ThinkPad design is overrated?

Do you think ThinkPad design is outdated and that TrackPoint is overrated (and really outdated?)

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3043093/the-thinkpad-is-a-lasting-but-overrated-design

Personally, i love my TrackPoint, and i hated my T440s, X240 and W540 with the updated integrated TrackPoint buttons.

What do you guys think, and how would you respond to the author of that article?

 

There is no real substance to his post. It's pretty much just an opinion, so I wouldn't reply at all.

As for my own opinion, I certainly wouldn't want the trackpoint to be removed because having 2 pointing devices ensures that you can keep working when one of them fails.

I'm not the biggest fan of the current design, though it is at least better IMO than the 2010-2012 design. I find it a bit to boring and empty, so I would welcome slightly more exciting designs with more eye candy. (like the older models had)

And of course a 3:2 or 4:3 screen.

 

I'm not really fussed on the design as long it's comfortable and accurate to use. To most people at first the TrackPoint will feel odd and awkward to use but once you get your head round the little red nib you probably appreciate the minimal movement to get around the desktop compared to the touchpad where you have to constantly swipe to get where you want.

Though the moment Lenovo thought it was a good idea to integrate the Trackpoint buttons to the ClickPad (which itself is something I absolutely despise) was a real low point. I could see usability issues before it was released and not surprised when they backtracked that idea completely for the latest ThinkPads.

 

It depends. I really like the old school design of the ThinkPads, but I dont like new one. The new one looks like Macbook Pro's clone, which is far far away from the original design. There are few elements in it who remind that's a ThinkPad laptop, but more reminds of a Macbook Pro.

And a few words about durability. There is no more such thing like durability. Newer models tend to wear off way more faster than older ones. For example that surfaced touchpad cover on the Tx10, Tx20, Tx30 series. What durability we speak about when the thing you use the most of the day wears incredibly fast. Lenovo made their notebooks from cheap plastic, for which they claim it passes the tests for mil-specs. I don't believe that, because mine palm rest wears off incredibly fast and by the time when I have to replace it will have to change it atleast one time with new one if I dont want it to look extremely weared off machine.

So, in my eyes Lenovo ruined one iconic and durable notebook turning into a cheap clone of Macbook Pro.

 

Agreed. Not to mention the fact that the author should have checked his sources a bit better, since bento box is not a cigar box...

What do I think? Does it matter? I was done with ThinkPads three years ago.

 

What are you using now?

 

A FrankenPad and a ToughBook. I still have my old ThinkPads, though. You know, the ones with the 7-row keyboard.

 

Latest 2 Thinkpad generations (*40 and *50) made me rethink my must have trackpoint option... Perhaps I could get used with using a touchpad, as long I have a great keyboard.

It's a sad feeling, but I'm ready to let Thinkpads go too. After being disappointed again and again I have no more chances to give.

PS: Just my 2 rusted cents

 

Do I think the Thinkpad design is outdated ? Not at all. I love the look of the Thinkpads. Big, black with the red trackpoint button and red trackpoint buttons. They've been like that for many many moons now.

Do I think the Trackpoint is overrated / outdated ? Heck NO !!! The Trackpoint is one of my favorite features / one of the MAIN reasons I bought my T61 and X301. The Trackpoint is my main source of mouse input ( when my desktop USB mouse isn't plugged into it, and I'm "on the go" ). Doing away with the Trackpoint on a Thinkpad would be a sacrilege. Also, kudos to Lenovo for bringing back the Trackpoint buttons on the new x5x generation laptops. That was a huge disappointment for the last few generations. All we need back now is the status lights, the roll cage for improved durability ( like my T61 has ) , and we'd be good to go.

I got a chance to play around with the island style Thinkpad keyboard and I must say, I'm a huge fan of it. However, with the new placement of the function keys, and doing away with that top row of keys ( like the old chicklet style keyboards have ) ruined it for me.

 

Note really "lasting" when Lenovo changes the design every year, and went from Thinkpad of the yesteryears to black-Macbook of today.

 

I got the t540p recently with 4700mq refurb for just under 600 recently. It's a nice laptop. I like the aftermarket ips display options, the ease to change ram, hard drives, and extra hard drive bay you can add in replace of the dvd drive. Something I appreciate after owning an Asus g46vw where I had to open the laptop just to get to the hard drive. I like the clickpad personally but can see how some would prefer the old style. It's nice to know it is milspec tested. While it is light, it is plastic and its pretty thick. Seems more like a 17 inch then a 15.6 inch.

Cooling ability seems fine for light browsing and tasks, but encoding seems to ramp up the fan. Still the cpu is kept relatively cool at 100% load at around 80-85c. Might be able to get it in the 70s after a re paste.

I think the thinkpads are a quality product and are still better quality than the average consumer laptops.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

At my work we use Macs and we use Lenovos. As an IT imaging/laptop guy, I see a lot of both. One facet of these devices is not how they look out of the box; it's how they look after two, three, five years of use by an engineer or sales person or other high-usage type. You have to see a laptop that has been in bags, airport security, couches, dinged, scraped, scratched, and just worn.

In this aspect, Macs 'look better' worn out than Lenovos do. A circa 2009 MacBook Pro 15" with years of use on it has 'character'. Dents and dings are stories. A T500 on the other hand, it's just old, worn-out, and tired looking. Forget the tiny trackpad and kinda eeww trackpoint, it just looks like a few years of faded plastic.

These new ones, the Xy40/y50 series, I dunno.. the material just has a "won't look nice in five years" feel to it.

 

Meh, typing on this old 6 year old T500 and having an 8 year old T61 running Win10 right next to me, both still look pretty good with wear AND still run great (SSD).

 

feels like straight up consumer junk, forced to buy one because of work (i am reimbursed) but i absolutely hate it, i have a X220 now for personal use, if I didn't need a nice resolution, I would use it a lot more.. i think the next laptop i buy will be a dell or hp business line