ThinkPad SL Series
We just announced a new ThinkPad line optimized for small business called the SL series. Quality, affordability, service and support are critical factors to small business notebook users, and Lenovo’s ThinkPad SL series combines all of those. We designed the notebooks for the unique way these users work – whether at home, the office, the park or a coffee shop. The notebooks also excel with their enhanced multimedia capabilities. Nice speakers, high quality microphones and an optional webcam provide excellent support for internet voice and video conferencing. The keyboard continues the quality tradition with the legendary ThinkPad feel. Last but not least, the stripes are back.
The SL designs also include a black mirror finish top not seen since we retired the S30 ultraportable. You may remember this one from 2001. Sure it may attract a few fingerprints, but it looks fantastic. All the other series continue to be matte finish. We also hid the hinges and used a latchless closure to further simplify the appearance and draw attention to the new ThinkPad logo. It now features a unique red LED embedded into the ThinkPad signature replacing the typical red dot over the letter i. When powered up it glows constantly reminding everyone who has the ThinkPad in the room. It also cleverly communicates overall system status. When the lid is closed and the ThinkPad goes into standby the LED begins to slowly pulse like a human heart. We spent a lot of time on this feature working with both development and marketing. It’s not easy squeezing a LED into the display cover. In the end I think it adds value and richens the brand experience.
Avram Piltch , a reviewer from Laptop magazine , perhaps said it best “The coarse, rubberized plastic of the traditional Lenovo lid has been replaced with a shiny piano-black surface that sports our favorite design change: a sexy ThinkPad logo where the dot in the letter “I” is a laser-red light that reminds us of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s eye in The Terminator. ”
Collectively these design extensions have been recognized by the targeted small business customers as being appealing. For the tried and true ThinkPad loyalist, we still have you covered with the more traditional design details you have come to expect. I love our new X200 almost enough to surrender my X300. Almost.
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 17th, 2008 10:54 pm
Trackpoint is about the only thing that is left from a Thinkpad here. Does naming this a “Thinkpad” increase sales by much? And why would you surrender x300, isn’t an updated model coming ?
July 17th, 2008 11:01 pm
Love the red light on the ThinkPad logo! I hope that all ThinkPads have this in their future designs.
Keep up the great designs David!
July 17th, 2008 11:25 pm
I want to hear about the upcoming X series
July 17th, 2008 11:25 pm
I like the red LED as well. It’s not very bright, is it? Please share it with other series!
July 17th, 2008 11:25 pm
The buttons on the left seem out of place and I’ll hit them on accident instead of tab… we’ll find out I guess…
July 17th, 2008 11:30 pm
I’m disappointed. All I want is a HDMI port with the traditional design, not more annoying bling. Flashing LEDs are incredibly annoying in a dark room.
At least you guys haven’t gone with a huge inverted logo on the top cover (yet).
July 18th, 2008 12:37 am
first thing that i’ve noticed, this class of thinkpad had diverted itself from other previous thinkpads’ designs especially in the placing of blue Thinkvantage button and also the power button. i hope that David can explain the reason behind these changes it to all Lenovo loyalist in next posting. and also, i hope its specs is as special as other thinkpad and also it retains the sturdy, tough and durable body of mighty thinkpad.
of course, about the pricing? i hope it’s cheaper and affordable for us Malaysians.
July 18th, 2008 12:49 am
I was hoping that you would discuss the changed keyboard layout, and the mostly-plastics design. The more I look at this system, the more I feel that this is nothing but a rebadged 3000 series notebook (in a black casing). I hope the people who buy this thinking they are getting a real thinkpad at a good price are not disappointed.
July 18th, 2008 12:50 am
David, is this brand SL Thinkpad is good or reasonable for home users? for example the Thinkpad R series.
July 18th, 2008 12:58 am
I hope this speaker replacement allows Lenovo to place a bigger speaker driver, so the sounds can be a tad louder than the one coming from T 61 and R 61. All in all i like the design direction SL is heading, i guess we would be expecting similar designs for the next T and R series. I am guessing that these extra LED on the Lenovo can be turned off and on by user intervention like on the X300 with the blue Thinkvantage LED.
July 18th, 2008 12:59 am
The pulsing red LED instantly reminds me of the pulsing white LED found on mac laptops. The black plastic design reminds me of the dell vostro. Imitation might be the best form of flattery, but remember that it can also be taken as a sign of inability.
Comparing this to the trendsetting and iconic S30 (even for the glossy lid finish) is very unjustified … that small thinkpad had a true 7-row keyboard and was a great example of innovation:
http://www.aichi.to/~thinkpad/tps30/tps30_01.jpg
Even the not so powerful R61i was a better thinkpad than the SL series design wise – it atleast had identity. I am very disappointed with the SL series badged as a low cost thinkpad when it does not confirm to the basics that we tend to associate with the thinkpad name.
July 18th, 2008 1:06 am
“When powered up it glows constantly reminding everyone who has the ThinkPad in the room.”
Since when are thinkpad users the kind that want to advertise their ownership of their laptop in a room? Aw man, I am going to sign out and not waste time reading this anymore.
July 18th, 2008 1:07 am
i’m sorry, i’m still new to lenovo and thinkpad respectively. if anyone, and perhaps David can explain to me the differences and similarity between LenovoCare button and Thinkvantage button? is it the same or otherwise? and why the blue button on SL stated LenovoCare, not Thinkvantage?
July 18th, 2008 2:08 am
I made my feelings clear on the other blog post:
http://lenovoblogs.com/designm.....ment-65296
These are not ThinkPads and I think these will damage the ThinkPad brand and Lenovo’s profits in the long run (although they might have a good current quarter misleading people into buying these ‘ThinkPads’). These are clearly Lenovo 3000 successors.
I am also constantly confused by these needs of the ‘Small buesiness’ which are claimed – i’ve worked for a large corportation and small businesses and my needs for a computer have always been the same. Yes the ThinkPads have some drawbacks such as the speakers but why not just improve the speakers in ThinkPads rather than creating a whole new series, enterprise customers do need additional features but having those features would never hinder a small business user and even features traditionally considered enterprise such as the TPM (which these dont have I believe) are bleeding over into the needs of all users with Vista.
And David Ulevich – dont worry about those buttons, you will be lucky if you can press them when you want to never mind by accident – they are not well integrated into the casing.
gator – I do agree and a true ThinkPad is always noticed with or without a Red LED – I can spot a ThinkPad in an airport lounge or a conference room from quite a distance instantly, The R61i/e are not systems I would choose but they are still distinctly ThinkPads. This is another example of Lenovo Marketing simply not understanding their own brand – just like the Lenovo logo on the lids.
July 18th, 2008 2:08 am
Nope, do not like it at all. Does not deserve the ThinkPad name.
July 18th, 2008 2:56 am
i do not understand why there are some people keep looking at lenovo from negative views stating that the lenovo have ruined the mighty thinkpad? this SL Thinkpad is a good example on how innovative and design-smart lenovo had done to Thinkpad line. it is an reincarnation of thinkpad that it has all the best features under one roof, in a machine.
claiming that this is a new 3000 is not right for me. in my country, other thinkpad line is way too expensive for us and that’s why we opted to other cheaper lenovo line such as the 3000. i myself do not own a thinkpad but a 3000. and i do not think that this is 3000. it’s a new thinkpad, a new mighty machine. and i’s sure that this new thinkpad will be affordable and value for money as it is cheaper and has all the best that the thinkpad can offer. the thinkpad has evolves to something incredible while still retaining its own identity.
congrats to lenovo and the design teams. you all have done good job and i’m looking forward to have this new machine. please eveyone, look in both views, positively and negatively. honestly, there’s nothing wrong with its design as it shows that lenovo thinkpad can be something good, to the eyes.
when will it reaches malaysia?
July 18th, 2008 3:00 am
I’m glad to see the screen is centered again. And I like the new keyboard layout.
I love the “coarse, rubberized plastic” top. Thinkpad is one of the only laptops I can comfortably carry with 1 hand.
