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Lenovo Looks To Commemorate 25th Anniversary of IBM's Notebook Brand With Thinkpad 25 (theregister.co.uk)

New submitter Provocateur writes: Lenovo will be marking the 25th anniversary of IBM's well known notebook with the Thinkpad 25. Andrew Orlowski writes via The Register: "The long-awaited 'retro' Thinkpad will be based on the guts of a contemporary T470 laptop, Lenovo's business workhorse, according to a German certification site. Lenovo inherited IBM's notebook brand 12 years ago, and with it a design classic. However, in 2012 Lenovo saw fit to 'modernize' the iconic keyboard, along with other unwelcome changes. This didn't meet with approval from some stalwarts, who clung to the superior X220 and T420 lines, the last that you could buy with the 7 row QWERTY. Two years ago Lenovo's design chief Dave Hill acknowledged that some people 'would stand in line' for the classic version. In June, Hill confirmed that for the Thinkpad's 25th anniversary this year a retro edition would indeed be produced, which Hill promised 'will embody many of the things people asked for.'

The German certification site has found the 'Thinkpad 25' variant described as a Thinkpad T470 here (hat-tip to NoteBook Check). A Chinese notebook forum has a picture purporting to be the Thinkpad 25."

132 comments

  1. Butterfly! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I *know* I want this one. Especially suited for Emacs!

    1. Re:Butterfly! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      YESSSSSSS. 701CS BAAAYBEEE!

  2. You mean celebrate the destruction of the thinkpad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    IBM Thinkpad's were well designed reliable devices. The crap that Lenovo pushes out is shit. Do not want.

  3. Sign Me Up by nateman1352 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    To this day my ancient T-40 has my favorite laptop keyboard. I wrote soooo much code on that thing. Alas it is nowhere near fast enough for today's software, and the drivers haven't been updated since the WinXP days. Even modern Linux distros don't really work with its antique ATI gfx anymore. A new laptop with that keyboard would be awesome. I'd buy one.

    1. Re:Sign Me Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is there a business that can upgrade your guts/screen?

    2. Re:Sign Me Up by stooo · · Score: 1

      >> "Exact pricing and availability are not finalized but I can assure you it will not cost $5,000!" Hill said in June."

      Expect 4999$.

      --
      aaaaaaa
    3. Re:Sign Me Up by arglebargle_xiv · · Score: 1

      Me too. Where do I stand in line for it?

    4. Re:Sign Me Up by cb88 · · Score: 1

      An ATI Radeon 7500 or 9000 should work just fine.

      You just need to avoid 3d heavy desktop environments like Unity. I'd suggest XFCE, Mate or LXDE instead.

    5. Re:Sign Me Up by Dr.+Evil · · Score: 1

      I'm on a T420 for that reason. The T420 isn't a bad machine, oooold though. 2011 old.

      You can cram a T420 keyboard on a T430 and get a 3rd gen Corei7. Not sure I would recommend the hack:

      http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Install_Classic_Keyboard_on_xx30_Series_ThinkPads

      The only difference to me is that they messed up the insert key, but the esc key position is an improvement.

    6. Re:Sign Me Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I deployed T470 notebooks for my users, but I still carry a T420 for myself. Just having three drive bays on a 14" laptop is a big deal and I do appreciate the old-style keyboard, but since I have an Expresscard for USB3 and I'm already using an i7 CPU, I don't feel like I'd be getting THAT much out of a newer one. Maybe the extra CPU threads and Optane support, but it wouldn't be my primary computing device anyway, so I'm perfectly happy with what I have.

    7. Re:Sign Me Up by nateman1352 · · Score: 1

      I gave it a try with Ubuntu 14.04 a couple years ago (before 16.04 came out,) basic 2D graphics do work fine, but even with XFCE I get a lot of screen tearing, much more than I got with Ubuntu 6.06 back in the day. The display drivers appear to be much slower than they used to be. It seems like 3D acceleration support no longer works either.

      That said I didn't put a ton of effort in to editing xorg.conf files... I just don't have the patience for it like I used to... esp. since It Just Works(tm) on most laptops built in the last 5 years given 90% of them all have the same standard issue mediocre Intel HD Graphics.

  4. laptop keyboards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the cheap fucking keyboards on laptops these days is why i don't even bother with one anymore. not a fan of lenovo (or of its purchase of ibm's pc business), but fuck, man, give me a real keyboard on a laptop and i might just have to splurge.

