Old school design meets new school hardware
Do you have sit back and reminisce about the old days of computing? Lenovo does, and if there are enough people out there pining for a blast from the past, the world's top PC supplier may bring back the ThinkPad X300. Well, sort of.
Lenovo's David Hill wrote a blog post waxing nostalgic on the ThinkPad and its inception in 1992. Back then it was IBM that owned the brand, and after more than two decades of design evolution, Hill reckons IBM and now Lenovo have incorporated hundreds of modifications to 1992's baseline 700c model.
"As with all change, there are people who welcome it and others who are most comfortable without it. It’s unlikely that anyone would want a ThinkPad today that matches the 700c’s original thickness of 56mm, but some loyalists miss the 7 row keyboard," Hill says. "ThinkPad design, however, must continue to evolve to attract new customers and align with shifting market dynamics. With design, it’s nearly impossible to please everyone. Or is there a way?"
Hill's been contemplating the idea of introducing a classic ThinkPad model infused with modern hardware. His thought is to build a retro ThinkPad with several design cues taken from the X300 released in 2008. It would have a blue enter key, multi-color ThinkPad logo, dedicated volume controls, rubberized paint, exposed screws, lots of status LEDs, and more.
He likens the idea to car makers bringing back classic models. For it to work, Hill says "there has to be an emotional connection that is somehow rekindled with its rebirth." To test out whether or not one exists with the ThinkPad, Hill posted several renders of the retro model he wants to bring back.
What do you think, would you be interested a old-school ThinkPad design with modern hardware, or do you prefer the look of today's laptops?
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From maximumpc
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