Thinkpads Forum

lead_org wrote:i was told that there had been nearly 2000 people whom participated in the survey 2 so far.

I think that number is fine, not all people have the time to follow the news so closely with different surveys days/weeks apart, not everyone would be able to follow and contribute to a survey that is not publicly advertised.

lead_org wrote:I think it is okay to be critical of Lenovo's past design intentions for ThinkPad, but you CAN'T fault them for taking steps to correct certain design abbreviations, or let the customers voice their opinions on the future of the brand
P.S. Survey 2 is coming up in 5 hours, so please participate.

You are absolutely correct, and, I am looking impatiently to the outcome of this project.

I am however worried that Lenovo way of doing things seeps into this last hope.

Lenovo bought the Thinkpad from IBM when it was the top brand of computer even above apple, now it merely tries to copy apply or to copy the mainstream instead of the opposite.

Lenovo have done allot of bad design ideas and bad quality control over the last few years, ... I am hoping by criticizing them here, now that Lenovo is starting to listen would get whoever in control to try to avoid the similar issues. for example:

1.t520/t510/..etc touchpad texture
2.t520/w520/t530/w530 fan noise fixed by a bios update much later, over 6 months after release.
3.Thinkpad Edge bricking spontaneously , i think it was either the e520 or e530
4.Thinkpad *40 brick when installing linux.
5.w540/w541/w550s , 3 consecutive w-series releases with thermal throttling
6.Inadecuate cooling for turbo boost on almost all thinkpads
7.the use of intel 7260ac on *40 series, with immature drivers, instead of stable alternative from Broadcom or Realtek

At the end of the day I don't care what Lenovo does to their ThinkPads anymore. I got the last of IBM ThinkPads "T61" and it is a solid machine with keyboard and a still good CPU "Intel Core 2 Duo" running Windows 7 Professional. Some day I'm wanting to get another T61 and upgrade the motherboard and screen once 3D print motherboards come someday, I think that will be great. That should be good for people wanting to keep with the older ThinkPad they love and have the latest display and CPU.

ThinkPad560X wrote:I got the last of IBM ThinkPads "T61" and it is a solid machine with keyboard and a still good CPU "Intel Core 2 Duo" running Windows 7 Professional.

I don't know where you got the idea that T61 had anything to do with IBM. It's a 10001% Lenovo designed and built machine.

They are the last models to receive the IBM badge in early 2007.

ThinkPad560X wrote:They are the last models to receive the IBM badge in early 2007.

Badge, yes. Absolutely nothing else.

As for the badges...I'll repeat myself for the umpteenth time: I've owned T4x systems with Lenovo insignia on the clear plates and a lot more....that's two generations prior to T61...

Let's be fair, I'd count the T61 as the same generation as the T60, and therefore a Lenovo-badged T43 is only one generation back. (There wasn't a T5x generation, after all, due to how the R-series was misnumbered, with R40 being equivalent to T30 (or sorta kinda related to T40/41 with the Pentium M models, but still closer to T30), and R5x being equivalent to T42/T43.)

bhtooefr wrote:There wasn't a T5x generation

Have you not seen my signature?

My T43 has all IBM badging. This T43p has a Lenovo battery but the rest is IBM. I think the T60 was the last model that had anything IBM on it.

T61: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/dr_st/m ... 8.jpg.html

The T400 and T500 and up got rid of the IBM ThinkPad badge shape and just has todays ThinkPad logo and cannot fit the IBM badge into it anymore.
I got mine in early 2007 too, I don't thinkpad any of my ThinkPads in my signtuer has the new ThinkPad logo only on them.

I'm looking to get a Core i5 or i7 laptop and wanting to get the T420 with the last standard keyboard and it will be my first ThinkPad only logo one when I get the time and money to get it.

Updated: Just looked at my T60,R60,X60,X60T,Z60M,T61 and R61i and all have IBMs.

Heres a nice image of the original IBM logo with the New ThinkPad , maybe someone can photoshop the RGB ThinkPad logo and see a comparison. http://www.retropcmania.com/2010/08/len ... eview.html

But back to the T61, you can see in the image the badge logo on that T61 still used the same shape fit for the IBM badge.

