ThinkPad of your dream?

[penartur]

It could be interesting to see what the people out there are dreaming of.
What ThinkPad do you want for lenovo to release? That is, what could lenovo do with some existing hardware; e.g. "X301 with sandy bridge and carbon-fiber case" is OK, while "X40 with 40000*30000 screen resolution and 9000 hours of battery life" is not.

maybe some day someone from lenovo management will come here and see what we want, and then lenovo will release your dream laptop

[ZaZ]

14" SXGA+ IPS would be the perfect blend of portability, performance and screen real estate.

[automobus]

Start with a keyboard with a good physical layout. Inspired by
http://web.archive.org/web/200906292308 ... aptop.html
http://capsoff.org/mdkb:malcolmke
http://www.newstandardkeyboards.com/
http://www.personal-media.co.jp/utronkb/
http://xahlee.org/kbd/2011-06_keyboard_news.html (some really good looking ones down the page)

If it is going to have a pointing device, then TrackPoint or trackball with three buttons. Should have a serial port and PS/2, to connect other good devices. Even a resistive touchpad might cut it, if it has at least three buttons. Not total crap like in OLPC XO. No to capacitive, or I will physically disconnect it.

Performance comparable to 500 MHz Pentium III or the OLPC XO is enough for me. Maybe I could do with Pentum II performance. Far more important is low heat output. Ultra Low Voltage is nice.

Power: must have standard connector, such as EIAJ or the 5.5/2.5 16V plug. Wide input tolerance like the OLPC is nice. AC inlet, internal AC to DC adapter would be okay. Bank of standard NiMH AA cells would be nice. That eliminates planned obsolecence by proprietary battery pack. The last two ideas exist in
http://www.norhtec.com/products/gecko/index.html

Hardware mute and volume control, or I will physically disconnect the speaker.
4:3 or 5:4 display shape. Outdoor viewing and high viewing angles a nice plus.
Free embedded software, such as Open Firmware, would be very nice.
If it is going to have a card reader, then CompactFlash.
If it is going to have a Ultrabay, then use standard SFF devices, not the Ultrabay Slim connector.

(edited on 2011-09-23 for slight revision and add more reference keyboard)

[ssd_thinkpad]

14" SXGA+ IPS would be the perfect blend of portability, performance and screen real estate.

Yes that is also my favorite. Or this:

-----------
----------- IPS display
kkkkkkkkkk
kkkkkkkkkk "full size keys" keyboard

only with the needed five rows keyboard. No touchpad, no palmrest at all. This may be 16:9 or 16:7 but if someone could do this with 0.5 kg and I would be happy.

[Harryc]

For me it's already been built...X220 with the Premium HD IPS LCD and an mSATA SSD.

[rumbero]

The ThinkPad of my dreams has already become reality, and I am actually already typing these lines on it:

• T60 15" case with a brandnew 4:3 UXGA IPS/Flexview TFT
• NMB keyboard FRU 42T3143 with US English layout
• Mainboard FRU 42W7872 from a 14.1" 4:3 T61
• Penryn CPU T9300
• 8 GB RAM
• HDD 500GB Seagate Momentus 7200
• AKE USB 3.0 ExpressCard with 2xUSB3 ports
• Cardbus SDHC card reader adapter
• GNU/Debian AMD64 Linux

Some rather distant future the HDD will be moved to the Ultrabay to make room for a decent SSD drive.

It is a pity that Lenovo never released such a machine. It would have been the most logical evolution step of the T6x Thinkpad generation.

[pianowizard]

The X301, with 13.3" 1680x1050 and update-to-date components. I wouldn't mind the screen to be IPS, but would actually prefer a high-end TN panel (lighter and consumes less power than IPS). It would also be nice if the display bezel is smaller, to make the laptop more compact.

[penartur]

FredGarvin, that doesn't say much. Wouldn't T60 QXGA iPS satisfy you?
automobus, wow, that's a bit radical for thinkpad.
Harryc, i hardly can believe you don't find any disadvantages in your X220. There are at least two major drawbacks of X220 for me: it could be much smaller (if bezels are thinner), and the resolution of 1366*768 is really low...

As for me, i currently deal with W520 (427637U), and, while it is too bulky, the FHD screen is really gorgeous when compared to both AFFS and VA screens available for X200, despite being a TN; and the resolution is overwhelming.
So, currently, i dream of T520s, which is basically X220 with a 15.6" screen. No dedicated video, no optical drive, no quad-cores, no complex cooling system, thin bezel (we could move all these UltraConnect antennas to the bottom because of the small motherboard), and, as a result, a laptop much smaller than T520 (and maybe even T420) and with the weight similar to that of T420s. But: leave me a standart battery choice (as opposed to T420s), and give me a FHD screen, and it would be great to have all those ports T520 has. So in the end we will have a portable laptop which is just 1" or 1.5" larger than X200, weighing about 4.5lbs, with a competitive battery life of 10 hours and gorgeous 15" FullHD screen.
Lenovo could even do it now i guess, without much effort and using only the available hardware, thus putting out X1 and even T420s (for those who don't need a discrete graphics or optical drive)... but they don't.