    1. Re:laptop keyboards by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      People are buying the older-hardware MacBook Air instead of the the newer-hardware MacBooks and MacBook Pros because of the keyboard difference.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  5. I'll buy two by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 1, Funny

    If they run OS/2.

    --
    "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
    1. Re:I'll buy two by dreamchaser · · Score: 1

      They probably would run this variant just fine.

    2. Re:I'll buy two by dryeo · · Score: 1

      You'll need something newer such as https://www.arcanoae.com/ which at least will run on a T540p and hopefully soon with USB3 and wireless support. OS/2 is still not quite dead.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    3. Re:I'll buy two by dreamchaser · · Score: 1

      I still have a Warp box that boots :) It's a Pentium 133. Back in the day I did a lot of OS/2 Systems Engineering plus some coding. Fun times. Great OS.

    4. Re:I'll buy two by dryeo · · Score: 1

      Yea, I'm typing this on an ArcaOS install, basically Warp v4.52 with updated drivers etc. It is showing its age, memory above 4GB is only good for a ram disk and running modern apps such as Firefox or Openoffice means having to reboot every few days due to memory fragmentation. I have a Warp v4 install on a different partition, but it isn't SMP safe and crashes pretty quick with more then one core enabled.
      ArcaOS will install on much modern hardware, as long as it isn't too cheap or expensive and will emulate a BIOS and you use OS/2 to partition the drive (limited to 2TB due to all the 16 bit variables holding CHS values).

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    5. Re:I'll buy two by dreamchaser · · Score: 1

      I recall having SMP issues on a Pentium Pro (I know, I keep dating myself) dual CPU system and Warp/LAN Server.

    6. Re:I'll buy two by dryeo · · Score: 1

      Yea, even the last from IBM had SMP issues. There's about half a dozen components that needed patching including such gems as tcpip32.dll and keybrd.sys. It's the shits not having source. At least Arca Noae has permission to patch the OS.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
  6. Commemorate vs Celebrate by Poorcku · · Score: 1

    Did Thinkpad die?

    --
    I take my children to see Madonna(..), but I never for once ever thought I was in the same business.Chris Rea.
  7. T420 day! by MrKaos · · Score: 1

    I've always used them because they are solid, like if a tank ran over it, the tank would still be ok. I'm using a T420 to post, which is kind of struggling now. I was nervous when lenovo bought the thinkpad line from IBM however they have still been pretty good.

    Plus I get to say they are space rated to all my friends with Macs because it's true - even if it is lame.

    --
    My ism, it's full of beliefs.
    1. Re:T420 day! by dwywit · · Score: 2

      That's not lame at all. Lame would be if the astronauts engaged in blatant product placement. They don't. Although you can see Thinkpads stashed on the wall/bulkhead in some photos, they're just part of the equipment.

      Imagine the collective fanboi orgasm^W^W^W fooforaw IF the Macbook Pro was spotted on the ISS?

      --
      They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
    2. Re:T420 day! by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 1

      My T420 is going strong, 5+ hours of battery life and more than fast enough for everything I need (generally a web browser and Spotify. I have simple needs).

      But I would replace it with a T440 or newer in a heartbeat.

      --
      Eat the rich.
    3. Re:T420 day! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've always used them because they are solid, like if a tank ran over it, the tank would still be ok. I'm using a T420 to post, which is kind of struggling now. I was nervous when lenovo bought the thinkpad line from IBM however they have still been pretty good.

      Plus I get to say they are space rated to all my friends with Macs because it's true - even if it is lame.

      msi millitary class nonsense is lame!
      thinkpads rock!
      I do believe that there are quite a few modern lenovo laptops, hybrids etc, that are utter crap!
      My go to brand from now on, will be ASUS!

    4. Re:T420 day! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Asus, the people who brought you the wallhack drivers. I 'member!

    5. Re:T420 day! by blahbooboo · · Score: 1

      Swap in an SSD, that will really help it.

    6. Re:T420 day! by blahbooboo · · Score: 1

      Put in an SSD, that will really help it. Amazing how a SSD brings old systems to new life

    7. Re:T420 day! by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 3, Funny

      Imagine the fanbois if the Macbook Pro was spotted on the ISS?

      As long as it's one in Space Gray.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    8. Re:T420 day! by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      Well duh, of course. Adding an SSD makes everything faster. You should see my SSD-equipped toaster, man. From bread to toast in under seven seconds!