I am not sure why people is so fascinated with the badge. The correct term is ThinkPad designed and produced when it is owned by IBM or Lenovo.

Although even to this day, ThinkPad business unit is managed by people in Triangle park and not through Beijing.

lead_org wrote:I am not sure why people is so fascinated with the badge.

Neither am I, although it was a pretty one. Not that there's anything wrong with the "ThinkPad" one seen on later units.

Speaking of which, could you PLEASE talk to Mr. Hill and ask him to re-think (pun intended) the logo that he has presented on the "retro" machine? I have nothing but the highest respect for the man, however that logo is just...

If I am informed correctly, IBM helped develop ThinkPads until and including the T400/T500. The X300 and W700 were the first pure lenovo ThinkPads.

lead_org wrote:I am not sure why people is so fascinated with the badge.

Strange that nobody seems to even only consider the possibility of having any logo removed? The ultimate elegance of a Thinkpad could only be represented by the complete absence of any such blatant trade scars.

I always disliked the abomination of putting an additional Lenovo logo on the display covers starting with the Tx00 generation Thinkpads.

lead_org wrote:Although even to this day, ThinkPad business unit is managed by people in Triangle park and not through Beijing.

Managing is not the same as directing, because managers merely take orders from directors. People in the RTP are directed by people based in China.

rumbero wrote:

lead_org wrote:I am not sure why people is so fascinated with the badge.

Strange that nobody seems to even only consider the possibility of having any logo removed? The ultimate elegance of a Thinkpad could only be represented by the complete absence of any such blatant trade scars.

I always disliked the abomination of putting an additional Lenovo logo on the display covers starting with the Tx00 generation Thinkpads.

Good point. I just realized this after reading your post. Getting the ugly Lenovo badge off the lid makes the exterior less cluttered and more clean. The curvy font of the Lenovo badge does not match the boxy exterior of Thinkpads, especially for the more 'classic' ones pre T410 era.

It would be nice to see the return of engraved IO labels instead of printed ones seen on the new thinkpads as well.

Badging design will come up in the next survey if i am not wrong. i don't think Lenovo will remove the Lenovo badging from the top of the case.

ajkula66 wrote: That number needs to go up - severely so - before the part 3 gets to be announced.

Would be nice if the sample could remain constant, i.e. around 4000 responses. Of course more would be welcome.

ThinkPad560X wrote:Some day I'm wanting to get another T61 and upgrade the motherboard and screen once 3D print motherboards come someday, I think that will be great. That should be good for people wanting to keep with the older ThinkPad they love and have the latest display and CPU.

And how would you deal with the BIOS? Up to now that's what's been preventing the community to install the regular keyboard over newer Thinkpads.

lead_org wrote:i don't think Lenovo will remove the Lenovo badging from the top of the case.

Not an issue. We can do it ourselves if necessary. That's what I did with my X220.

I think what ThinkPad560X is asking for is another T50-like project from some place like 51nb.com - basically a new motherboard designed specifically for the T6x chassis that they have, that wouldn't be a Lenovo design.

You can see how much the ThinkPad changed since Lenovo, They look more like a DELL/HP and Apple then before. http://s262.photobucket.com/user/halfbr ... e.jpg.html

How I think the ThinkPad Retro look. "Just my opinion"

14" - 15" Standard display
14" - 15" Wide Display option if needing Wide display
1 ThinkLight that uses the whitelight again.
Left and Right mouse click for trackpoint & touchpad with the red and blue colors witch we got back after the T60/T61.
Colorful keyboard coding, The top row keys F1,F2.. and page back and forward use the Dark grey. Purple Enter Key.
Rubber feel top lid and maybe palmrest "600X had the rubber palmrest and felt nice but wear out over time from hands, maybe can make last longer now as that was 1998"

Optional CD/RW/DVD Rom and Blu-Ray Drive or External HDD. "Not sure if lenovo uses the many accessories anymore witch was called the ultrabay.

