The Lenovo ThinkPad X60s Swings into the Jungle with Canopy Meg and Other Scientists

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Each year the Explorers Club presents the Lowell Thomas Award to select explorer scientists to recognize their world-renowned projects for preserving rich biodiversity. This year Lenovo has partnered with the Explorers Club to present each winning scientist with an ultraportable ThinkPad X60s to aid in their research. The following scientists will receive the award later today at a ceremony in New York City:

• Soubadra Devy, Ph.D., of India, a pioneer of canopy ecology, is helping develop a canopy crane to provide access for people of all ages into the amazing world of forest canopies.
  
  
• Francis Halle, Ph.D., of France, inventor of the &quot;Canopy Raft,&quot; conducts tropical botanical research around the globe.
  
  
• Margaret Lowman, Ph.D., of the United States, also known as &quot;Canopy Meg,” develops new techniques in treetop exploration including ropes, walkways, hot air balloons and construction cranes.
  
  
• Mark W. Moffett, Ph.D., of the United States, a renowned National Geographic photojournalist, has brought forest canopies into families’ living rooms, and is currently studying the highly organized social structure of ants.
  
  
• Brian Rosborough, of the United States, founder of the Earthwatch Institute, financially supported over 2,500 research expeditions including the first long-term funding for canopy ecology.

Canopy Meg with a Lenovo ThinkPad X60 (view large image)

According to Dr. Lowman (&quot;Canopy Meg&quot, one of this years award recipients, “Collecting forest data in diverse environments, often high above the ground, is challenging for any scientist. The forest canopy is our office, and our notebook PCs need to be lightweight and rugged enough to withstand extreme environmental conditions. The Lenovo ThinkPad meets those requirements. I'd like to focus on driving awareness of the environment, not on repairing a PC.&quot;

Dr. Lowman is mostly known for working in and around the forest that becomes an ‘office’ away from the traditional desk.  Her backpack usually consists of a camera, a portable leaf area meter to measure insect damage and gadgets to collect and identify insects.  Now equipped with the ThinkPad, Dr. Lowman will be able to improve upon her data analysis more efficiently and accurately.  For example, instead of relying solely on handwritten notes, she can connect the notebook to a camera and leaf area meter to help expedite the research.

The X60s taking a break along with the other outdoor gear (view large image)

Some of you that watched Reading Rainbow as kids might remember Meg appearing in an episode of that TV show. She has also appeared in National Geographic episodes and has written several books. Her website can be found here, to see a complete profile for three of the scientists receiving the Lowell Thomas award and a ThinkPad X60s go here.

About the ThinkPad X60s

The ThinkPad X60s is a 3 pound ultraportable notebook that uses an Intel Core Duo processor. See a full review of the X60s here.

 

 

things are slow for you these days, eh?

 

Interesting work they do. Kind of strange that it seems like Canopy Meg has never thought of using a laptop or maybe at least a PDA before.

 

you think this is a stretch? Wait until tomorrow -- laptops in Antarctica.

 

Touch-typing lessons for Penguins?

 

LOL!
Makes me wonder, are they ever near an electrical plug? Or can they recharge the batteries with a portable power generator? Or do they have to buy like 20 batteries in advance because they'll never be able to recharge?

And does it matter?

C.

 

Why didn't they show the screen in the daylight? Seems like this is something Panasonic should have done with their new model 30 Toughbook with the 1000 nit LCD.

 

I would like to know where the huge Lenovo sticker comes from. Did they get the notebook with the sticker or was it applied later for promotional purpose? Is the IBM ThinkPad logo still there, covered by the sticker?

 

LOL, yes the big lenovo sticker is placed to cover the "IBM ThnkPad" logo. Strange considering how much lenovo paid for rights to use that for 5 years Many analysts say the IBM name was the biggest blunder in PC history. Perhaps so, considering that Fortune has placed the market value of the IBM brand at #2 in the world behind Coca Cola.

 

Haha, indeed..People associate IBM Thinkpad with quality, not with Lenovo....at least not yet

I'm very happy with my t60, at least so far.