The pulsing light seems too gimmicky for you guys; it’s not something I want in a Thinkpad. And I definitely don’t care about alerting others in the room that I have a Thinkpad. I want a computer, not an advertisement for Lenovo.
Overall, I would not buy this model.
July 18th, 2008 3:15 am
For the guy who wanted info about the new X series, its been around for a few days – take this for example: http://www.notebookreview.com/.....ewsID=4497
Personally I think the new non-X series ThinkPads are just average. i was hoping you would bring back the stripes on ALL of the new series and make the screen centered in ALL of the new laptops…the X200 is very nice, though – great job, I want one!
July 18th, 2008 4:06 am
gator why do you think that Thinkpads having a black finish plastic copies Dell Vostro is beyond me. R61i has a black matte plastic lid. Vostro uses a magnesium matte casing for the main body, not sure about the lid materials (it gives off a metallic sound when i knock on it, i assume it may be magneium too). The SL model are ideal as desktop replacements, and for the spec it offers it, is not that overtly expensive as compared to the T series. While, Vostro has a similar design philosphy. R61i is also more expensive than the SL for the spec level. There is nothing wrong with offering more choices for consumers, it just goes to show that Lenovo try cater for all kinds of end users; from exec to budget concious consumer.
July 18th, 2008 4:23 am
Just as long the quality of SL holds, than it should stay true to the Thinkpad’s name. There are people that argues whether the Merc A class and B class was a real Merc when they were first released into the market. But time proves them to be a success like other Merc cars. While there were some quality and safety issues when the A class was first released (upon suffering a head on crash, the side doors sometimes pop open due partly to an insufficient door latch design). Thinkpad design is an evolution rather than a revolutionary process, every new Thinkpads have some new elements fused with old elements (those that prove to work well). Only time will tell whether this design is what people want, and whether the design merits hold. Don’t be afraid of new things or changes to the old establishment.
July 18th, 2008 4:34 am
you are right wjli2. that’s a great comment indeed
July 18th, 2008 5:38 am
David, I cannot believe that you guys changed the keyboard layout. Sorry, that is not a ThinkPad!
July 18th, 2008 6:06 am
I just damn well hope i can disable the red blinky light thingie.
They keyboard, especially the Enter key and the missing 7th row look very bad.
The R61/T61 have already become quite affordable, and we’ve sold them successfully to many, many small businesses here in Switzerland.
I’m buying Lenovo laptops because i want something sleek, business like that is not available from any other vendor.
Red blinky lights are not sleek and business like.
I understand that my comment will not get you to change your minds, but i hope that you deliver what your customers want, not what your management and designers want.
July 18th, 2008 7:15 am
Bravo!
First you’ve gotten rid of IPS LCDs, then of 4:3 format, stareo input and now you’ve messed up the keyboard.
I’ve owned nothing but a ThinkPad in my life, and have gone through very many of them, but this truly is the end of all ends.
Thanks for sending me into “ThinkPad rehab” with this re-vamped 3000 series that has yet to decide whether it wants to be an S30/31 (not in this life) or a Shiny Black Mac…
I’ll stick to my old ThinkPads and won’t be buying any new ones…
July 18th, 2008 8:03 am
From a marketing standpoint, the whole “made for small business” line used to push this non-thinkpad is just weak. It really does seem as if you’ve taken a 3000 series and rebranded it.
Of all the things wrong with this model, I am most appalled by the frivolity of the pulsating red led. It does come across as an impotent imitation of what Apple has been doing with their machines for a while. Since when do Thinkpad users need to announce their presence with silly LEDs? I don’t understand, the whole Thinkpad image has been built around abstaining from this sort of pointless exercise in order to build more functionality into the machines.
I am quite dissapointed by this SL series but am looking forward to the X200.
July 18th, 2008 8:36 am
It is terrible marketing mistake having this product line under ThinkPad name. Imagine a customer reading review of SL series prior to other ones (T/X/R). First what appears in his/her mind is: “Oh no, they have screwed up keyboard layout of new ThinkPads !”.
As for X300, sorry for cross-posting but I’ve just read a review on my favorite site which always have precise display section http://www.notebookcheck.net/R.....852.0.html The display is really horrible in every aspect even comparing to current notebook TN panels production. Contrast ratio is only 131:1 which is probably the worst display in ThinkPad notebooks ever. You should really start to _CARE_ about it because having such subaverage part in premium price notebook is not acceptable.
July 18th, 2008 9:50 am
Oh god. I wish I could put my utter dismay at this into words, but facepalm is probably the closest I can get. The SL is not a ThinkPad.
As for the X200…I am also dismayed by the increased footprint and widescreen. There are plenty of us for who the widescreen is a very big no-no, as for me, its complete deal breaker.
Oh, and congratulations on the 6 row keyboard…the 7 row was a very big selling point. The combined failure to deliver a standard size screen with quality on par with the *40 generation notebooks, non ThinkPad compliant design, increased frills (See: Lenovo stamp, back illuminated keys, etc), makes me want to stock up on *40 and *60 generation notebooks until they are obsolete, as I refuse to buy these “reimagined” imposter ThinkPads nor the deteriorated version of the more acceptable series. I am sorry to see the ThinkPad line slip up like this and suggest you restore the brand to our expectations. ThinkPads are a niche market, and most of your customers are very loyal repeat buyers, which you are risking for the potential of other business when you deviate from our expectations. I miss the IBM days.
Please do us all a favour and poll before you make major changes to what we all know and love.
July 18th, 2008 9:53 am
Oh one last thing: Does anyone else NOT see a ThinkLight on that?
July 18th, 2008 11:12 am
I’m really sorry to see such weakening of the Thinkpad name.
July 18th, 2008 12:51 pm
After few years of being a Lenovo customer I came to understand the fact that Lenovo doesn’t listen to its customers all I we wanted is normal ThinkPad like the T, R ,X series but fully featured like S-Video, HDMI, Memory card reader etc… just like the good old IBM days which I’m starting to really miss in the company I work for I’m the guy who is in charge of purchasing 100-150 laptops every 2 years currently we are using around 120 T61’s & R61’s and after few months we are going to replace them all with new laptops ill be waiting for the new T & R lineup if I don’t see a fully featured notebook like every other PC vendor is doing specially with HDMi I will switch to another PC vendor like HP or Dell anyhow congratulations to Lenovo you made the Most disgusting Laptop ever with the name ThinkPad SL on it!
July 18th, 2008 3:30 pm
this is a thinkpad. Lenovo offers you choices, different sets of choices to help buyers to buy which one that they like. it is unfair to post negative comments on this new thinkpad just because you don’t like its design and other small things. it is a thinkpad, a mighty thinkpad. if you don’t like the SL, there are other thinkpad line – T, R, X that might suites you and your business and casual needs. and for me, i like the SL.
embrace a new future the Thinkpad SL, don’t be afraid of it, explore it. it’s your choice.
July 18th, 2008 7:55 pm
Would this thing have been any less affordable if it would have had a matte cover and no blinking LED? Just get rid of the extra superfluous stuff and put in a proper keyboard.
“We spent a lot of time on this feature working with both development and marketing. It’s not easy squeezing a LED into the display cover. In the end I think it adds value and richens the brand experience.”
Oh come on! How can you people design laptops if you think that embedding a chip LED into the display cover is difficult? Would this time and money have been better spent designing something useful into the SL series?
I’m sorry to be so blunt here but I would never consider buying this thing. Better yet, I won’t ever even call this a ThinkPad.
July 19th, 2008 12:10 am
Having a new SL series is great for pushing innovation and a possible design evolution for the rest of the Thinkpad line (just like what happened in the Z series). Lenovo might get some flak for diverging from the core Thinkpad designs, but heck, there’s still the traditional Thinkpads in the T, R, X, and W series.
I like the idea of having a piano-finish Thinkpad that feels trendy and distinct from the rest of the Thinkpad lines. Personally I would get a W series for my work as a software engineer, then this one for home use! However, there are still some things that I think needs to be fixed for the next iteration of the SL series:
a) the 7-row keyboard. I could hardly care if they have the multimedia buttons and the Thinkvantage button placed at the sides, but DONT EVER MUTILATE mthe Thinkpad experience with this keyboard design!
b) an HDMI port. Since the SL series is marketed as a multi-media oriented small business line, having an HDMI port will really be appreciated
c) option for a BluRay drive. Make this the best multi-media business laptop please!
d) bring back the Thinklight!
