Lenovo unleashes the first ThinkPad without a TrackPoint

And here you have it:

Lenovo ThinkPad 11e Delivers Rugged Computing Solution To Students | Ubergizmo

 

I can see your snowball hell theory a lot more clearly now..,

 

can you even legally call that a thinkpad?

 

The 2 cents they saved per unit by not including it will make lenovo rich.

 

Yoga edition of the 11e will have a Trackpoint:



I think it's an oversight by the photographer, but we shall see when the laptop comes out. Also, yet another anti-Lenovo circlejerk thread made by no one but the tin foil hat man himself.

 

It's understandable that there are IdeaPad owners who'd love for the ThinkPads to lose the TrackPoint since:

a) They never learned how to use one

b) Their Lenovos would now look a lot more like the more expensive ones...

 

That's the 12" ThinkPad Yoga. Notice the stylus. 11e Yoga doesn't have stylus input, and has a rugged case.

 

Welcome to the beginning of the end for Lenovo. I said deletion of trackpoint was the end of the line for me.

 

> Is Ideapad Owner.
> Doesn't want Thinkpads to lose the trackpoint because he understand that they still do cater to a certain niche of people.

My only gripe is that Thinkpads had awful touchpads, which i'm happy they (somewhat) fixed, but removing the Trackpoint? Hmmm. Risky business decision.

This being said, i don't Think the T450 will be trackpointless. If they were to phase out the trackpoint, they would do it progressively. So expect the E450 to probably have no trackpoint, with the T series probably being the last series to include it, assuming Lenovo were to plan to remove the trackpoint.

My solution, keep the Thinkpads Intact (revert to x30/x20 series designs), and focus on the non-Think/Idea line to appeal to the "Mac" crowd.

 

The real question at the end of the day for these large corporations is what will make them more money? Even if they need to offend long time loyalists or even appeal to a different crowd, as long as they are making their cash they could probably care less who is being left behind. For example I've heard many people crying about losing dedicated trackpoint buttons or the old style keyboard, but honestly if thinkpads were still like that I probably would of never bought the one I have now. I am definitely not an old thinkpad user (I honestly thought they used to be dead ugly and would never see myself getting one), but the point is they have my money in their pockets, and chances are I'm not the only one. I'm also sure they have a team of highly paid researchers to see what is the biggest amount of fish they can catch in their net, even if it means allowing a few other fish to slip away.

 

I'm a short term loyalist.. if the next t4x0p doesn't have a TrackPoint I'll find something else...

But man I really love a high performance 14" with docking ability...

 

Chances are all future ThinkPads will maintain the trackpoint. I'm sure the ThinkPad 11e is an isolated case since it is directed toward school students, not high end business users

 

Well there's a reason why Dell and HP still has that trackpoint clone on their newest business class laptops. Although HP seemingly started removing them on their ultrabooks.

 

X100e, X120e and even the X131e all had trackpoints.

I was actually considering the 11e to replace my X120e but now it's off the list. I actually traded in my EeePC for the X120 for the trackpoint.

Lenovo seems to have forgotten what that red dot in their ThinkPad logo stands for.

My theory is that the next Edge we will probably start seeing this change. Pretty much all the lousy changes that happened to the ThinkPad stemmed from there (blue Enter key, buttonless TrackPoint, hinge)

 

I suppose it's a "Chromebook first" device. Probably more of an example of "Lenovo applying Thinkpad sticker on everything that has a screen".

 

The trackpoint on HP and Dell machines are more of an afterthought than anything. The one on my D600/D610/D620/D630/E6400/E6410 were all crap.

Seems Lenovo is forgetting alot what Think stood for; removal of Power Manager, 7 row keyboard, roll cage, etc, the list goes on and on.

 

Dell only has the trackpoint on some latitudes and 4/6 series precisions, but not on all their laptops.

 

No TrackPoint = no buy, ever. What's going on with Lenovo??

 

They are following the slippery slope of what Dell/HP did for years.

 

It seems that everyone is losing the real essence of things, focusing only on aesthetics, coolness, and "portability".

Everything seems to be getting lame now

 

The 11e is not the successor of the X100e/X120e/X131e line. There is a X140e that uses the same chassis as the X131e. The 11e seems to be a stripped-down version of the upcoming Thinkpad Yoga 11e for non-US markets. The TrackPoint was probably cut in that model to minimize cost and complexity.

 

Hope you're right... but I'm not too convinced it's a one-off. Maybe they'll start making TrackPoint optional on CTO machines, I can see that happening.

 

Let's just not forget that the 6-row keyboard was supposed to be implemented on "budget" series only - SL if I remember correctly - and look at how that cancer spread...

Of course, those amongst us who had raised hell back then were repeatedly re-assured that the "mainstream" ThinkPad would retain classic keyboard layout.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...

