Thinkpad Design Poll

[Shayes]

yes but i dont think they are necessarily beautiful, but i like it because its practical and simple, and doesnt overdo it like some designs do.

[2disbetter]

While I think the results are certainly not without bias, given that this was posted in the lenovo forum, I am happy to see that I am at least not alone in finding the thinkpad line aesthetically pleasing. Thanks for the feedback folks!

2d

[nathanb131]

I had x200t for 3 years and handed it down to my daughter. It was like a new laptop after I wiped to factory settings! Only thing 'worn out' about it is the nub, so I need to buy some to swap it out. It's pretty rare for electronics to be built to last like these are.

Now I have the x220t. I really like the black thinkpad look. Though I'm not sure I'd describe it as minimalist with the very busy keyboard. Especially compared to all the apple clones out there. It's not quite as thin, shiny, and simple.

The comparison kind of reminds me way back when Apple had that one-button mouse. I hated that mouse. At the time I was doing Autocad with 3 button mice. I suppose to some people more buttons are just confusing and intimidating and they like that 'it just works' paradigm of the accessible and kid-friendly Apple products and their clones. I always liked the ability to customize those extra buttons and used them extensively. The one-button mouse always struck me as way too limiting and insulting of my intelligence.

So I love the nub, when typing it serves me far better than any trackpad ever has. I didn't miss the trackpad on the x200 but am glad I have one on this machine. Don't use it much, but I might someday. I like having options, I like the ability to add efficiency via multiple input options like function keys. The complexity doesn't intimidate me, it empowers me.

It's not as thin as an 'ultrabook' but it's pretty darn close and far more durable. I don't mind the lump of the battery. I like how it angles my machine for typing and gives me a nice grip when taking notes in a customer's factory. Oh, and I really like that it's a really powerful i7-SSD that gives me roughly 6 hours on that battery...and if it's one of 'those' days I can just swap in the backup to go another 6. I like Lenovo's solution to having a battery sticking out actually having some pro's to offset it's cons. There's nothing else out there like it.

I'm not sure that I like the matte black more than I would a metallic case with a cleaner design. To me it's at least equal. But I really like that as all the other PC makers are trying to as closely copy Apple as much as they can... that my thinkpad will NEVER be mistaken for a Macbook in laptop mode or an ipad when in tablet mode. It will never be mistaken as a tool for amusement or a fashion statement. Not saying those that buy those machines are simple-minded posers, but there is that stereotype....

I'm not an Apple hater, really I'm not. I really appreciate the ways they have pushed the industry. But I like to dictate exactly how I use my tech instead of having it dictated to me in simplest terms.

I get a kick out of showing off some of the things I can do with this thing when people (very often) ask what the heck it is. The short convo usually results in that look that says 'wow, this guy really leverages tech in ways I never thought of nor would even want to do because it just seems complicated'.

3 years from now, this x220t will still look modern and serious. As new products come out every 3 months that constantly try to out-thin and out-shine the last...this beast will happily continue to handle whatever I throw at it in whatever way I choose.

Maybe in 3 years the newest version will be maybe 30% thinner and lighter with better performance and battery life. It will be a decent incremental upgrade but not a huge improvement over what it is now. My hope is that Lenovo will keep this design alive. It's as close to perfect as a laptop/tablet could be with very little room for improvement that wouldn't also take away from function.

[2disbetter]

What nathanb131 said...

Well said!

2d

[Alicatt]

Yes love them! Their beautiful!

their beautiful what?
While I do not think that they are beautiful, I do love their design, and, that they are elegant in their simplicity. I am very happy with th design of my X201T, so happy I bought one for the wife too.

[Carl2000]

This computer is ugly. It reminds me of a Mac laptop from the mid 90's. However, I am sold on the "bang for the buck" factor and I am trying to decide on a configuration now. If there is a "butter face" of convertible laptops; then, this is the one.

LOL!

[e-schreiber]

I don't find them pretty or ugly. When I buy a gadget, I focus primarily on function and price. I have a TM2 and I find its riptitude engravings rather lame, but the device was quite cheap, so I just ignore the engravings completely. I would have got an X200t instead of the TM2 if the ThinkPads weren't so much more expensive. I know, they are tougher, but I mostly use my tablet at home.

So, although I don't have a ThinkPad, I voted "don't really care" as its design is fine. Anyone who says they are ugly is excessively pick about looks.

[headcronie]

As an individual responsible for enterprise deployment, I <3 the Thinkpad line. I could really care less about how they look. It is about how they last. Funny how Thinkpads from 2003, 2004 are still running, while consumer grade laptops have broken within a year or so of deployment. That really says something about the build quality, at least it does for me.

[Pesho]

I think they are very pretty. I like the boxy sharp-edge design that has stayed since the 90's, none of that "posh look" like most Apple products that's so popular these days.

Whatever happened to the matte white plastic and grey IBM style keys of the 80s and 90s... I'd love to see that make a comeback.

[cookies4you]

I may sound crazy for saying this but....

Thinkpads are beautiful, all of em. For some odd reason, extremely thin devices don't appeal to me.

I like my electronics like I do my women, chunky with a giant personality. If ThinkPads were like MacBooks, extremely skinny with ULV components, I would cry. A skinny body isn't worth it if her insides can't. A cute face cannot replace a great personality, or in this case, processing power. I'd gladly take an obese lady with an awesome personality over a skinny, boring, and generic one.

The X230 is a beautiful laptop, no matter how fat she is. Although, I'm a bit more interested in her bigger sisters, the W530 and the X230T. The X1 Carbon however, is just too skinny and weak to appeal to me. She's got the looks, but none of the power.