Yipes Stripes
The Z Series was the first major departure from ThinkPad design in a long time. Not only did we introduce the first widescreen ThinkPad, but we offered an authentic Titanium cover option. The Z Series also included a seemingly subtle change in design direction for the ThinkPad keyboard: we removed the colored stripes from the Trackpoint buttons. We did this not to save a penny or two, but to visually simplify the interior. We didn’t get any negative feedback on that change, so we chose to roll the update across the entire product family. Since then some people have told us they miss the stripes, others haven’t even noticed.
Oddly enough the stripes really provide very little utility. Originally they were intended to visually link the red TrackPoint cap to the buttons that do the clicking. In 1992 this seemed important, today the need is perhaps questionable. Or is it?
Now we are reconsidering this change, perhaps we went too far in simplifying the interior. Although the utility can be argued, the familiarity is also important for a brand so strongly connected to it’s design as ThinkPad.
I’d love to get your feedback on this topic. We’ve included a new poll to make this easier.
David Hill
Lenovo Meet the Modder Dean Liou
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 2
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 1
Lenovo H320 desktop
July 26th, 2007 4:33 pm
Getting rid of the stripes was a bad move. I recently moved from a X40 to a T61 and it just doesn’t feel right. Not only are the stripes gone, but the curved edges on the sides.
I like hard angles as much as anyone else, but something didn’t transition right when you switched the trackpoint buttons.
July 26th, 2007 4:53 pm
I do believe that the stripes should go back.
True, they do not serve a function, but they are a part of the Thinkpad Design heritage.
July 26th, 2007 4:57 pm
Don’t wipe the stripe. It makes sense for use with trackpoint. B.t.w, where’s the poll?
July 26th, 2007 5:18 pm
I voted to put them back. Mainly for design legacy and iconic branding. You can think of the Trackpoint as the Kidney Grill on a BMW: Form and function. While the stripes can be the Hofmeister Kink (http://www.bmwusa.com/uniquelybmw/design/detail): Form that alludes to function.
Besides, the best part to the bento box is the delicious meal, revealed in its organization. Where’s the joy in opening the lid to find a solitary umeboshi?
btw. I’m a Jayhawk and love reading about design and process for such a recognized leader from another alum.
July 26th, 2007 5:22 pm
My first thinkpad was a T60 so I never had the stripes, but I think they look good on older thinkpads that i’ve seen.
July 26th, 2007 5:49 pm
Bring back the stripes! The blue enter key is optional.
July 26th, 2007 5:55 pm
I’ve never owned/used a ThinkPad before X60. But I LOVE the red stripes!
They look really nice along with the red point. We don’t really care its actual functionality. In fact, I wonder how many of the old ThinkPad users actually know they’re linked to the red points…!
It’s the the red stripes + red dots makes ThinkPad unique!
Bring them back please.
July 26th, 2007 6:08 pm
I started with an used T40, then an R51, and i’m currently using a T60. I don’t miss the stripes, and i really don’t want them back.
I also want the Red/Green/Blue IBM Logo gone.
“You told me that ThinkPads are now made by Lenovo!?!”
“Yes.”
“But why is there an IBM Logo and a Lenovo Logo on my new Thinkpad”
“I have no Idea. Some Guy from Marketing probably decided it would be a good idea to HAVE MULTIPLE MANUFACTURER NAMES ON A SINGLE PRODUCT”
July 26th, 2007 6:44 pm
Yes, bring back the tripes !
While some other brand also have a “trackpoint” , they don’t have a superior “3 well adjusted and very useful trackpoint buttons”
July 26th, 2007 7:25 pm
The poll is in the left column at the very bottom, for those looking for it!
July 26th, 2007 7:32 pm
The stripes were not useful, you were right to remove them.
Please also make the enter key black. The first time I saw a friend’s Thinkpad, I thought it was sent through a cheap repair shop because of the blue enter key. I was really surprised to learn that is the way they come from the factory.
July 26th, 2007 7:35 pm
It feels like Lenovo bought my favorite restaurant, and promptly started tinkering with the menu.
It’s great that you’re asking customers about this, but did you think to do that before the change?
Windows keys on the X series (because messing with everyone’s favorite ultraportable keyboard was also a wise bit of experimentation), a T61p that Americans can’t get in a 14″ model (widescreen laptops are just for pandering to the Best Buy/Circuit City consumers – leave that to Compaq, et al), changing trademark aesthetic details and waiting to see if anyone complains…
It’s telling that in almost every comment on this site, users are almost uniformly disagreeing with Lenovo’s recent design choices – that ought to terrify you.
I wish IBM had never sold the division.
July 26th, 2007 8:13 pm
Many of our customers are buing ThinkPad as their first notebook.
Often they ask us: “What is this red button (trackpoint) in the middle of keyboard?” They also ask what are these butons on the bottom of the keyboard.
It is simple to answer this is pointing device called trackpoint and this tree buttons are right, left and wheel-like buttons for it.
And we also say: “And this down is Touchpad.
TouchPad is black and have this black left and right button but no scrolling feature.
Red to Red. Black to Black. Very easy and smart.
July 26th, 2007 9:35 pm
The thing that I wish you would bring back is the ability to see the hard drive light when the lid is closed. Often times, I’ll be doing something that requires a lot of disk activity — say, compiling a program or some such. If I’m doing that while I’m on battery, I’ll like to close the lid while it is working, and when the hard drive light stops flashing, I know that it’s done. It doesn’t cost anything extra to make the light show up on the other side of the lid of the laptop when it’s closed, so I assume it was removed to simplify the design. It is often very useful for me to know though when the hard drive is running when the lid is closed, however, Any chance that could be brought back in the future?
July 26th, 2007 11:57 pm
Bring back the stripes, it’s small polishes that make using certain products fulfilling.
I’m quite pleased my X40 includes them.
July 27th, 2007 12:36 am
The stripes do belong to a Thinkpad like the red TrackPoint cap does.
I believe you didn’t got negative feedback on this theme since you didn’t asked publicly, if you’ve just asked a few business partners what would you expect to get as countable answers.
Again, the stripes are a long time part of the corporate design and identification of a Thinkpad, as is the red Trackpoint cap. – In a bunch of black notebooks you can always easily identify a *real* Thinkpad by it’s red and blue stripes and the red Trackpoint cap. Further it’s easier to hit the correct Trackpoint button in the dark if it has colored stripes.
Another point is, that the just black buttons are always looking somehow cheap without the tripes. One does always have the impression that something is missing on these Thinkpads without the stripes.
July 27th, 2007 12:45 am
I like ThinkPad design, I like hard angles, squares, the combination of black and red details. I love the track point, and of course, the red stripes. Bring them back again !
July 27th, 2007 1:18 am
I definitely miss the strips. Also I would prefer larger buttons, like on the T4x series.
July 27th, 2007 2:11 am
Stripes are good. I miss them. The buttons shrunk too – what’s the deal with that? The stripes are a necessary mark, while the size of buttons is critical. The T40 I owned before this T60p had nicer travel on the touchpad buttons – both sets of them. I miss the size, the travel, and the stripes.
Make sure you keep the touchpad sitting lower than the palmrest – it let’s the palmrest do it’s job!
July 27th, 2007 3:16 am
I have a T42 with stripes, and large, rounded buttons. I really miss the stripes on the new models, but even more so, I miss the rounded shape of the buttons. That seemed to echo an organic quality that isn’t present in other brands – and making them squared off makes them look almost second hand rather than custom designed. Functionally important? No. But definitely worth it for the image of the brand.
July 27th, 2007 3:29 am
I really miss the stripes. Please bring them back! The T4x mouse buttons give the whole machine a higher quality look than the T6x.
July 27th, 2007 3:29 am
The stripes gave thinkpads a really classy touch. Bring ‘em back! They should not have been removed at all!
July 27th, 2007 3:39 am
- Bring back the red/blue stripes
- Bring back the dots on the trackpoint scroll button
- Bring back the dark gray Fn/command keys
- Eliminate the Windows key
- Keep the blue enter key
- Bring back the glossy power/volume and display icon bezels
The ThinkPad went from being pure IBM to a weird hybrid of having too much black. It lost its heritage. I realize that Lenovo wants it to look like a Lenovo product but part of buying a ThinkPad is in buying an icon with a 15-year history, regardless of who owns the name. The all-black T60/T61 design is the most boring looking ThinkPad designs I’ve seen during my 11-year ownership of 12 different ThinkPad models.
And, while we’re in the general neighborhood, please eliminate the Windows key. Serious typists that i know (including programmers, authors, designers, and myself) absolutely hate having that key, especially for ctrl+alt functions in applications like Photoshop. For years the ThinkPad stood out from the competition because it didn’t have this key — a key that serious users absolutely don’t want or need.
Lenovo is starting to blend in. Instead, bring back the tradition which we are used to and stand out from the pack.
July 27th, 2007 4:06 am
I love the red stripes
but can they be even more exciting / stylish?
http://www.io.tudelft.nl/public/vdm/fca/ibm/10.htm
also, is there a plan to reintroduce some green color element(s) in the interior?