July 19th, 2008 1:31 am
While i think the red light is a cheap rip off of Apple – Overall, I think that the SL series is EXCELLENT!
For the ThinkPad brand to survive, it must diversify. ThinkPads have been dying, and the SL series will help bring in new, and needed, customers. Well done, David!
wjli2, i would not compare Lenovo to Mercedes at all, but rather Volvo. In fact, you did so too – here:
http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/b.....age.id=517
Mercedes is more akin to Apple – first car/first computer – first in new safety technologies/first in hd sensor etc.
July 19th, 2008 4:07 am
The philosophy seems to have changed lately…
IBM/Lenovo used to offer notebooks designed for working purposes and priority number one was function.
Now their first priority seems to be, what “cool” stuff sells good on the mass market.
This started with the abandoning of the 4:3 displays and now seems to go on with the SL series.
Personally speaking, I’ll try to forget that the SL line ever existed, because it isn’t what a Thinkpad should be. The new keyboard layout and the LED for example are just unnecessary.
Also, I hope that such models won’t affect support quality in general. I mean, with so many models with such a low price, how can Lenovo still offer the same support they offered some years ago? And users of high end notebooks like T61p, wouldn’t be happy with a drop in support quality.
Regards, Moskito
July 19th, 2008 7:56 am
Many people are just jumping to quick conclusions right now and speculating on speculation. Why people start to think that every new Thinkpad would be similar to SL in design. It could be just a model of laptop that Lenovo released trying to test the public perception on new design elements, and see which works best so that they can put in the next R and T series. Lenovo 3000 series wasn’t much of a laptop, it is bit like the Dell Insipirion series, it is cheap and it shows with the easily worn off plastic paints. It doesn’t have the full array of thinkvantage software, nor ultrabay, or many other features of Thinkpads.
I think the speaker system in the current T61 and R61 is underpowered, as it uses a single thin speaker driver only around 3 or 4 mm thick, due to the presence of ultrabay. By moving the speakers to the top it would have more space to fit a larger speaker driver for a more powerful speaker driver.
Whether Lenovo call SL a thinkpad or not is trivial, it does not and should not affect your affection for something you love. It is like you stop loving your spouse, just because his/her family got a new baby. Some Thinkpad fans are like Porsche fans, whom discounted the Porsche 924 as a lesser Porsche, just because it used water cooled engine and is mounted in the front. If design elements of SL is really bad, than poor sales would bury it for good. Give everything a chance to prove itself, and let’s not be overtly prejudice towards it just because it is different. This message rings true in everything we do.
July 19th, 2008 8:57 am
Very disappointed like most people here.
This thing has got:
NO steel hinges
Piano Black Lid
Sony/Dell Keyboard design
No Thinkvantage software
Why did you even put this under the Thinkpad badge? Very bad move. It hurts the brand. In the end I think you have hurt the brand more than you have gained in sales because it’s a “Thinkpad”
Very bad decision. Way to go Lenovo, only took you 3 years to F up IBM’s legendary Thinkpad to this POS.
July 19th, 2008 8:57 am
Also like to add:
NO double LCD latch.
July 19th, 2008 9:03 am
NO screen Latch.
NO Steel Hinges.
NO Thinkvantage.
Piano Black
…it’s not even a thinkpad!
July 19th, 2008 9:41 am
I think part of the problem is that ThinkPads have been iconic because they haven’t changed… It’s a point of pride. A lot of people who are upset seem to be so because they see change. So, the issue seems to be, if you’re proud of design stability, you aren’t likely to be excited about design change.
I own an X61 and a MacBook Air. Both are great machines, but they have different virtues. I like that ThinkPads are stretching a bit in design, but I agree that it’s critical that some ThinkPad fundamentals — great keyboard, thin design, and ThinkVantage button for me — remain.
I don’t mind the red LED, but must admit, it does remind one of the MacBook/Pro/Air sleep light.
July 19th, 2008 9:45 am
since there are a lot of bashing posts, i won’t write another one. instead, i’ll just say this one sentence :
this SL does not, by any thinkpad standards, deserve a thinkpad badge.
July 19th, 2008 9:58 am
ThinkPad SL, what does this mean? “So Lame”? Could have been called ThinkPad BS as well…
July 19th, 2008 10:03 am
“Feedback without action is apathy and there is no place in Lenovo for that.”
I seriously wonder how many people were asking for some pointless and childish LED on the lit…
July 19th, 2008 10:20 am
In the end you get what you pay for.
July 19th, 2008 12:23 pm
I mentioned this in the keyboard survey comments, but I’ll say it again. I have a dozen ThinkPads in my home, most of which are in active use. I can sit down at any of them and use the keyboard, because all the keys are in the same places – the only exception being the Windows keys and forward-back keys.
360, 755CD, 600, A21p, several A30p’s, X41 Tablet, T60p, X60 Tablet, X61 Tablet. All the same, or close enough.
One of the biggest reasons I buy only ThinkPads is because I can count on the keyboard not changing on me. Especially the Ins/Del/Home/End/PgUp/PgDn group, which I use all the time.
Putting two and two together, the only conclusion must be that Lenovo has hired a keyboard usability expert. Now, if you’re a keyboard usability expert and your job is to make sure every keyboard is the same as all the other keyboards, your job is pretty boring, isn’t it? How can you even justify your position? So you need something to make your mark. Some *changes* to the keyboard layout. You need to run a survey and focus groups. You need to try moving the home and end keys to different places. You need to do *something*.
I have trouble imagining any other explanation. Surely it can’t be the result of customer feedback: “We will buy more ThinkPads if you use a different keyboard layout for each model.”
David, sorry I’ve been bashing Lenovo in my last few comments. I’m a huge ThinkPad fan and have been ever since I got my first 600 and swore I would never buy another kind of computer. I have forced many of the people around me to buy ThinkPads. (Maybe not forced, but I sure twisted their ears, and they listened and bought.) I still remain a ThinkPad fan and would like to keep the fanatical enthusiasm I’ve had for the last ten years. This is the kind of Apple-like brand loyalty that most companies only wish they could earn.
July 19th, 2008 1:26 pm
What Mike Geary said.
All the other changes are just minor annoyances since I’m not interested in flashy red and blue lights or what’s cool and would never even look at the SL series because of that.
It’s the change to the 6-row keyboard layout on a system badged as a ThinkPad that I dislike. And coupling that with the keyboard layout survey just scares me.
If, on the SL series, Lenovo is willing to move away from one of the key features that has made the ThinkPad such an excellent product for many years, how long before that bleeds over into the T/X/W/R series? At that point, the ThinkPad will be gone.
Jane
July 19th, 2008 1:32 pm
My comments:
Piano black finish, might be a good idea if it’s not scratch prone. I handled silver Z61m and while it doesn’t look like a Thinkpad on the outside it does look professional
No think light – bad You might have shaved off a few pennies but then you could have justified red led in a dot. Also yellow thinklight (R61) is not as cool as bright white (T4x, A2x)
Red dot, it’s a bit blingy but still subtle
Buttons arround
Keyboard layout: this is a reason why I will never own a SL series. If you change keyboard layout I can as well switch to HP.
July 20th, 2008 8:45 am
I wonder what the Thinkpad name is supposed to stand for now?
Just exchange the green LEDs for blue ones and you got the average HP, Toshiba, Dell crap.
Thank you very much, Lenovo.
July 20th, 2008 9:40 am
I agree with most of the comments in that I am disappointed in the changes. However, you can’t really argue that LENOVO took away the 4:3 screens – the LCD manufacturers pretty much forced widescreen down the throats of PC makers. Also, it appears that the other series do NOT carry the changes that the SL does.
July 20th, 2008 2:25 pm
Step 1: Increased sales.
Step 2: Brand dilution.
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Epic fail.