[Harryc]

i hardly can believe you don't find any disadvantages in your X220. There are at least two major drawbacks of X220 for me: it could be much smaller (if bezels are thinner), and the resolution of 1366*768 is really low...

To each his own...I like the size and resolution, and it's suits my needs perfectly.

[pianowizard]

So in the end we will have a portable laptop which is just 1" or 1.5" larger than X200, weighing about 4.5lbs, with a competitive battery life of 10 hours and gorgeous 15" FullHD screen.
Lenovo could even do it now i guess

Of course Lenovo could. Panasonic already has a Let's Note B10 with 15.6" FHD, an internal optical drive, and weight of 4.1 lb.

[penartur]

Of course Lenovo could. Panasonic already has a Let's Note B10 with 15.6" FHD, an internal optical drive, and weight of 4.1 lb.

Thanks, i didn't know about B10. Do they use the same 95% FHD panels lenovo uses in their T520?
However, at the second glance B10 is not that good. The weight is great, but the rest specs are not so cool: its dimensions are nearly equal to that of T520 (bezel could be much thinner, as on X40), the battery life seems to be poor, the keyboard is... well, you understand. There are goals to achieve.

[ssd_thinkpad]

Of course Lenovo could. Panasonic already has a Let's Note B10 with 15.6" FHD, an internal optical drive, and weight of 4.1 lb.

Nearly no bezels on the B10, too. Weight is less than 3.7 lb if you order the B10 without DVD and with the smaller capacity battery. For this price you can get two T520 (after coupons). The panasonic touchpad should be very good. The thinkpad keyboard is state of the art, I doubt the panasonic one will be as good. Battery life is indeed where the T520 is much better. Panasonic says the B10 would get 6 hours with the normal and 3 hours with the small battery. Which maybe then 4 and 2 hours in real life usage. Displays in the let's note models of panasonic are always tested not so good. Please help me get the expensive B10 out of my mind, I am really tempted to move from my T60 to it.

[ZaZ]

FredGarvin, that doesn't say much. Wouldn't T60 QXGA iPS satisfy you?

The text is too small. 14" SXGA+ has the same 125 pixel density as my X220i, which I find to be the right fit for me. I might venture up to 130ish, but anything more is too small for me. I'd add a little heft for some increased resolution, but the screens in the 14" segment are fair and I don't really find an extra 132 pixels to be worth the extra weight. I'd agree with Harry. The X220 is maybe the best notebook being sold right. If Lenovo could somehow combine the IPS, durability and keyboard/stick on the X220 with the 13" size and WXGA+ resolution on the MBA, they'd really be onto something.

[pianowizard]

However, at the second glance B10 is not that good. The weight is great, but the rest specs are not so cool: its dimensions are nearly equal to that of T520 (bezel could be much thinner, as on X40), the battery life seems to be poor, the keyboard is... well, you understand. There are goals to achieve.

I didn't say the B10 was perfect. I was just saying it's technically feasible to make a 15.6" FHD laptop even lighter than what you wanted (4.5 lb).

BTW, I also think the X220 is far from a "dream laptop", mainly because its 1366x768 is very difficult to use. I had this resolution on an HP netbook and it was the main reason I sold that netbook.

[ssd_thinkpad]

For a notebook that is so small you can take it mostly anywhere the 10 inch panasonic r series is also a great start. Weighting from 940g it is rugged enough to put it in a bag without a sleeve. No digital video output, tn panel and older technology included. I just read the topic again, it is not "Notebook of your dream" but "Thinkpad of your dream".

In this case it would be a x220s. In the hardware maintenance manual there is another magnesium or aluminium cpu cooler mentioned. Maybe this is a hint. The newer intel cpus are just available now. A x230s without the bezel would be even better. I highly doubt we will see this as lenovo needs the large keyboard as a selling point and the touchpad is needed for marketing reasons, too.

[underclocker]

14" SXGA+ IPS would be the perfect blend of portability, performance and screen real estate.

Agreed. A modern i5 or i7 processor and that LCD would be a hit.

However, I feel I'm living a dream with two of my existing machines, a 2006 Z61m with internal webcam, titanium cover and now an SSD and my X100e with Gobi 2000 and WiMax connectivity. These are two great ThinkPads.

