Slashdot Mirror
IBM Thinkpads now in Titanium
Darksoftnet writes "Lenovo (who now owns IBM's PC business), has introduced a new shade to the Thinkpad range with the launch of a Z-Series laptop that comes both in a "classic black" case
or a "special-edition" brushed titanium cover."
Whoopty doo?
The on keypad volume now goes to 11 !!
If there is a big Lenovo sticker on the lid right in the middle, that looks like it's covering something up, something fruitlike, then don't buy them....they could be a few years old..
You might cringe, but at least it beats the free Opera dupe story that was originally here.
Will wank off Linus Torvalds for fame.
http://www.ibmuser.idv.tw/viewtopic.php?t=19990 I'll always think the real deal is sexier. I [heart] my Thinkpad.
There should be a special punishment for people who post stories abut how something looks, and then the link has no pics of it...
So there is a different color thinkpad, and this is newsworthy? Not even a picture of the thing in the article. Nothing a can of spray paint wouldn't be able to do.
---- join dshield.org Distributed Intrusion Detec
For more design history of the thinkpad, check out the "Thinkpad Genesis Series" on:
. 236.10.htm
http://www.thinkpads.com/Genesis3.htm
http://www.thinkpads.com/Genesis%204.htm
Richard Sapper is the German designer who designed the famous Artemide Tizio lamp (which also shares the Thinkpad's red controls and silver hinges).:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/11/euwcm/ho_1988
I wish Apple had thought of this
There is no replacement for displacement.
that titanium is flamable ???
ok, it takes in excess of 4000C to ignite it, but with the heat those things are putting out i believe they'll soon have to recall the notebooks and replace the titanium by asbestos or ceramic compounds...
What ? Me, worry ?
IBM in 1999 offered individual buyers "optional coloured covers" for laptops in Mars Red Metallic, Andromeda Green or Polaris Blue for an extra US$30. The idea did not take off.
Uh, maybe because the charged $30 extra? Also, the color names sound like they are marketed to 8 year olds. Considering who buys these things, they would have been better off with "Merger Magenta" or "Big-bonus Blue". Seriously, titanium is not that extreme.
Didn't Apple move to aluminum because the titanium interfered with WiFi reception?
"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." --Old German Proverb
Pictures in stories here and here. Enjoy!
Sometimes I wish I was a plumber, then I'd know how to deal with other people's shit.
Why in the world would you assume that? Lenovo didn't purchase the power pc line or even any machines that use it. They bought the line to get the thinkpad which is a damn good corporate laptop and thats about it. What about the purchase made you think that PPC or linux was Lenovos focus? Lenovo is just another Wintel Vendor, albeit one with a good laptop product.
There's some here. http://www.lenovo.com/us/en/
What are the odds that some idiot will name his mutex ether-rot-mutex!
... because it heralds the first noticeable change in the Thinkpad line since it was sold. Thinkpads have a reputation the workplace for reliability, performance and build quality; the corporate standard (usually HP) pales in comparison. Unlike the HP line, Thinkpads don't 'squeak' when you lean your hands on them, don't get too hot, don't make loud fan noises, don't crash mysteriously, and don't have their case colour rub off over time. A new titanium casing could be a disaster if it starts to rub off like it does on other makes of laptop because that will turn high-end corporate customers off in droves because it will be taken as emblematic of what will happen to the inside of the IBM laptop.
;)
I know, sounds like a little thing, but the solid case is a mark of quality that Lenovo can't afford to lose.
PS I love my Thinkpad
And what in God's name made you think that? They bought a division that makes laptops, running windows on intel chips. They're currently making laptops that run windows on intel chips. This should not be surprising They're in the business to make money, and linux/PPC isn't it.
Not to mention they didn't buy IBM's linux and PPC businesses.
They are doing things IBM would never have done with the Thinkpad line, but it's still a business - and I have to imagine customer demand for linux/PPC laptops is, outside of the /. market, quite low.
Why?! ThinkPads are perfectly good machines as they are; possibly the only PC laptops that don't plain suck in one way or another. Ever since IBM sold the line, I've been afraid the new owner would screw it up somehow.