July 20th, 2008 4:26 pm
Wow, this is awful. Lenovo looks like they’re doing their best to slaughter everything good that IBM built up.
July 20th, 2008 7:13 pm
Hello guys,
I’m French, working in London. All that i just want to say is “THIS IS NOT A THINKPAD !!!”.
I’ve 2 thinkpads, Z60M and T60 which gives me complete satisfaction.
This SL laptop is a thinkpad with NO ??
-thinklight
-top roll cage
-bottom roll cage
-software branding thinkvantage
-ultrabay
Is it a joke ?? Are you trying to do a low cost thinkpad ??
Try to do a crash test with this SL laptop and after that, communicate us the results ok ?
Hey guys, don’t joke with thinkpad name.
And why some of you compare this “thinkpad” SL with a vostro from DELL ???
Can we compare Mercedes or BMW with MAZDA ???
We have what we pay. Does lenovo management put thinkpad name in this laptop to increase sales ??
You won’t win !!! Thinkpad users will not buy this SL lenovo.
For sure, i will not recommend your SL lenovo.
All thinkpads have the same technology, durability…
So, don’t imitate, innovate.
And take off thinkpad name from this laptop.
Thinkpad don’t need to imitate.
July 21st, 2008 4:12 am
Trisha maybe you should re-read my comments bit more carefully on both accounts, i DID NOT compare Lenovo with Mercedes in my post regarding Thinkpad SL. I only used Mercedes cars as examples to illustrate a point regarding Thinkpad SL design elements. In addition in my analogy using Volvo, i was talking about Thinkpads not Lenovo. So why on earth you jump out with a conclusion that i was comparing Lenovo with Volvo or Mercedes car brand is beyond me.
Whether you can call a three wheel tricycle with a petrol engine a car is arguable. Also Apple didn’t produce the first computer.
Why having a red light becomes a cheap rip off of Apple????
July 21st, 2008 5:04 am
There’s nothing else for me to add at this point, I agree with most of the others in that the SL does not deserve the ThinkPad name, mainly because of the keyboard. As Michael Geary said, a huge advantage of ThinkPads is the keyboard not changing over time. Why change something when it works so well??!!
As for the red LED, I hope it can be disabled.
Bottom line, I would never consider buying an SL and I hope you won’t screw up the good old T and X series.
July 21st, 2008 5:45 pm
Our company WILL BUY an SL to test out, and we will MOST LIKELY ORDER some
wjli2:
i stand corrected – i am sorry
i meant to say that Apple was the first personal computer, first OS, – AND – first notebook… IBM followed thereafter… i also meant Apple innovates with new technologies, like Mercedes, which others copy…
The red light is probably going to cause issues at airports. Security will think it is some kind of laser.
PS: It would be nice if the creators of the SL WOULD COME OUT AND DISCUSS THEIR REASONING before the Internet is saturated with negative POVs on the SL! Hello, Hello???
July 21st, 2008 6:38 pm
Can people be a little bit less conservative?
1: 4:3 screen: Unfortunately, 4:3 screens are not the standard anymore and they cost more to be produced. So they are doomed, like parallel ports or dinosaurs. It’s just a matter of time before that no hardware manufacture will produce any 4:3 screen (and lenovo doesn’t produce their own screens).
2: The look of the SLx00:
The old thinkpad look is nice, but for a lot of people they look just outdated (and the classic thinkpad look is really not photogenic, which does not help for marketing). One of the biggest complains against lenovo that I have heard among prospective lenovo buyer(individuals, not enterprises) is: OMG CHANGE THE FUGLY look!
Lenovo’s marketing team is not dumb (at least I hope).
July 21st, 2008 10:31 pm
I really don’t know how to convey the sadness in my heart at this latest model. It soils the ThinkPad name, in a way we hoped never would happen again.
The SL screams “I am a low-end, botched design that didn’t come from the ThinkPad team” for all of us to see. I can only imagine the hell your senior ThinkPad team (you know, the ones that came from IBM) must be going through, if they had to give up this much land to the “new teams and management” and let they call this disaster a ThinkPad.
Others have spoken about the keyboard already. That is a mistake that cannot be forgiven, this machine deserves to be a complete failure just to make triple sure your management learns a very painful lesson. I sure hope you can appreciate how HARD it is for a major ThinkPad fan to say something like this.
Then there is the completely gross hotkey layout, which is something I have seen before only on the WORST PC-Chips laptops (you know, those that don’t even come with a builtin battery?).
And a backlit logo, with a red “breathing” led?! That screams “I am an unprofessional snotty-nosed kid” like all heck. It is extremely important to project a professional, no-nonsense image. ThinkPads have always been very good at that, but now you have completely destroyed the machine’s self-respect.
How could I ever buy something like that? How could I ever recommend someone to buy something like that?
Now what? Will I look inside a SL and find out a Lenovo 3000-style Embedded Controller? That would explain a lot, actually…
July 22nd, 2008 3:11 am
trisha,
unfortunately apple didn’t create the first of any of those.
the first personal computer (by definition) was created in 1950 by berkely enterprises. the xerox ALTO had a mouse, keyboard, display, and GUI OS in 1973. the IBM 5100 was the first “portable” computer and was released to the public in september of 1975. all of the above predate jobs’/wozniak’s apple I which was released in april of 1976.
in 1964 the first computer mouse was invented by douglas engelbart to use with a GUI-based OS that he was currently developing (circa 1968) called CP/M. while one of the first GUI-based OSes were invented by xerox in the early 1970s, xerox didn’t invent the GUI OS contrary to popular belief. apple created their first OS with the help of employees from the xerox ALTO project so it would be impossible for apple to predate any GUI OS.
the first notebook-sized computer was the epson HX-20 introduced in july of 1982. the first clamshell-type laptop was the GRID compass also from 1982. apple didn’t release their first notebook-sized computer—the macintosh portable—until september of 1989.
July 22nd, 2008 3:28 am
Please people don’t compare the SL’s crash protection durability with that of T series, it is simply wrong given the price difference between these two models.
July 22nd, 2008 3:54 am
It looks like a Thinkpad but it has lost many of its best points. I really liked the rubberized lid. It felt good, you could easily hold the laptop in one hand and is was resistant to dirt. Now we have a glossy lid which you have to clean up all the time. Sure it will look ‘cool’ but soon that will loose it’s attraction and it will be just annoying because of the fingerprints. I have a phone with a glossy front and I really don’t like it.
The keyboard layout was close to perfect so why these big changes? Why squeeze all the buttons in one row? And I really don’t hope the PageUp and PageDown buttons were moved down like I think I see. That is just the wrong spot. The layout used to be very intuitive and close to a normal keyboard. There is so much space around the keyboaed. Why not use that in a better way?
I hope the changes are SL-series specific and not for the T-series. I like Thinkpads because they put functionality above the ‘cool’ factor. A ‘cool’ laptop doesn’t make you more productive.
On the plus side. The new displayports are a welcome and long awaited change. I am glad they are introduced so soon.
July 22nd, 2008 5:27 am
People have a look on engadget.com regarding the new T400, R400, R500 and W500 i think. The keyboards remain the same, while the speakers and overall proportion may have changed.
July 22nd, 2008 7:39 am
waiting to see what the next blog post will say, i mean it was because of us they added the red accents back on to the mouse buttons. maybe they’ll change the name of this … non thinkpad.
July 22nd, 2008 9:26 am
“OMG IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD!” “OMG THINKPAD IS DOOMED FOREVER!” blabla.
If you don’t like it, don’t buy it? Some people will buy it, I’m sure. If not dell vostro wont exist.
Lenovo doesn’t really change at all. R/T/W/X lines still have the old-school thinkpad design so loved and so hated. If you don’t stand the SL line, just buy one of the R/T/W/X laptops.
Or , because thinkpad has ONE line that is not so classic, you will buy a laptop from another manufacture, like from the fruit company? I’m sorry, but fruit laptops are just like this SL line.
Please, stop whining.
July 22nd, 2008 12:10 pm
No *real* dock or portrep? (that USB thing doesn’t count)
No ThinkLight?
