Next generation of Thinkpads from lenovo?

Now the T/X/W series are more than half a year old is there any rumors on upcomming models with regards to design, specs and timeline?

I personally feel the current models lack behind competition graphic-wise, if you commpare to macbook pro or sony in the thin and light segment. In the days of t42 or t61p they were very compact, slim and powerful, but the newer models seem to heve become bulkier and less competitive with regards to graphics. is this true?

correct me if im wrong but the t61p still seems to beat the new models in terms of graphics power for a small/thin 14" notebook, and is even alot smaller dimensions than the current t400.

Any w400 on the way?

 

This question has come up many times (even once by me lol), and the answers seem to be the same. From what I gather, the new Thinkpads will not be refreshed until the new Intel Chipset. So, that would be probably around November (give or take a few months).
I'll be hanging on to my T61 for another 3 years

 

They only seem to refresh with major parts are updated. Intel CPU is not due for a while (Q3/Q4), while it may refresh if Ati push out a 4XX0 refresh of 3470; however recently they'll update T400's screen with higher brightness one, which could imply no new model for a while.

Newer thinkpads seem to focus on more balaced platform where battery life is valued more (excessively so at cost of power?), While the higher end T4x were powerful for their time, their battery were not great, and produced too much heat, while they were also likely to be damaged when subjected to motherboard flex.

I somehow doubt the chance of W400, cos the most they'll put in is the FireGL version of Ati's 45X0 or something anyway.

 

Also, the end of the year, (or, more specifically back to school time) is when you'll also find the best deals on the current laptops (as for they will be phased out within the month or two). Usually 35% off. I hope they have that deal on the W700, because I would LOVE to have one, but definitely NOT at the current price.

 

In short, Lenovo has focused the ThinkPads far more on heat and battery life than GPU power. This has both its good and bad points, but it serves their intended audience (Corporate, academic, etc.) very well.

That being said, the relatively meager GPU in the T400 made it very easy for me to choose an x200 (I was sacrificing very little performance, and saved almost 2 pounds in weight). I would have to write off most newer games with the T400 anyway (something I was comfortable with as my 5 year old T40 stopped being able to play games 3+ years ago), so I could just write them off entirely and go for an integrated only solution (still great for Vista and video playback).

Also, IBM/Lenovo has tied their upgrade path to Intel revisions far more than ATI/NVidia revisions. Again, I think this generally is a result of their target market.

I would certainly appreciate a Nvidia 9400M (or Radeon HD3200) IGP as the baseline integrated chip for the X and T series, as well as a Radeon 4xxx for the switchable option. However, I wouldn't expect this, especially because you would be mixing an Intel CPU with an Nvidia IGP and an AMD GPU (highly unlikely). Intel integrated and midrange ATI/Nvidia for the discrete option will likely be the future for ThinkPads as well.

 

I'm just dying for a 13" T series notebook. If they come out with one next fall, I'm buying it.

 

Yeah, me too. But . . . I suspect the next X300 series won't be out until December or January or so. Here's why: my bet is that Lenovo won't update the X300 series until a low power Nehalem in 32 nm is available, and that won't be until late Q4 or early 2010.

 

Well, an updated X300 isn't really what I'm looking for, though, because of its weak processor and hefty price tag.

 

As soon as they phase out the thinklight with non flexy backlit keypad, I'm sold. Once they used to lead the trend, sadly now they just follow it, no longer cuttinng it.

 

... the ThinkLight hardly follows a trend...

 

Did I say thinklight was followig the trend? anyway imo it's not as useful anymore, they had it for too log with out fine tuning it...

 

seriously, that would be awesome if they ever came out with 13" thinkpad T-series.

 

It's a light. What more does it need to do?

 

Give more options? add more of it? in T400's case, don't blind the user? make good cup of coffer? i dunno...

 

personally, i dont understand the point of the thinklight AT ALL.

if the sole point of the light is to illuminate the keyboard, then the screen does that just fine. i have never turned that light on because its absolutely unnecessary.

as far as next gen thinkpads, one of you mentioned not wanting the X series because of its low specs. while i agree in that i dont want an underpowered machine, i do believe that the next revision in the X series line or perhaps the following revision, we will begin to see chips that are not only efficient in terms of power draw, but powerful as well.

chips continue to shrink, ibm for example is developing a 22nm chip, so whether it be next year or the year after we're bound to get very powerful processors in very small laptops.

with that said, i'm hoping i can get a cpu like the one i have now into a X series machine either next year or the year after, and i'd like around 12 to 15 hours of battery life if possible.

 

Maybe on the new LED screens, but definitely not on my T60. Plus, what does it hurt to have an extra light?

 

THough I don't know if its that difficult too add backlit keypad, while not reducing key travel...

 

I think if backlit keyboards ever became available, it would end the ability to use the older keyboards.

I don't think Lenovo is far behind in the graphics capability department, but I am mostly looking at the previous "p" line and the W line now.

Since when is a Macbook Pro thin and light? Sony laptops have ALWAYS been severely lacking in the high powered graphics department.

 

They dont need to be in gaming "range", they're not targeting specifically the consumer market (though they are aiming at it more).