July 27th, 2007 4:18 am
The colored markings are a nice design touch, but beyond that they are an aid in finding the correct button in use. I’m a heavy middle button user and when indirectly viewing the keys/mouse buttons having the center differentiated from the L & R is helpful.
July 27th, 2007 4:34 am
The stripes do make the trackpoint look more attractive and distinguishable.
However, please do not bring the curve button below the touchpad back. The design itself looks really gay.
July 27th, 2007 4:35 am
The stripes really added a bit of class to the machine, much like the familiar red trackpoint cap. Please bring them back. It adds just enough flair to the ultimate business machine; not distracting, but not a dull black box.
July 27th, 2007 4:42 am
I hadn’t missed, nor acknowledged their absence from the X60 tablet until this post, but I remember them on the 560 and 760. Looks nice and clean without them, and it allows the trackpoint and pen nib to stand out more.
July 27th, 2007 7:33 am
i have a thinkpad 770, and a t40, and have used many others. next and last step would be t42, as things are looking now (that is: no, i will _not_ buy a new t60 or such). the stripes are one of the main reasons (yes, it _does_ matter). a thinkpad is not just a laptop, for the people who own them/buy them. be carefull…
July 27th, 2007 8:22 am
Well, I think that I may actually find myself in the minority here; allow me to explain.
I am a three-time ThinkPad owner. I purchased a 770 (wonderful computer) just before my seniorhood in high school, and it carried me all the way through college. I then bought a T42p, which has also been amazing. So my first two ThinkPads included the familiar red and blue (for the middle button) stripes, and until I purchased my third ThinkPad (a T60p…loving it; typing on it now!), the presence of those stripes on a ThinkPad were all I ever knew.
When I first saw a picture of a T60, I, like apparently most ThinkPad aficionados present here, freaked. The keyboard was color-less and the familiar stripes were gone! At the time, I thought that it looked ugly and cheap, and almost *too* industrial (can a ThinkPad be TOO industrial?).
Well, now that I have the T60p in person to look at, I have actually come to appreciate the new look, for a couple of reasons. First, simplifying the color scheme and making the keyboard area less “colorful” I think actually does make for a “cleaner” look. Although ThinkPads are already relatively clean-looking compared to some of the gaudy/tacky designs being peddled by Lenovo’s competitors, I don’t think the removal of those particular accents were “too much.” Also, although I at first didn’t like the keyboard being all black (sans the Enter key), I pulled my trusty ol’ 770 out of the closet the other day to poke at it for old time’s sake, and found that ThinkPad keyboard didn’t ALWAYS have gray function keys across the top row! The 770’s keyboard is completely black, just like my new T60p.
Also, I really, REALLY like the new touchpad design. It is now completely square, is smaller, further down from the TrackPoint buttons, and is not depressed into the palmrest area/is much closer to the surface. ALL of these things are FEATURES for a guy who absolutely detests touchpads and always turns them off on new ThinkPad acquisitions first thing; all of these changes make the touchpad easier to ignore and feel more out of my way, whereas the one on the T42 feels like it is eating away at valuable palmrest real-estate. Also, the fact that only the TrackPoint buttons are depressed into the palmrest now and are physically and logically separate and disconnected from the touchpad completely reinforces the point that the touchpad is an “afterthought” and the REAL show is over here in TrackPointLand. So, without the option of getting a T-series notebook palmrest that is ABSENT a touchpad (which I would still happily lobby for), these changes were the next best option, and I heartily approve of them.
So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, yeah, elements that have been familiar to ThinkPad users for some time have been lost, and there is bound to be an emotional reaction resulting from that. I felt it initially, too. But once I got past that, I was able to appreciate the changes that were made because I think I see the reasons behind them, and they actually had to do with PRESERVING what the ThinkPad is all about, not making compromises (if Lenovo really wanted to toss 20 years of ThinkPad aesthetics and tradition out the window, they would have added more color, not removed it).
To those who want more color added, think about the fact that the more color you add, the less striking the fire-engine red of the TrackPoint is. The reason why it stands out and is able to make the statement that it does is because it is a vibrant color in the midst of clean, pure black.
Now, I’m not sure that I am going to end up casting a vote in this poll myself, because quite frankly, even though I can appreciate the removal of the accents from the TrackPoint buttons, I also would not cry fowl at their re-introduction. If anything, out of all of the observations I made concerning the changes between the T40s and the T60s, the stripes would be the first thing I’d put back if I had to put something back. The TrackPoint buttons *have* always had some color element to them (right?), whereas there hasn’t *always* been a touchpad and the keyboard hasn’t *always* been anything but pure black.
So I will abstain from the poll. My “vote” is to leave the keyboard keys all black (Enter being blue is fine by me, though out of curiosity, why is it singled out for color?) and leave the new touchpad design in place as well (waaaaay better than the old touchpad with the curved bottom corners). Oh, and get these @$%@# Windows keys offa my keyboard, too. As far as the purpose of this blog post goes (the TP button accenting), I could go either way. So if the poll overwhelmingly votes ‘em to come back, then *shrug* bring ‘em back.
Just don’t touch the touchpad (unless you are going to REMOVE IT!).
– Nathan
July 27th, 2007 10:27 am
When I got my Z61p I was a little disappointed that the stripes were gone. My vote is to bring them back!
July 27th, 2007 12:46 pm
It may sound silly but one of the reasons I purchased a T43p as the T60s were being released it the traditional styling of the T43 series.
Many, including myself, consider this system to be the last real ThinkPad T. The entire T43 keyboard design (gray function buttons, red/blue trackpoint buttons, NO WINDOWS KEYS, the larger, rounded touchpad buttons) should be reinstated for a number of reasons:
a. No ‘windows keys’ because hardware should be OS neutral.
b. If this isn’t an example of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ then I don’t know what is.
c. ThinkPads have long been praised for introducing innovative changes that enhanced the computing experience. Let’s not start changing things for the sake of change.
d. The monochromatic look of the new ThinkPads is hugely disappointing and your assertation that the color variations served no purpose is incorrect.
I also own a Z60m and while I do like the titanium lid the keyboard, well you know how I feel.
July 27th, 2007 2:38 pm
I have always been a fan of the classic black look of the thinkpad, but also appreciated the accents that existed including the stripes on the buttons. Please bring those back!
July 27th, 2007 2:39 pm
I own a T42 and a 770X and also used several other older Thinkpads. When Lenovo took over the Thinkpad brand from IBM I was, like most out there, seriously concerned with the future of our beloved machines. I was waiting nervously for the T60 to come out and when I first saw it, it immediately hit me: no stripes!! Why?! Why would they change one of the most important design features that made the Thinkpad stand out for so long now?
Let me say this loud and clear, I LOVE the stripes!
Another thing I would love to see again on the Thinkpad are the black volume and mute buttons with the icons on top off them rather than on the bezel. (Another poll maybe?) The way they are now makes them seem too cheap and they just don’t fit in the overall design.
So, for the sake of simplicity you removed the stripes, but at the same time you changed those buttons from black to grey. It just doesn’t look right.
I am well in favour of simplicity but, in this case, yes, you have gone too far.
I strongly believe the T4x was the apex of the T series design. I’ll hold on to my T42 as much as I can.
July 27th, 2007 2:54 pm
having owned a 350, t21 and t42p, and used a ps2/note and 360, I prefer the buttons with the stripe.
its purely a visual ‘finish’ – without just looks like a cheaper knockoff, or a failed keyboard replacement.
There’s a bigger problem though. I live and work in Australia, and for some reason, Lenovo Australia isn’t stocking any of the thinkpad models that I’d consider buying. (I buy pretty much the most expensive model once every 3 years or so).
So unless the product delivery part of the company catches up, good design or visual branding doesn’t matter at all.
Sven
July 27th, 2007 3:24 pm
THE THINKPAD IS THE ONE TRUE LAPTOP, AND LENOVO’S NOW ITS PROPHET
I’ve been a long-time Thinkpad fan and a proud owner of a Thinkpad T42p (the first generation, the ones not built by Lenovo). Upon seeing the new Thinkpads I would say I didn’t like the changes that Lenovo brought in to the Thinkpad line, from the heresy called the Windows keys to the pure black keys and mouse buttons (**those accented color stripes were there since the first Thinkpads. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING LENOVO?**)
Lenovo – Just give us the option to have a keyboard that looks more or less like the T4x. Which means:
* No Windows keys. Smaller CTRL and ALT buttons doesn’t really help at all given the smaller keyboard size. Plus, the Thinkpad should not be beholden to the interests of one operating system.
* Grey-colored function keys and the color stripes on the trackpad buttons. These, along with the red trackpoint, really distinguishes a Thinkpad from the other lesser mortals^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hlaptops.
* The black-colored, reflective power button. You can keep the current Thinkvantage button and multimedia keys.
Keep the current shape and size of the touchpad – it’s not as intrusive as the T4x and earlier.
Some pet peeves:
* Please don’t make the screen as off-centered as the T61!
