These look like nice consumer laptops, can can we get them to manufacture a laptop for hardcore Thinkpad enthusiasts? Consider a Thinkpad T-Series Classic:
13-14" 4:3-ratio IPS display Old layout 7-row keyboard, TrackPoint with buttons intact Narrow bezels on screen, laptop bezels next to keyboard similarly narrow Rollcage to protect display and internals Latest gen processor, SSD Optical bay is not necessary, I think we're past its utility now
You could price this at old ThinkPad prices, I'd snap one up in a jiffy.
The hope of 4:3 is null, but would gladly accept a 16:10 or a 3:2. But yes, give back the 7 row keyboard that we had up to the T/W-(4/5)20 series, or at least the layout of it, for the chicklet key of the newer Thinkpad are at least decent compared to most of the competition, so I don't mind.
Agreed, it doesn't necessarily have to be the old scissors keyboard. The layout is the important thing, through.
The main thing I want is a good IPS panel at a more square resolution. Everytime I look at the panel on my T420s, I want to throw it out the window. Washed out and terrible, it's embarrassing they shipped these units out the door. That I can barely get a few excel columns in view is an extra insult.
I don't get the aspect ratio worries. If you want more vertical space, then wait for 1800p 14" displays.
The T40-class T series is an excellent laptop, but it's advantages aren't quite as pronounced against today's competition as they are against ~2010's competition.
I admit that I used to have the same desires as you, but the competition has steadily improved enough that I don't lust for a classic thinkpad anymore.
Problem with 1800p is the nativ e 1600x900 resolution you'll be running it at...no more vertical space than a 2007/2008 14" T61 which had 1440x900 (16:10).
A slimmed down T/W/X_20 series with upgraded screens, chassis (CF please), backlit 7 row keyboard would be a winner for me.
The Yoga 2 Pro shown at CESW is the same Yoga 2 Pro that went on sale last October. So yes, it;s still the same nasty Pentile panel (though they at least somewhat mitigated the horrific yellow colour rendering performance that it had at launch with a driver update a few weeks after launch).
Many of these laptops aren't new. I don't know why Lenovo is showcasing them now at CES. I've had the Flex 14 since early October. All in all, it's a good laptop with a poor screen. I have an i7 with 256 gb SSD. The battery life is great and it's removeable (a rarity these days). It's not like I have a second battery but it's nice to know that I can buy another down the line and replace my old one without opening the laptop. When I show people the flex, they love it but they all wonder if it folds back all the way. To be honest, even if it did fold back all the way, I don't think I'd use it as a tablet. In fact 90% of the time I don't even use the touchscreen. I use it intermittently when scrolling articles (At times, it's more comfortable to sit with your hand stretched all the way forward cusping the screen and scrolling with your thumb). As for the yoga 2 pro, that came out the day Windows 8.1 came out. I saw it at Best Buy recently and it looks to have a much better build quality than flex (the flex is mostly plastic, except around the keyboard and palmrest). The yoga is also much lighter but despite the same battery size it has a lower battery life probably due to the high res screen. As for the thinkpad X1 carbon, I think that's actually a brand new one that's coming out soon or is already out. My friend has last year's model of the thinkpad x1 carbon and it is indeed very nice. It's super light and super thin but I like the touch and feel of the yoga 2 pro more (metal feels better than carbon fiber). But I think I'd take lightness over feel. Having a lighter laptop makes a huge difference if you're carrying it around all day (as I do). Well, that's my rant on Lenovo. The only reason I know so much about their ultrabook products is because I was in the market for one in October.
P.S. Just to throw in battery life times. On a light workload (internet, office, low brightness), I can get around 10 hours battery life. On a heavier load (downloading over wifi, watching movies), it's around 6-7 hours. The battery life is so good, I have the battery option perpetually set to "battery saver" mode which only charges it to 60%. Supposedly that'll increase the lifespan of the battery.
Ugh, that keyboard redesign in itself disqualifies this laptop for me... Insert as seldomly used? Double-tapping shift? relocated home/end? A true recepie for disaster for anyone using Total Commander or anything like that.
No Haswell update for the Thinkpad Helix? This thing looked like a really fine revice, with it'S only real flaw being the price tag. Guess they didn't sell enough of them.