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
When are they going to come up with ideas that truly make your laptop better. Sure titanium is stronger than plastic, but I bet it costs a lot more. If it doesn't you're getting gipped on the plastic version. I want a laptop with better battery life. They have made advancements in batteries, but these have been trumped by making chips and drives that require more power. Where's my 10 hour laptop? and I mean 10 hours while actually doing real work on the laptop.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
As for doing ``something cool with Linux and PPC'', here are a few things to chew on:
- Linux runs like a charm on both ThinkPads and Apple notebooks. ThinkPads actually do a bit better, as they use supported wireless cards, whereas Apples have the cursed Broadcom chipset.
- The main difference between the x86 and PPC CPUs is that x86s go faster, whereas PPCs are more energy efficient.
- Of course, the CPU also affects what proprietary operating systems you can run. PPC allows you to run Mac OS X, whereas x86 allows you to run Windows.
- However, you probably don't _really_ want either operating system. Windows is junk, and OS X is great in theory, but is unbearably slow compared to Linux. Just my experience, of course.
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
What next, a black iPod? Oh wait...
You may not have noticed this using a USB wireless network adapter, but the built-in ibook wireless doesn't get signal very well. I have an IBM thinkpad 600E with a Belkin PCMCIA wireless card. I get 80-90% signal in places where my wife's ibook get's none. I think Apple wants to sell lots of airport stations. (This is with a linksys B router).
IBM designed most of this.
Lenovo, that Chinese computer company, is selling this.
Here's how it works:
When you order an IBM PC (read: ThinkPad or ThinkCentre) or an accessory, you're dealing with Lenovo. All models except for the Z series were completely designed by IBM, and the Z series was mostly designed by IBM.
When you get support for an IBM PC, (as far as I understand), you're calling IBM, not Lenovo.
When you order a server from IBM, you're dealing with IBM, and Lenovo has nothing to do with it.
whereas that's a nice color and everything, what's inside is what matters. I've always really respected IBM because contrary to what everyone else did, they always stuck with quality of design. They never had the fastest processors. They kept the insides simple, only what you need and no more. Now Lenovo is adding all sorts of connectors, buttons, shortcuts, changing the keyboards, basically fucking everything up. I just hope I can raise enough money to get an IBM T42p before they're not made by IBM any more. The T series is the best laptop that has and will ever be made. The very fact that IBM saw it as unprofitable is indicative of its supreme quality.
No Lenovo, bad move. Instead of distancing yourself from IBM you should spend the 5 years you have been granted in worship of the IBM design, understanding every little piece and reasoning that went into every corner and design. Only when you fully understand their genius, then can you try to duplicate and move the products in a worthy direction. Otherwise, you're going to drive the whole thing into the ground. Dell and HP already have you beat on the "do-it-all" laptops. You're never going to win there. The only thing you have is quality. Once you ruin that, you're fucked. And from your new buttons and architecture changes, it looks like you like getting fucked.
Slashdot is pioneering a new type of advertising that actually is disguised to appear as if it's actually useful information or "news". I like to call it "info-tising"! It's been used on our TV news broadcasts in smaller, more subtle ways for years, but Slashdot takes it to a new level, whereas they just barely try to conceal the advertisement.
IMO, Titanium is only part of the story. The (IMO, much bigger deal) is the new Widescreen display (finally). The lack of a widescreen is a big part of the reason I did not buy a Thinkpad - Visual Studio runs better with the wider aspect ratio. I don't know if they offer resolutions past WXGA (1280x800), but we should all welcome IBM to at least 2002.
My old 12" PowerBook was a great machine, and I appreciated its durability and looks, but the metal case seriously cut into it's WiFi range. My wife's 12" iBook was always much better than mine. To be honest, this is one of the things that's keeping me from buying a PowerBook again and just getting an iBook until the new Intel books come out to see if Apple fixes this.
At least the Ti cover is removable - so you can keep it for the looks/protection, then take it off when you need to get in touch with a distant hot spot.
if I become disgruntled and use my super-geek skills to commandeer a secret government earthquake producing satellite while on board a train, and ex-Navy seal turned chef shoots me in the laptop I hold in front of my heart, WILL IT STOP THE BULLET??!!
IBM ThinkPads have traditionally omitted this small homage to Redmond, but it looks like this model may see them conforming at last.
Oh well, my next laptop will be a Powerbook anyway.