2-4 USB ports layed flat and not sideways like the R60
Physical Audio up down mute buttons
A normal touchpad that is non texture with real buttons left and right click "That wears out over time and looks bad, look at compaq silver laptops that really show http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vsxxYxH5Kl0/T ... _v2000.jpg

Lid latches
The use of the standard IBM ThinkPad logo on this run model T92 and only available on the Retro ThinkPad T92. Or just use the standard Silver ThinkPad logo with the light up dot red i. I don't think a colorful ThinkPad logo looks good compared to the original IBM ThinkPad logo.

And lastly witch I would like and probably not going to get made, A dock port on the bottom of the laptop and a Selectadock 4. (The laptop to desktop makeover if you want to say) Add a graphics card in, another 3.5 HDD and a desktop disc drive and more ports. Was for IBM ThinkPad 760,770 and 600. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29Vfonbud5Y/T ... docked.JPG

http://pctuning.tyden.cz/ilustrace3/ryb ... ck-iii.jpg

3 PCI slots:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzA1WDE1OTU=/ ... 880000500F

bhtooefr wrote:I think what ThinkPad560X is asking for is another T50-like project from some place like 51nb.com - basically a new motherboard designed specifically for the T6x chassis that they have, that wouldn't be a Lenovo design.

That's what I understood, and my concern remains: does their BIOS properly tackle the regular TP keyboard's mapping?

Summilux wrote: That's what I understood, and my concern remains: does their BIOS properly tackle the regular TP keyboard's mapping?

First-hand experience, nothing to do with this thread so I'll elaborate elsewhere when I'm up for it: NO it does NOT.

ajkula66 wrote: First-hand experience, nothing to do with this thread so I'll elaborate elsewhere when I'm up for it: NO it does NOT.

Thank you for this unequivocal feedback. I'll be looking forward to reading about your experience.

About logo, that is my version, looks nice as UEFI logo on x220
https://twitter.com/_kitor/status/614900778449403904

I like it. It fits nice with the lenovo logo.

ThinkPad560X wrote:You can see how much the ThinkPad changed since Lenovo, They look more like a DELL/HP and Apple then before. http://s262.photobucket.com/user/halfbr ... e.jpg.html

Except that Dell's and HP's business-class, non-ultrabook laptops still have touchpad buttons.

ajkula66 wrote:

lead_org wrote:i was told that there had been nearly 2000 people whom participated in the survey 2 so far.

That number needs to go up - severely so - before the part 3 gets to be announced.

In my opinion, that is.

I agree.

But wanting something or even buying it, is quite something different than participating in a survey for something yet to come. Hard to convince people to do it.

Once they build it, they should also offer it to universities that have a laptop programme. That way lots of younger people will get used to the good ways of good keyboard and useable screen aspect ratio.

kitor wrote:About logo, that is my version, looks nice as UEFI logo on x220
https://twitter.com/_kitor/status/614900778449403904

http://i.imgur.com/tWNwteg.png

I really like this one. You should forward it to David Hill.

I also like that ThinkPad logo. It is not garish and I don't mind the extra color on the palmrest.
The people who comment on the Blogs about putting the old IBM logo on the palmrest don't have my backing.
The Retro, although I am not sure about that wording is a great idea but history is history and should be left that way.

I love my X61 which has the IBM logo and they can pry it from my dead hands because I will never sell it.
If commonsense prevails here then this project should be successful. David Hill has my admiration for taking this on.

How about convincing them to use the old rectangular shape of lid- and palmrest-stickers again, that was first used by IBM and later as e.g. "Lenovo Type T"?
That way WE can replace them with the original IBM stickers to make the new design really Retro...

For me that falls in the same category as blue / black enter key; I couldn't care less. But if they can sell more / make it cheaper to do it in a certain way; I'm all for it.

I never really see the logo's anyway. The one on the outside isn't visible when using the laptop, the one on the inside I don't look at. Instead I now look at a [...] TN panel that shifts colours like crazy depending on viewing angle.

LED in the outer logo is something they shouldn't do however. It's only annoying for other people. Same goes for that backlight bleed on certain HP's en Apple's.