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    9. Re:T420 day! by armanox · · Score: 1

      I'm using a T410 here - 8GB of RAM, SSD, it runs well enough for me, and it is much lighter then my Precision M4500 that I was using before.

      --
      I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
    10. Re:T420 day! by blahbooboo · · Score: 1

      Missed your morning cup of coffee eh? Or just normally obnoxious early in the morning?

    11. Re:T420 day! by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Can't it be both?

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    12. Re:T420 day! by MrKaos · · Score: 1

      That's not lame at all. Lame would be if the astronauts engaged in blatant product placement. They don't.

      You're right - MY T420 IS SPACE RATED!!!

      --
      My ism, it's full of beliefs.
    13. Re:T420 day! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Mac has been there and done that. The original Mac Portable was used on a shuttle mission.

    14. Re:T420 day! by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 1

      I know it'll be faster, but it's fast enough for my needs, and it only cost me $300 as a refurb model. I can't be arsed to buy an SSD or more RAM when it already fulfills its function perfectly well.

      --
      Eat the rich.
    15. Re:T420 day! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ROTFLMAO! NICE!

      ASUS Wallhack drivers...
      http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/05/10/asus_releases_games_cheat_drivers/

    16. Re:T420 day! by MrKaos · · Score: 1

      No that was a ZX-81

      --
      My ism, it's full of beliefs.
    17. Re:T420 day! by MrKaos · · Score: 1

      Well, after all this I've max my T420 to 16Gb ram and a second hard drive in the DVD bay - I'll squeeze a bit more out of it.

      --
      My ism, it's full of beliefs.
  8. Let's celebrate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    A manufacturer listened to their customers. Yay.

  9. Zero innovation, whoopee by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Classic design oh snap that's so boring it's retro. Handjobs all around.

  10. Commemorate vs Capitalize on. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ^ FTFY

  11. Yes, it did. by DrYak · · Score: 1

    Did Thinkpad die?

    Yes, around the time IBM decided to branch it off and sell it to Lenovo.

    (Though, the thinkpads themselve didn't. They are all still running. They'll probably survive a nuclear holocaust).

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
    1. Re:Yes, it did. by BlacKSacrificE · · Score: 1

      They'll probably survive a nuclear holocaust

      They are the weapon of choice for computing in space, you can guarantee they will.

      --
      [Sorry, this signature is unavailable in your country/region]
    2. Re:Yes, it did. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're a fucking fanboi over NOTHING lol. Check out your $150 zero gravity pen and astronaut ice cream!

    3. Re:Yes, it did. by BlacKSacrificE · · Score: 1

      If anything, I'm a HP fanboi. I'm writing this from a 9470, my old 8460 is out serving duty in the workshop. Between service as a hammer and a square edge to measure up against, I use it to run searches and play music. Admittedly, it is getting a little long in the tooth, it is WAY out of square, but is perfectly functional otherwise.

      My point was simply to demonstrate that once we have glazed the planet, the one's on the ISS (assuming it doesn't get a special delivery, because fuck international scientific collaboration!) will still be there, merrily grinding away SETI@home while waiting for the gentle caress of astronaut-y fingers that will never materialise. I don't see people hoisting you into orbit for the greater good of mankind you spanner. Perhaps they should.

      --
      [Sorry, this signature is unavailable in your country/region]
    4. Re:Yes, it did. by boudie2 · · Score: 1

      They're not ALL still running. I bought a T40 for about $2500 CDN just before IBM sold the franchise to Lenovo. Despite babying it, over the next five years the CD-RW drive failed, then the hard drive, then the motherboard itself due to "lead free" solder on the GPU. Then there was all the Thinkpads with nvidia graphics that failed. The Asus netbook that replaced it has been trouble free for a longer period and cost 1/10th as much. But hey, bullshit makes the world go around.

    5. Re:Yes, it did. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That assumes the ISS performs any useful tasks anymore. You're stuck in the skylab 90's.

      Grandpa you can enjoy your toys but just don't pretend they're civilization altering, jesus lol. Get a grip.

    6. Re: Yes, it did. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      guess summer ain't over yet cuz the little shits are still here

  12. Lawsuit by XSportSeeker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yeah, I guess they should also celebrate how they dodged the Superfish lawsuit with a slap on the wrist and how the law has basically approved their shady tactics on installing malware on firmware and putting spyware on their laptops to scam costumers out of their data. *clap clap*

    1. Re:Lawsuit by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      What are the "code audits" that they agreed to have for the next 20 years like? Seems like that could be a more effective deterrent than fining them 0.01% of last quarter's profit and giving all their victims a $1.75 gift card.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re: Lawsuit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except paid auditers and not-public results so you will not know when next superfish appears, you know, that bug. Maybe by someone not associated with lenovo/nsa, but later.

