Thinkpad 701c (pic warning)

[brchan]

Just got my hands on a working 701c and it really is a piece of art! The folding keyboard and assymetric lid design give off an elegant and timeless flair. It's in good shape for its age with no missing port covers. However, I needed to remove the leaky battery which had caused a bit of damage to the rubber finish on the right side of the chassis. When I get the proper T1 and T6 torx screwdrivers, I will take out the standby battery as well. It features a 75Mhz DX4 cpu with a generous 8Mb of RAM and runs Windows 3.1.

Looks like any regular Thinkpad when closed...


Until the keyboard pops out!


A view from the back:


Closer view of the keyboard:


Aerial view:




IBM's old 3D Thinkpad logo:





Mmmm...


In terms of build quality, it is superb. All surfaces have a nice matte black rubberized finish. Hinges are tight, no creaks or rattles anywhere, and panel fitment is spot on. As for the keyboard, it actually feels on par with my 600X. However, the keys do require a bit more force to depress, and they shouldn't be pressed at an angle. Else, they have trouble going down.

EDIT: just realized I posted in the wrong section. Mods please move to "Pictures of your ThinkPad & desk setup".

[axur-delmeria]

Very nice!

[fatpolomanjr]

Seeing the classic keyboard on such older thinkpads, in butterfly form or not, just reminds me of how incredibly stupid it was for them to change it.

On topic: 701c is so awesome.

[brchan]

Very nice!

Thanks!

Seeing the classic keyboard on such older thinkpads, in butterfly form or not, just reminds me of how incredibly stupid it was for them to change it.

I still wish IBM or Lenovo continued using the trackwrite keyboard. Granted, it would make the laptop slightly thicker and more complicated, but having a full size keyboard in a small notebook is a big deal. There's also the 'wow' factor, too .

The effect wouldn't be as noticeable in 16:9 laptops, but this is changing since we are starting to see more 3:2 displays.

[axur-delmeria]

I still wish IBM or Lenovo continued using the trackwrite keyboard.

For any laptop with a screen size below 12.1 or 11.6 inches, yes.
Otherwise, it's not necessary.

OTOH, it could be used in keyboard docks for tablets. The extra weight will correct the top-heaviness that docked tablets suffer from.

[bit_twiddler]

Looks like a very nice machine.

[Temetka]

That's a very good looking machine you have there. I find it to be a testament to the creativity and engineering of the people who poured the hearts into crafting it. Today's laptops just don't have the same "soul" to them if that makes sense.

[ajkula66]

That butterfly of yours seems to be in very good shape, congrats.

Back in the days when I had one as a part of a much larger ThinkPad herd, 701C got more "oooh", "OMG" and "really cool" comments from random people than the rest of the flock combined...

Stunning, unrepentant and absolutely unique design. There are days when I miss having one of these around just to look at it from time to time and smile, but I know better...

Enjoy yours.

[ZaZ]

Looks like a very nice machine.

It looks like they just took it out of the box, very nice indeed.

[brchan]

Thanks! It was a one owner machine that belonged to a writer and I got it for a very fair price. Even had all the original Windows 3.1 software on it. The keyboards on machines from these times seem to be much more resilient to wear than modern ones.

[micrex22]

Thanks! It was a one owner machine that belonged to a writer and I got it for a very fair price. Even had all the original Windows 3.1 software on it. The keyboards on machines from these times seem to be much more resilient to wear than modern ones.

I wonder what type of plastic the 701 keytronic keyboards use / it could be something other than ABS / I know the 360's keyboard doesn't feel like ABS.

btw you can buy (and in my opinion) superior eraser head trackpoint caps here:
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/49G2224

I find they work better than the cat's tongue.

[Saucey]

Beautiful machine!

[teamde78]

Wow! Great looking machine!

[kfzhu1229]

I like these older machines especially T2x and 15" A2x/3x/T4x/R5x have slim screen bezels (Also 701C in this case and that is why butterfly keyboard is introduced ). Look at my 13.3" 600, 14.1" 390X, T2x, and 15" T4x then compare them to mac book pro and all today's widescreen devices, you get the point. The thick screen bezels make me feel the screen technology has degraded

[TonyJZX]

Indiana Jones: this belongs in a museum

[WarMachine]

Hello,

This machine is so beautiful. Congratulations for having such a nice piece of ingeniery !
I have one myself, but it's not in very good shape. The previous owner has painted it with the colors of the german flag, and it seems he left a cigarette on the keyboard : it's burnt, and there is also a burn on the screen. But it always works. I would like to restore it, but given all the paint there is on it, i may destroy it, so, I keep it as is.
I would have loved to disassemble it, to clean it, and to see how it's conceived, but I'm afraid not to be able to reassemble it.
You must keep preciously yours, it's very rare nowadays.

Indiana Jones: this belongs in a museum

Did you know that there is one 701C at the Museum Of Modern Art in NYC ?

W.

[micrex22]

You must keep preciously yours, it's very rare nowadays.

I'd consider the 701C to be more so 'uncommon' than rare. You have to remember it sold quite well and was mass produced (as a result I have so many of these things I'm practically tripping on them, along with spare parts).

Something like the TP 850 would be rare, and I say that because it was difficult to find one. They also didn't sell well and were way expensive.

[brchan]

Thanks for all the comments! I would say a 701c isn't too difficult find, but finding one in good condition usually is.

However, trying to get a Thinkpad 860 or 8 series is nearly impossible.

[pidjones]

Takes me wayback to the 700c I found in salvage at a DOE plant back in the late 90's. We used it to adjust the setup on control systems of our accelerator, since our budget wasn't going to let me get a newer laptop.

[micrex22]

Thanks for all the comments! I would say a 701c isn't too difficult find, but finding one in good condition usually is.

However, trying to get a Thinkpad 860 or 8 series is nearly impossible.

It's not impossible, just extremely inconvenient (I did have an opportunity to get an 860 in uncertain condition but I already have an 850...). One of the TP 850 owners I know got his from the recycler. Yeah... a TP 850 was about to be *recycled*.