* Please bring back the sound and mic ports to the sides of the laptop, and not at the front.
* Make the USB ports horizontal again.
I’m looking forward to buy another Thinkpad soon (as my T42p’s warranty is about to expire). Please Lenovo hear us out!
July 27th, 2007 4:31 pm
Love the stripes — please bring them back! They provide that small visual impact on the all-black ThinkPad that just seems right.
July 27th, 2007 4:57 pm
I have an older unit with stripes, and 4 T60 units without stripes. I think the stripes make the whole unit look cheap – like a toy – as opposed to a sophisticated computing tool.
Please do not bring back the stripes!
July 27th, 2007 5:24 pm
I vote for stripes,
I have owed R50 and T60p and i should say that stripes add something more than just color. I really like it.
Keybord colour are ok, but stripes distinguished Thinkpad from other laptops. Now HP started making quite decent keybords quite simmilar to Lenovo/IBM only diference is blue track point. So bringing back stripes would give an egde back to Lenovo Thinkpads.
July 27th, 2007 5:32 pm
I agree the stripes are not really needed but from a design perspective surely they are inextricably linked to the red trackpoint (at least in my mind they are). Therefore if you take away the stripes you should in theory make the trackpoint black, too. After all, everyone knows what that’s for. Lose the blue stripe, sure, but keep the red ones.
July 27th, 2007 6:02 pm
keep the stripes, change the volume keys back to the T4x-era ones, keep the screen in the center (unlike the T61…why is it not centred?), and don’t bother with the new sticker that replaces the original “IBM Thinkpad”. I think the thinkpad carries a big enough price premium that should cover the cost of dealing with IBM to keep the sticker. also, please don’t put any ports, mic, headphone, usb, card reader…etc in front. preferably nothing but the push button to release the screen is in front.
thank you for listening!
July 27th, 2007 6:54 pm
I say ditch the stripes. They just aren’t visually appealing.
I’m gonna get alot of flak for saying this, but thinkpads, beyond having a respectable utilitarian look, are rather ugly. I don’t think it would hurt to follow the lead of something like HPs new bussiness laptops. Very simple and bussiness-like, yet still very good looking.
http://www.notebookreview.com/assets/22260.jpg
July 27th, 2007 7:43 pm
seems questionable? working in dim light makes a huge difference on how questionable the stripes seem. Also agree on the win key, etc.
“if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”
July 27th, 2007 8:10 pm
Hi,
for me the first bad move was to introduce the Touchpad. It’s just collecting dust and dirt, as I only use the Trackpoint. At least the Touchpad can be deactivated by driver, thus it does not interfere with working on the Thinkpad, thus I finally accepted the introduction to “open the market”. Many people I talked are not used to work with the trackpoint, thus they need a touchpad. But I definitely think reverting to some “good old” design styles as the stripes on the trackpoint related mouse buttons, the simple color scheme (I do not need silver volume keys) would be great. I also would appreciate the old sytle case (as the T43 was latest of), which was e.g. invented to give the illusion of Thinkpad hoovering above the desk.
My ideal Thinkpad would be the case and style of the T43 with the newest technology, a nice cooling scheme (to minimize fan noise), a “large” accu for extended working tim (I have the 9cell version installed in the T43p) and a 4:3 screen (the UXGA 15″ I’m sitting in front is great). The 15″ UXGA offers high resolution while you can carry it and even use it in trains without acquiring the complete space originally intended for two persons.
But that’s just my two cents.
Carlhermann
July 27th, 2007 8:13 pm
Ok, what I forgot…
Elimination of the Windows key (at least as an option) would also be great…
CS
July 27th, 2007 8:46 pm
Please bring back the colored Stripes and White Thinklight!
July 27th, 2007 9:11 pm
I think that the stripes should return, if only to give the laptop some color. While it doesn’t have to be a rainbow-fest, a thin colored stripe can provide some nice contrast and style.
I know that when my T61 arrives, I’ll be applying a thin line of color to the mouse keys.
July 27th, 2007 9:31 pm
I think:
The stripes were part of the Thinkpad design, “noiselessly” finishing the view of the keyboard.
I find my thinkpad -by its design- a robust and serious -bento- box, seriously taking care, and being a secure home of my “life”.
So the outfit to be hard, BUT when i open it
- i would like to feel a kind and _rounded_ place for my hands – and eyes.
So polling on: rounded edges, simply keyboard (no win), audio to sides, no widescreen(its not cinema). Keep the tradition alive!
July 27th, 2007 9:35 pm
I had a T42p, currently own an X41 (both with stripes) and also have a high-end T60 (no stripes). Personally, I like the stripes, but to be honest, not having them is not in any way annoying. The X41 looks a bit more high-tech, but the T60 looks more industrial. Both are terrific-looking machines that I am proud to take just about anywhere.
The two styles are just different. I like the look of my X41, but I have no complaints about the T60 and the more I use it, the more I like it.
July 27th, 2007 9:53 pm
The red-stripes should back.
TrackPoint is like a diverted-mouse , so the stripes in my T43 show mouse’s buttons.For me it doesn’t metter because I don’t look at them but for others can be usefull.
July 27th, 2007 10:51 pm
Lenovo should bring back the red-blue-red stripes. get rid of the Windows key, bring back the grey function keys and keep the blue enter key. These are iconic design features, that although do not serve much purpose, belongs to the ThinkPad heritage as much as the sexy boxy design.
Many of us love the classic ThinkPad design. Innovations can continue inside the case.
July 27th, 2007 11:13 pm
Having owned a 770, A21p, and T42p over the years, I really miss the stripes on the T60. They add a bit of fun to the otherwise all-black Thinkpad, visually connecting the Trackpoint with its buttons.
I also wish the Microsoft key would go away.
And, please, please, Lenovo, get it together and add a DVI output on the laptop.
July 27th, 2007 11:24 pm
As a long time T4X user, who has just taken the plunge with a T60, the absence of the red stripes is striking as the addition of the hideous, cheap looking chrome buttons and what appears to be super-thin, flexi-plastic for the palm rests. No red stripes alone would hardly be the end of the world, but the build quality and aesthetic design of my T60 is, quite frankly, nothing short of a huge disappointment when compared to earlier T models.
I would go as far as saying that, with the T60, I have been conned into buying overpriced, underdesigned and mediocre tat.
July 28th, 2007 1:11 am
Yes, I miss the stripes. Like laurlaurr said above, I feel the T4x was the apex of the T series design.
I miss the TV-Out option on the T6x series. I miss the 4:3 aspect ratio on the latest T6x series. I “HATE” the battery sticking out the back on the widescreen models.
Get rid of the battery sticking out the back, bring back the standard aspect ratio displays, and bring back the TV Out option, then I would be a happy camper. The stipes, while I miss them, they are small potatoes.
July 28th, 2007 1:18 am
Please, David, bring back the stripes!
You said it all right here: “Oddly enough the stripes really provide very little utility.”
The stripes have nothing to do with utility! They’re fun – they make it look zippy – it’s an emotional appeal that goes beyond utility.
Whoever decided to lose the stripes because of “utility” missed the point. One of the primary design goals of the original ThinkPad team was to build a machine that would appeal to people’s emotions, not just their minds. That’s why the TrackPoint is red, no matter how hard the team had to work to get that by IBM management and their “nothing red but the panic button!” rule.
How many computer brands receive the kind of emotional attachment that ThinkPads get from fans like me? Apple, Alienware, and anybody else?
David: I’ve got some homework for you.
Re-read your copy of _ThinkPad: A Different Shade of Blue_. That will tell you what to do about the stripes.
July 28th, 2007 1:19 am
Put more simply: They are racing stripes.
July 28th, 2007 1:25 am
?????????
July 28th, 2007 1:31 am
Bring Back the Stripes!
It just kicked the whole visual appeal up a notch. It looks boring without them.
July 28th, 2007 1:51 am
Please put back the red stripes in your future models. I think most of the thinkpad lovers like the consistency of the thinkpad series. The keyboard and trackpoint are the very valuable assets of thinkpad.
July 28th, 2007 2:40 am
Keep the Windows key. I’ll give up the stripes if you can keep the Windows key. It’s not just to open the Windows menu, it provides all sorts of useful key combinations like Windows+L to lock the machine.
You know what is really funny, though? I use an IBM TrackPoint USB travel keyboard on my Mac Mini, so it has the same keyboard as my ThinkPads (plus or minus the Windows key). *That* is the keyboard that really needs a Windows key. The Windows key is practically a requirement for a PC keyboard used with a Mac, because it substitutes for the Option key. As it is, I’m one key short on my Mac.
July 28th, 2007 3:29 am
Put them back!
July 28th, 2007 8:16 am
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July 28th, 2007 8:16 am
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July 28th, 2007 8:18 am
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July 28th, 2007 8:42 am
I hate the style of the new volumn and power button.
The T serious is getting heavier, I believe a type like T60s is a solution, which has more memory slot, one HDD and one SSD, with no CD-Rom!
Keep the screen size, what we need is the big screen, high speed, and best performence.
