How did the "Stinkpad" get it's name?

[hunterman223]

I have noticed a few blog posts and forum topics that mention "Stinkpads" instead of Thinkpads. Any reason in particular for this?

Just thought of it now, but I read awhile back that certain manufacturers had issues with stinky keyboards due to the plastic retaining oils from the skin. Was this the case with IBM/Lenovo at some point?

[rkawakami]

My guess is that it was just an easily derived name of derision. Probably not due to any actual smell of the system, although I just noticed last night that when I pulled out a 600 system for the first time in a year or so and fired it up, there was still a distinct smell of plastic, rubber, paint, oil, whatever, that made me think: "Yup, that's a Thinkpad".

[pianowizard]

This name was probably coined by people who had bad luck with Thinkpads. It's similar to Dell being called "Hell" by people who don't like Dell.

[ozzymud]

rkawakami has it spot on, some names just ask for it, I mean even in your most loved brands, who hasn't had at least one huge fail... think about a 1st time ThinkPad user who has had say Dell machines for a long time and gotten lucky with no big problems, then decides to buy a ThinkPad and gets no end of problems.

I have been a long time user of Western Digital hard disks, I even suffered through the flaky 4GB 3.5" drives... overall they have been long time performers... I recently bought 2 $50 1TB Hitachi 3.5" from newegg, they BOTH failed in the 1st month... stupid *hit-achi

To go along with Thinkpad = Stinkpad....

• DB/2, PS/2, OS/2: ½ a [computer, database, operating system] <-- guess DB², PS² OS² woulda been better
• TRS-80: Trash-80
• Intellistation: Repellistation
• Aptiva: Craptiva
• Logitech: Logiwreck

And IBM has it's own other set as well...

• Inferior But Marketable
• It's Better Manually
• Insidious Black Magic
• It's Been Malfunctioning
• Incontinent Bowel Movement

[rumbero]

And IBM has it's own other set as well...

While rather unrelated, i also got a pair for HP:

• Half Pay
• Half Perfect
• Horrible Products
• Hellish Policies
• High Prices

Disclaimer: I used to work a few years for this company, and heartily dislike it since then. The alternative acronym resolutions should suffice for explanation. But i digress...

[A31]

Xbox 360 = Xbomb 360 No I have an Xbox 360 and it's a great system, I just made that name up for it!

Yeah I guess "StinkPad" is the name given to ThinkPads by people who haven't had much luck with them, or the word "ThinkPad" was just asking to be changed to "StinkPad". Rather like, as pianowizard said, the Dell and "Hell" thing.

Never had a problem with HP BTW, prefer them to Dell

[hunterman223]

Thanks for all the great points, I especially enjoyed ozzymud's set of acronyms (or whatever they are )

While we're on the subject of acronyms, some of these are cheesy but good.

[ThinkRob]

And then there's AIX, which is "pronounced like the end result" (in the words of one sysadmin.) I even know IBMers who call it that...

(I've never used it, but since I'll probably be getting an AIX box some time next year I guess I'll see if it lives up to its name...)

[A31]

Macs backwards is 'scam'......... To go with the Apple acronym even though it's not an acronym.