've been a lenov buyer for a long time. Bought 3 Think Pad Edge 525 for my 2 kids (about 2 years ago) and one for my wife a bit over a year ago. 15.6 in screens, usb3, bluetooth, everything including GIGABIT ethernet. Now you can only get 100 mbps 1980's ethernet on Lenovos'. I looed already up to a 1300$ high end I7 gaming laptop, still has 100mbps Ethernet. I have 10 US patents in fault tolerant computer design. I know what it costs and takes to go from 100 mbps to1 000 gbps, like possibly 2-3$ cost for lenovo if that much. No other brand is missing gigabit Ethernet on a 5000$ laptop. Why they are jammingsuch high resolutionon 11-13 inch screens is beyond me, you cant tell the difference at that size. Flip twist and other wise is a marketing gimmick little peoople use ( as referenced above), if you want that buy surface top. What kills me is some marketing genius at lenvo though thought maybe the 80-100mbps band width you might get over wireless N when very close to the source is some how good enough for high band width demands. Add a few users try to stream and you cant even watch low res you tube videos. Why lenovo just didn't complete the cycle and go back to USB1 is beyond me. A serious , serious blunder on their part and I'm looking for a new brand now. Dear Lenov, we are all not little tweens, twitting out 10 word sentences. We need bandwidth,, currently not available on anything nt costing a fortune loaded with features nobody wants and flips that will mechanically break in less than a year. The worst corporate decision since Coke decided to change its original formula. Lenovo Never Again.
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gobaers - Friday, January 10, 2014 - link
These look like nice consumer laptops, can can we get them to manufacture a laptop for hardcore Thinkpad enthusiasts? Consider a Thinkpad T-Series Classic:13-14" 4:3-ratio IPS display
Old layout 7-row keyboard, TrackPoint with buttons intact
Narrow bezels on screen, laptop bezels next to keyboard similarly narrow
Rollcage to protect display and internals
Latest gen processor, SSD
Optical bay is not necessary, I think we're past its utility now
You could price this at old ThinkPad prices, I'd snap one up in a jiffy.
iniudan - Friday, January 10, 2014 - link
The hope of 4:3 is null, but would gladly accept a 16:10 or a 3:2. But yes, give back the 7 row keyboard that we had up to the T/W-(4/5)20 series, or at least the layout of it, for the chicklet key of the newer Thinkpad are at least decent compared to most of the competition, so I don't mind.gobaers - Friday, January 10, 2014 - link
Agreed, it doesn't necessarily have to be the old scissors keyboard. The layout is the important thing, through.The main thing I want is a good IPS panel at a more square resolution. Everytime I look at the panel on my T420s, I want to throw it out the window. Washed out and terrible, it's embarrassing they shipped these units out the door. That I can barely get a few excel columns in view is an extra insult.
ImSpartacus - Friday, January 10, 2014 - link
I don't get the aspect ratio worries. If you want more vertical space, then wait for 1800p 14" displays.The T40-class T series is an excellent laptop, but it's advantages aren't quite as pronounced against today's competition as they are against ~2010's competition.
I admit that I used to have the same desires as you, but the competition has steadily improved enough that I don't lust for a classic thinkpad anymore.
w_km - Saturday, January 11, 2014 - link
Problem with 1800p is the nativ e 1600x900 resolution you'll be running it at...no more vertical space than a 2007/2008 14" T61 which had 1440x900 (16:10).A slimmed down T/W/X_20 series with upgraded screens, chassis (CF please), backlit 7 row keyboard would be a winner for me.