July 28th, 2007 9:07 am
Stripes and old-shaped mouse buttons are good. Titanium covers are good too; I was considering getting a titanium-covered Z-series before they were phased out.
Windows keys are bad, especially on an X-series keyboard.
July 28th, 2007 9:53 am
Now I am using a T43, the reason why I bought it is because it’s the last model shows the Thinkpad essence. I would like lenovo to bing the color back and ask people’s feeling before they do any changes. I really hope their next model a success in trems of style and performance.
July 28th, 2007 10:37 am
I missed the stripes instantly and *hoped* that it was saving money. If not, bring ‘em back! ThinkPad aesthetics aren’t supposed to be non-existent, just subtle. As others have noted as well:
- A mix of horizontal and vertical USB port orientations just makes sense. While I don’t use much USB myself I was surprised at the faux pax. That’s the sort of thing that Dell doesn’t think/care about, not you guys!
- Ports on the front aren’t utilitarian, unless you’re just trying to sell more docking stations, which I know you aren’t organized enough for.
- Volume/Power/ThinkVantage buttons were classier on the 4x series.
- Squarish touchpad and buttons looks a bit cheaper.
- Offset displays bug a significant minority of people.
- People will complain about display options no matter what.
Good luck trying to please everyone! Go!
July 28th, 2007 2:33 pm
Nathan, I agree with you that
“To those who want more color added, think about the fact that the more color you add, the less striking the fire-engine red of the TrackPoint is. The reason why it stands out and is able to make the statement that it does is because it is a vibrant color in the midst of clean, pure black.”
The red strips are hallmark of previous Thinkpad, but their aesthetics are not well managed every of the previous models — the red strips can be improved if they are to be re-introduced.
Too, I don’t like some keys: Windows-key, Caps-lock key – let’s remove the Windows-key and I shall map the useless Caps-lock key as a Windows-key if I ever have to. After all, bigger Ctrl and Alt keys are much more preferred.
July 28th, 2007 2:53 pm
Put them back!
I like the Red and blue button better!
July 28th, 2007 2:56 pm
Please-bring back the stripes, and ditch the useless Windows key.
July 28th, 2007 3:03 pm
I don’t think most people would consider being able to remap the left ctrl key as a windows key as a desired option. Also, I use the left ctrl button all the time, as well as the windows key. While I do agree that the keys, esp the windows key, are rather small and could use some natural enhancement, I don’t think they should wipe out one key to enlarge the other.
As for the stripes, I thought they were nice, I kinda miss them now that they’re gone, but it’s really not a big deal for me.
I’d much rather the center button be improved so that the scrolling would actually work 100% of the time, instead of the 80% of the time it works now. Some apps just dont recognize it and won’t let you use it to scroll. It’s annoying… and a more important matter to me than if there are little red or blue stripes on the buttons.
July 28th, 2007 3:33 pm
colored stripes are beautiful,please put them back.
and ou can use one “windows” key,and shorten the “space”
July 28th, 2007 4:49 pm
Love ThinkPad so much.
no doubt, it is the best brand of Laptop.
Tks very much for all the people works hard for it,and hope it keep its quality forever.
July 28th, 2007 4:55 pm
As for the Windows key.. is it possible for Lenovo to have an option that replacing CTRL+Windows key with a bigger single CTRL key? I think that can please all people.
Personally, I use the Windows key very often.
By the way, bring back the red stripes please!
July 28th, 2007 5:13 pm
Well, just to elaborate more about the Windows key..
For the same Thinkpad keyboard that comes with Windows key, it should also ship with an extra larger Ctrl key that can replace the original Ctrl and Windows keys (remove the original Ctrl/Windows keys, and place the new larger Ctrl key on).
And make it serve as Ctrl key function by means of certain software configuration, change the Windows key mapping to an extra Ctrl key.
This can easily solve the Windows/No Windows key arguement…
July 28th, 2007 5:32 pm
Michael, I consider the Windows key to be an blatantly self-serving device on Microsoft’s part, a way of getting their brand plastered on as many PCs as possible. Apple can get away with having an Apple key on their keyboard because they MAKE their own hardware and their hardware is only intended to run their software (although other software has been ported to run on the PowerPC Macs, and it is easy enough to get most Intel code to run on Intel Macs). PCs are intended to be more versatile than that *by design*.
I didn’t buy a Microsoft Windows computer when I bought a ThinkPad. I bought an Intel-based PC. Mine so happened to come with a Windows license, but I could have bought one of the Linux-ready ones without a preload. *And even that ThinkPad would still have had a Windows key on it because you can’t get a T60 keyboard without!*
The extra Windows keys take up valuable keyboard real-estate that should have continued to be allocated to the Ctrl and Alt keys on both sides of the spacebar. I consider this to be a ridiculously high price to pay for the existence of a key that I see as nothing more than a branding/marketing ploy on Microsoft’s part.
If you need the functionality that the Windows key provides, then just use software to map it to a different key, like to the useless Caps Lock key, for goodness’ sake.
Plenty of people did this on ThinkPad keyboard before the x60 series debut.
I would have less of an (I guess ‘philosophical’?) objection to the key being there if it was labeled, say, ‘Opt’ or ‘Meta’ or something more generic. (Believe it or not, even though I run Linux myself, I would also refuse a keyboard with an image of Tux the Penguin on it, for reasons similar to why I object to the Windows one.) But my preference would be to have it removed entirely and to restore the key sizes to Ctrl and Alt that they previously enjoyed.
I wanted to make sure and point out, though, that I did notice and do appreciate seeing the obvious pains that the designers who eventually relented to putting the keys on the keyboard went to in order to try and make everyone happy. The Windows key is the smallest key on its row, and is even smaller than the “right-click” key on the other side. In addition, the left-side Ctrl still manages to maintain a somewhat healthy size. This was the right decision to make since I suspect that between the two Ctrl keys, the one on the left is more often used. I find that despite the existence of the Windows key, I find myself accidentally hitting it (instead of Ctrl) less often on the T60 ‘board than on other ‘boards. So, thank you for that!
If it would be too much of a pain/cost to develop an optional U.S. English keyboard without the Windows key on it, perhaps Lenovo would consider the much less costly option of simply printing some replacement key caps for those that want them which might offer an alternative to having the Windows logo on the key, thus giving us something more generic/universal that ‘works’ acrost all possible PC software platforms that the ThinkPad can run?
At least give it some thought, eh?
– Nathan
July 28th, 2007 6:30 pm
Please bring back the stripes. Please make the volume, mute and power keys black again, the silver looks way cheap. Ditch the trackpad!
July 28th, 2007 6:57 pm
I owned a t40 before my new T61 arrived and I didn’t realize that the red stripes are missing until now. I don’t think I need them, but they don’t bug me either.
What I noticed immediately are the useless windows keys. Please, remove them.
July 28th, 2007 7:55 pm
I do miss the stripes on my T60. Although you get used to everything and I really like my T60, everytime I use my old T41 again I see all the little things again I really miss in my new T60.
The colored stripes are one of them and the feel of the old keyboard, the colored and more rounded buttons combined with the more rounded casing. The T60 and upwards just feel too clean. Leave that to Apple and keep those little touches.
July 29th, 2007 12:00 am
????“Put them back?”?????????????ThinkPad????????????????????????ThinkPad???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????“?????”??
July 29th, 2007 12:11 am
??????“Put them back?”???????????????????Access IBM???ThinkPad??????????????????????????ThinkPad?????????????????ThinkPad????????????????????????IBM????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????“?????”???????Lenovo?
July 29th, 2007 12:16 am
Well I won’t lie, they are pleasing. Not as pleasing as the IBM logo, but you can’t have everything.
Or can you? *licks T43*
July 29th, 2007 2:50 am
Yes. Please bring back the red/blue strips on the mouse buttons.
July 29th, 2007 4:24 am
miss the old stripes,new T61 seems ugly…
July 29th, 2007 4:27 am
Well, let them gone away. I love the minimal design of ThinkPad, especially X series and I do not need these strips because my fingers know the positions of these buttoms. OTOH, I do not like the silver painted volume buttoms which contaminate the simplicity of the whole keyboard and I do want them back to black as you Trackpoint buttoms were made completely black.
July 29th, 2007 4:49 am
Without the ThinkPad stripes back, without the original ThinkPad sensation back.
July 29th, 2007 5:03 am
bring back the tripes !
July 29th, 2007 5:22 am
well, i do love the strips very much. At least it is represent the IBM design trademark.
Should put it back, people will like it!!!
July 29th, 2007 8:40 am
Hey!!
How did you get the feedback “We didn’t get any negative feedback on that change”????
My god!! Almost every TP user hates the change (at least the old IBM thinkpad users)!! How “good” your marketing department are!!!
You must have got the feedback form new TP users, and of course they don’t and cannot notice any stupid changes!!!
Please do bring back the strips!!
If you really want to differentiate Lenovo from IBM, can’t you use any other colors? Do you only have blue and red colors?
July 29th, 2007 8:49 am
How did you get the feedback “We didn’t get any negative feedback on that change”?
