Thinkpadders, do NOT Rejoice, WEEP and/or DESPAIR!

[ajkula66]

So only possibilities are:
16:9 or 16;10.

I hope the latter, i fear the former.

Very well put.

I'm guessing the only thing "retro" about this project will be the keyboard.

I'm fairly certain that this prediction is shared by many with silly old me being one of them. If that ends up being the case indeed, I want no part of Lenovo's ultimate "add insult to the injury" project - regardless of its price tag - ever.

[Ibthink]

I have mentioned before that this project is most interesting for people who are still stuck on the T420 generation. I did say that for a reason.

One step at a time. If this is a success, maybe Lenovo realizes that it should cater more to ThinkPad fans. After all, nothing talks to a company like money. I can see why many don´t like that, but this is how things are. The decisions are made by people who have no real emotional connection to the brand, they only understand numbers and money.

[Thinkpad4by3]

Why not buy it? It still is a new laptop with a TP keyboard. And IBthink is right, nothing speaks to a company like money.

[ajkula66]

I have mentioned before that this project is most interesting for people who are still stuck on the T420 generation. I did say that for a reason.

I hope that I'm misunderstanding this statement. I truly do.

[Puppy]

I hope that I'm misunderstanding this statement. I truly do.

I smell (joke inside since I became anosmic lately) the biggest Lenovo fiasco (both Microsoft and Huawei can deliver non 16:9 laptops) and also big insult to ThinkPad community that expressed what we expect

[RealBlackStuff]

You're right, so far this whole charade stinks to high heaven!

[Thinkpad4by3]

Lenovo: In order to ensure the best layout retro keyboard, we will be using the layout from the TP310 and calling it the T470.

[Thinkpad4by3]

This:

https://i.imgflip.com/1o9rqw.jpg

[dr_st]

Screen ratio is not a key part of the Thinkpad brand. The keyboard is.

[Thinkpad4by3]

Screen ratio is not a key part of the Thinkpad brand. The keyboard is.

Really the TP brand is about getting work done efficently and quickly. If the screen ratio causes productivity slow down, then it is affecting the TP brand. Same applies to the keyboard.

[murak]

I'm guessing the only thing "retro" about this project will be the keyboard. All the other will be poopoo

Ah, but you forget the multi-color logo!

In all seriousness, I will continue to keep an eye on the retro, but my mind has shifted to wanting a x62 with an m2 slot, daylight kit and latest gen cpu. That is now my dream laptop, not the retro.

[Puppy]

Why they had created all these polls (including screen aspect ratio) and then delivers just modified T470 casing with old 6-row keyboard? It'd be really poor ThinkPad "anniversary" product after all It confirms nobody at Lenovo actually wanted it and I understand David Hill quit timing.

BTW T470 does not have WQHD screen option (T470s and T470p do only) so it might be another surprise.

[pianowizard]

Why they had created all these polls (including screen aspect ratio) and then delivers just modified T470 casing with old 6-row keyboard?

Exactly. Thus, I predict it will have a 16:10 screen. Assuming David Hill isn't lying and is truly excited about the Retro, I bet the keyboard and the colorful Thinkpad logo aren't the only retro features. On a 14.0" screen, 2560x1600 would be a nice resolution as it yields 215.6 DPI. If I bought one (highly unlikely), I probably wouldn't need to scale Windows, and users who need to scale wouldn't have to scale as much as on higher-DPI displays.

[Puppy]

On a 14.0" screen, 2560x1600 would be a nice resolution as it yields 215.6 DPI. If I bought one (highly unlikely), I probably wouldn't need to scale Windows

Same here, except I'd get it for sure if it had such specs

[Summilux]

On the released picture, the trackpoint's buttons seems flush with the palmrest, which appears less ergonomic than my X220's "bumped" buttons.

In other words, a T470 with a proper keyboard labelled as "Classic/Retro/whatever" is nothing short of an outright insult in my book. If Lenovo is really intent on bringing back the feature that no one had asked them to remove in the first place and charging a premium for it under the guise of "hey, this is the last chance you'll get for a normal keyboard on a ThinkPad ever, so hurry up and grab them while they're hot" approach is not going to fly with me regardless of the price tag, and under any set of circumstances.

Good words. For me the keyboard is most important, so as long as it's there I'd be barely okay with even a 16:9 screen. But maybe I should rethink this. D. Hill and Lenovo have messed up too much with us.

Notice there are no LED indicators? That is for the 8 functions buttons.

But you still need to add a LED for the disk activity (yes, even with an SSD it's useful), a second one for the battery status, and a third one for the current power (e.g. plugged to a power outlet) status.

The customisable function buttons, in addition to the three LEDs above, are a good idea. Provided they're placed appropriately and their brightness can also be changed.

Would you buy 1?

Take my money !

[Summilux]

I mean if ever students online marketing/public relations/rebranding want to study a case of how these kind of things should not be done, this is it right here.

You create buzz, you send questionnaires out in a timely fashion, you pretend to listen to that hardcore fanbase of yours and then you let it all die. For what reason, might I ask?

I mean with all the tools at hand thanks to the internet (social media, crowdfunding, ...) one would expect a different kind of handling, no ?

