>>7
In its prime, the Thinkpad was the Macbook Pro of its day. Weird as shit interface, but good build quality and a feature set that pushed the envelope of what was possible/acceptable in a portable computing device.
And then IBM just up and surrendered and left the industry's dick in Apple's hands.
Lenovo should do a complete 360 and seize the pro market taking these steps:
1. Better keyboard than the already loved "old keyboard", use low throwing topre switches (or cherry) and quality keycaps (double shot legends, durable plastic).
2. Be the leader in laptop displays. "Innovate" and release a thinkpad with a 2k*2k 1:1 aspect ratio. Use < 1cm bezels. Partner up with EagleEtch or some other firm to get an outstanding anti glare solution.
3. Start to improve the ThinkPad you now have but do it gradually. Keep improving quality until it looks and feels like a piece of black granite cut to reference tolerances.
4. Start to take reliability and modularity to the next level. Do some real innovation and make the laptop modular. Let it be possible to upgrade everything (mobo and external I/O ports, displays, keyboard, trackpad, etc) within physical limitations, with a slide and a click. The entire laptop should be UltraBay on steroids.
Name:
Anonymous2012-12-11 2:12
5. Coreboot and fully open source firmware so that we can know they're not spying on us, those dirty commie weasels.
“ThinkPad fans, put away your scythes and pitchforks: the legendary key travel appears to be unblemished, and the signature trackpoint ‘nub’ is still present.”
>>27
Can you be more specific about why you consider it mediocre because the majority of the layout is the same. I can see the PGUP/PGDN set of keys along with Print Screen set and ESC has moved. It's become mediocre because you can't printscreen any more?
>>29
It is mediocre because it tries to emulate every other keyboard in the market. Classic keyboard gives all the functionality you could expect from a desktop keyboard, and more. You could be really effective with such keyboard, and the spacing between function keys, the esc position, and the 6 keys in the right-top corner helped a lot to touch-type. I also used the context-menu key a lot, now is gone because not everyone used it. The "Numerical Keypad" is gone too, and is useful for some programs. I use ScrollLock too in Excel sometimes. Now is gone too.
It is mediocre because Thinkpads were supposed to be machines for professionals. Now the keyboard does not reflect that. Is just another macbook clone. Also, check the PrtScr position in the new layout, it close to the space bar. Isn't that retarded?
Name:
Anonymous2012-12-12 8:53
>>26
One of them is sarcastic. I'm not sure which.
Face it dude: the way we use computers is changing. It's 2012 and we have touch interfaces. Who needs a block of keys dedicated to outdated bullshit like PrtScr, Scroll Lock and SysRq? If it were up to me, I'd get rid of the "nub" and the arrow keys too (since they are all made redundant by the touchpad).
Sure some Unixbeards will whine that they're making computers too easy to use, but if those guys made the rules we'd still be programming by flipping switches.