My god!! Almost every TP user hates the change (at least the old IBM thinkpad users)!!
You must have got the feedback form new TP users, and of course they don’t and cannot notice any stupid changes!!!
Please do bring back the strips!!
If you really want to differentiate Lenovo from IBM, can’t you use any other colors? Do you only have blue and red colors?
July 29th, 2007 8:52 am
Stripes are fine.
Only the Power and volume button need larger…
July 29th, 2007 8:55 am
Please do bring back the strips!!
If you really want to differentiate Lenovo from IBM, can’t you use any other colors?
July 29th, 2007 10:25 am
I vote for the stripes on the mouse buttons,
and I vote for a return to the “curvy” design
as in the T4x series, as opposed to the more
“rectangular” design of the mouse buttons in the T6x series.
The good old design in the T4x series looks
more friendly to me.
Finally please get rid of the Windows Keys again,
at least as an optional keyboard.
Thanks.
- Lophiomys -
July 29th, 2007 10:50 am
Not only the stripes, I wish the volume, mute and power switchs back to original style, as them on T4/X3 series!
July 29th, 2007 11:41 am
Without stripes, Thinkpad is just an crippled laptop
July 29th, 2007 2:29 pm
This stripes are very nice and you should use them! Without the Stripes the Mousekeys lookes boring and cheap!
July 29th, 2007 2:33 pm
I say also “Please bring back the stripes.”
July 29th, 2007 3:40 pm
[...] ??ALPHONSE????????Lenovo??Blog???David Hill(? ???Vice President, Lenovo Corporate Identity and Design)??????? ?Yipes Stripes????????ThinkPad??TrackPoint??????????????????????? [...]
July 29th, 2007 3:47 pm
I personally love the black, industrial Thinkpad look, but there can be too much of a good thing. Small splashes of color/contrast here and there can make the difference between boring and interesting.
I don’t dislike the black buttons, but I do think they are a bit boring. The red Trackpoint is iconic, and I think the red stripes on the button were as well. I’d like to see them come back. I could do without the blue strip on the center button.
I think the blue enter key is a detractor. It doesn’t fit with the black-and-red ThinkPad theme. I think a silver enter key (and silver function keys) would be a welcome improvement.
July 29th, 2007 4:39 pm
I love the stripes. I will get T61p and will miss them. It would be also nice to get a set to change them to the ones with the stripes.
July 29th, 2007 5:09 pm
Hello everyone,
I own now a T60. It is my fourth notebook, but my first ThinkPad. And I must say, it is great notebook and it’s a great feeling to work on it! Black as the main-color and the decent other colors are well chosen (first I had some problems with the “red dot”, now I love it), because the whole notebook has a sober appearance and it’s is easier to concentrate while working on it. I think the colored buttons on the previous ThinkPads look something forced and not adequate.
In my opinion you should leave the design similar to what it is now. It is great!
- “Snoopy”
July 29th, 2007 8:11 pm
I like the red stripes – it helps visually to find the buttons in a sea of black. Sometimes the machines are used in a dimly lit environment. And the new buttons feel cheap and flimsy compared to a T2x or T3x model.
July 29th, 2007 9:24 pm
I also voted for the stripes to be restituted.
July 29th, 2007 10:34 pm
I love the strips, and I wish them on my X60s
they look more interesting than other brands’ touch pad/track point system’s outlooking.
July 30th, 2007 1:12 am
I love this stripes. I vote it for his going back. BTW, I think we need to change the shade to the orignial shade, I wonder the design will be urgly if we just let it go back simplely. Thanks.
July 30th, 2007 1:28 am
Because of stripes,thinkpad is different from others’ observe.I love it and miss it.Put them back.
July 30th, 2007 1:28 am
I do like the stripes, I think they are a part of the Thinkpad Design heritage, they should be there. Please bring them back.
July 30th, 2007 1:38 am
take it back
July 30th, 2007 1:40 am
“We didn’t get any negative feedback on that change”
Are you kidding?Anyone who like ThinkPad always think who have this idea to take out ThinkPad stripes at new machine? Get them back to ThinkPad.
No negative feedback? Another joke.Don’t miss customers feedback!
July 30th, 2007 1:43 am
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????TP??????????????????????
July 30th, 2007 1:54 am
Please bring back the stripes.
I love ThinkPad but don’t want to buy T/X 60 series just because the move of the strips.My T41 looks more beauty then 6 series
July 30th, 2007 2:38 am
Leave them off
July 30th, 2007 3:51 am
Please provide alternative parts with the stripes for Thinkpad. I just go to order T61, T61p before see this post. Should I cancel order and wait for T62?
July 30th, 2007 5:26 am
I sadly miss the stipres on my x60. I also think the pcmcia button should be blue and not silver. You could also change the volume and pover keys back to the original. Those silver dots look and feel cheap, and unbalnce the harmony of the keybooard. I for one would gladly buy an x60 keybord with these features changed back to the traditional one.
July 30th, 2007 6:02 am
I like the stripes. Because of it, I chose T43 though T60 had been sold. I hope the stripe be back.
July 30th, 2007 9:09 am
Changing the design of the trackpoint keys is a huge design mistake. I refuse to buy a thinkpad with the new keys – they look really ugly. Please bring back the curved edges and the stripes!
July 30th, 2007 10:30 am
Going simple is fine, but please bring back the stripes. Also pls. kill the Windows-Key, it is as superfluous as Scroll-Lock or Pause. Thank you.
July 30th, 2007 11:38 am
I like the stripes, my laptop is IBM T43,the stripes on T43 are beautiful.
July 30th, 2007 12:51 pm
Owned by Leveno won’t stop me from buying thinkpad. Stupid design will! !
July 30th, 2007 12:57 pm
I do love the red&blue stripes, it makes thinkpad different w/ other brands.
July 30th, 2007 2:22 pm
Please put back the red stripes in your future models
July 30th, 2007 4:35 pm
I love the red and blue stripes!
July 30th, 2007 4:55 pm
No stripes please. That’s ridiculous.
July 30th, 2007 5:33 pm
Hi,
i own a T41, styled in the “old ibm-style” (no WIN-Key, blue Bay-Buttons…) That’s what (also) makes it different from other Notebooks – pls keep this styling!!!
July 30th, 2007 5:52 pm
The stripes were iconic. I think they were visually appealing. I have both a T42 from IBM and a T60p from Lenovo. When put next to each other, the stripes really enhance the visual appeal. Please bring them back.
July 30th, 2007 7:31 pm
Holy cow…you guys opened up a can of worms when you asked this question publicly. Perhaps you shouldn’t have said anything! Oh well, I guess you “asked” for it.
I especially love the posts by people saying that they will “wait” to buy until you reinstitute the stripes, or that they bought a T43 instead (!!!).
I had predicted this outcome when I saw the poll, but I didn’t think the split would be this great. I thought there might (just maybe!) be more people like myself who are long-time ThinkPad users but who also liked the change.
It’s almost like Coca-Cola vs. New Coke all over again!! The power of branding and nature of habit…
– Nathan
July 30th, 2007 9:58 pm
I voted “I don’t care”, because I tend to judge a product by its reliability and usability.
It seems to me that some people just can’t get over the fact that designs evolve every now and then.
Sorry, but all these “I won’t buy another thinkpad as long as I don’t get my stripes back”-posts are just hilarious – those comments just translate to “actually, I’m broke, but now I found another neat reason” to me.
July 31st, 2007 2:33 am
??????????????????????????????????????????6?????????????T43???X32?
July 31st, 2007 2:35 am
??????0.01?????????????????????????????????????????????????Thinkpad?????HP?
July 31st, 2007 3:17 am
??????????????????????????????????
July 31st, 2007 3:22 am
I voted “Leave tham off” and I found I was one of the minority. I don’t think the stripes were the most important thing, it’s all okay to leave them black, but it seems that the new shapes of the components of the pointing area — including Trackpoint button, UltraNav and UltraNav button — are not so smooth than before. Maybe an improvement on them is necessary.
Anyway, I love 60 series much more than T43. Comparing the overall design, the changing on the buttons are nothing serious.
July 31st, 2007 3:54 am
?????????????????“bad design”??????
July 31st, 2007 3:56 am
I was very disappointed with the new thinkpads.
Too many useful designs are removed.
July 31st, 2007 4:35 am
???????????
July 31st, 2007 5:56 am
Lenovo?????????thinkpad??????????????????????????????????????T61?????????????T???????????Z?????????????????????????????????????????????????????T43??????????????????????“???”??thinkpad??????????
July 31st, 2007 5:57 am
Put them back!
IBM should be IBM, isn’t it?
Style is changing but something important is forever,black, logo and the TrackPoint
July 31st, 2007 6:31 am
?????????
July 31st, 2007 6:40 am
pls bring them back, I think they are a part of the Thinkpad Design heritage. it’s important.
July 31st, 2007 7:24 am
PLS,PUT THEM BACK.
July 31st, 2007 8:16 am
put them back pls!! I miss blue and red stripes
July 31st, 2007 9:17 am
??????????? !!!