    3. Re:Lawsuit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I won't trust those audits on bit if the Audit team does not consist of Bruce Schneier, Theo de Raadt and Richard M. Stallman.

      Problem is, the latter two would probably end up getting into a fight.

    4. Re:Lawsuit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If it's like what another part of the business goes through, it's the US government auditing their source code at will looking for problems.

    5. Re:Lawsuit by clinchsoft · · Score: 1

      Same here

  13. No 4:3 screen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Then count me out.

    1. Re:No 4:3 screen? by coastwalker · · Score: 2

      Agreed, video screen formats have contributed more to the decline of the Western world than Trump, ISIS and Kim Jong Un put together. Though they do at least leave plenty of room for taskbars on the left or right of the screen. Fashion, marketing and screwing the customer between them have a lot to answer for.

      --
      Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
    2. Re:No 4:3 screen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They would have a market segment to themselves if they did a true 4:3. DO IT.
      I would design it to allow a smartphone to slide in and act as the mousepad, while allowing the phone to be charged and data transferred.
      In fact why has nobody done a surgeyy and a board substitution.

    3. Re:No 4:3 screen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then count me out.

      This particular point was covered by Dave Hill in the blog posts about a year ago. Simple put, no one makes those screens anymore. Even if Lenovo wanted to put them in a laptop they can't find anyone that makes them and ordering a custom batch would be seriously expensive.

    4. Re:No 4:3 screen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll buy one even if it's 16x10, but if it's 16x9 I'm out. I will never buy another 16x9 laptop.

    5. Re:No 4:3 screen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      No, but there are lots of 3:2 on the market, that would be fine.

    6. Re:No 4:3 screen? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Well it's quite easy to fix. Simply put a vertical video on each side, playing in a loop, and you'll get your 4:3 display. You could also use a different smartphone wallpaper on each side, or just put an arcade bezel cropped for your display.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    7. Re:No 4:3 screen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Found the liberal democrat.

    8. Re:No 4:3 screen? by Solandri · · Score: 1

      Don't believe everything you hear. A lot of times people just make up plausible-sounding stuff to dodge a difficult question.

      Personally I think 3:2 is ideal, but 16:10 a good second. 4:3 is too narrow, 16:9 is too broad.

    9. Re:No 4:3 screen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think 21.3" is a good screen size for a laptop. The 13.3" versions are greyscale e-inks.

    10. Re:No 4:3 screen? by Crispy+Critters · · Score: 1

      Since people are making snide comments below, and I am typing this on a 4:3 laptop (old thinkpad from ebay!) I will explain. Many tasks benefit from a minimum amount of vertical screen real estate: some UIs have too many menus and notification bars, sometimes you want a vertical stack of windows because of how things line up, sometimes you need to read large blocks of text in pdfs. A screen vertical of 8.4" with a 4:3 ratio makes a compact, easy-to-carry laptop without miniaturized keys. A screen vertical of 8.4" on a 16:9 makes for a gigantic laptop which is more of a portable desktop. As long as a run Linux and stay away from Gnome, everything runs effectively instantly or is limited by the network even on a core 2 duo.

    11. Re:No 4:3 screen? by jwdb · · Score: 1

      Is it vertical extent you want, or would vertical resolution be sufficient?

      I can understand if you prefer the former, and in the past I'd have advocated for 4:3 screens to give me enough screen real estate, but now I've got a 14" WQHD (2560x1440) and with a low zoom factor that feels like enough. That'll change as my eyes wear out and I need to up the zoom, but for the time being it works.

      Support for high-dpi is sometimes still iffy, however.

    12. Re:No 4:3 screen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      that is quite true, republicans really like to back ISIS and Kim

    13. Re:No 4:3 screen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd like to know what is your current 4:3 laptop neckbeard!

  14. Re:Lenovo can shove it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ah, the double moral standards of capitalists at work! Go on and vent your anger, comrade!

  15. Pah, Lenovo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lenovo can take a short walk off a long pier, after shafting me on a "3-5 business day delivery" of a new laptop that was exponentially delayed twice before I cancelled, while their site was *still* showing delivery in 3-5 business days on the same order. No modern technology business can get away with crap like that. I had my Dell the next day.

