the red 'legacy' stripes on mouse buttons, the shape of buttons on thinkpads

whats your opinion on the fact that most new thinkpads don't have the red 'legacy' stripes on the mouse buttons and the blue stripe on the scroll button for the trackpoint.

Also whats your opinion on the on off button, access IBM (aka thinkvantage) buttons, and the volume buttons?

I liked the red stripes on the mouse buttons. I also don't think the new mouse button designs look that great. They are a little too 'square'. The older style buttons are more smooth and rounded in transition. The new ones are bulky squareish.

This is the same for the new volume, on/off and thinkvantage buttons. Too squareish on the new thinkpads. The old thinkpads are better because they are more ergonomic and rounded.

I like the fact they brought it back on the x series. They also added a nice touch with the blue stripes on the touch pad although I am indifferent to it.

 

Those were there before, too, weren't they?

I really like the look of the red and blue stripes, although not enough to make me not buy one of the new T-series laptops. The X-series buttons are better looking than the current T-series buttons. Don't really mind the shape, although I think the squarish look of the buttons actually fits better with the general laptop theme.

 

no those blue arrows they have on some of the new touchpads dont exist before. the one i have is a plain black touchpad.

yea, if im upgrading a notebook it probably wont be a deal breaker if i really needed to upgrade but down the road it may be. undoubtedly though it is a definate downer that they can certainly easily fix with no effort so I think they should do it. I cant believe they actually continued this tradition for so many models too before finally introducing it back on the x series The red stripes I mean. Now its just fixing the thinkvantage and co buttons on the top.

But I wouldn't mind an 'all black' thinkpad though (minus the trackpoint of course without question). I think that will be cool. I think thats what they tried here with the buttons without the stripes. Unfortunately I dont think it worked cause their button designs were pretty ugly. If they kept with the old design and minus the stripes it would have been acceptable.

 

I just had a look at my girlfriend's T400, and although I notice that there aren't any stripes and dots, I hadn't noticed the difference in shape on them. Is the T400 the "new" form or are they returning to that of my X200s (yes, I'm a switcher, and this X200s is my very first Thinkpad of my own)?

Also, Besides the flex in her keyboard (I need to get her to call for another one, sigh!), I notice that the power and volume buttons are grey on hers- some cheap looking metallic-coloured plastics. They really doesn't do the computer justice. It reminds me of the plastics used on those "metallic" Lifebooks. Bleh!

Other than the nitpicking, though, I really like her computer. Overall I think it's a thing of beauty. Almost as "pretty" as mine

Edit: I just realised you talk of a blue stripe on the middle button? On mine there are, one, two, three ... Seven blue dots, not a stripe?

I actually find this a little funny. Besides the geekery of us even caring (even if it's just a little bit), someone from their design team actually sat down and made a decision on these matters ...

 

The colored front stripes help locate the buttons in the dark, too.

 

I know my trackpoint by memory now, so no need for the stripes. Would i like them? Yes. I have always been a thinkpad fan, and to be honest i still get the thinkpad feel from my t400 so I'm as happy as can be. Just need to do a clean install.

 

The red stripes on the mouse buttons have been there since the beginning of the thinkpad brand.

the blue stripes for the scroll for the trackpoint is a new addition. then it was gone along with the red stripes, and now returned in the form of dots on the x series.

yes they did and i think it is a wrong decision because those new mouse buttons are pretty ugly looking IMHO. So too were their decision to add the antennas that stick out from the side of the monitor on some of the ultraportables in the recent past. those were pretty ugly too. I remember also thinking the extended battery sticking out was ugly too but won't you know it I got an extended battery later also. But I still think its ugly. The same way I think the dell adamo should have designed their laptop without that permanent back thing sticking in the back.

I just remember being super glad I got the T43 just before they started implimenting the changes to the buttons and the on/off volume, and co buttons on the top which I thought looked horrible and still think so today. I mean the semi old style buttons introduced in the T4X series were very nice looking (similar to todays X series) cause they are ergonomic, more stylish and rounded etc. It was just more pleasing to the eye for me anyway. For the rest of the thinkpad series those buttons look like some cheap toy button.

Anyhow I dont think that will deter me getting a new thinkpad which will be soon (but unfortunately for me wont be an x series cause i need more computing power sadly), but its just a real disapointment I think about the buttons. Plus it takes no resource to make it look nice. I really hope they change this for future laptops. They can go all black. But fix those buttons.

 

oh and yes, awdiyo, the x200 buttons are more similar to the 'semi old' style buttons ( say semi- cause the beginning thinkpads had pretty ugly square buttons also albeit having red stripes). the t400 will be what i would call the new buttons.