Amen. There should be an HBR case study of how Lenovo destroyed the Thinkpad brand.

I'm guessing the only thing "retro" about this project will be the keyboard.

I'm fairly certain that this prediction is shared by many with silly old me being one of them. If that ends up being the case indeed, I want no part of Lenovo's ultimate "add insult to the injury" project - regardless of its price tag - ever.

They could just have slapped an optional classic keyboard on their main (aka real) TP lines and call it a day... but no, they had to keep ruining the faint faith of the IBM fanbase

Why not buy it? It still is a new laptop with a TP keyboard.

Because in a sense it validates their approach of spitting on the consumers.

[ajkula66]

They could just have slapped an optional classic keyboard on their main (aka real) TP lines and call it a day... but no, they had to keep ruining the faint faith of the IBM fanbase

I've been saying the same thing for years now....

Because in a sense it validates their approach of spitting on the consumers.

Amen. If you're going to spit in my face don't expect me to yell "hooray"...

[TPFanatic]

Lenovo put a Thinklight in this E420s so I bet they can squeeze one into the T470. They're stupid if they don't.

[dr_st]

They could just have slapped an optional classic keyboard on their main (aka real) TP lines and call it a day...

If this new model is successful, it may just happen (assuming it really does sport the classic keyboard). There is even no reason to make it optional. There is nothing in the new 6-row keyboard layout that anyone would miss.

[Puppy]

If this new model is successful

Won't happen because of pricing, at least in countries where preconfigured models are offered only. There are seven configurations of T470s over here but there is only WQHD one (20HF000XMC). It comes with i7 7600U, overpriced 1 TB SSD and 4G module included, almost double price compared to the other ones. I expect there will be only one ThinkPad 25 configuration available, if any.

There is even no reason to make it optional. There is nothing in the new 6-row keyboard layout that anyone would miss.

It is, Lenovo obsession of saving every $1 in a $4000+ laptops. The 7-row keyboard has more keys, one of them have even different color and the design requires dedicated volume buttons. And the most important issue, it is not innovative (read: stupid). They have also invested a fortune into BIOS Fn+Lock feature that breaks Insert key nobody at Lenovo knows what it is for anyway

[Summilux]

And the most important issue, it is not innovative (read: stupid)

Yes ! After all, Lenovo conducted extensive consumer research to perfect the previous, debilitating 7-row layout ! That's what they told us and there's no reason not to believe them !!!

[Puppy]

if anyone ever wondered how a marketing campaign should not be run, Retro is one heck of a fine example...

An example how to do it better X Mount Lens Roadmap

[dr_st]

If this new model is successful

Won't happen because of pricing, at least in countries where preconfigured models are offered only.

I'm sorry, was there any pricing information disclosed that I missed?

Lenovo's general pricing/configuration strategy being what it is, I do not see any reason to believe that whatever this new model turns out to be, it will be treated differently (in terms of base price, or number of configurations).

There is even no reason to make it optional. There is nothing in the new 6-row keyboard layout that anyone would miss.

It is, Lenovo obsession of saving every $1 in a $4000+ laptops. The 7-row keyboard has more keys, one of them have even different color and the design requires dedicated volume buttons.

Really, both statements (regarding Lenovo's obsession as well as the higher cost of the 7-row keyboard) are just your assumptions; I did not see any facts supporting them.

And the most important issue, it is not innovative (read: stupid). They have also invested a fortune into BIOS Fn+Lock feature that breaks Insert key nobody at Lenovo knows what it is for anyway

Invested a fortune? You're certain about it?

Sometimes innovations are just bad, and they fail. Some faster, some slower, for different reasons, and then they may be retracted.

[axur-delmeria]

Looks like an admin uploaded an image a wee bit early:



Mod note: it says Anniversary Edition 25

[Summilux]

So they really did merely slap a T420 keyboard onto a T470 shell

[RealBlackStuff]

Now ALL the LEDs are missing and the Fokkers STILL put on a 16:9 screen!
What a load of garbage!

[Puppy]

Now ALL the LEDs are missing and the Fokkers STILL put on a 16:9 screen!
What a load of garbage!

This is gigantic failure, if true Not only the 16:9 crap but all the status LEDs missing? Why there were all these pools? Do we have to pay extra $2000 to get several LED components for $0.01? Why the super thick bezel again?

[RealBlackStuff]

Found some more from the same source:
https://www.lenovopartner.com/documents ... book2.png/
Ibthink corrected this as X1 Carbon Gen 5

https://www.lenovopartner.com/documents ... book3.png/
Ibthink corrected this as X1 Yoga Gen 1

Just in case: I saved them also on my PC.
But these might be from a prototype, judging by the keyboard!

Notice that Ibthink did NOT correct the first (Retro)picture as loaded by axur-delmeria!!!

[Thinkpad4by3]

Sounds like a product that deserves to right to either TechRax or GizmoSlip.

[Ibthink]

Just in case: I saved them also on my PC.
But these might be from a prototype, judging by the keyboard!

First picture shows the X1 Carbon Gen 5, second picture is the X1 Yoga Gen 1.