Thinkpad X1
The most important characteristic of the X1 is that it boasts the thinnest body in ThinkPad history. (It's about as thick as the ThinkPad T420s when the LCD screen is opened!) Even with this thin design, the high performance, toughness and stylish design with a premium feel are all next generation. As we discussed in Design Matters | ThinkPad X1: Designing the Ultimate Keyboard, what ThinkPad devotees care the most about is the keyboard. The X1 is not a traditional 7 row keyboard with a 2.5 mm stroke. Instead, it is equipped with a 6 row 2.0 mm stroke isolation (island) keyboard. As you can imagine, this was a topic of fierce debate within the company, too. Is it really okay to switch the ThinkPad classic keyboard to a 6 row keyboard? Is it really okay to reduce the stroke? In the end, though, we were able to develop with confidence. The X1 keyboard earned a higher evaluation than the T420s in user research that spanned several months and was done across the world, including in Japan. Many of the people who participated in the test were devotees of ThinkPad, and we were surprised to find that the attachment to 7 row keyboards was not as strong as we had expected. Even I, who have always loved 7 row keyboards, realized that "times have changed". As we explained in Yamato Thinking | Differentiation of...
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The ThinkPad X1 is the gold standard for typing excellence
Today we officially launched the ThinkPad X1. Probably not the best kept secret, thanks to various leaks, but it is the best ThinkPad we have ever created. I love the way it blends business and entertainment technologies to deliver a ThinkPad for anyone demanding the best in performance, mobility,and style. Core to this initiative was our desire to reinvent the keyboard to create a more modern impression, without degrading typing accuracy or performance. This was not an easy task, but I think we did it. It seems that Laptop Magazine thinks so too. They just published an X1 review that has my team smiling from ear to ear. Here is my favorite quote from the complete article. "Putting a ThinkPad X1 at the fingers of a touch-typist is like placing a Stradivarius in the hands of a violinist. While all of Lenovo's ThinkPads have strong keyboards, the ThinkPad X1 features the best laptop keyboard we've ever tested." Laptop Magazine It's important for ThinkPad enthusiasts to know that this totally new keyboard is based on decades of accumulated knowledge, months of user testing, in depth data analysis, and constant design iteration. It's the culmination of everything we know about typing and keyboards so far. What sets this keyboard apart from competitors island style keyboards, is our attention to what I call the "human element". If you are a person...
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Our X rated ThinkPad struts its stuff I've been reading some of the press comments over the last few days about our newly introduced ThinkPad X220, and I must say I am a bit overwhelmed. It's not often that you see comments this dramatic in support of the work my team does. I thought I would share a few of my favorites here: Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Proving that Sexy, Small & Smart Does Exist in an Ultraportable "It's not everyday we say "Oh My GOD, that is one sexy beast!" but that is exactly what the ThinkPad X220 is." Everything USBLenovo’s X220 ThinkPad with ‘24 Hour’ Battery. "If I was going to buy a non-Mac notebook, it would probably be a ThinkPad. Don’t worry — my reasoning is entirely shallow: I like Lenovo’s machines because of their styling, not their substance. When closed, the brutal, square-edged black cases look amazing, and I always think that you’d have to be an idiot to try and steal one: the owner could batter you about the head and upper body with it and the ThinkPad wouldn’t even show a scratch." WIRED ThinkPad X220 review: awesome keyboard and 20 hour battery...
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Why are there so many differnt kinds of screws? Screws are one of the most highly used fasteners to assemble products today. There are many different styles of screws; allen head, torx, phillips head, square drive, slots, tamper proof, etc. etc. Screws have certainly stood the test of time, and allowed for invention. Personally, I like screws because they allow me to disassemble, and if required, repair things that have gone bad. I've taken apart almost anything you can imagine. Snap fits, spin rivets, and hidden catches foil the "mechanic" in me. Exposed screws are just part of what makes this design classic say "I mean business" In general, manufacturers try to limit the number of fasteners. They cost more money and add complexity to the assembly process. There are exceptions, however, a few product categories showcase fasteners as part of the design. Exposing screws is typically done for those products that are intended to communicate a very utilitarian or rugged design aesthetic. A pistol without a few exposed screws just wouldn't look right. Unfortunately, I've seen the exposed screw aesthetic over done more than a few times. I once remember seeing a line of U.S. made 1980's muscle cars that sported a dozen or more injection molded allen head bolts. Yes, they...
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I just got word from the Industrie Forum Design Hannover that the ThinkCentre M90z we designed has been honored with a 2011 design award. Out of a total of 2,756 entries by 1,121 participants from 43 countries, the jury of the iF product design award selected their 993 favorites. We're very proud that our work was included in their final selection. We posted a short video about creating the design a few months ago. I thought I would share my thoughts here about how I think we created a winner. Design recognition of this magnitude does not happen by chance. Typically, an awarded product is the end result of a long journey that begins with the customer and ends with a product that solves a problem. Hopefully, it solves the problem in an engaging and meaningful way. That is where design talent comes into the picture. Between the beginning and end of any design project is a lot of hard work that is about having meaningful ideas and a focused drive to get the details right. I'll try to touch on a few of the ideas and details that I think helped make this a design an award winner. Multiple stand solutions offer the customer...
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