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Rethinking the Thinkpad

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the if-it-aint-broke dept.

Octiaviane writes to tell us that XYZComputing has a review of Lenovo's Thinkpad X60 with a look at not only the current specs but the evolution of the Thinkpad line. From the article: "One constant which has remained throughout the evolution of the notebook computer is the Thinkpad. Processors and operating systems have changed, designs have been updated, and ownership has changed hands, but the Thinkpad remains. This product has never stopped being a top choice for demanding consumers and corporate buyers, whether they are looking for size, power, or features."

8 of 268 comments (clear)

  1. IBM Ugly by Realistic_Dragon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thankfully they don't seem to have changed the apparance yet. IBM Ugly doesn't get many plaudits, but it definatly says "this is a laptop with which I could beat you to death for your stupidity and using your rubbish little Acer as a shield isn't going to help you one bit".

    --
    Beep beep.
    1. Re:IBM Ugly by Threni · · Score: 4, Informative

      > The only thing I can think of when I hear 'thinkpad' is the horrible nipple mouse they used to all
      > have. Want to scroll from one side of the screen to the other? Best set aside 5 minutes!

      Or simply push the nipple harder - works for me.

    2. Re:IBM Ugly by bubkus_jones · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I must be the only one here who prefers the "nipple" to a trackpad. I tend to have more control with it than the trackpad, and it's quicker to get to than a trackpad, as it's in the middle of the keyboard. I barely have to shift my hand to be able to control it.

      Of course, half the time I use a USB mouse, but still. I'm not a fan of the trackpad style control.

    3. Re:IBM Ugly by TeknoHog · · Score: 4, Informative
      I must be the only one here who prefers the "nipple" to a trackpad.

      No, you're not the only one :)

      I remember when some laptops came with trackballs, or with optional trackball add-ons. From today's perspective it's clear that you can't fit a trackball into a decently thin laptop. There were probably also cost and durability issues that led first to trackpoints (nipples) and then to trackpads. For example in my previous laptop, a Toshiba Satellite, I had to replace the rubber bit in the trackpoint every two years or so. The current IBM version with a larger, flatter nipple seems much better in this respect.

      Unfortunately, the pointer is not the only deciding factor in buying laptops, so I've ended up with a trackpad in my current machine. I believe it's the most durable of the technologies with no moving parts, but it's far from practical IMHO. For example it's distracted by the palms of my hands while typing. Fortunately it's easy to disable and enable on demand (rmmod|modprobe psmouse :).

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    4. Re:IBM Ugly by rah1420 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      /me raises my hand

      Our corporate IT staff refreshed us with a T42, but the software image didn't have the trackpoint wizard or whatever it's called. A few phone calls and I was able to disable the bloody thing - if you're a power typer, you will find yourself quickly losing focus from your working window as the heel of your hand exerts force on the trackpad and emulates a double-click.

      My [personal] T23 doesn't have it, and they can have it when they pry my cold dead fingers from around it (well, as soon as I replace the fluorescent lamp.) It has the dreaded red tint on the screen and someday I will be annoyed enough to get it fixed, but I love it.

      --
      Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens.
  2. Bias? by Filik · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That excerpt from the review made me not click on the link. The reviewer blatantly admits bias to the whole line of laptops instead of concentrating on reviewing the latest model...

  3. Ouch by Can · · Score: 4, Funny

    That was one of the most painful articles I've read in a while. It's hard to take a review seriously when there's a typo or missing word in almost every single paragraph. It was almost like I was reading slashdot...

  4. Re:The perfect laptop by Zarhan · · Score: 4, Informative

    I guess what I'm getting at is that I'd be more then willing to sacrifice performance for durability. Am I the only one who thinks this way? Or are there laptop manufacturers out there who make decent, cheap machines that are built like tanks, but don't necessarily have a higher end hardware inside?

        Cheap, not. But you can try Panasonic Toughbook or even beyond, check out Itronix.