Rumor: few shots of the next generation tp (merged thread)

[jdhurst]

The netbooks I have seen are pretty low end machines. I would not recommend these to my clients at all. There may be businesses with more employees where some reasonable number of employees have low needs and can survive on a netbook. However, as enticing as internet applications are, there are times (many times) when only a full function machine will fill the bill. It will be interesting then, to see where business takes these netbooks. I don't have a crystal ball here, so I will be watching. ... JDH

[bill bolton]

There may be businesses....

Business covers a huge range of scenarios.

Netbooks + clouds are a game changers in the application of automation to a whole host of business processes which still have substantial manual components.

We are still only right at the start of the changed game.... so the ground rules of what is going to be acceptable in terms of size/weight/cost/quality/functionality of netbooks is still a very open topic.

Cheers,

Bill

[felixgogo]

It seems Frank and Yak were right it's X100e, and will be launched in early Jan 2010.

http://www.electronista.com/articles/09 ... reach.ces/

http://www.thinkpadtoday.com/world-firs ... h-2010.htm

[mattbiernat]

so now the big question is how are they going to change their T-series and X-series.

[qviri]

> There may be businesses....
Business covers a huge range of scenarios.

Netbooks + clouds are a game changers in the application of automation to a whole host of business processes which still have substantial manual components.

We are still only right at the start of the changed game.... so the ground rules of what is going to be acceptable in terms of size/weight/cost/quality/functionality of netbooks is still a very open topic.

I'm getting pretty off-topic, but unless you really need either the larger screen or the reasonably-full-size keyboard, smartphones are often a better idea for businesses looking to mobilize or automate processes. They've always been more business-oriented, centrally-controllable, lock-down-able, centrally billable, etc, all the good stuff enterprises want. Software creation or availability isn't as straightforward yet, but it is getting better all the time.

Of course, that's a pretty big "unless", and convergence means we'll eventually see suitable netbooks. They're already getting there with SIM and smartcard slots, but I've yet to see one really enterpriseable.

[ajkula66]

@qviri:

An excellent observation regarding phones. Nowadays, everything that I used to do with a laptop/T-Berd (including remote monitoring of "live" circuits, testing with patterns both remotely and head-to-head) a couple of years ago is done by my Blackberry. The only thing we still use the actual laptops for is physically accessing the circuit cards when needed...maybe once in a fortnight. So I've cut down the weight of my toolbag by about 12lbs (ToughBook and T-Berd at about 6lbs each).

With that said, my employer has started giving us HP netbooks which are downright useless for our work because of the lack of serial port required by access cards (no figured that one out in a Fortune 20 company)...

While they get their ducks in a row I'm holding on to both my vintage T20 and much newer CF-29...

[jdhurst]

I have the same problem with a client needing serial ports for radio programming. The client also wants faster computers (that now no longer come with serial ports). We are having some success with top quality USB -> Serial cables. The bigger problem now is that these same manufacturers that need serial ports for their gear lag far behinds (years and years behind) the OS curve. So a really fast laptop (64-bit Vista or Windows 7) is useless even if we do have a good cable. .. JDH

[RealBlackStuff]

I'd be happy to sell you a bunch of T23s, all with serial ports!

[ajkula66]

@RBS:

That's why I'm holding on to the aforementioned laptops (T20/CF-29)...

@jdhurst:

Same here. The software that we use for accessing the cards doesn't work under Vista/W7...

[schmaud]

I like the prototype a lot ( at least the smaller one). However I would not mind if they drop the touchpad.

For the market: Buisness traveler, sales people conference attendes. Everyone who need to carry the computer for a long time, and just needs enough horspower for powerpoint, oulook and pdf reading.

Buisness application tend sto go to 3 categories:
- cheap and standrard (r series, maybe sl)
- powerhouse (txxp, w)
- allways on the move ( x & co)

I personally woudl love to have a notebook smaller than my current x60s. However ther are zero models with trackpoint on the market right now.

cheers

r.

[qviri]

Everyone who need to carry the computer for a long time, and just needs enough horspower for powerpoint, oulook and pdf reading.

I've held in my hands a little box that attaches to a projector and connects with a blackberry, allowing playback of powerpoint presentations. Over bluetooth if you pay a little extra. I think it's a real product, I forgot the name though.

Editing the ppts is still a factor, but do you really want to edit ppts on a 9" screen with matching keyboard?

I think Nokia has the right idea with offering a dual solution of a netbook for when you can sit down and work and organize a little bit at the end of the day, and a smartphone to quickly handle things on the go without hassle of a 10" clamshell. Well integrated, it might be the way to go. I'd think a screen closer to 11" than 10" might be a bit better, but the (relatively) high resolution is good, and their keyboard might be better than I expect.

[mattfromomaha]

I wish more of the corporate world would learn, "if it ain't broken (and still selling well), don't fix it!"

[jdhurst]

Matt - the Corporate world already knows, so far as I can figure out. The manufacturers and vendors are the ones who have not clued in. ... JDH

[virge]

http://www.thinkpadtoday.com/world-firs ... h-2010.htm

Is it just me or is that a picture of a 570/E with Ultrabase? I think I can even see the power switch on the side! Kind of amazing that such a dated machine still looks modern enough to use in an article about a future thinkpad. I loved the 570E design.

[Sandstorm83]

Is it just me or is that a picture of a 570/E with Ultrabase? I think I can even see the power switch on the side! Kind of amazing that such a dated machine still looks modern enough to use in an article about a future thinkpad. I loved the 570E design.

That is definately a picture of a 570E with its Ultrabase. I bet the writers just put a generic pic of a thinkpad since they all look alike

I agree, the 570/E is one of the best Thinkpad designs I've see; it was thin, lightweight, and with a 4:3 ratio 13.3" screen to boot!

[ajkula66]

virge wrote:

I loved the 570E design.

One of the prettiest ThinkPads ever in my book...

[wap32]

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/20 ... cheap.html

Nooooooooo

16:9 screen, chiclet keyboard, black/red/white choice of color...
Seriously...a red ThinkPad...

I'll admit for the price it sounds like it could be a good deal, but thats not a ThinkPad!!

[martin255]

Yeah, that's a bit disappointing. There are some nice things about this X100e: the AMD platform is certainly more capable than the average netbook, the price is great, and there seems to be lots of ports for such a small computer. But the combination of a 16:9 screen, a relatively high weight compared to the X200 and the absence of high capacity battery are real problems for me.

As for the keyboard, I don't know what to think. Of course a "real" Thinkpad keyboard would be more appealing, but maybe this one will turn out to be decent.

Well, too bad. I guess I have to start saving for a used S30.

[khtse]

How does the AMD Neo compared to Atom? Is it the same class of CPU?

[qviri]

I'm not too crazy about the 11.6" screen. I think I'd prefer a smaller 10.1" 720p like the Nokia not-netbook has. But that's a whole different set of trade-offs...

I'd be interested in seeing an all-white version as opposed to the white outside-black inside (and back?!) as seen in those pictures.

Also, dear Lenovo: I am ambivalent about the switches to 16:10 and now 16:9, but for god's sake, make your machines shallower. 16:9 screen surrounded by seas of black plastic on top and bottom looks stupid. The X301, the T400s, and now the X100e are all guilty.

[mattbiernat]

why don't they put 16:5 screen and call it the new super HD. oh yeah and make the bazel thicker than the screen.

[T7TrainingSystems]

I don't consider upgrading from T60 firstly due to thick bezels.

[mattbiernat]

yeah, if they used the widescreen format and made the entire notebook smaller it would make more sense.