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Edward · #1 Post by **Edward** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:35 am

My apologies if these pictures have been posted before.

http://www.ibmuser.idv.tw/viewtopic.php?t=19990

Toe · #2 Post by **Toe** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:47 am

Cool, more like a thinkpad.

-Toe

#3 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 4:03 pm

Judging by the quality of the images, it looks like industrial espionage!

kaplanfx · #4 Post by **kaplanfx** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:49 pm

I wish I understood whatever language it is they are speaking over in that forum

Navck · #5 Post by **Navck** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:55 pm

Needs corner and removal of windows key still.

#6 Post by **thePCxp** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:11 pm

That Z series ThinkPad looks cool!

Orbitz · #7 Post by **Orbitz** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 1:04 am

I really really can't wait to see this hit the street...a wide screen TP is almost too good to be true. Since owning my first TP I am so reluctant to get any other brand....even tho I really would like a WS to play movies on and such. This would make my day

Morelia · #8 Post by **Morelia** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:15 am

Navck wrote:Needs corner and removal of windows key still.

The Z series (Z60M and Z60T) will include a windows key, along with the speakers located on the side of the keyboard, and the Z60T will have an optional silver titanium case. It is not a "pre-test beta version", as some have indicated.

tehsoul · #9 Post by **tehsoul** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 1:12 pm

and i just noticed theres no parallel port anymore!

i'm not very fond of the design (partly because i dont see the advantage in a widescreen laptop)

Navck · #10 Post by **Navck** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 1:24 am

As said once, now twice

NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo its not a Thinkpad!

#11 Post by **K. Eng** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 1:14 pm

Does anyone know what kind of materials are being used to build the Z series? I won't complain too much if Lenovo uses the magnesium alloy and carbon fiber components used in the T series, but I won't be too happy if the machine is nothing but standard ABS plastic.

Also, who the hell designed it? It doesn't look like a traditional ThinkPad. As I recall most of the recent ThinkPads are Japanese designs, and this ThinkPad does not look like a Japanese design to me...

HamTard · #12 Post by **HamTard** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 6:28 pm

considering that the Z60 is due to be out in a month, you'd think we could get some official announcement or some sort of hype and advertising. i mean, all the information we have is off of chinese websites which may or may not be reliable. when will they start to market this baby?

akeskira · #13 Post by **akeskira** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 3:28 pm

HamTard wrote:considering that the Z60 is due to be out in a month, you'd think we could get some official announcement or some sort of hype and advertising. i mean, all the information we have is off of chinese websites which may or may not be reliable. when will they start to market this baby?

Aargh, Z60 sounds more like a pimped Nissan than a ThinkPad =) I hope Lenovo hasn't completely ruined the brand. Rounded corners I can handle, but next they start using cheap plastics as building material and that's that. I hope Apple manages to make some frigging fantastic x86 machines next year, now that TPs are not IBM anymore...

snife · #14 Post by **snife** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 4:58 pm

Titanium is a cheap [censored] plastic? i learn something new everyday

You should stop trashing the machine before you know the facts about it - believe me, while i am not overly happy with the addition of the silver or the windows key, this is a ThinkPad and is maybe one that will bridge the gap between the corporate market and the consumer market. Lenovo is going after the consumer market and that should be good news for almost everyone here.

And i'm not sure what your X86 Apple comment was all about - you realise they will only run OSX - and if thats what you want why wait for the intel machines.

akeskira · #15 Post by **akeskira** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 5:04 pm

snife wrote:Titanium is a cheap [censored] plastic? i learn something new everyday

You should stop trashing the machine before you know the facts about it - believe me, while i am not overly happy with the addition of the silver or the windows key, this is a ThinkPad and is maybe one that will bridge the gap between the corporate market and the consumer market. Lenovo is going after the consumer market and that should be good news for almost everyone here.

And i'm not sure what your X86 Apple comment was all about - you realise they will only run OSX - and if thats what you want why wait for the intel machines.

x86 == intel my friend. And the x86/intel Apples have been reported to be able to run Windows perfectly.

snife · #16 Post by **snife** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 1:46 pm

i'm not an idiot but there are no apple x86 laptops yet so it is impossible to say but apple aint gonna become just another PC vendor so if you think they are going to run windows just cause they are x86 then I think you will be very disappointed

Navck · #17 Post by **Navck** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 2:57 am

The design looks like what happens if an Insprion 9300 or some generic 17 inch widescreen mediabook had kids with an Thinkpad

Results - Eeww

#18 Post by **AlphaKilo470** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 3:14 am

I like some of the features on it and enev though I don't think it's all that ugly, I do have to say I've seen some nicer looking notebooks and that the Z is a good stray from convention as far as styling goes. Looks like one of those Chinese laptops I'd go over to the local computer store or MicroCenter and see sitting on the shelves.

fredlomf · #19 Post by **fredlomf** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 12:49 pm

Isn't it the agreement between IBM & Levono is that only products developed previously by IBM can bear the "IBM Thinkpad" logo? they cannot just put the "IBM Thinkpad" on other Levono product...

mahorn · #20 Post by **mahorn** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:54 am

it doesn't look good at all! what are the guys at LENOVO doing with THINKPADS? Guys there are tasteless!!! they are making THINKPADS look "sily." Build something else but don't name i THINKPAD!!!

pphilipko · #21 Post by **pphilipko** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:55 am

fredlomf wrote:Isn't it the agreement between IBM & Levono is that only products developed previously by IBM can bear the "IBM Thinkpad" logo? they cannot just put the "IBM Thinkpad" on other Levono product...