July 31st, 2007 9:29 am
The vote was about 50/50 at the start, I think the strip fans have been rigging the vote.
July 31st, 2007 9:30 am
???????????????????????????????????????????????
July 31st, 2007 9:39 am
Please put the stripes back , I won’t buy a new Thinkpad without them !!!
July 31st, 2007 12:58 pm
It’s not just design, it HAD utility, it guides your eye to the trackpoint buttons. Part of the tradition.
July 31st, 2007 2:27 pm
bring them back pls! i like it
July 31st, 2007 2:54 pm
Please put them back. I just feel upset when seeing those new ThinkPads without these stripes. It severely affect the outlook of the whole palmrest area.
It’s just like painting the TrackPoint from red into black…
July 31st, 2007 3:07 pm
I’m a T22&A31 user, i think red/blue stripes look better, hope them back.
July 31st, 2007 3:20 pm
Paul – if your computer buying decisions depend on some small strips on paint then you are an idiot
Stephen Benedict – you shouldn’t be looking at the mouse buttons when you press them imho, so I cannot see any utility in them
Laurent – ThinkPads are not IBM anymore, these colours are IBM and are from an era passed, the IBM logo is on borrowed time and I think the new logo is much better and less from the 80s
July 31st, 2007 5:46 pm
I am guessing that right now 90% of Thinkpad – buyers are repetitive loyal customers (to the brand) , they became what they are due to the quality and consistency of the Thinkpad Products.
Changing this policy would make this Brand useless.
Lenovo won’t get college kids to buy a black box (with or without stripes ) they want shiny blinki stylish movie players with which the can type and download music onto their Ipods….
Keep the stripes, keep the screen size and ratio.
Leave them black and just put new hardware in!
July 31st, 2007 7:09 pm
I loved the stripes, just added a nice splash of color and would be great to see them back, but other then that, no biggie
July 31st, 2007 7:16 pm
I find the results of this poll very disappointing. I thought that the ThinkPad T60/p are the only good looking ThinkPads, because they lost all the archaic touches that made ThinkPads look like they belonged in the 90s. Even the T61 is a step backwards, with the off-center screen, a la T4x series with the asymmetric screen bezel.
I can only imagine that these poll results are due to a large userbase of older folks who’ve been using ThinkPads for a long time and are afraid of change, even minor ones. It is time for IBM/Lenovo to move on and make their computers look like they belong in this century. It is 2007, people.
July 31st, 2007 7:26 pm
The red stripes hint users that the two keys are related to the red eraserhead. Without the red stripes, they just seem loose. Please put the red and blue stripes back. I have a T43, a X40 and X60 Tablet. I wish the x60 tablet had the stripes.
July 31st, 2007 7:52 pm
?????
??????????????????
August 1st, 2007 1:10 am
?????,?????,?????,??TrackPoint,?????!
August 1st, 2007 1:32 am
????????????????????
August 1st, 2007 1:49 am
Get it back,I would like to choose T43 instead of T60,why,
August 1st, 2007 3:38 am
Getting rid of the stripes was a bad move. Not only are the stripes gone, but the curved edges on the sides.
August 1st, 2007 4:12 am
??????????????????????
August 1st, 2007 8:10 am
I like TrackPoint buttons on my T41, they look so nice, but buttons on T60 or z series look really cheap. Put the stripes and the original buttons back please!
August 1st, 2007 9:14 am
???????????
August 1st, 2007 10:12 am
Anyway it’s Lenovo now, it’s their decision to keep the tradition or _try_ to create a new legend and kill the old.
But dear Lenovo has to keep in mind that
the oldtimer customers(thinkpaders) _do_ recognize the real value.
So changing is risky.
They (i, we) can find hundreds of laptops having average outlook, average keyboard, experimental display, experimnetal etc. .
I think you should leave experimentation to other brands.
Forgeting the stripes is not innovation. (nor as widescreen, front audio plugs,..).
August 1st, 2007 12:04 pm
The audio plugs are located on the side for the 15.4 inch T61 models.
August 1st, 2007 1:12 pm
Please bring back the stripes! And I also would like to see the blue enter key and gray functional keys. Why ? It’s design. It’s a part of ThinkPad.
August 1st, 2007 2:53 pm
Yes, bring back the stripes. To me it is an essential part of Thinkpad brand recognition just like the pocket rivets on Levi jeans.
Keep the blue enter key too. It reminds me of the IBM Selectric keyboard which was in my opinion the finest typewriter keyboard ever produced.
I also seem to recall that the IBM punch card machine I used for Pascal programming had a blue enter key too on that fine keyboard. Ah, the memories….
August 1st, 2007 3:36 pm
Yes…
The result shows – MOST OF US WANT´s THEM BACK!!!
Trimmi
August 1st, 2007 3:48 pm
??????????????????????????????????????????“?”???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????R61??????????????????THINKPAD????????????????T40???????????????????????????????????????????????????????THINKPAD?????????????????????????????7?5?????????????????????T40??????9?????????????????????????????????????????????????T61?????????T40?41?42?43???????????????????????????????????????2.5KG???????2002??t30???????THINKPAD???????????THINKPAD????????????????????????????????????
August 1st, 2007 6:59 pm
Put them back?????“IBM”??????????????????Motorola?????????????????????????????????????????
???Z60?????????????Z60t???????????????????????????????????
August 1st, 2007 7:31 pm
People already complain enough about how plain ThinkPads look, and you go any take away the little bits of color it has (the multicolor (I was never a fan, I’d rather just red, just blue, or just silver) IBM logo, the trackpoint buttons, and the keyboard too. I don’t see how that modernized anything. Minimalistic is one thing, but it already was. Now it just looks cheap. It honestly reminds me of the crap celeron Dell Inspiron 1000 laptop (one of the 500-600 dollar laptops a few years back).. the entire laptop was just black, every single little bit of it. It used perfectly rectangular, sharp-cornered touchpad buttons like the new trackpoint buttons as well.
The old trackpoint buttons were an ergonomic masterpiece. The color, as has been said, tied them to the trackpoint, the only other red piece on the laptop, indicating their use. Now they are just orphaned. Does the scroll button still have the bumps on it at least?
Looks like I should upgrade my T42 from 1GB to 2GB because I’ll be keeping it until Lenovo clears up this and other significant design flaws and makes the T-series less like the former A-series. what ever happened to thin, light, and powerful with good battery life? I guess apple is the only company that still ‘gets it’ in that regard (with a fully optioned out macbook.. with integrated graphics) but they don’t even have a trackpoint so it’s useless.
August 1st, 2007 11:45 pm
I miss the strips in my X23.
If T61 with strips, It would be better.
August 2nd, 2007 2:46 am
???????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????2k??????????????????????????????????????????
August 2nd, 2007 3:54 am
Color strip will make Thinkpad more spiritual. Get them back please! Ask designer will let you know the result.
August 2nd, 2007 3:55 am
I’ve briefly owned 2 t43’s and now i owned a x60t… I was alittle disappointed this time around when thinkpads lost its red strips and the new smaller trackpoint buttons…the curve trackpoints looks much better and more comfortable to use…my first reaction when I saw the new “stright line” Trackpoint was: “Humm..They must really want to save money by making the trackpoint so small and cheap looking…or maybe they’ve fired the designer..”
Honest.
August 2nd, 2007 9:19 am
Leave them off.
Thinkpads have reputation of quality which is the only difference from other laptops.
And Thinkpads are designed as reliable tools for users not for fans. Perhaps the vote is meaningless, it reflects the opinions of fans and may be misleading.
August 2nd, 2007 1:03 pm
Do you understand the comments above in Chinese? Those users, wish the traditional stripes back. So many loyal user want them back as soon as possible. A ThinkPad dealer said:”many prospective buyers who have not seen the ThinkPad are more interested in the model with the colored stripes than that without them when they see the ThinkPad at the first sight.” Another friend of mine said:”Lenovo thought the user would not change to HP or Dell while the IBM style were be wiping out. However, they made a big mistake, I was the one who stop buying ThinkPad.”
August 2nd, 2007 1:33 pm
arrgggghhhhh – these arguments are nonsense. It boils down to ‘yes i prefer the look of the stripes’ or ‘no i do not like the stripes’, its not a reason not to buy a system, it doesn’t make or break the system design, its not the beginning of the end for lenovo again and there is certainly no utility to it.
August 2nd, 2007 2:47 pm
I prefer the classial design as the classial design make the computers likes a business machine. Compare with my new T60p and the old T42p, the new one likes a plastic toy.
August 2nd, 2007 3:10 pm
I absolutely agree with snife and am now out of this “discussion”. Also, when a Thinkpad owner has nothing else to complain about than missing stripes on his buttons, it just shows how few problems the rest of the machine really gives. For the rest of my opinion see #128.
slightly off topic, but still funny is seeing people complain about the T61 being 2mm thicker than the T60 while completely forgetting that the depth has decreased by full 2cm. But people just need something to moan about. cheers!
August 2nd, 2007 3:25 pm
Put it back asap. The overall appearance is more pleasant. It just cost nothing for a international company to do it.