No UltraBay?
And you call this a “Business” model, much less a ThinkPad?
I don’t mind the addition of blinkenlights and other frills (better speakers are nice), but please don’t take the important stuff away!
I certainly hope this de-contenting doesn’t spread to the other (R/T/X) Models…
July 22nd, 2008 12:35 pm
Trisha, are you a worker at Apple? or is this your agenda to spread the word to people in Lenovo and I think we can also find you in HP, Dell or Asus website of you trying to humiliate laptops other than apple with your own imaginative ideas and baseless information. it seems that in every Lenovoblogs, you are trying to tell the world that Apple is the best laptop, it is the most powerful laptop bla bla bla..
it just won’t work that way.
if you really love apple, just go to all apple related forums or blogs and spread your words there. none of us give crap of your iPood and iCrap
July 22nd, 2008 2:00 pm
“In short, the speakers are small, underpowered, and produce tiny sound with plenty of highs and acceptable mid range but almost no bass.”
http://forum.notebookreview.co.....p?t=275722
July 22nd, 2008 2:19 pm
Trisha sorry but when you say apple is “first notebook… IBM followed thereafter…”, IT’S REALLY FUNNY !!!!!
The only thing that apple have, which is recognized, is design. But this is the only thing.
July 22nd, 2008 6:14 pm
for the record – i am a big fan of ThinkPad – i only bring up competitors to balance the comments of you ThinkPad fanatics.
erik, of course, IBM built big massive computers that took up 2 desks long before the PC – BUT – the PC as we know it today originated with Apple. Furthermore, the Powerbook came out before the ThinkPad
The 2 main operating systems are Windows and Mac OS – Mac OS came first -
Apple is the only originator still in the business – IBM dropped out & Lenovo does not count
The comments here against the SL are from those who cannot afford to buy the SL in large quantities, but claim they are responsible for such investments (YEAH RIGHT) – these comments are just from techno geeks –
THE SL IS A STRONG CHALLENGER TO DELL’S OFFERINGS – i.e the Studio line – In fact, I would bet that the SL helps get Lenovo into the top 3
The market, not you techno geeks, will decide the fate of the SL! I think it will do very well!
Good luck!
July 22nd, 2008 6:18 pm
PS:
Erik – here is some history for you -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_computer
July 22nd, 2008 6:29 pm
It’s too bad this as turned into Apple-bashing posts — it was more interesting talking about what we like about design. Perhaps we could stick to that?
Comparing Apple design to Lenovo is fair — they are competitors.
In response to Christian, I do feel that they a second thing in their favor — the OS. No matter how great ThinkPad hardware is, it’s still running a second-class OS (behind Linux and Mac OS X).
July 22nd, 2008 6:58 pm
Hey sefk, i really don’t care what you can think about SL series, and your interventions in different forums, maybe you work at Lenovo world company…
Anyway, the only thing that i dislike in this SL series and why i say, this is not a thinkpad, is its durability.
Lenovo can try to make money in other business like small business, it’s not a problem.
The only problem is when Lenovo put thinkpad name in this laptop who is not ruggedized as other thinkpads.
Lenovo can change everything, put lasers spots like dance floors, coffee machines inside the laptop, but, when one series is not ruggedized like all anothers series, sorry but it’s not a thinkpad.
Why thinkpads are famous? Why some of us loves this laptops ? Design ? Good for games ? price ? It looks like Batman bomb ?
No, just because they are really functional and rugged machines.
If Lenovo had put Ideapad name in this laptop, nobody would speak about it.
But they have a great idea, put on a low cost laptop “thinkpad”.
New SL series is a Thinkpad parody.
Thanks for all real thinkpads.
“Lenovo SL series, the only compromise thinkpad”
July 22nd, 2008 8:22 pm
Here you go, Mr. Erik:
“The original PC was an IBM attempt to get into the small computer market then dominated by the Commodore PET, Atari 8-bit family, Apple II and Tandy Corporation’s TRS-80s, and various CP/M machines.[1] IBM’s first desktop microcomputer was the IBM 5100 introduced in 1975, but its price was high compared to microprocessor-based computers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PC
Powerbook 1991
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerbook
ThinkPad 1992
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinkpad”
courtesy of Wikipedia
July 22nd, 2008 9:28 pm
No Christian, I do not work for lenovo and I can’t see why you tag me as a lenovo’s employee.
I’m not a big fan of the new SL400. However, where you see an irrational destruction of the thinkpad reputation, I can see a very logical marketing move.
Who is right? Only time and money will tell it.
“If Lenovo had put Ideapad name in this laptop, nobody would speak about it.”
Have you ever think one second before writing this?
Putting this laptop in the ideapad line would cause even more trouble, since lenovo will have branding confusion.
“sorry but it’s not a thinkpad.”
For you.
Do you own the copyright of “thinkpad”? No. Lenovo does, so they do whatever they want with it.
July 22nd, 2008 11:16 pm
trisha,
i’m not understanding what you’re trying to prove with those links. above you specifically stated, “Apple was the first personal computer, first OS, – AND – first notebook”—none of which are true.
July 22nd, 2008 11:46 pm
Christan there is a reason why SL is so cheap… the roll cages used by Lenovo are extremely expensive, it increases the cost of Thinkpads significantly. Here is a succinct reminder of why Thinkpads are expensive, but Lenovo have really tried to make it affordable for everyone, which is not something IBM had in mind with the original Thinkpads series.
There is no point here bashing other computers companies, it is a tough market here, the profit margin are low (except for Apple products), so there would sacrifices made along the way. Each laptops have their pros and cons, whether it is their durability, design, quality or price. Apple’s Macbooks and Macbooks pro are extremely good products, but obviously it is not suited for everyone, likewise a Thinkpads are too. Buy what you need, if you don’t like a product don’t buy it, which is quite simple.
I don’t like HP laptops because of the sour experience i have had with their lack of customer support in countries in Australia for their proven defective products. So i don’t buy any HP laptops or desktops, but i still purchase/use their printers, scanners and chromatography machines.
Trisha, you links and your comments didn’t prove that Apple released the first personal computers. Erik did not say Thinkpads were the first laptop on the market. So why are you arguing about something that is totally irrevelant, just like you claim that i was comparing Lenovo to Mercedes and Volvo. Maybe you should take a break.
July 22nd, 2008 11:55 pm
i am not pro-Apple. i am pro-ThinkPad.
i was just supporting my earlier statements re: first PC, which everyone decided to attack. What we use today comes in large part from Apple’s innovation – that’s all i was trying to say -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_computer
“The company introduced the Apple II microcomputer in March 1977. A few years later, in 1983, it introduced the Lisa, the first commercial personal computer to employ a graphical user interface (GUI), which was influenced in part by the Xerox Alto. Lisa was also the first personal computer to have the mouse.”
BACK ON TOPIC – I PRAISE THE SL!
i really hope the SL does well, and i will do all that i can to have as many of them as possible in our office… the SL is a GREAT PRODUCT that will really stick it to Dell!
July 22nd, 2008 11:59 pm
erik, wjli2, etc.
i apologize many of my comments have been edited out by the MOD – so, i now see how you do not get what i am saying – hopefully my comments will be posted soon
thanks!
July 23rd, 2008 12:46 am
Just wanted to chime in with my disappointment that the SL series is part of the ThinkPad line. I’ve had a 770x, A31p, and now use a T60. The SL just doesn’t have what it takes to be a real business class computer, and therefore shouldn’t be a ThinkPad. In fact it seems the only feature the SL shares with other ThinkPads is the Trackpoint. Where is the legendary durability? The 7-row keyboard? The Ultrabay? The ThinkLight? Dual screen latch mechanism?
Will this “ThinkPad” be as easy to work on as past ThinkPads?
At least it has APS and a spill resistant keybaord.
I hope this series isn’t a sign of things to come for the rest of the ThinkPad line.
Overall: At best a marketing gimmick and at worst outright deception.
July 23rd, 2008 3:26 am
Hi,
I believe the article has the wrong perspective. It is written as if the SL is the newest, best and greatest. It is not. You are talking to thinkpad fans here, and such marketing blurb obviously back fires here… e.g.: You invested resources to get the red LED in, but somehow a thinklight was to expensive… yeah, right.