  16. Re: You mean celebrate the destruction of the thin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Eh... they're not IBMs anymore, but Thinkpads are still the best laptops out there for Linux users.

    The escape key on my X1 Carbon isn't nearly big enough for proper vi-keys use. So I finally had to learn how to map escape to the caps lock key. Not that difficult.

  17. No more Lenovo for me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After a T500 and a T420 randomly died (dead motherboard, no lights, no charge, no boot, no nothing. Dead as a dodo), I've switched to HP's Elitebook series. Nice aluminium chassis', decent keyboard, glass trackpad, nice design and robust as hell.

  18. Re: You mean celebrate the destruction of the thin by stooo · · Score: 1

    >> still the best laptops out there for Linux users.

    Fujitsu Lifebooks have better value when bought used, and are just as robust, work nice with Linux

    --
    aaaaaaa
  19. Does it come with free adware? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    And bogus security certificates? Do we get a load of bloat- and crapware preinstalled that nothing but a total wipe and clean install can cure, where we then get to beg forever to get drivers for their hardware (only to get told from support that we can always revert to the "clean" original state and they're happy to provide a CD with an image ... for a small three-digit fee of course?

    The Thinkpad died for me the moment IBM sold the brand.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Does it come with free adware? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's the big fuzz about? Just run PC decrapifier once. Or install GNU/Linux. I always do both when I get a new machine.

    2. Re:Does it come with free adware? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      The big fuzz is that Lenovo (i.e. what used to be IBM) is a brand often used by businesses who cannot simply install what they want on their machines, be it because of corporate standards or even outside regulations requiring them to use certified machines from certain vendors. And yes, for some odd reason I cannot fathom, this may mean that such spyware-riddled machines are certified while doing a clean install is not. Back when IBM still held control over these machines, you could be fairly certain that at the very least their business line of models came without any crap littering them, and this made the decision rather easy.

      My question thus is whether a business can actually use those machines. It may not be of importance to you or any private owner of a laptop, where you can simply decrapify your machine yourself, but to businesses this is actually a really big issue and leading to the problem that the number of models you can actually choose from, i.e. the number of models that intersect at "has no spyware" and "is $regulation compliant", is getting smaller and smaller.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:Does it come with free adware? by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 1

      Businesses still use Windows where you are? How quaint!

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
  20. Sadly too late by WinstonWolfIT · · Score: 1

    My T420 still runs great for development (maxed RAM and SSD) but when my equipment refresh came up and I was faced with the damned keypad and minus the t-bar I jumped ship to a Surface Book. It also doesn't have a t-bar (less important with a touch screen for paging), but the layout doesn't have a keypad, and a bonus is a 3:2 screen ratio which is easier to use for vertical work and gives more real estate.

  21. Fuck the stalwarts by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 2

    However, in 2012 Lenovo saw fit to 'modernize' the iconic keyboard, along with other unwelcome changes. This didn't meet with approval from some stalwarts, who clung to the superior X220 and T420 lines

    I've got a T420 as my personal laptop, and a T440 at work. Anyone who claims the T420 is a better laptop is a blithering idiot. It's heavier, slower, has much worse battery life, worse screen hinges, an inferior touchpad (the trackpoint is obsolete when compared to modern touchpads) and is just a worse package.

    Even the much-vaunted keyboard on the T420 has issues. It's wobbly and I've have to add little pads of duct tape in strategic places to make it feel nice and solid, like my T440 or my old T42.

    Don't get me wrong, it's still a better laptop than most non-Thinkpads, but it is absolutely not a better laptop than the newer Thinkpads.

    --
    Eat the rich.
    1. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I had an L540, which, as far as i see, has same touchpad as T440. I hated that thing so much. No separate buttons for trackpoint is just horrible idea.

    2. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have the L540 at work. The keyboard appears to be stolen from a ZX Spectrum, and the track pad is so bad I've had to disable it. Unfortunately the track point doesn't have any buttons on this models, I'm supposed to use the now disabled track pad as buttons for the track point.

      As a result, I'm now keeping an old Logitech trackball in my laptop bag, in case I need to use the laptop anywhere I can't dock it or use remote desktop.

    3. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah I agree. I had a T420, and loved it, but you wouldn't get me to swap my T470 for it for any money. And the keyboard is just as good. The only thing I miss is the NVidia card I had in that one.

