Lenovo Blog

Lenovo laptops have had a bios setting since 2010 that lets you swap the fn & ctrl keys. That doesn't swap the keycaps though. Some history of the placement and many comments http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/fn-versus-ctrl-let-the-games-begin A series of posts where they asked for feedback, then acted on it. Thinking about changing the key configuration http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/switch-mode-for-fn-ctrl-keys They decided to make it bios switchable showing screenshot http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/switch-mode-for-fn-ctrl-keys-follow-up Announcement of implementing it across many models http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/switch-mode-for-fn-ctrl-keys-start-up

Do you mean http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-thinkpad-its-alive/ the Retro ThinkPad? It's coming, I am waiting and if it sports the old seven row keyboard and Thunderbolt then I am buying and not asking the price. Do yo know why? Let's run some numbers! If I charge 130 USD / hr as a consultant (as consultants handle their own taxes as such, it's the equivalent of a 130K yearly which is not crazy high for a sr sw architect/developer) and this machine makes me 1 percent more effective than the second best then it's earning me 10 bucks a day. An 5000 dollar machine will earn itself back in two short years. And this is at 1% while I believe the difference to be much, much bigger. I am ready to invest but there's no product since the T420 family which would be worth investing in. It also gives us an idea of the lifespan of these machines: the T420 family is from 2011 and it's not like they are on their last legs six years later. Also, read the https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=73419.0 Matias Ergo Pro review on some interesting design decision that went into that particular keyboard. (And yes, it's the one I use vertically and can only recommend doing the same.) Interestingly enough, some gaming laptops are the ones that at least attempt to have a semi decent keyboard by using mechanical switches.

I bought my first ThinkPad (the classic ThinkPad 600) in 1998. I immediately decided it was wonderful and swore I'd never use another brand of computer again. There was a time after that when they just kept getting better and better: the A30p with a beautiful 1600x1200 IPS display, and then that same display in the slimmed-down and faster T60p. I also bought a bunch of old beaters to use as test machines and what not: 750's, 755's, a 360, and I was so happy when I tracked down a 701c with the butterfly keyboard. Then for a while you could get used working A30p's in good condition for $300 or so. Did I mention the 1600x1200 IPS display? :-) I love the TrackPoint [1] and those great displays, and even better, all the machines had the same great keyboard! When other laptop manufacturers were fiddling with this layout and that, every ThinkPad had the same exact keyboard, and it was a good one too. I could move from one ThinkPad to another without thinking about it. Then, they hired a keyboard designer. You could see the trouble coming in this poll: http://blog.lenovo.com/design/keyboard-layout-survey-details-matter The poll itself is gone, but the comments on the blog post are still there. The poll had all sorts of layout tweaks - moving various keys around in an A-B-C-D test - just the kind of thing a keyboard designer would want to do. Then the new keyboards started coming along. Commonly used keys were moved around, and the F1-F2 keys were jammed into a solid tight…

Haven't tried it yet, but it's a risky departure from the previous long-standing design (and it applies to all of their models being released this year - i.e. the previous 7-row layout is history). They seem to be taking the redesign seriously though - some more information on their blog: http://blog.lenovo.com/design/thinkpad-x1-designing-the-ultimate-keybo… My worry is that they've moved the page/up down keys quite illogically down next to the arrow keys. It just doesn't map right mentally - moving pages up/down shouldn't have to involve clicking keys either side of the arrow keys: http://allthingsd.com/files/2012/05/Lenovo_tablet_X230t_standard_06.jp… Not too happy about the home/end keys for similar reasons. Making the keys more ergonomic is fine but it seems there really was no incentive for them to change the layout to a 6-row one other than arbitrary stylistic reasons. That all said, it's probably still the best notebook keyboard on the market. I have a MacBook here and feel/tactility of the keys is superior on my old 2010 ThinkPad (if only just - they're both great keyboards) - on the new models, layout issues asides, it's supposed to be even better.

But consumers did not choose 16:9 over 16:10, because consumers cannot tell the difference. We can thank TV panels for that switch: LENOVO: "Again, we can thank the LCD manufacturers for this change. By cutting everything in the same aspect ratio, they have less waste per large sheet of glass. Since these manufacturers make more selling TV displays than laptop displays, the PC vendors have almost zero say in this change. We simply have to adapt." http://blog.lenovo.com/perspectives/display-ratio-change-again > Really the notion that manufacturers, except for brave Apple, unilaterally decided to force this on users is completely asinine. In the case of the iPad, it's completely true. Apple decided that 4:3 screens were the best form factor for a hand-held tablet. So they made 4:3 happen, rather than settle for common and cheaper 16:9 or 16:10 screens. Guess what ratio Android tablets use.

I spilt a glass of water on an old Lenovo laptop I had (while it was running), the keyboard had a tray under it which drained outside of the laptop. [0] But if i had damaged it, every single part was removable, orderable and replaceable. [0] http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/avoiding-water-on-the-brain

Looking forward to the ThinkPad Retro (http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-thinkpad-its-alive/)

> Just going off the shadow from your image, there's a marked and well-defined difference between the concavity. If my fingers were used to that concavity, I'd be unhappy with the much, much flatter design. They are a little less concave than the older keys, but they aren't flat. The lighting in that picture isn't the same for both laptops. [1] is a better angle. > That said, I thought it was pretty bad-ass you had both laptops and took a photo for us. It's not my photo, though I do have a t420s and an x230, just not an x220 :-) [1] http://blog.lenovo.com/images/uploads/blog/CS12KBD_180degree_20120523_…