How about a follow up article on the strugle to get a laptop with Thinkpad qualities at the price point needed for the SL series? It would be way more informative, and better for understanding and brand loyality of the crowd visiting here.
I would guess that you had to build a thinkpad around a cheap off-the-shelf plattform used for tons of other brands, like the i-series Thinkpad was based on an acer platform…In this case you would get positive feedback here on what you made out of this base… My i-series was still better than most non thinkpads I used…
To the other part of the article:
- I hate the computer webpages where I have to select if I am buying for private, for small or for big company use. It is a waste off time. I know the features I want and the budget I have, but i do not wnat to dig through these fake categories.
Why not make a selection based on features? (budget, battery-live, weight, multi-media features etc).
I use a X60s. With such a selection menu I would surely have been send to the idea-pads, and with this I would no longer be a lenovo customer.
- the red LED. This is seriously cool, IF and ONLY IF it can be switched off. Imagine giving a presentation in a dark room with a bright red dot distracting from the speaker and the data. VERY professional indeed.
- the shiny surface: please make it optional. cleaning laptops does not improve productivity
- small enterprise & multimedia… Great feature, but why sell it with this line?
What are you thinking what this people are doing at work??
- keyboard: I am already annoyed that the mute and volume keys are shuffeled around between my x60s and my t42… but this point was beaten to death already.
best regards,
ralf
July 23rd, 2008 9:14 am
Hi
SEFK, i understand your opinion. Just take a look on some forums and listen what thinkpad users can say about this new SL series.
Your are right in one thing
“Do you own the copyright of “thinkpad”? No. Lenovo does, so they do whatever they want with it”
Yeah, sure. But who buy lenovo laptops ? Us, and without us they’re nothing.
But i’m sure, thinkpad fans will not by this new SL series.
CHRIS BARRICK, you’re right, apple is good with design and his OS.
But thinkpad users don’t buy thinkpads for OS or design.
TRISHA, stop please, you’re being ridiculous.
What do you want to say ? Apple is best for design, Os, for videos…. YES, you’re right.
But thinkpads are not buy for this reasons, and be sure, that thinkpads have more durability than your MBA, apple pro, etc…
July 23rd, 2008 10:46 am
half of my posts have been deleted by mods, so from what is posted here it is very hard to get what i was trying to say…
too bad… many of my deleted posts were in great favor of the SL series
July 23rd, 2008 11:32 am
Trisha – none of your posts have been edited, modified, or deleted in any way. Due to the discrepancies in your IP addresses, your posts are auto-moderated for review. If we ever remove or edit a post, we contact the poster to explain the issue. If you have any questions about this, feel free to send me a PM on the forum or reply to the e-mail that Mark Hopkins sent a while back on this topic. Thanks for your contributions to the conversation.
July 23rd, 2008 12:45 pm
I was shocked when I saw the new keyboard layout on this new ThinkPad model.
Bad move, Lenovo. You have screwed up the legendary Thinkpad designs. What next? Eliminate the trackpoint? Putting Harman-Kardon speakers?
I won’t even think about buying new Thinkpads. I’ll stick with my old IBM Thinkpads only.
July 23rd, 2008 5:51 pm
trisha i think you are in the wrong place and Apple sucks any ThinkPad can eat any Crapbook alive!
July 23rd, 2008 9:31 pm
“But i’m sure, thinkpad fans will not by this new SL series. ”
Have you imagined that maybe it’s not a laptop for a thinkpad fans and lenovo kinda don’t care that thinpad fans don’t buy it?
Actually, I’m maybe not a true thinkpad fan, but I’m a little bit in love with the classic concept of thinkpad. However, I’m pretty sure that there are people who are seeking for a “business” class laptop and who don’t really like the classic thinkpad.
It’s kinda obvious that lenovo what to expand the thinkpad user base (why wont they). However, sooner or latter, they will need something more than the classic thinkpad concept: it’s not trendy enough. And I think it’s very evident that glossy is the biggest selling look this day. I know that ideapad is around the corner, but the stylistic ideapad can’t provide the “business” feel(while dell vostro or Toshiba satellite pro can do both).
Sure, we can’t really call the SL400 a true thinkpad, but is it possible that some people will buy it for the exact reason that it’s not a true thinkpad? I think yes. Thinkpad has a legendary reputation about its ultra-high quality, its amazing keyboard and its old-school look. However, there are people who dislike the classic thinkpad because ultra-high quality means $$$ invested for unneeded solidity (because the build quality of the SL400 can be correct for many users) and because some people don’t want to be old-school. AFAIK, price and look are maybe the 2 major points that keep some people from buying a thinkpad.On the other hand, as long as lenovo provide classic thinkpads (R/T/X), they wont lose any market.
So, in resume, the SL series was design by lenovo to expand its business-class laptop to the whole business-class market instead being limited to its traditional market (which is somewhat limited). The only risk, imo, related to this expansion, is that the SL will sell as much as the lenovo 3000, which is a statu quo.
July 23rd, 2008 10:08 pm
Sorry double but I have to add something:
Maybe lenovo could have been even more trendy. Instead of hainvg a “cheap laptop with a trendy skin”, they should have gone even further to the macbook pro side laptop with this kind of marketing:
“Want a laptop with the thinkpad’s legendary ergonomic and quality AND a 21th century look? Here comes thinkpad SL”.
And by using some more trendy color like azure and orange (the orange on the ideapad U510), and all the bling bling like HDMI ports option between glossy and matte screens, but keeping the trackpoint, the keyboard design, the color tags, the classic double latch mechanism.
So thinkpad will keep the “ultra-high quality” gene and a certain level of elitism while redefining the mitigate reputation of “thinkpad look” from “old-school” to “just badass”, a little bit like from the “Rolls-Royce of laptops” to “BMW of laptops.
Anyway it’s just an idea like another and shouldn’t really be taken seriously. But I think this kind of marketing will causes less troubles than the “redesign of lenovo 3000 with a thinkpad logo”.
July 24th, 2008 12:47 pm
“a new ThinkPad line optimized for small business”
Could somebody please explain THAT?
I simply don’t get it… why is that “thing” (won’t call it ThinkPad) optimized for small business?
I really don’t get it. And I probably never will.
July 24th, 2008 8:18 pm
First thing I noticed was the keyboard – which is a no-go layout wise.
Second thing: What’s with “piano black”? It only invites smudges and fingerprints, ThinkPads are made for *work*, not (depending on personal preference) looks. And the regular finish hides smudges well. I want a tool to work with, not some kind of fashion accessory. Same goes for the light. This just seems like a knock-off from the Apple design bible, and while it may be a “nice” gimmick, it certainly has no more useful functions than the LEDs other ThinkPads have on their screen.
Now if you’d only make those blue instead of green, …
-Jan
July 24th, 2008 8:57 pm
Sefk, please, don’t became a new trisha…
You’re going little be ridiculous when you say ““Want a laptop with the thinkpad’s legendary ergonomic and quality AND a 21th century look? Here comes thinkpad SL”.
Are you not working for Lenovo WC ?? sure ?
We can understand your opinions but when you say “thinkpad’s legendary AND QUALITY…”, it’s just so, fascinating…..
)
Are you trying to convince yourself or anyone ???
Cause, if you’re trying to convince thinkpad users, don’t try saying “QUALITY”, it’s hilarious.
July 24th, 2008 11:24 pm
You people are going way out of hand here. Thinkpads have many new models released, which are faithful to the old T61, R61 and X61 models regarding the keyboard layout and the rest.
SL is only aimed at a particular market segment, and for the price it is selling at, there is bound to be sacrifices made along the way. If you are paying for Toyota Camry price don’t be expecting for Lexus LS600 feature set, same is true with SL. If you don’t really like it then don’t buy it, there is little point mumbling the same rhetorics time after time about the how unworthy SL is to be thinkpad, and the lack of features as compared to the other thinkpads.