      It's interesting you mentioned the hinges because mine both eventually stuck and then broke through the case.

      I also had a T450 (I think) for a while, where the trackpad buttons were integrated into the trackpad? Fuckin' awful.

    4. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      L versions thinkpads are shit. As are "E" ones. Horrid. Only "T" and "X" are worth looking at. Otherwise you'd be better off getting something else...

    5. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by blind+biker · · Score: 4, Insightful

      (the trackpoint is obsolete when compared to modern touchpads)

      Yeah, well, that's just, like, YOUR OPINION, man!
      Seriously, for us who got used to the clit, it is superior to any trackpad/touchpad, because there is no chance to move the cursor with your thumbs while touch-typing.
      Fuck the stalwarts? No, fuck you for stating as fact something that's just an opinion.

      --
      "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
    6. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The T440 has a vile trackpad because they removed the physical buttons at the top edge and instead synthesize 3 button clicks out of the whole clickpad and different software-managed zones at the top edge. The imprecision of that software makes the whole upper area of the clickpad into a random click/scroll/drag generator depending on the weather and mood of the laptop.

      This stupid trackpad lasted only one generation because it was so irritating to so many users. I keep wishing my work T440p would die so I can replace it with a newer model where they reverted to physical buttons.

      Work IT also had to replace the T440p keyboard once. A key got stiff and then on the next keypress the hinge shattered and the keycap fell off. Meanwhile, I've got a 10 year old Thinkpad USB keyboard (identical to my old T40 and T41 keyboards) which I've kept through several generations of desktop workstation. It works perfectly even though the keycaps have lost their matte texture and some of their labeling due to heavy use.

    7. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll add that the W are crap as well, alot of plastic where other manufacturers used metal eg the lid is completely plastic and the internal frame is all that keeps it ridged and has the hinges attached.

    8. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Amen. I use the trackpoint exclusively to the point where I am almost confused and unable to work on a machine with a regular mouse or touchpad.

      Unfortunately for me on Linux, the drivers related to trackpoint and trackpad keep regressing. It is really hard to get a comfortable sensitivity and acceleration profile with my old Thinkpad USB keyboard and 4K monitors. It is also really hard to keep the thing configured to disable the random cursor movement via thumb when I am typing and using the trackpoint.

    9. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by blind+biker · · Score: 1

      Amen. I use the trackpoint exclusively to the point where I am almost confused and unable to work on a machine with a regular mouse or touchpad.

      Unfortunately for me on Linux, the drivers related to trackpoint and trackpad keep regressing. It is really hard to get a comfortable sensitivity and acceleration profile with my old Thinkpad USB keyboard and 4K monitors. It is also really hard to keep the thing configured to disable the random cursor movement via thumb when I am typing and using the trackpoint.

      Ooohhh... is that so? Just when I was starting to consider using Linux.

      --
      "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
    10. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by mattventura · · Score: 1

      The issue for me isn't the key feel - the new ones feel fine, and I can look past the chiclet part. The issue is that they went from having a top-tier keyboard layout to having a below average layout. They've made slight improvements but it's still poorly designed.

    11. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah ok dude.. sure.. how is the 5 point CLICK PAD treating you.. or those ULV CPU's.

    12. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 1

      I will admit to a bit of hyperbole, in order to rile people up a bit.

      I was a die hard trackpoint user for years, through my T42, numerous HP Elitebooks at work and so on. Yes, touchpads were inferior, but the modern ones just completely outperform any trackpoint implementation for speed and accuracy.

      If you hit the touchpad with your thumb while typing, why isn't your thumb on the space bar where it belongs? And why have you disabled the thumb detection while typing?

      --
      Eat the rich.
    13. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 1

      The touchpad itself is fine, but it did impact the usability of the trackpoint. I may be one of the only people who actually enjoys using the T440 touchpad, but I honestly find it far superior to the trackpoint, and I used to be a die hard fanatic of the little red nub.

      --
      Eat the rich.
    14. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 1

      Treating me very well, thank you very much.

      --
      Eat the rich.
    15. Re:Fuck the stalwarts by michael_wojcik · · Score: 1

      touchpads were inferior, but the modern ones just completely outperform any trackpoint implementation for speed and accuracy

      When I think of the two or three seconds I lose each day using the Trackpoint... well, I don't fucking care.

      When I think of the substandard accuracy of the Trackpoint - you know what? It's never been a problem. Ever. In the nearly 25 years I've been using them (started circa 1993).

