Tell Lenovo what you would want in a Retro Thinkpad

Lenovo wants your opinion on what to include in a Retro Thinkpad

By Gabe Carey July 24, 2015

what would you want in a retro thinkpad let lenovo know dhill timemachine6

Last month, Lenovo teased the revival of its classic T-series line of laptops through a retro-inspired Thinkpad makeover. Although both the T-series and X-series are still in continual production and have been since 2000, many hardcore enthusiasts have taken issue with some of the company’s recent design changes. Going back even further, Lenovo VP David Hill aims to resurrect the 1992 IBM Thinkpad 700c “armed with today’s technology,” according to PCWorld.

Now, thanks to a series of surveys featured on the Lenovo blog, you can take part in the design process, joining 6,000 others who have contributed their input to the company. Presently, there are three surveys available to take. Survey 1 and Survey 2 are still up and running while Survey 3 just launched earlier today.

Of course, Lenovo also brought some results to the table from the previous surveys.

First off, the keyboard lighting question nearly resulted in a draw, with 50.6 per cent of those surveyed preferring a ThinkLight, which historically illuminates a white or yellow LED onto the keyboard from the top edge of the laptop’s display. Alternatively, 49.4% of survey takers want backlight keys, although Hill says this would be difficult to accomplish “since margins between keys are quite small” on classic-style keyboards.

Additionally, Hill mentions a similarly even dispute regarding the inclusion of the Internet forward/backward keys. To resolve this, the company is considering including the keys, but allowing individual users to easily repurpose them. However, the incorporation of a blue enter key as well as dedicated volume and microphone controls are generally in high demand.

As for the display size, survey says: the 14.1-inch model takes the lead at 41.7 per cent. In second place, the 13.3-inch model stands at 25 per cent, with the 15.6-inch and 12.5-inch displays distantly trailing at 15.1 per cent and 14.3 per cent, respectively. Also suggested is a 16:10 aspect ratio sporting a “very high resolution display”.

As for LEDs, potential buyers of the retro ThinkPad crave them. and AC charging, Caps Lock, and Battery Status indicators are all fan-favorites.

If you’re nostalgic for a new-school laptop with an old-school form-factor, the third survey in the series focuses more on internal components, or as Hill puts it, “the engine that drives the experience.” As Survey 4, along with Survey 3’s results, are set to arrive next week, you may as well answer a few questions about storage, memory, and ports in the meantime.

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