I think not.

They were testing the waters for this particular move quite some time ago, here:

Time to give up TrackPoint? - Perspectives - Lenovo Blogs

I guess that Lenovo has figured that they'll be powerful enough to get rid of the red nub a generation or two from now, unlike three years ago...

 

That's what I predict.... as Lenovo grows rapidly and acquires more companies, it will probably make exactly the same mistakes that almost sank Dell and HP -- churn out a vast number of mediocre models until no-one knows what exactly the brand actually stands for except bland, mediocre PCs.

I'm not too worried about the 11e setting a trend, however. In fact I'm not at all surprised an educational Chromebook model has no trackpoint but does have the Thinkpad name (learning... thinking... obvious marketing angle). For all we know the trackpoint nub was considered a potential choking hazard for kids so had to be removed for Lenovo to get approval to sell to schools.

 

Dell's is a sorry excuse for the TrackPoint, but their keyboard - at least on Precision series - is quite good. EliteBooks - with the original TrackPoint rubber tip instead of the HP one - actually come pretty close to the original, but I find the newer keyboards lacking...

Can't win...what-so-ever...

 

This hits the nail I think.

Lets not forget, there were also some future model prototypes leaked, the ThinkPad 9 Slim Prototype, which could represent the next step in ThinkPad design, the one beyond the current X1 Carbon design, which is still pretty much the design of the first X1 Carbon - this one still has a TrackPoint:


We will see what the future may bring. The 11e isn´t part of the classic series of Lenovo.

 

Talk about overreaction. This laptop in no way shape or form looks like it is designed for any business users (not that I'm a business user, but I still have a Thinkpad).

Might be blasphemy, but I've been using the Track Point less; only really use it for when it's necessary for precise cursor movement, but that's not that often.

 

Agree, but I think part of the (over)reaction is also due to the fact that the Thinkpad name has been used on a model so obviously "low-end" (for want of a better term).

 

Wow. This thread is full of crazies. One laptop shows up without a trackpoint (mind you it is also towards the low end) and everyone starts thinking that the TrackPoint will be gone forever. This thread is probably for entertaining the crazies. Where is the real ThinkPad forum with more serious users and not a bunch of hysteria?

 

Low end for a laptop, high end for a Chromebook. A similar specced laptop is 250$, the 11e will be around 500$.

Gonna play devil's advocate:

Look at what laptop Lenovo is putting the trackpointless-design on. The 11e. The e stands for EDUCATION. So, if the laptop is marketed to schoolchildren, the children will learn to use the trackpad as the main input. When i was a kid in the early 2000's, the first laptop i used had a trackpoint, but no touchpad. Granted, i personally despise trackpoints, but i understand the people who do like them.

This being said, Lenovo is doing the same thing they did with the 6 row. Boiling frog syndrome. They can't just de-trackpoint all their laptops, otherwise their sales will plumment. Instead, they will A) Teach kids to erase the need from a trackpoint B) Slowly phase out the trackpoint from their lower end Thinkpads (Edge, S, L, Xe) and then after the consumer masses stop caring, pull the trackpoint from the premium series.

I'm participating into the anti-Lenovo circlejerk, it seems. Anyways, i personally don't care if this happens or not, Trackpoints are the last thing i look for when buying a notebook,

 

Yeah, I can understand loyalists worrying about the demise of the trackpoint, but I wonder how many people really still use it all that much. I used to use it, but as trackpads became more ubiquitous and (recently) better, and as I came to love my small bluetooth mouse, I find I rarely touch the nub anymore. If laptop touchscreens catch on then the argument for having a trackpoint will shrink even further IMO.

OK, I'm off to put on my flame-proof suit

 

You don't expect a "real" ThinkPad Forum - and the one in the link below is as real as it gets apart from its German equivalent - to shout "hooray" when presented with a TrackPointless ThinkPad of any kind, do you?

forum.thinkpads.com • View topic - First ThinkPad *WITHOUT* trackpoint (ThinkPad 11e)

 

This. Real hardcore ThinkPadders area on TPF (me included as well as ajkula66, JaneL, erik, ZaZ, TuuS). No good can come of such a change, I highly suspect it will spread to the mainstream Think lineup. I just really hate what Lenovo has done to Think, made so many changes for the worse. Think was best with what it was, slow and steady wins the race.

It's funny you say that. Lenovo eliminated the the roll cage. Sure fine whatever. Lenovo killed 7 row keyboard on low budget end models and it spread to the mainstream ThinkPad models. Lenovo killed Power Manager. Whatever Lenovo does 1 portion of its lineup, it tends to spread like cancer to the others.

 

11e isn't the first Chromebook though. X131e Chromebook was also marketed to educational markets and that had a trackpoint. But your choking hazard theory certainly makes sense, probably was requested after the X131e.