[penartur]

The text is too small.

Doesn't changing the DPI in your OS suit your needs?

For a notebook that is so small you can take it mostly anywhere the 10 inch panasonic r series is also a great start. Weighting from 940g it is rugged enough to put it in a bag without a sleeve. No digital video output, tn panel and older technology included

AFAIK J-series is latest years R. J10 starts from 890g, they claim battery life 8hrs for small battery (which i doubt - that makes about 5W total laptop power consumption, despite SV CPUs). It also features HDMI output.

In this case it would be a x220s. In the hardware maintenance manual there is another magnesium or aluminium cpu cooler mentioned. Maybe this is a hint. The newer intel cpus are just available now.

There are X220 with new ULV intel CPUs, with the only difference from regular X220 being the CPU and maybe the cooling system. Everything else (case, screen etc) is the same.

Back to topic: Transnote also looks like a great machine, even despite it being so heavy and having so low battery life. It would be interesting to see a refreshed Transnote, with up-to-date hardware, reduced weight and improved battery life. Maybe i'd even purchase it to use on a lectures. Or maybe i wouldn't.

[ssd_thinkpad]

There are X220 with new ULV intel CPUs, with the only difference from regular X220 being the CPU and maybe the cooling system. Everything else (case, screen etc) is the same.

The other cooler (aluminium or magnesium) has to be lighter as it is a much lightweighter material. And the material is not so good for cooling. So theses x220 have to be lighter.

Thanks for the tip with the J series. I found the small battery edition without jacket (not as rugged as the r series) is 0.97 kg: http://panasonic.jp/pc/j/

[penartur]

The other cooler (aluminium or magnesium) has to be lighter as it is a much lightweighter material. And the material is not so good for cooling. So theses x220 have to be lighter.

But how much the cooling system on X220 weights? If going to aluminium means reducing its weight een twice, but from a 50gm, it will result in decreasing system weight only on 25gm, which is unnoticeable.
There are ULV X220 on sale (even in Russia there is 4290RB1), but i believe nobody claimed it is lighter.

Thanks for the tip with the J series. I found the small battery edition without jacket (not as rugged as the r series) is 0.97 kg: http://panasonic.jp/pc/j/

I took my figures from conics.net store, it said "0.99kg with the large battery, 0.1kg less with the small battery", maybe they are wrong. But panasonic website also seems to be wrong, why the HDD-equipped laptop weights less than SSD-equipped one?
And i believe i heard that J without jacket is basically the same as R in terms of ruggedness, and that the jacket adds even more protection.

[ssd_thinkpad]

The SSD J series in my link lasts 13 hours while the hdd one lasts 8 hours (bigger vs. smaller battery).

When I took my T60 completely apart ( I use a ssd in ultrabay to make it lighter ), only these items where heavy to me:

• display
• battery
• cpu cooler

The top cover, bottom cover and mainboard frame were absolutely lightweight. I don't know, but maybe even around all these "heaviness" there was not such a big difference. I can be wrong, though! A cooler with 1/3 weight could result in even more than 50g savings. Also in less, as I did not weight it.

[penartur]

The SSD J series in my link lasts 13 hours while the hdd one lasts 8 hours (bigger vs. smaller battery).

I think i understood it now.
So, SSD+large battery = 0.99kg, HDD + small battery = 0.97kg, and SSD+small battery is probably that 0.89kg i was saying about.

When I took my T60 completely apart ( I use a ssd in ultrabay to make it lighter ), only these items where heavy to me:

• display
• battery
• cpu cooler

The top cover, bottom cover and mainboard frame were absolutely lightweight. I don't know, but maybe even around all these "heaviness" there was not such a big difference. I can be wrong, though! A cooler with 1/3 weight could result in even more than 50g savings. Also in less, as I did not weight it.

That certainly doesn't explain the 2x weight difference between X220 (about 1kg without battery) and T520 (2+ kg without battery)

[ZaZ]

Doesn't changing the DPI in your OS suit your needs?

I'd be plenty happy to get a 14" SXGA+. I'm more interested in the quality than quantity. I liked my 14" R60 a lot. It would have been the perfect notebook for me, but for the 1° viewing angles.

I forgot to add I'd need the ultrabay for the 1TB HDD along with the SSD in the main bay. Who uses optical drives any more?

[rleo25]

The ideal one is here, my dream machine: X220 as it is! Form factor, weight, performance, batery life, extraordinary IPS screen, almost perfect manufacture and rock solid beauty!. Back in 2005 when I bought a T42 marveled with such nice piece of technology I wrote a list of specifications I would like to find in a future Thinkpad, you won't believe me... these were almost similar to this X220 !

