 570E in the past 2 years, how rare is that model (or was it more common in other markets besides the USA?)

Thinkpad Power PC 800 series, especially the 860, are probably some of, if not the most rarest models. They were also the most expensive and topped out at about $20,000 IIRC.

570/E was a very common machine, it's just old and the vast majority of them are gone.

I series 1124 - which would be the grayish version of 240Z - is arguably the rarest one I've heard of and only know of one person on this forum who actually owned it.

Power PC series were never my cup of tea and am not familiar with them whatsoever, but rare and expensive they seem to be.

IBM 701C and 701S butterfly keyboard laptops (NOT Lenovo). they built the baseline for all other laptops to live up to.

Special edition ThinkPads like the Reserve and 20th Anniversary X1 Carbon are bound to be rare. Concept ThinkPads like the S70, X1 with classic keyboard and T431s Terminator, if these count, are obviously very rare too.

It depends on how you define rare. I think it falls under two categories. Like George says, some machines are rare today simply because they are old and the vast majority of them are gone. The 701C and 700C probably fall under that category. Quite common back in the days, but today, the good examples have found their homes with collectors who have no intentions of selling them, thus making them rare. That's the reason I'm guarding my 710C units very carefully, and is still looking for the right 700C to come around.

Other models were rare from the beginning, as they were either made in a limited number on purpose, or IBM / Lenovo simply sold few of them. The 800 series, as well as the original Thinkpad Tablets, be it 700T, 710T or 730T fall under this category. Based on my own experiences on trying to find units for sale, I will put the original Tablets on the top of the list. My definite number one would be the 700T / IBM 2521 tablet.

W700ds

The W700ds shows up on eBay quite often. There is an auction for one ending in a few hours.

The 755CV/CDV are rare. They're 755C/CD models with a removable lid (and translucent LCD,) allowing the machine to be laid on an overhead projector.

Kasm279 wrote:The 755CV/CDV are rare. They're 755C/CD models with a removable lid (and translucent LCD,) allowing the machine to be laid on an overhead projector.

I second that, as I have never seen one. That's one of those they (probably) didn't sell too many of to begin with. And in those days, where CPU speed and performance almost doubled every two years, equipment wasn't very old before it was outdated, useless and probably disposed of. Very different from today, where a 12 year old unit, like a T42 with Win7, is still usable for light daily computing.

700T, 710T, 730T, 730TE, 360P, 360PE, 750P, PPC110, 800 series and some others, but these are the rarest of all.
I have them all except 710T, still looking for one
Rarest of the rarest from these is 700T as Norway Pad mentioned and I would not sell it for foreseeable future

Kasm279 wrote:The 755CV/CDV are rare. They're 755C/CD models with a removable lid (and translucent LCD,) allowing the machine to be laid on an overhead projector.

Indeed. They are so rare nowadays that I've completely forgotten about them, having seen only one in real life quite a few years ago. There are a couple of members here who are in possession of these systems but I imagine that they would have to be pressed extremely hard in order to let them go...