As long as they keep the availability, I can calm down for now.

 

Good point.

I like the trackpoint because it looks good though I have never ever used it.

 

The trackpoint and the keyboard are really the only 2 reasons left that I buy thinkpads, which I have done since '98. To all not using the trackpoint, you don't know what you're missing. To all claiming thinkpad loyalists are nuts, simply put, shut your holes or retreat back into them. I care nothing about computers except when I need to buy a new one, which thanks to the old thinkpads was seldom. Hell, my last 2 were stolen before they broke.

 

11e was the first Lenovo laptop designed to be specifically a chromebook. It's Windows equivalent, which also sports a trackpoint, is the X140e.

 

I'm not sure where you got this from, the press release from lenovo clearly states that both the 11e and yoga 11e come in a windows or chrome flavor. The x140e is a windows netbook from last year that didn't have a corresponding chrome model.

Lenovo Newsroom | Lenovo Unveils New Rugged ThinkPad Devices Built Strong for Schools

 

Lenovo made Ideapads for people just like you, the kind that doesn't really care what they're typing on as long as the laptop looks stylish.

That's what they said about the island keyboard.

 

I agree completely, except my PRIMARY reason for buying thinkpads is that after the warranty expires there are always plenty of parts on the seondary market to keep it going and of course this great community of thinkpad loyalists who support each other. A few others are rising to approach this class of laptop, but the vast majority of laptops sold are just pure junk, completely disposable. If anyone doubts this just wait unti your $399 laptop dies and the manufacturer wants you to pay over $500 for a replacement system board. Of course Lenovo replacement parts are expensive too, but if you get the same models that all the corporations get, there will be affordable parts available by the time your warranty expires.

 

Ironically, Idea/Non-Think systems have Lenovo Energy Management, which is arguably just as useful as power manager. Right now, it's the only Lenovo software that's on my laptop.

But Power Manager was a lot more full-featured. I think it was ditched in favor of Microsoft's built-in power-management in Windows 8, but feel free to prove me wrong.

My gripe with Lenovo is that if they decide to drop the build quality on their business line, they should at least up the build quality on their consumer line.

 

Power Manager showed precisely how much battery you had left, you could do the battery push through it, it showed your idle wattage, a whole host of useful information if you are like me and Commander Wolf, trying to squeeze the most battery out of our ThinkPads. It also showed charge cycles, serial number, etc. I don't think any power management software can be compared to the one Lenovo had on Think.

 

My current work machine is a Dell E6430. While the trackpoint is not as good as that of my ThinkPads, it's not too bad. It definitely needs a better cap. Even so, it is still eminently more usable than not having one at all.

Incidentally, it seems like Lenovo wants to trade on the reputation of the ThinkPad name. I guess if Lenovo wants to lend the cachet of the ThinkPad name to laptops aimed more to the mainstream buyer then I could live with that. But they then should introduce a new line dedicated to the ideals of the classic ThinkPad. Call it something different and aim it towards the traditional ThinkPad supporters and businesses that are still willing to source computers built like classic ThinkPads. Call it the Lenovo Legacy line or something.

A true ThinkPad by any other name would still compute as sweet.

 

Whether your idea will come to fruition will depend on if there is any money to be made into creating such a product. Are the old-Thinkpadders a vocal minority or a majority? Very few people know.

As i've said before, i'd still like to know the numbers surrounding this subject. While we could poll NBR about it, i don't think this will give an accurate representation.

There are 3rd party tools which can do that, however, and most of them are a lot more precise than Lenovo's power manager.

 

Care to share which ones ?

 

Jobine's probably referring to Battery Bar. While it's a nice piece of software and sometimes has more accurate battery life predictions than Power Manager, it falls short in almost all other aspects. Power Manager isn't perfect (in fact, it's quite bloaty), but added a lot of additional value to Thinkpads.

 

Not true. I bought this thinkpad SPECIFICALLY because I liked the quality of the keyboard, large fully clickable trackpad, digitizer support, and more sturdy construction, all features that Ideapads do not have. I do like and use the trackpoint, but it isn't a deal breaker for me, and I would venture to say that most tihnkpad users use their trackpads the majority of the time now, and that there is only a minority who really still exclusively use their trackpoint. I definitely don't fit the mold of a traditional thinkpad user, but from my personal subjective opinion I really like the evolution that has taken place with the new thinkpads. Did they make ALL right changes? Probably not, but I do think they are keeping up well with the times

 

yes after i installed power manager, restart and hibernate times tripled, not sure what to replace power manager with though

 

Is one able to tweak charge thresholds with Battery Bar? YMMV obviously when it comes to what is considered bloat. I like the Lenovo Power Manager and have used it for years. I have not found another program like it that allows users to control when and how much they allow the battery to be charged to. It is one of the essential programs I install on any ThinkPad that I own.