From what I can grasp, our Chinese bros at 51nb aren't too excited about this either : https://translate.google.fr/translate?s ... t=&act=url
I don't know how Hope and other key members of 51nb are feeling about it, but maybe there could be some momentum for stepping up and start thinking about making a laptop "from scratch" (note the quotes, the mobos are essentially done and the keyboard would be procured by the end-users from Lenovo spare parts shop).
This would depart from their business of repurposing second-hand parts of decade old Thinkpads, and the time-to-market would be accordingly lengthened, but it could well be worth it. It's our only chance to make Thinkpads great again.
As I wrote earlier in the main thread :
Our role could be to help 51nb connect with the rest of the world, and get more prospective customers onboard - therefore increasing the orders, and lowering the laptop price for all.Summilux wrote: ↑Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:37 amI'm wishing for 51nb to do just this. They know how to make mobos and the classic keyboard part will be handled by Lenovo (lol), so the "only" remaining things that'd have to be taken care of would be the display, shell, battery, etc. But even for that they could salvage or get original parts without too many troubles.
The most difficult issue would be the procurement of the display - and the Kickstarter or Indigogo would serve to get advance orders and advance funds. The crowdfunding page would stipulate that after preliminary discussions with display makers, the laptop would cost this if there are 10.000 orders, and that if there are 20.000 orders. Which, in turn, would give another incentive for people to get into this group buy - the more buyers, the cheaper it becomes.
We should at least try to connect with them and test the water. Anyone speaks fluent Mandarin ?