ThinkPad turns 20 - How IBM's "black box" defined industry

[Denis W. Veteran]

Great article on The Verge about the ThinkPad's twentieth birthday today:

"It's like the Levi's 501 of personal computing."

In an effort to explain how the ThinkPad brand has sustained 20 years, a sale from IBM to Lenovo, and relentless competition from all sides, Lenovo design VP David Hill turned mostly to analogy. He likened the ThinkPad to jeans, Jeep, and the Porsche 911 ? three things that have evolved over time without ever losing sight of their original statement or design. That's the idea behind the ThinkPad.

The ThinkPad line celebrates its 20th birthday today, and just as you probably still wear jeans and could draw a pretty accurate Jeep Wrangler if I asked you to, the ThinkPad has become the rare constant in the technology industry. Nearly everything around it has changed, but ThinkPad has always been the professional-grade black box. In honor of its anniversary, we look back at how the ThinkPad made it to 2012, and whether or not you'll still be using one in 2032.

Continued at: http://www.theverge....o-retrospective

Interesting point: the ThinkPad was a tablet before the brand applied to laptops.

[+Fahim S. MVC]

Still the best laptop money can buy, typed on my ThinkPad.

[Mando]

Still the best laptop money can buy, typed on my ThinkPad.

Agreed! May not be the most modern looking and shiny devices in the world, but they are so well built,well supported and well specced.

I love my work issued X201s Im a converteee! their style and appearance have hardly changed in all the time theyve been on market, but they do have a certain retro style charm now :)

theylll have to prize it out of my cold dead hands on system refresh time!

[Growled Member]

I think the ThinkPad will be around when other brands have come and gone. It's a great device.

[Ambroos]

ThinkPads are brilliant. I adore those keyboards. If I didn't want this really exotic laptop config I have now I'd have gone with a ThinkPad too.

[Travesty]

Happy Birthday ThinkPad! :fun:

[skilithead]

Solid rigs for sure . I let a T42 get away from me , I miss the keyboard . :( Happy birthday old friend !