      If you hit the touchpad with your thumb while typing, why isn't your thumb on the space bar where it belongs?

      "Yes, we put a control right where you'll hit it by accident. It's your fault if you can't learn to avoid it."

  22. Definitely want one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If its anything like the original which probably would be running today except for hardware becoming outdated and slow. This was back in the day when a laptop could survive a battle field and live on.

  23. Was just gifted an old ThinkPad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Product ID: 2374R97 Type 2374-R97 S/N L3-4F-BOC 60gb hard drive, mem 1024 DVD/CD R/W , Validated & updated fully WinXP

    Any advice on what to do with it?

    1. Re:Was just gifted an old ThinkPad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Build a CNC router and use it as the controller.

      Nothing like spending $1k or so to make use of a $100 used laptop.

    2. Re:Was just gifted an old ThinkPad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks, though I'd much rather spend $0.

    3. Re:Was just gifted an old ThinkPad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's a T42. https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/migr-57839

      I suppose I could just load it up with emulators and old dos games. This thing is a tank, I'd bet it could stop a bullet!

    4. Re: Was just gifted an old ThinkPad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't bother with the hard drive, replace that with a cheapo Chinese SSD, even of the same size.
      Even if it hasn't failed yet, it is seriously slowing you down.

    5. Re: Was just gifted an old ThinkPad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Acknowledged, thank you.

  24. Lenovo Thinkpad Spyware edition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lenovo is listening their customers via its spyware, so nice that the data collected was not wasted.

  25. Still using my T510 by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

    Upgraded the RAM, replaced the battery and hard drive, even replaced the screen. Still one of the best laptops I have ever used. Biggest problem is it is heavy compared to modern laptops.

    1. Re:Still using my T510 by armanox · · Score: 1

      Similar boat here - I replaced my Precision M4500 with a T410 because of the keyboard and weight. Switched it to an SSD, and maxed RAM and it is still running fine (dual boot Fedora and Windows 10). Since I don't game any more I don't feel compelled to replace it.

      --
      I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
    2. Re:Still using my T510 by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      If you like the strength and durability of Thinkpads, show it by having BIG MUSCLES!

  26. Re:Lenovo can shove it by knightghost · · Score: 0

    It's not really even capitalism... Lenovo makes the worst laptops but big business buys them because they are cheap. The loss of work time and quality is staggering.

  27. Re:Lenovo can shove it by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    But in the US, money is speech. So it does not matter if Lenovo didn't invent ThinkPads since the Chinese have spoken.

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  28. Re: You mean celebrate the destruction of the thin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But you can use Ctrl+[ instead of Esc

  29. Re:Lenovo can shove it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    If Lenovo makes the worst laptops, then either I got lucky that my 7-year-old T510 still works just fine, or their quality has really gone downhill since 2010.

    The 4-year-old Dell that it replaced took the same abuse, but required several battery and motherboard swaps, not to mention replacement charging cables.

    dom

  30. Re:Lenovo can shove it by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

    Both of your statements are false. Lenovo laptops are not cheap and they hold up better than the likes if HP and Dell.

    --
    Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
  31. Wherefore art thou.. by cb88 · · Score: 1

    Thinkpad 25 /w AMD Ryzen 2700U

    1. Re:Wherefore art thou.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Ryzen isn't really something you want in a laptop, it's meant for multitasking with hundreds of parallel threads, but as a result they had to gut each core. You want a beefy CPU that can do everything quickly and go back to sleep for most common applications.

  32. Re: You mean celebrate the destruction of the thin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The X1 Carbon with no caps lock key and the "\" key moved to where the escape key is? The one where the touch bar where the F keys are doesn't work at all under Linux, so you hope it is in "function key" mode before it loads the OS, so you can actually use F1-F12?

    That was one real piece of crap laptop that I would not recommend to anyone who desired to do real work. It also was the best advertisement for Dell I've ever seen.

  33. LSE by Kurdy · · Score: 1

    Will it include a retro version of Superfish?

    --
    The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts. - Marcus Aurelius
  34. Re:Lenovo can shove it by Junta · · Score: 1

    It depends.

    If it doesn't have the word 'Think' on it, it's pretty cheap and generally not that good (same is true of basically all the 'consumer' product lines of the major brands)..

    If it has the word 'Think' on it, it's *probably* a really good laptop, though some of them aren't so good. Sticking to X, T, or P laptops things are consistently pretty good.