Thinkpad x220 running TLP with extended battery covers all day (sometimes 7AM to 9PM) of browsing and CLion & PyCharm. I'm a student so the only time it's not being used heavily is when I'm walking from class to class. As the other comment said I get about 5W draw in powertop. All I've done is install TLP as the other comment says. Something else you can do if you'd like to get a huge boon for battery life is get a slice battery [0]. Get both the extended and slice and you'll be able to probably go 20hr. [0] - http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/all-day-long-all-day-strong-our-new-x22…

Thinkpads are used on the ISS but the ISS itself probably uses far more reliable and slower hardware. http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/thinkpad-laptop-nasa-youtube-spacelab

This: http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-thinkpad-time-machine Barring that, even a little 2x3 set of home/end/pgup/pgdn/delete keys with an adhesive backing and Bluetooth connection that I could stick over the power button on a MacBook Pro to quadruple my productivity. Even a year in, I feel like I navigate code at less than half speed trying to use the 2-3 key, 2 hand chords that those basic keys require on a Mac keyboard. Let me jump to the end of a document without setting down my coffee and you can have as much of my money as you like.

I don't want to get your hopes up too high, but there are positive signs that Lenovo is listening to what ThinkPad users want. There were a number of surveys started last year (and that may still be open) for feedback on a retro ThinkPad. http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-thinkpad-survey-4-miscellaneous/

Supposedly this is no longer the case as of the previous generation (T450*, X250, etc.). http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/introducing-our-new-product-ownership-a…

I've been very happy with my Dell Precision M3800 which has outstanding build quality, easily comparable to my previous MacBook, and runs Ubuntu perfectly. In fact I like it better hardware-wise than the macbooks because it has a much more pleasant keyboard-surround surface, which is not freezing cold like my MacBook, nor does it have that unpleasant vertical front leading edge which in my opinion is uncomfortable when touch typing. On a separate note though, Lenovo has kinda promised to build a 90's-level robust "retro-Thinkpad", the feedback forums for which were wildly successful. http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-thinkpad-time-to-think

Yes, I would buy one. But it's 6+ months and Lenovo hasn't started producing them. In 2013 Lenovo annouced the T430, were they destroyed their ThinkPad brand with this aweful keyboard and touchpad, etc: http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/thinkpad-t431s-laptop-new-design And David Hill (the autor of the ThinkPad Time Machine? 2015 blob post) is mentioned in the 2013 article.

Did you see the retro concept they were throwing around? Very curious to see if anything will come of this. http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-thinkpad-time-machine

the veep of design at Lenovo has publicly considered building a “retro” Thinkpad (with modern circuitry of course) — http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-thinkpad-time-machine/

Yes, it looks good. Aside, we started emailing Lenovo 2 years ago, when they ruined the touchpad & keyboard, to express our discontent. Seems that they will finally get back on track: http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-thinkpad-survey-4-miscellaneous/ They might even support Coreboot. This is good. As a developer, I hate bad quality hardware. Apple is good quality, but some stuff is too consumer oriented: glossy screens and fragile alu+glass. And since Tiger I dislike their software.

Hopefully mainstream manufacturers will adopt some specs, e.g. Thinkpad Retro, http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-thinkpad-survey-2-displays-keyboa…

If you haven't seen the "think-light" yet -- FN-PgUp. Bottom Left and Top Right buttons activate the light -- makes it easier to find in the dark. http://blog.lenovo.com/design/fn-versus-ctrl-let-the-games-begin

The Thinkpad is hardly a poor laptop, it's the only laptop certified by NASA for use in space. http://blog.lenovo.com/products/thinkpad-laptop-nasa-youtube-spacelab

Here you go http://blog.lenovo.com/perspectives/display-ratio-change-again

X1 carbon still designed in Japan, along with a couple of other models. http://blog.lenovo.com/design/developers-on-the-x1-carbon-industrial-d…

That timeless design isn't exactly timeless since they messed with the keyboard [1] [2]. [1] http://blog.laptopmag.com/thinkpad-type-off-is-lenovos-new-island-styl… [2] http://blog.lenovo.com/products/why-you-should-give-in-to-the-new-thin…

That is well known by now, here [1] is an article explaining the advantages of the so called chiclet keyboard (given that this is no marketing idea) Here probably a picture of the X230 [2] [1] http://blog.lenovo.com/design/thinkpad-x1-designing-the-ultimate-keybo… [2] http://images.tweaktown.com/news/2/3/23890_09_spotted_lenovo_s_ivy_bri…

I think Jony Ive lifted an entire industry and perhaps a generation to “good design” (and brought a lot more attention to Dieter Rams[0][1][2]). That we’re here talking about it (for the 3rd(?) time on HN front page) is a testament to that. That said, I think humans got lost in the process, at least occasionally, but not just recently. I don’t recall which models, but sometime the MacBooks adopted really sharp edges on the bottom slab - I found it uncomfortable to sit at (did my piano teacher have input, as a final “keep your wrists up!” order?). Or the orientationally challenged hockey-puck mouse[3]... Compare with the (not problem-free, mind) Thinkpad, which may seem more designed and exciting when you see it’s got a singular inspiration that they seem to have honoured for years[4] (how brave is that, to not change?). I wonder if Apple didn’t feel self-imposed pressure to keep asserting its design dominance, and therefore look for ways to change. We’re all just armchair quarterbacks here though. in the end I think Jony Ive did more good than harm. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams [1] https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/apple-design-doesnt-fall-far-from-bra… [2] https://youtu.be/YdVG4LcoY4Y [3] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_USB_Mouse [4] http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/the-japanese-essence-in-thinkpad-bento-…