August 2nd, 2007 8:36 pm
Bring the red stripes back!! And please get rid of the titanium covers… We love black!
August 3rd, 2007 2:35 am
I don’t mind either way regarding the stripes, but I do believe you’ve done the Lenovo and ThinkPad brands a HUGE disservice by not currently shipping any models with a Titanium lid. I find that users in the design/creative/music/film business often do not want a ThinkPad because the look is just too classic (isn’t stylish design one of the main reasons people buy Apple hardware).
The reality is that the ‘one design fits all’ path that Lenovo has taken recently does not work for everyone, in the same way if the there was only R-series or only T-series then sales would suffer. If you can come up with a leather ThinkPad, why wouldn’t you continue shipping Titanium external cases?
August 3rd, 2007 5:41 am
?????Google??????????“????????IBM PC”???????????LENOVO??“????????????”???????????????????????LENOVO??????HP?DELL??????????????????????????????????????PC??????????????LENOVO???????????????????
August 3rd, 2007 7:28 am
???…????????ThinkPad
?????????????,????!
ThinkPad???????????,????ThinkPad????!!!
August 3rd, 2007 8:15 am
Felix(No. 179), I don’t agree with you. The depth has decreased by 18mm, but a 16:10 T61 is 24mm wider than a 4:3 T60.
August 3rd, 2007 2:37 pm
Please bring them back!
August 3rd, 2007 3:17 pm
put them back, it looks so ugly when I don’t see it no more on my T61. I almost don’t wanna buy it anymore, because of the yipes stripes!!!
August 3rd, 2007 4:03 pm
I strongly hope that you can put them back!!i believe they are the sign of thinkpad for so a long time .and it’s quite beautiful in apperance ,especilly after comparing
August 3rd, 2007 6:04 pm
Please bring them back!
August 4th, 2007 3:41 am
it’s nothing but about the feeling
without the stripes, just don’t feel right
please put them back!
August 4th, 2007 8:22 am
Put it back
keep the original
August 4th, 2007 9:20 am
I want the stripes back! I never made use of the utiliy the stripes provide – but always connected the stripes with the thinkpad. They belong on a Thinkpad.
Like the stripes on a Dodge Viper.
August 4th, 2007 11:48 am
Another vote for the stripes here. Getting rid of the gray function keys was OK, and I would be glad to see the Enter revert to black as well. But the red stripes was always a nice touch. Basically I like the color scheme of the 600/770/T20/X20 era best.
And I concur with the poster about dropping the IBM logo for good. The mishmash of a lenovo here and an IBM there is awful. Just let it go already.
August 4th, 2007 7:36 pm
One suggestion on the “Vote” section. I was so excited to vote on this poll, but I could NOT find where I can vote. It is not after David’s introduction on this poll. It is not after all the comments. It is not on the right or the left corner of the webpage. Finally, I found it. It is below all the links where you will not be able to see it when you first open the page. Is this site about Design?
August 4th, 2007 9:20 pm
Props to Lenovo for being willing to get pwn3d by their own customers on their own blogs. This rocks.
August 4th, 2007 11:27 pm
A ThinkPad without the stripes is a gateway arch without the catenary curve! It just is not finished. The color-coding of the function kesy was also preferable.
August 4th, 2007 11:29 pm
Oh, and do get rid of that trash key disturbing my keyboard!
August 5th, 2007 2:06 am
back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back! back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 5th, 2007 4:52 pm
I would be glad if you bring the stripes back!
August 6th, 2007 2:44 am
ThinkPads are business machines.
A successful business needs an image.
Two examples:
IBM. 8 horizontal lines in a simple font, yet does anyone not immediately recognize it?
American Airlines. Two simple A’s, one blue, one red. Three striples across the plane, one red one white and one blue, the rest left unpainted.
Both of these business designs were crafted in the 1960’s. In AA’s case, the only airline that has not changed their livery in 40 years.
Two of the biggest and most recognized companies in the world.
Image means something. Image is recognized and remembered.
Why did Lenovo want the ThinkPad name? A simple red dot and three lines meant business, meant quality, meant ThinkPad.
Image is important. Lenovo can retain an image 15 years in the making. Isn’t the other Lenovo line of non-ThinkPads meant to diverse the company?
August 6th, 2007 8:38 am
Yeah, let the stripes back.
August 6th, 2007 12:04 pm
Please bring them back, please. Thinkpad is not just a laptop, Lenevo don’t understand what is Thinkpad style.
Lenevo Orz
August 6th, 2007 12:58 pm
Strongly recommend to recover the color stripes of trackpoint buttons bc it’s thinkpad stylish.
August 6th, 2007 3:53 pm
back now!!
August 6th, 2007 4:27 pm
I would really love the stripes to come back on, it is more visually pleasing and also bring back the rounded mouse buttons!
Another thing i would like to see is
1) S-video connector
2) Multi-card reader
Why not make it an option to replace the above features by ditching PCMCIA slot?
August 6th, 2007 4:51 pm
Oh my god! How many Z Series machines have been sold? And you guys decide to remove the colored stripes from ALL your machines because the users of Z Series did not even notice? Come on! Put them back!
August 7th, 2007 12:54 am
I am going to be brutally honest: I don’t really care about the stripes either way. I thought they looked kind of funny on my X21 and X31, but I didn’t mind them much. I think I’d most enjoy a stripe-less original shape, with the angled middle button. Either way, I don’t see it being a deal breaker for me.
I am writing, like many of the other commenters, to jump on the occasion of Lenovo considering a turn back, and express my concern about the inclusion of the Windows/Menu keys, specifically on the X60 series machines. Again, I haven’t actually used one, but by looking at the pictures, I cannot help but be concerned about the size of the left Ctrl and especially right Alt. I need to be able to use both, and accidentally hitting Menu instead of right Alt would be highly displeasing.
Was it /really/ necessary to add these buttons on the ultraportable series of laptops? We’ve survived without them until 2006… and now suddenly they’re here and we’re supposed to love them?
I would not care if there was an option to get a keyboard without the Windows buttons. Just give me the option.
August 7th, 2007 3:16 am
As a desktop PC user, I always use Windows key, but seldom (actually, never) use the Menu key.
August 9th, 2007 9:23 am
vote ended, topic closed
August 9th, 2007 5:41 pm
?????????????????PUT THEM BACK????????????????????????THINKPAD?????LENOVO????????????????????????????THINKPAD
August 12th, 2007 3:01 pm
OMG, put them back!!!!! Finally there is a tiny place we can get our voice out.
August 13th, 2007 5:31 am
Please remember to take the Windows keys away.
The keyboard is small enough, the Windows keys make other keys smaller smaller smaller…….
And, don’t put any Lenovo logo on Thinkpad, it’s ugly.
August 14th, 2007 2:29 pm
put them back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 15th, 2007 3:42 am
give me the design like T43, not only the stripe!
August 17th, 2007 5:18 pm
I personally don’t care if there are color stripes or not; but I do like the new design for its simpler and more elegant look and feel.
One thing I really don’t like with the newer thinkpads is the addition of touchpad. The touchpad is useless, redundant and annoying.
I will never buy any thinkpad with touchpad.
August 20th, 2007 4:08 am
Pls put them back, tks!
August 22nd, 2007 11:52 pm
plz just put them back
August 23rd, 2007 5:09 am
I have used a lot ThinkPad machines. The Stripes shows it’s ThinkPad. I feel it’s an outstanding character. I cannot accept a ThinkPad without these Stripes. May I buy a new generation ThinkPad with these Strips?
August 23rd, 2007 11:09 pm
The trackpoint buttons looks UGLY without those stripes. Please put it back.
August 26th, 2007 4:47 pm
Colour can be used for a lot of things. Why are we in love with grey/black/beige?
Especially for separate parts like keycaps and buttons (EZ manufacture), the consistent use of colour can tie together function and design.
For example, why not colour Fn, Alt, Ctrl, Window, and Menu buttons? This can tie together left and right buttons, and help user understanding.
So I would say, ditch the stripes, and colour the trackpoint buttons ALL red.
tOM
August 27th, 2007 3:16 am
Please ! Please send them back!
August 27th, 2007 9:00 pm
Put them back!
August 30th, 2007 10:10 am
I would like to see the stripes brought back, but I doubt that it will happen. I’ve owned and had a hand in purchasing half a dozen Thinkpads over the years, and the blue button, red trackpoint, and strips look, with the classic “black” Thinkpad look – it was an embodiment of the Thinkpad brand.
I have sincere doubts that you received no negative feedback about the stripes being removed. Was there any internal or external research done? And while the coloring may have served no true “functional” purpose.. They were part of the Thinkpad design and brand experience, and removing them takes the line one more step closer to the “rest of the pack” of notebooks out there.
August 30th, 2007 11:39 am
Unfortunately Lenovo has removed some distinctive features that were eye candies of the old ThinkPad: stripes, gray function keys, smaller and square TrackPoint buttons. Letters are thicker and look cheap.
I bought T60 for my son and was very disappointed with the cheapish look. I was thinking to upgrade from my T42p to X60s but has decided to postpone for now.