[penartur]

The ideal one is here, my dream machine: X220 as it is! Form factor, weight, performance, batery life, extraordinary IPS screen, almost perfect manufacture and rock solid beauty!. Back in 2005 when I bought a T42 marveled with such nice piece of technology I wrote a list of specifications I would like to find in a future Thinkpad, you won't believe me... these were almost similar to this X220 !

But don't such pictures make you sad? http://fotkidepo.ru/?id=photo:638954

[Harryc]

But don't such pictures make you sad? http://fotkidepo.ru/?id=photo:638954

Yeah, I almost cried when I saw how dirty that X40 screen was ....

[ssd_thinkpad]

But don't such pictures make you sad? http://fotkidepo.ru/?id=photo:638954

The x40 looks slimmer, and the display is vertically much larger.

The x220 has such a big bezel. Why? Panasonic builds models with bezels like the x40 and they say you can even throw it from your desk while running and they still work. They are lighter, sturdier and less-bezelier than the new lenovos. The x220 looks much better than the x201 by the way!

[penartur]

The x40 looks slimmer, and the display is vertically much larger.

It is a bit slimmer (X40 is 26m thick at its thickest point, while X220 with 4-cell battery is about 30m thick at its thickest point).
And of course display vertically is much larger, because with the same diagonal size it is 4:3 as opposed to X220's 16:9. The point is the laptop itself vertically is the same as X220, thanks for the slimmer bezel.

The x220 has such a big bezel. Why?

They say that it is for UltraConnect antennas to work correctly (they only function properly when on some distance from the motherboard). However, that means Lenovo could build some e.g. 15" laptop with a X220 motherboard and place ultraconnect antennas on the bottom, thus allowing for thinner bezel. The problem is they don't, every thinkpad they produce now (X220, T420s, T420, T/W520) AFAIK has its base completely filled with the circuits (for X220 it is motherboard, HDD and extension cards; for T420s and T420, an optical drive and low-end GPU are added; for T/W520, a high-end GPU is added).

[rleo25]

I assume there are some sort of compromises with actual IPS factory standards, also with inner space needed to accomodate Sandy Bridge platform. However X40 weight is between 1,23kg and 1,47kg so, no deal with thinness, besides form factor is bigger than X220 (Area 632,48 sq cmts vs 621,65). As to display yes, apparently more real state but what do we have here? XGA (1024 x 768) res. Other innards of X40: 512 MB RAM, ULV Pentium M (1,06ghz).

So my deaar friend no, the comparisson doesn''t make me cry, LOL

[penartur]

I assume there are some sort of compromises with actual IPS factory standards,

X200/X201 had a huge bezel. And, from my experience with X200, there is no difference in external dimensions between TN (stock one), IPS (HV121WX4) and MVA (LTN121AP02) panels; all three have their bezels only 3-4mm thick. What takes the space are ultraconnect antennas and their wiring.

also with inner space needed to accomodate Sandy Bridge platform.

Four generations (X40, X41, X60, X61) had thin bezels. Three following generations (X200, X201, X220) have thick bezels. Do you really think that the reason is some limitation of sandy bridge platform?

form factor is bigger than X220 (Area 632,48 sq cmts vs 621,65).

It seems you're mistaking something. It could be clearly seen from the photo and from official specs that X40 is rougly as deep as X220, while being much shorter.
X40 area is 26.8*21.1cm=565.48sq.cm, and X220 area is 30.5*20.6cm=629.82cm, or about 10% larger.
In the same time, X40 display area is 453sq.cm (80% of laptop's area), and X220 display area is 5% smaller, being 430sq.cm (68% of laptop's area)

As to display yes, apparently more real state but what do we have here? XGA (1024 x 768) res.

AFAIK there was an option of 1400*1050 or maybe even 1600*1200. Both are better than X220's 1366*768 and even than X200s/X201s' 1440*900.

Other innards of X40: 512 MB RAM, ULV Pentium M (1,06ghz).

That's not a lenovo achievement but intel's one. Of course when i posted here a comparison photo of X40 (2005) vs. X220 (2011), i in no way thought of comparing their internals.

[ssd_thinkpad]

This is a sandy bridge notebook. You can spill water on it. You can drop it from 30 cm several times. It burns dvds and it weights 0.5 kg less than the T520. http://panasonic.jp/pc/b/ And it has an old school bezel.

The bezel might be just there because of sloppy design thinking. There are notebooks with very small bezels which are much sturdier than the thinkpads. Lenovos keyboard is very large, and with the touchpad it takes even more space. This may be a reason for the big bezels as with the 16:9 panels you have to fill the empty space - with a bezel.