BMNify - Friday, January 10, 2014 - link
Still pentile on the Yoga 2 Pro or did they fix that?psuedonymous - Saturday, January 11, 2014 - link
The Yoga 2 Pro shown at CESW is the same Yoga 2 Pro that went on sale last October. So yes, it;s still the same nasty Pentile panel (though they at least somewhat mitigated the horrific yellow colour rendering performance that it had at launch with a driver update a few weeks after launch).tiquio - Friday, January 10, 2014 - link
Many of these laptops aren't new. I don't know why Lenovo is showcasing them now at CES. I've had the Flex 14 since early October. All in all, it's a good laptop with a poor screen. I have an i7 with 256 gb SSD. The battery life is great and it's removeable (a rarity these days). It's not like I have a second battery but it's nice to know that I can buy another down the line and replace my old one without opening the laptop. When I show people the flex, they love it but they all wonder if it folds back all the way. To be honest, even if it did fold back all the way, I don't think I'd use it as a tablet. In fact 90% of the time I don't even use the touchscreen. I use it intermittently when scrolling articles (At times, it's more comfortable to sit with your hand stretched all the way forward cusping the screen and scrolling with your thumb).As for the yoga 2 pro, that came out the day Windows 8.1 came out. I saw it at Best Buy recently and it looks to have a much better build quality than flex (the flex is mostly plastic, except around the keyboard and palmrest). The yoga is also much lighter but despite the same battery size it has a lower battery life probably due to the high res screen.
As for the thinkpad X1 carbon, I think that's actually a brand new one that's coming out soon or is already out. My friend has last year's model of the thinkpad x1 carbon and it is indeed very nice. It's super light and super thin but I like the touch and feel of the yoga 2 pro more (metal feels better than carbon fiber). But I think I'd take lightness over feel. Having a lighter laptop makes a huge difference if you're carrying it around all day (as I do).
Well, that's my rant on Lenovo. The only reason I know so much about their ultrabook products is because I was in the market for one in October.
tiquio - Friday, January 10, 2014 - link
P.S. Just to throw in battery life times. On a light workload (internet, office, low brightness), I can get around 10 hours battery life. On a heavier load (downloading over wifi, watching movies), it's around 6-7 hours. The battery life is so good, I have the battery option perpetually set to "battery saver" mode which only charges it to 60%. Supposedly that'll increase the lifespan of the battery.pixelstuff - Saturday, January 11, 2014 - link
Wishing they had included an Ethernet jack on the laptop. I still need to interface with too many non-wifi devices to go without one.pmeinl - Saturday, January 11, 2014 - link
The new X1 does have an Ethernet jack (with adapter cable).madwolfa - Saturday, January 11, 2014 - link
And there goes another Macbook Air wannabe. Not what it was before. :(nagi603 - Saturday, January 11, 2014 - link
Ugh, that keyboard redesign in itself disqualifies this laptop for me... Insert as seldomly used? Double-tapping shift? relocated home/end? A true recepie for disaster for anyone using Total Commander or anything like that.madwolfa - Saturday, January 11, 2014 - link
True.. basically for any professionals/admins out there the change is for the worse.. I'm using Insert a lot. Also the F-keys...WHY??MrSpadge - Saturday, January 11, 2014 - link
No Haswell update for the Thinkpad Helix? This thing looked like a really fine revice, with it'S only real flaw being the price tag. Guess they didn't sell enough of them.[email protected] - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
've been a lenov buyer for a long time. Bought 3 Think Pad Edge 525 for my 2 kids (about 2 years ago) and one for my wife a bit over a year ago. 15.6 in screens, usb3, bluetooth, everything including GIGABIT ethernet. Now you can only get 100 mbps 1980's ethernet on Lenovos'. I looed already up to a 1300$ high end I7 gaming laptop, still has 100mbps Ethernet. I have 10 US patents in fault tolerant computer design. I know what it costs and takes to go from 100 mbps to1 000 gbps, like possibly 2-3$ cost for lenovo if that much. No other brand is missing gigabit Ethernet on a 5000$ laptop. Why they are jammingsuch high resolutionon 11-13 inch screens is beyond me, you cant tell the difference at that size. Flip twist and other wise is a marketing gimmick little peoople use ( as referenced above), if you want that buy surface top. What kills me is some marketing genius at lenvo though thought maybe the 80-100mbps band width you might get over wireless N when very close to the source is some how good enough for high band width demands. Add a few users try to stream and you cant even watch low res you tube videos. Why lenovo just didn't complete the cycle and go back to USB1 is beyond me. A serious , serious blunder on their part and I'm looking for a new brand now. Dear Lenov, we are all not little tweens, twitting out 10 word sentences. We need bandwidth,, currently not available on anything nt costing a fortune loaded with features nobody wants and flips that will mechanically break in less than a year. The worst corporate decision since Coke decided to change its original formula. Lenovo Never Again.