Small business usually use the laptop as desktop replacement and don’t do lot of travelling, there is presentation to General Managers or CEO. Usually these people work in a well lit office. Hence the lack of thinklight and rollcages. Keyboard wise it is probably got something to do with winning over customers from other computer manufacturers such as Dell, HP and ASUS, whom are not used to the original Thinkpad layout.
July 25th, 2008 12:03 am
Christian -
Are you in charge of buying ThinkPads for a business, or do you just surf these pages from your parent’s basement?
The market, not you techno geeks, will decide the fate of the SL!
The ThinkPad brand must grow in order to survive. The SL is going to bring a lot of new business to Lenovo, which will translate into even more exciting new products.
FYI: Our CDW account rep has advised that they’ve received a significant amount of advance orders FROM BUSINESSES, not from Christian sitting in his parent’s basement, for the SL. People who actually buy ThinkPads in large quantities love it.
This is GOOD NEWS!
July 25th, 2008 12:20 am
I couldn’t help but comment here. It is awesome that we have so many customers who are passionate about what a ThinkPad is and what it should be.
Clearly, David has sparked a discussion based on the design focus of the SL. Perhaps the positioning of this system with small / medium business in mind is broader than just the system itself. There are some unique services available for SL customers, for example..
http://www.lenovo.com/online_data_backup/us/en/
I expect Brandon will have more to say about SMB and the SL in the coming weeks. You can find him now in the SL section of the Lenovo forum. As you continue the design discussion, I hope you’ll keep in the back of your mind that there may be more to the SL story than the SL itself.
Best regards,
Mark
July 25th, 2008 4:48 am
wjli2,
I agree, the SL has to make some sacrifices like the rollcages and the thinklight, but the keyboard is among the most important characteristics (if not the most important) of the ThinkPad line and changing that can hurt the brand image.
Just think, from now on we have TWO ThinkPad keyboards. Isn’t that a bit confusing? Can we now say “the ThinkPad keyboard is the best in the industry”? If you already have one that is _the_ best, why in the world do you want to change it?!
And I really don’t think customers who are not familiar with the ThinkPad keyboard layout will have trouble adjusting to it. It’s the keyboard layout god meant to be.
July 25th, 2008 5:02 am
I will not take long until Lenovo changes and changes all Thinkpad details and they will definitely end up with nobody buying thinkpads anymore. Its a shame. Greetings from Germany
July 25th, 2008 10:33 am
Stop moaning guys. Nobody’s forcing you to buy it, X and T series are better than ever, and I welcome lenovo’s move to get the thinkpad out of its niche and position it in direct competition with other vendors.
I think the SL will sell well, wich, after all, will be decided by the market, and not a bunch of brand fanatics.
July 26th, 2008 9:24 am
FELIX, sorry for opinions from “brand fanatics”.
TRISHA, you’re definetly ridiculous.
Thinkpad users are proud when Apple fanatics love SL series.
And for your information, i’m not surfing from my parent’s basement but my own laptop, in my own flat as a financial guy in a small city, London.
July 26th, 2008 11:29 am
ThinkPad SL400 = ThinkPad Simply (like) Lenovo
July 26th, 2008 1:10 pm
At least the screen is in the centre and there appears to be less bezel than on other models like the T400.
This is more of a fault with the T400 than a compliment for the SL series.
July 27th, 2008 10:57 pm
[...] Design Matters [...]
July 28th, 2008 1:05 am
[...] a Design Matters posting, one of the Lenovo ThinkPad team members had this to say about the [...]
July 29th, 2008 7:49 am
A company will do whatever it takes to bring the manufacturing cost down to build a system that will generate maximum revenue which of course is their primary focus and is in their best interest. Afterwards comes the customers, I’m not sure why we were being given those keyboard surveys when you’d already changed the keyboard layout.
Also I don’t like the volume key placement, absence of thinklight and lower resolution, the price is expensive too for what one gets. Consider naming it lenovo 3000 while you have time.
July 29th, 2008 7:57 am
If it’s an entertainment thinkpad you could’ve tried to make it’s keyboard backlit.
July 29th, 2008 10:59 am
cade the SL isn’t aimed at the current thinkpad customers, it is probably used to attract first time buyers from other companies. The X, T, R, W series Thinkpads are still faithful to the old thinkpad design. Regarding revenue and profit of computer companies, remember that these companies are not NPO, these companies are public companies. If they can’t generate record sales or above average quarterly earnings, then their share prices would plummet or worse.
It is simply unfair for people here to extropolate the design elements of SL to the rest of thinkpad brands, and make an overtly simplified statements regarding it.
SL line are low cost laptop, so you can’t expect everything to be transferred from other Thinkpads that may cost twice as much.
You can’t eat your cake and have it too
July 30th, 2008 6:38 am
I’ve read the reviews on notebookreview and laptopmag about the SL400 and have placed my order for it already. Then I stumbled onto this blog. Reading most of the comments left on here, I would like to voice my opinion.
Firstly, I give 2 thumbs up to the Lenovo team for developing the SL series. It seems like there isn’t much love from your customers.
For you dedicated Thinkpad users, I am in speechless. Literally, you all love your Thinkpads so much, but when Lenovo develops a new product you bash and flame away to your beloved brand. Until any of you die hard fans have purchased enough shares to vote which direction Lenovo is headed, comments such as “I would not recommend one” should be left behind you.
How do you expect your beloved brand to continue to supply great Thinkpads for you, when all of you bash and trash your OWN brand. Give that a thought.
I would LOVE to purchase a R series or T series, but seeing as how I’m on a budget as a student I’m very limited. I loved the Trackpoint as my sister had an old i-series back in the day of PIII’s, which is why I looked at the Thinkpads in the first place. However, the price was the reason why I looked away from them. If it weren’t for the release of the SL series i would have purchased a Dell.
The SL400 I bought was $706 CDN, had I bought a R series with the same specs, it would be $1032. It’s a $300+ price difference. That difference is just what Lenovo needed, because Lenovo just got a new customer. If they never introduced the SL series, I would have looked the other way.
Sure it doesn’t have physical features like roll cage, matte lid, steel hinges that all you die hard fans seem to need for whatever reason, but it has the same processing power as the R or T series I wanted. I’m sure none of you buy a laptop based soley on how well it can be thrown around, or how you can spill your coffee on it. You buy a laptop knowning its fragile like any other type of electronic, not indestructable. But I’m sure some of you would disagree with me and tell me those are must have features. For consumers like me though, I don’t look for those types of things. I’ve never spilt anything on any laptop, nor have I ever dropped a laptop. Thats the market that Lenovo is trying to expand into and Lenovo has done a fine job.
They’re not telling you to buy one. Obiviously you die hards would get the T or X series. But thats what sets enthusiasts apart from regular customers because everyone has their own priorities. If we could all afford the R or T series, but thats not the case is it? We would all love to drive around Lambos and Porsches. Please don’t tell me that any of you die hard fans would love all the lines of cars, say Honda or Toyota makes? So how do you expect to love all the lines of laptop Lenovo makes?
You fans should be supporting Lenovo if you want to contindue owning Thinkpads, why do you think they need to create a cheaper Thinkpad? They have competitors, and they won’t stay alive with just the die hard Thinkpad users. You guys live by having the same Thinkpads, the same keyboards, the same latches and hinges. Do you also eat at the same resturant each time you go out? Do you only wear one brand of clothing? Do you only drink one type of water?
Variety, its the spice of life!
July 31st, 2008 5:54 am
Yeh… It’s a nice machine
July 31st, 2008 2:26 pm
I am not sure I like the changed keyboard layout.
July 31st, 2008 3:01 pm
vy – that’s one of the most level-headed responses i’ve read in this blog. well said!
enjoy your new SL.
July 31st, 2008 7:30 pm
Pathetic
July 31st, 2008 11:17 pm
VY, I couldn’t agree with you more,
These die hard ThinkGeeks just dont get the SL Series. I have been a ThinkPad fanatactic for years and our business is selling ThinkPads.
The SL Series in as much a solution as it is a notebook, and we are so pleased with the whole concept.
We have a superb discussion going on over at thinkpadtoday.com on this very subject.