September 2nd, 2007 1:51 pm
Please bring them back, the black stripes look so dull!
September 3rd, 2007 10:33 pm
The stripes do belong to a Thinkpad like the red TrackPoint cap does.
I believe you didn’t got negative feedback on this theme since you didn’t asked publicly, if you’ve just asked a few business partners what would you expect to get as countable answers.
Again, the stripes are a long time part of the corporate design and identification of a Thinkpad, as is the red Trackpoint cap. – In a bunch of black notebooks you can always easily identify a *real* Thinkpad by it’s red and blue stripes and the red Trackpoint cap. Further it’s easier to hit the correct Trackpoint button in the dark if it has colored stripes.
Another point is, that the just black buttons are always looking somehow cheap without the tripes. One does always have the impression that something is missing on these Thinkpads without the stripes.
September 7th, 2007 8:51 pm
I suggest that the stripes should go back. current design is a bit too dull.
September 10th, 2007 4:30 am
Come on! The stripes are one part of Thinkpad.
What are they thinking!?
September 12th, 2007 10:00 pm
I actually never owned the previous generation of thinkpads or the current one. I have however used both, and I like the red stripes. That is in fact how I was able to immediately understand the purpose of those extra mouse buttons. They make it look better too =).
September 22nd, 2007 1:34 am
As a long time thinkpad user, I miss the strips. Yes, it had no utility, but it was a familiar sight and added some color to an otherwise all-business look. Now, looking at keyboard, it looks bland, too bland.
Why not simply ship two red and a blue strip stickers (with strong adhesive backing). This way, old timers can stick the colors. Heck, I’ll even buy the stickers if you sell them as an accessory!
October 11th, 2007 11:26 pm
I have bought so many thinkpads and I think having the stripes is a good idea. My recently bought T61p and X61 tablet don’t have that and I don’t quite like them; thy looked cheap, a lot like A GARBAGE BAG!!
1) The design’s more beautiful
2) The touchpad button theme goes well with blue Enter buttons, blue fn labels, and blue Access IBM
3) It helps locate the trackpoint buttons quickly.
November 12th, 2007 5:50 pm
Please bring the stripes back. It adds to the uniqueness and class of thinkpads.
November 12th, 2007 5:51 pm
Aslo please bring the grey function buttons back.
November 30th, 2007 3:40 pm
I definitely miss the stripes. They very clearly accentuate the design in a way that sets the laptop apart from others more than any other feature. Without the stripes, the new Thinkpads look very bland and uninspired.
November 30th, 2007 5:22 pm
I actually don’t care about the stripes, but I would really like to see T and X keyboards without Windows keys, at least as an option. (And AFAIK everyone agrees on the current manufacturers of the best keyboards for Thinkpads.)
I know this is pushing it, but I’d also like to have the option to buy Thinkpad without touchpad and fingerprint reader. I don’t care if it costs the same as the one with both of those things. They are slightly distracting, they add a couple of grams, and disabling touchpad sometimes causes problems with the driver after standby or hibernate.
December 23rd, 2007 8:35 pm
Bring back the red/blue stripes
January 21st, 2008 7:29 am
I think that Lenovo should DEFINITELY bring back the stripes. A “ThinkPad” is NOT a ThinkPad (notice no quotation marks here) without those stripes, although I wouldn’t go as far as to say I wouldn’t buy a “ThinkPad” (quotation marks here) because of it. I don’t really mind the Windows button, in fact, I’m so used to it that I would be kind of pissed if I got a new laptop without one. I think the touchpad placement on the T61 is good; positioned for easy use yet out of the way for TrackPoint users. But my biggest grip of all is THE PLACEMENT OF THE FN/CTRL KEYS!!! I ALWAYS use the Ctrl key for shortcuts and although I understand its something to do with IBM’s original commitment to accessibility, I think putting the FN key to the left of the Ctrl key is a big problem.
January 26th, 2008 10:52 pm
Bring them back!WHy?That’s a little sign of Thinkpad.But what make a design great?Just many many small parts.
February 23rd, 2008 12:01 am
Plz put them back.
About 10 years ago, I saw the notebook when I was a flashman in university.
Wow, that’s it! My dream notebook.
The functionalities and designs are wonderful.
Now I worked in IT. I have an ability to buy one, X60. Although the designs are almost the same with previous ones, but it is not my one in my memory.
Plz let ThinkPad fans ardor for it.
Thx!
March 22nd, 2008 10:34 pm
i really don’t care who the boss is.
i bought it because of the design and quality.
stripes and IBM logo are part of the elegant design.
win key dose help as a function of shortcut
and it is a bad idea to put fn key to the leftmost of the keyboard
March 24th, 2008 6:36 am
Put them back
May 23rd, 2008 10:03 am
I would be happy to see the “good old” red/blue stripes. I miss ‘em on my Z61m and T61.
May 24th, 2008 4:44 am
I liked the stripes but they are from an earlier time and to put them back will date the new thinkpads to the older time. That time has gone. What Thinkpad needs to do is make the laptops more functionally beautiful, be bold but within the philosophy of the company. The thinkpad case is in danger of becoming a “style of what it used to be” rather than genuinely being the most “functional layout” and beauty coming from that.
Let the thinkpad go forward and truly be itself rather than be guided by whims of fashion, retrograde or not.
May 25th, 2008 6:37 pm
Bring them back, along with the curved corners. They’re part of what makes a Thinkpad a Thinkpad. They’re part of a Thinkpad’s identity.
Build quality, and non-flexing cases are other parts of the Thinkpad identity that should also not be ignored.
May 27th, 2008 7:51 pm
I would like to see red/blue stripes as well. They make Thinkpad to stand out, rather than being boring black thing.
After all, virtually every notebook manufacturer adds visual “candy” to their design, and consumers expect that. I think that’s the reason why so many of us want to see something more than plain black laptop.
August 5th, 2008 5:19 am
Where are the stripes on the new R400/500 and T400/500?!
You said they’d come back. From the pictures I’ve seen, it seems like they won’t.
August 5th, 2008 10:22 am
The beauty of simplicity, i actually don’t miss it after using the T61p and R61i for some while. But one things for sure, the handrest area of the T6x and R6x were stronger than the T40 and T43 that i had.
August 5th, 2008 10:25 am
Correction on the last sentence:
the handrest area of the T6x and R6x were stronger than the T40 and T43 that i ‘have’.
August 13th, 2008 9:31 pm
Bring them back again !
August 26th, 2008 6:23 am
Since done a poll, X300/301/200 we could find the strip is back! ! Good!!
But why in the latest products T400/500 still do not see them back??
WHY!!!
August 29th, 2008 12:41 am
The red strip is not put back onto the T400/T500. They remove them, then the poll of the blog reader is made clear the red strip should be put back. So only put back on the smaller selling product. T Series is the favorite seller, so it keep the old design that the designer says is better, and the parts is already made far inadvance. Design by polling makes this unharmonious event.
September 16th, 2008 2:30 am
Bring the red/blue stripes back!!!
Why the T400/500, W500/700 haven’t classic UltraNav??
????????????????????
???????
October 16th, 2008 6:12 am
i hope the laptop can put them back. i love the original logo
November 24th, 2008 2:11 pm
[...] acessório é que os botões do trackpoint voltaram a ter faixas coloridas (yay!), resultado de um post e seu respectivo feedback dos usuários ocorrido no Blog da [...]
January 13th, 2009 4:26 pm
IMHO, the stripes and other color elements (ThinkVantage button) water down the classic (if it was ever executed) Bento box design.
The ugliest part on recent models, even without the stripes, are the various stickers (intel, Windows, ATI, ..) which are hard to remove.
The second most ugly part is the tilted “Thinkpad” logo on the right hand corner (the only tilted element, with no discernible justification).
I personally love Thinkpads, both for the original design idea and their “inner values”, but you and I must admit they’re still a far way from Apple in perceived design quality. Apple gets paid for the beauty, you don’t. The stuff I mentioned, Apple would never do that. Also, they seem to be able to reinvent themselves even when keeping some classic features. When I travel with a recent Thinkpad in a train, people will often say “that laptop must be ancient.” That’s because it really looks very much like years ago.
The trick is to bring some subtle modernity into a classic design, creating a new classic instead of watering it down. The fonts would be a good place to start.
February 9th, 2009 12:53 am
Please do bring back the strips!!I Love it!!!
Its classic!!!
February 9th, 2009 12:54 am
Please do bring back the strips!!
I love it!
Its classic!!thanks!
September 1st, 2009 2:02 am
Can you recognize MacDonolds, if they changed the color to green and brown?
Yes, please bring back the strips!
November 8th, 2009 5:11 am
I am using lenevo 3000G430.I take this about two months ago.But I am facing a serious problem.My monitor is blinking continuously.I have sent it to the service center.They have just format it and gave a new operating system.It didn’t solve the problem.I thought it is hardware problem of the monitor.But I am not sure.So if any can help me to get rid of this problem then I will be very great full to him.Plz send post quickly