    --
    XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
  35. Re: You mean celebrate the destruction of the thin by Junta · · Score: 1

    Yes, thankfully that experiment, much like the no-button trackpoint are well behind them. Just like hopefully Apple's experiment with a touch bar will also be behind them next gen.

    --
    XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
  36. But wait, there's more! by forkfail · · Score: 1

    It comes pre-loaded with SuperDooperFish!

    --
    Check your premises.
  37. Finally a reason to upgrade! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, maybe - my x230 is still going strong

    1. Re: Finally a reason to upgrade! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      X230 and the tablet version are awesome. I have one of each. Both with 16 GB and an ssd. You can also toss an msata in there if you remove keyboard and palm rest.

  38. Re: Lenovo can shove it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just had my 3 year old Lenovo u530 break, faulty hinges that broke my bezel an glass. Found out it was a common problem and why it would never sleep properly. Lenovo will not cover it, so I learned he hard way they are crap and do not stand behind their defects, will never buy Lenovo again.

  39. Lenovo Shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Except Levonos are shit. The touchpad is the worst, moves the pointer every time you try to double-click(https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/2g81qu/lenovo_admits_new_trackpad_was_a_mistake_idf_14/). Keys coming off for not reason. Overall poor product, shitty engineering, lack of quality checks. Don't buy this shit.

  40. 25 non-negotiable demands by WaffleMonster · · Score: 4, Informative

    1. Display aspect ratio no "wider" than 16:10

    2. Ultra bay with swappable HDD/Disc/Battery options

    3. Matte screen, IPS or TN I don't care as long as it's a LCD display that isn't (AM)OLED.

    4. Must be reasonably thick.. there must be space for normal internal 2.5" HDD and usable ports. Nothing must be compromised because "thin is cool" or any such BS.

    5. Absolutely no non-removable batteries. I don't believe I have to say this.

    6. T60/T400 era keyboard or more to the point any of insert + delete, home + end, page up + page down MUST NOT be on the same row

    7. Small or non-existent track pad

    8. Lots of USB3 ports and some C types.

    9. Microphone + Headphone jacks

    10. At least 1gbit Ethernet and ESATA port

    11. HDMI or DP

    12. Intel graphics option

    13. Option for no fingerprint readers and no cameras.

    14. Physical switches to directly control internal mic and wireless radios in a manner that can't be bypassed in software/firmware.

    15. Option for a good standalone internal GPS without your typical crap coupled with WLAN cards.

    16. Must be upgradable to at least 64 GB RAM and must support ECC

    17. At least 12hrs battery life.

    18. Must be easy to replace internal boards if necessary with screws and ribbon cables.. absolutely no MS surface style glue and shit.

    19. Must support Linux and not be locked down in any way.. I don't believe I have to say this.

    20. Must be plain boring black with no annoying public facing advertisements like glowing apples and shit.

    21. If I am forced to pay for an OS license it had better be one licensed to allow installation of standard non-Lenovo molested version of the OS.

    22. Must not nerf standard hardware virtualization features

    23. AMT, *jack and associated BS must be able to be disabled AND permanently fused in BIOS.

    24. Reasonable amount of useful indicator lights. When lid closed there must be at least power/battery indicator visible. When open there must be HDD & Network activity lights.

    25. Option for no touch screen

    1. Re:25 non-negotiable demands by ELCouz · · Score: 1

      Good luck with that!

    2. Re:25 non-negotiable demands by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ....say the guy who has a macbook...

    3. Re:25 non-negotiable demands by SnarkSide · · Score: 1

      Lenovo, I hope you are listening, because many of us would like this type of configuration. There are no laptops IMO currently on the market which meet these specs in a quality configuration for business users.

    4. Re:25 non-negotiable demands by sracer · · Score: 1

      I would like to live in a world where this is possible.

  41. Just in time by lfp98 · · Score: 1

    Since my R50 bought refurbished in 2004 and running an obsolete version of Lubuntu, suddenly won't play youtube videos anymore. Must be time to upgrade. Sure will miss that 4:3 screen though.

    1. Re:Just in time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Disable HTML5 and force Flash video playback. There are some Firefox addons to do it. Google for other browsers.

  42. Re: You mean celebrate the destruction of the thi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Haha vi.

  43. I would love a laptop with a typematrix keyboard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The typematrix keyboard is perfect sized for a laptop, I'd kill for a laptop with one!