Thinkpadders Rejoice (*LARGE PICS*)

[bgx]

anyway, can we have any hope for non 16/9 Thinkpad LAPTOP in 2017?

[fatpolomanjr]

If they end up releasing a 16:9 Retro Thinkpad, let's just say I'll be glad I spent the extra money on the 51nb projects.

[dr_st]

And the winner is:... System76 Lemur, starting at only $699.-

Seems like a cheap Chinese barebone chassis to me. Not really sure whats so special about this one, other than that it doesn´t come with Windows.

Heh, to some that's special enough.

It does have a nice selection of ports.

[Puppy]

Even Huawei can release a 13" 3:2 laptop.

[Raidriar]

Still waiting for 16:10 1920x1200 to make a comeback

[RealBlackStuff]

There are rumors that the retro thinkpad will be based on the T470, but the details are somewhat lost in translation.
Read it and weep!

(found it here: viewtopic.php?p=801190#p801190)

[Puppy]

There are rumors that the retro thinkpad

Yes, the project is dead (as expected)

I think about getting ThinkPad wireless keyboard (the 7-row old one) with Microsoft Surface combo.

[shawross]

Yes if the Surface came out with a decent Trackpoint then I would open my wallet.

[kfzhu1229]

I think about getting ThinkPad wireless keyboard (the 7-row old one) with Microsoft Surface combo.

I wouldn't get the wireless keyboard if I plan to use that thing to type a lot. The wireless keyboard isn't as reliable as their wired counterparts. it's like you just get lost characters in a long paragraph and you have to go back and check word by word again...

[theterminator93]

You don't proofread regardless?

[pianowizard]

I think about getting ThinkPad wireless keyboard (the 7-row old one) with Microsoft Surface combo.

What's the model number of the 7-row wireless keyboard? I have seen only 6-row ones.

As you saw in my "What's the lightest laptop you travel with" thread, I recently bought a Surface 3 (non-Pro) and am so happy with it that I will sell all my other portable computers. A nice thing about it is that it has not just a micro USB port but also a full-sized USB port, something the Thinkpad 8 lacks. Thus, you can simply plug in a wired Thinkpad keyboard via the full-sized USB port, and can still have the charger plugged into the micro USB port. I am using the SK-8845 Thinkpad keyboard with the Surface 3. It's not fully compatible with Windows 10 64bit, but works well enough for the most part. For traveling though, Microsoft's type cover designed specifically for the Surface 3 would be better than the Thinkpad keyboard, since it is not only much lighter but also protects the screen.

BTW, the new Surface Pro announced a couple weeks ago has a WWAN option!

The wireless keyboard isn't as reliable as their wired counterparts. it's like you just get lost characters in a long paragraph and you have to go back and check word by word again...

Touch-typists who look at the screen while typing won't have this problem. If a character is missing, we correct that right away before typing the rest of the paragraph.

[Puppy]

What's the model number of the 7-row wireless keyboard? I have seen only 6-row ones.

You're right, it was USB one only that era.

[chx1975]

There are rumors that the retro thinkpad will be based on the T470, but the details are somewhat lost in translation.
Read it and weep!

(found it here: viewtopic.php?p=801190#p801190)

Weep why? I would buy I have no problems. I am not married to any screen ratio really. The T470 goes to 32GB has a physical dock and has Thunderbolt 3. If it gets the classic keyboard, I am buying it.

[Puppy]

The T470 goes to 32GB has a physical dock and has Thunderbolt 3. If it gets the classic keyboard, I am buying it.

T470 does not have WQHD screen option (T470p and T470s have it) that delivers acceptable quality while the FHD screen quality is much worse. But it is not known yet what exact T470 model it will be based on.

[prophetic]

There are rumors that the retro thinkpad will be based on the T470, but the details are somewhat lost in translation.
Read it and weep!

(found it here: viewtopic.php?p=801190#p801190)

Weep why? I would buy I have no problems. I am not married to any screen ratio really. The T470 goes to 32GB has a physical dock and has Thunderbolt 3. If it gets the classic keyboard, I am buying it.

A T470 with classic keyboard would be so lazy. At least try to get us a 3:2 screen. If it's only a swapped out keyboard, they should have had that option available from the beginning and celebrated the entirety of 2017 as the 25th anniversary.

I already said it but it bears repeating: releasing something configured like this in November rather than now is lazy on so many levels.

[Summilux]

A T470 with classic keyboard would be so lazy.

But it wouldn't be surprising coming from Lenovo, now, would it ?

If it's only a swapped out keyboard, they should have had that option available from the beginning

This had been hinted at upon several occasions, but Lenovo has been all too keen on Lenovoing for so long.

[ajkula66]

Weep why? I would buy I have no problems. I am not married to any screen ratio really. The T470 goes to 32GB has a physical dock and has Thunderbolt 3. If it gets the classic keyboard, I am buying it.

Maybe not weep, but definitely yawn. We need a yawning smiley around here, big time.

To each their own, but if the only "Retro" aspect of the machine will be a 7-row keyboard all I can do is yawn.

No one - but no one - asked for the transition to the 6-row. Now we're supposed to jump from joy that the option which shouldn't have been taken away in the first place is coming back on what is supposed to be a premium, one-time-killer unit? I don't think so.

I'd even swallow a 3:2 panel of good quality although my preferences lay elsewhere, but a "retro" ThinkPad with a 16:9 aspect ratio is an insult to intelligence of the ThinkPadders worldwide. Not that it would be a first one, coming from Lenovo.

[chx1975]

To each their own, but if the only "Retro" aspect of the machine will be a 7-row keyboard all I can do is yawn.