I haven't heard of a Levono company before. Perhaps you could enlighten me?

As for Lenovo, yes, they are allowed to use the IBM thinkpad label for two/four years on any thinkpad, even the ones they designed themselves...

#22 Post by **AlphaKilo470** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 12:09 pm

Reason most of us have never heard of Lenovo before is because before the IBM merger, they existed on only China and maybe a select other few parts of Asia. They are China's biggest and prime producer of personal computers and a small stake of them is owned by the Chinese government.

#23 Post by **K. Eng** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 2:30 pm

More than a small stake... approx 45% of Lenovo is owned by Legend Group Limited, which is in turn controlled by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which is in turn controled by the Chinese government.

AlphaKilo470 wrote:a small stake of them is owned by the Chinese government.

#24 Post by **GomJabbar** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:06 pm

I think you guys need to read pphilipko's post more carefully.

beeblebrox · #25 Post by **beeblebrox** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 2:22 am

Very strange discussion about original Thinkpads, Japanese designs and Lenovo screwing it all up....

Folks, you seem to forget, that almost all people from the original IBM department still work there, only the name on the business cards changed.

Same designer, same engineer and even same production facilities as before. So, why would new ThinkPads be different to older ones?

These machines are designed as multimedia stations and to replace the G-series desknotes, which are phazed out now. There are not many options to build a useful multimedia workstation.

So, now that they come with 3 years IBM warranty, they must have better quality than some Sony, Dell crap. Otherwise Lenovo would go bust on crappy stuff that would bleed the repair department to death within 3 years.

I highly welcome the widescreen series and probably will get one for home/office. It is not meant as a travelling salesman's dream, that's what X or T are for.

I only hope for Flexview screens...

STS06 · #26 Post by **STS06** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 9:33 am

I agree..I don't think the blame can fall entirely on Lenovo.

To be honest, we all love the TP corporate design, but a lot, I mean A LOT of people don't. They don't like the fact that there's no windows key (in my opinion the most useless key on a board), nor do they like the fact that TP aren't designed for the average consumer (high end multimedia, graphics, etc.). SO, its completely understandable that Lenovo wants to tap into this market.

Having said that, I think the Z series will have the same qualities (don't judge a book by its cover, or cornors, or color, or...). What I'm saying is that I think Lenovo knows why TPs are revered even among those who don't buy them- great build and even better customer service. Its highly doubtful that they'll move away from this.

Having said THAT, I don't like the style nor do I like the design- I'm not a huge widescreen fan- particualrly b/c I have a desktop and I need a laptop for protability and ability to crunch numbers and whatever else I throw at it. I also doubt that Lenovo will pick up on the z-series and neglect the others....I think they'll continue with the T, R ,and X series. If they don't, I suggest we buy these laptops now!...in bulk!....anyone with me?

slagmi · #27 Post by **slagmi** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 10:00 am

Personally, I like the slightly rounded corners around the screen.

And, like it or not, 16:9 (with 2 apps side by side) is clearly the way of the future; and 4:3 isn't.

#28 Post by **K. Eng** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 7:57 pm

But is it?

I don't like the additional footprint that 16:9 display form factors create. While I think there is certainly a market for 16:9 machines, I don't think 4:3 displays will be eliminated anytime soon.

slagmi wrote:Personally, I like the slightly rounded corners around the screen.

And, like it or not, 16:9 (with 2 apps side by side) is clearly the way of the future; and 4:3 isn't.

beeblebrox · #29 Post by **beeblebrox** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 4:06 am

Windows screen sizes depend on supply and demand. If a growing majority of customers prefer widescreen and production volumes go up and prices down, the portfolio of sold computers naturally shifts towards more sales.

Of course, there are always the "special" sizes, such as 13,3" etc. that kind of died out. But low production volumes mean higher prices -> more customers buy cheaper notebooks -> more widesreen.

AND: calculate the effective area of a 4:3 screen and a 16:9 screen and you'll be surprised!

Z-series is another market, the multimedia and desktop replacement and has nothing to do with T,X,R series.
You also have cars in various sizes, not everyone buys a SUV

slagmi · #30 Post by **slagmi** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:53 am

Just as flat panels now outsell CRT's and notebooks now outsell desktops, so will widescreens eventually outsell old format screens.

Don't think for a second that Gates, Jobs, and the others at the helm of the industry don't sit in front of a widescreen every day, or that Aero(TM) won't look it's best that way.

I like to see Lenovo 'keeping up', at least. There's not much bad to say about ThinkPads but they are sort of vaguely stolid and stodgy, and they will never grow sales much unless that changes somewhat.

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