No one - but no one - asked for the transition to the 6-row. Now we're supposed to jump from joy that the option which shouldn't

Supposed to or not, I will jump from joy and will buy any recent hardware ThinkPad with the seven row keyboard (with the usual caveats: user installable memory, disks and some sort of high speed external bus which today is Thunderbolt 3 so the T470p simply doesn't cut it).

Yes, more would be better but it's the keyboard winter and I will grasp at any warm. I have backed the Indiegogo campaign for the Moto Z keyboard mod and hope it'll happen. Would it better if it would be integrated and not a mod? Sure. But I will take what is there. There hasn't been a landscape keyboard phone since 2012. There hasn't been a laptop with a usable keyboard since 2011. I will take what I get. I am a dinosaur, I know and I am glad whatever little is thrown at me.

[Puppy]

Someone here reports that his T470p has already died three times (third replacement). Wondering whether it is just typical Lenovo beta-grade BIOS already known from P50 (first few months machines died after some specific steps with docking etc) or hardware design or quality issue

[exTPfan]

A T470 with a 7-row keyboard would be better than a T470 with a 6-row keyboard, but its screen is smaller than the 13.3 inch screen on a Thinkpad 600e from year 2000 (83.75 in^2 vs 84.91 in^2). Not for serious stuff.
http://www.displaywars.com/14-inch-16x9 ... 3-inch-4x3

[prophetic]

A T470 with a 7-row keyboard would be better than a T470 with a 6-row keyboard, but its screen is smaller than the 13.3 inch screen on a Thinkpad 600e from year 2000 (83.75 in^2 vs 84.91 in^2). Not for serious stuff.
http://www.displaywars.com/14-inch-16x9 ... 3-inch-4x3

It's amazing how disappointing 16:9 really is.

[Isengrim]

I have been lurking this forum for quite long time now waiting for some update about ThinkPad Retro. My wish is that with this one I can bring some hope back ---> https://twitter.com/LenovoBlogCZ

Basically it means "Quick update: Retro ThinkPad is not dead. And 25th anniversary of ThinkPad is coming closer..."

[ajkula66]

Welcome to the forum!

I have been lurking this forum for quite long time now waiting for some update about ThinkPad Retro. My wish is that with this one I can bring some hope back ---> https://twitter.com/LenovoBlogCZ

Basically it means "Quick update: Retro ThinkPad is not dead. And 25th anniversary of ThinkPad is coming closer..."

Unfortunately, while one lives in hope, they usually also die in hope...

To put it more precisely: for many, the "retro project" is on life support and can be presumed dead. Others are afraid of it coming alive as another disappointment from Lenovo.

Personally, I'm at the point where I could hardly care less about it, which is quite sad given my long-time-devotion to the brand.

[RealBlackStuff]

Here is some worthy reading: This year's 25 geekiest 25th anniversaries
Some follow-ups:
25 years ago there was Windows 3.1, today there is Windows 10, at least at this rate we'll never see Windows 25, Yeah!
Lenovo dumps usable keyboards and decent screens, because they cost money!
Trump dumps the Climate Change agreement, because that costs money!

[BillMorrow]

i was verifying my collection of thinkpad 701C HDD's sunday.. some would boot to win 3.11, some to win95 and some to win98.. i have one someplace here that boots to OS/2..
running lotus 123 and other lotus apps they sure run fast..
i guess from low overhead..

the latest i heard re. the retro thinkpad is there won't be 4x3.. it'll be some wide screen aspect..
why..? no 4x3 available..!

i guess this IS like climate change..
global cooling, global warming, weather, whatever you call it it'll likely never show up..

[Summilux]

Personally, I'm at the point where I could hardly care less about it, which is quite sad given my long-time-devotion to the brand.

I wish I could. Lenovo deserves only disdain from us. But HP and Dell have stopped producing laptops with traditional (non-chicklet) keyboards and their trackpoints aren't on par with IBM's. So I'm forced to cling onto this thread...

[TPFanatic]

Are the Dell and HP "Trackpoints" also made by Synpatics? Perhaps you can install the Thinkpad Synpatics drivers on them, like some people in the past have installed HP Synaptics drivers on their Thinkpads (I tried it on my T500, it worked) as a means of gaining two-finger scrolling for the Touchpad, but they come bundled with HP's inferior pointing stick driver.

[Puppy]

If the Retro project outcome will be just T470 (including no WQHD screen option ?) with 7-row keyboard and no other improvements like missing status LED indicators, I am wondering whom such product actually targets ? It is too far from original promise/hope for individuals who wanted classic ThinkPad again. Corporates don't care at all how crappy the keyboard or display is especially if there will be a premium price for such generic laptop.

[dr_st]

If the Retro project outcome will be just T470 (including no WQHD screen option ?) with 7-row keyboard and no other improvements like missing status LED indicators, I am wondering whom such product actually targets ?

Honestly? I'd probably buy it, even just for the 7-row keyboard with a traditional layout. As long as it's not too crippled in other ways. For instance, I still want a mechanical dock and an Ultrabay, and prefer to have a LAN port. LED indicators I can live without. QHD I can live without, as long as the screen is IPS. FHD on 14" is sufficient for me. I'm very much enjoying my lovely customized T430s.

[Puppy]

You probably meant 7-row.

Yep

During last two years I use desktop setup again more and more (X220 in dock with 4:3 monitor) so the Retro machine was more alike I "want" rather than "need" that. Having (low-res = low-quality) 16:9 display I'd probably skip it and build small desktop PC. There are also several complains on Reddit about T470 build quality and BIOS basic functionality issues.