Please join in, we would love your opinion!
http://www.thinkpadtoday.com/t.....look-2.htm
Cheers, Ian Orford – Editor ThinkPadToday.com
August 1st, 2008 12:29 pm
“and our business is selling ThinkPads.”
I guess that simply says it all…
In my opinion, VY’s comment is very questionable. I totally disagree with him.
Also, he’s comparing the wrong things with each other.
You’re talking about cars. Well then… let’s try to find an example that really fits.
My suggestion:
Let’s say Porsche introduces the “Carrera SL400″, and it has a) a different paint job that quickly wears off, b) a motor with only 80 HP, c) a totally different handling (feels like driving some VW Passat), and finally, d) some very plastic-looking cheap-ass rims along with very plastic-looking cheap-ass spoilers.
Do you really think this would enhance their image? The image of a company that always provided “the real thing” and now tries to do some “small business” (haha) model?
The Thinkpad SL400 is no different. It also has a different “paint job” (one that quickly gets dirty), a weak “motor” (in that case a weak casing), different (= worse) handling (the keyboard and buttons) and finally cheap-ass gangsta “tuning” (the red LED, and once again the cover).
But if you compare it with Honda and Toyota – no way. Because they’re doing all sorts of cars (small cars, family cars, trucks, and so on) and if you want to compare it to ThinkPads, then ThinkPads should have had such a wide variety from the beginning (ranging from cheap child laptops to gamer laptops, to high quality business stuff and to girly pink laptops with mirror displays). I think then no one would complain.
But ThinkPads were never about big variety. They have been like Porsche, they have always served some certain needs and experiences. And they’ve done their job well. For other jobs, you wouldn’t have needed a ThinkPad. Instead, you can buy Lenovo 3000 or IdeaPad. But now… some strange SL thing comes in. No wonder that 95% of the posters here are very, very disappointed.
I’m looking forward to the day on which Mercedes Benz introduces something like that: http://www.killrob.co.uk/updat.....2_full.jpg
Because that will be the day when you suddenly understand.
August 1st, 2008 6:19 pm
If moving from the 7-row keyboard to a 6-row keyboard is not the most important cost-cutting move in this SL series, Then
Please bring back the hallmark 7-row keyboard to this Thinkpad SL series in their following models
August 4th, 2008 3:36 pm
Very well said, Klaus.
August 5th, 2008 3:28 pm
Z SERIES VS. SL SERIES?
Just a question for all of you…
If you had a choice, would you rather see the return of the Z series instead of the new SL series?
While we like the SL series, and we’ve placed an order, we would have preferred a new Z series.
Mr. Hill could you comment on this too?
August 5th, 2008 11:36 pm
trisha, i think with Z series other than the titanium cover there is nothing particularly special about it, also it was only available in widescreen format. One of the W or T model could easily have a titanium cover, without having to release a whole range of laptop to further confuse the public. Titanium metal is getting quite expensive now, so i don’t know whether Lenovo is going to charge a large premium over the normal ABS covered laptop to cover the extra costs.
August 7th, 2008 3:28 am
vy – yes I love the TrackPoint but the i-series is the least ThinkPaddy ThinkPad prior to the SL series – it was a failure in terms of customer satisfaction and if this is your only experience of ThinkPads then it may be why you dont get why these are not good for the brand – you may well be happy with this system if you have never had another ThinkPad, but for anyone who has previously owned an X or a T series that switched to one of these – they would be sorely disappointed and think that the ThinkPad had deteriorated.
trisha – Z series was only to test reaction to widescreen, it had some questionable design aspects but the titanium cover was really just to get the system some attention; I personally liked the material but would have preferred it to be anodised black instead. Lenovo already have a 13″/14″/15″ widescreen ThinkPad model so the different series are clearly just their to produce a cheaper (and ultimately worse) model, maybe Lenovo need to focus more on selling the strengths of the proper ThinkPads and lowering the price that way through economies of scale rather than having separate models.
My main problem with the SL series is the deception – its not a ThinkPad regardless of how much you pretend. It is Lenovo 3000 Mk 2 (although at least better than the originals due to the trackpoint), I dont see how there can be any dispute over that (just look at the LED placement and the BIOS). Lenovo 3000 couldn’t compete because Dell/Acer/HP offered better machines for the same price so Lenovo have chosen to use their most valuable asset (the ThinkPad brand) to push inferior systems.
August 7th, 2008 5:13 am
I quite like the titanium tops. It was a nice change without being too radically divergent from the standard Thinkpad design.
August 7th, 2008 8:30 am
Klaus, i always thought that CPU/GPU are considered the motor of the computer, i never knew casing is comparable to a motor. A very weird analogy…
August 7th, 2008 10:37 am
@ wjli2:
You must be some of those persons who always take everything as literally as possible to turn away from the essential problem…
(also, if you take it so literally, just read a bit better next time, and you’ll find the words “in that case”)
August 7th, 2008 2:31 pm
Klaus just because you said ‘in that case’, doesn’t make your analogy any better or worse. So what purpose do the Porsche serve with their Cayenne, which shares many components with VW Touareg??? Also what do you call a Porsche 356 which uses VW Beetle (designed by F. Porsche) engine, suspension and chassis??? Why do you think Porsche created the first Boxster??? Not because it is concerned about producing purest form of Porsche sports car; But rather trying to get more market share and compete with the likes of BMW Z3 and Merc SLK in the small convertible sports car market.
August 7th, 2008 4:11 pm
I don’t think the 356 is bad, since Porsche also constructed the VW Beetle, and this was a long time ago. If there had been ThinkPad SLs from the beginning, it wouldn’t be such a problem either (and I mentioned that in my other comment).
The Cayenne is, in my opinion, a completely pointless idea and when I first saw it, I had to laugh out loud. And I still do. The same goes for the SL, it’s a laughable idea in my opinion. Sure, there will be people who buy it – accepted. Just as there are also people who buy the Cayenne. But I’d say exactly the same things about that “Porsche” as I say about this “ThinkPad”.
Now, the Boxster. I don’t know very much about it, but my guess – or at least, my EXPECTATIONS – would be that it also offers Porsche quality, just like the Carrera and so on. If it’s not like that, then it’s also one more “ThinkPad SL” for me.
But let’s face it: At least they called them Boxster and Cayenne! They don’t call it Carrera SL, for example.
Now, if Lenovo wants to have a bigger market share and sell laptops to every kind of user, then why don’t they just take their “IdeaPads” for that? The IdeaPad is everything that the ThinkPad SL wants to be. But the ThinkPad has the famous “ThinkPad” name which stands for a certain quality standard. If a Lenovo laptop can’t compete with this standard, it may not be called a ThinkPad in my opinion.
“ThinkPad” is: robust, good keyboard, ThinkLight, and so on. Just like “Carrera” is super-duper-sportscar. If it can’t hold up to certain standards, simply don’t call it Carrera. Thus, simply don’t call it ThinkPad.
August 7th, 2008 7:27 pm
Thanks Snife & wjli2!
i really like the body, keyboard, and titanium of the z series.
i tell you – i will NEVER forget the marketing for the Z series! To me, it was the glory days of ThinkPad marketing!
thanks again
August 8th, 2008 11:15 am
Klaus: Yes, you’re right.
Trisha: I’ve one Z60M and i really enjoy it. Yes, it was good Thinkpads and i enjoy them, even if mine hasn’t titanium cover.
“Lenovo SL series, the only compromise Thinkpad”
August 8th, 2008 1:55 pm
klaus, Porsche is also ‘laughing’, but all the way to the bank with their Cayenne. Regarding SL you haven’t tried it, so whether all the comments you made are valid is debatable.
August 9th, 2008 6:40 am
- “Keyboard compromise” is valid.
- “Cheap-ass tuning” (LED and cover) is valid.
- “No ThinkLight” is valid.
- “Fewer lid latches” is valid.
The only thing that might not be valid is the assumption that the case is not as good as that of real ThinkPads. But honestly, I don’t care really much, since there are already a lot of other reasons which ARE valid. And the fourth of them (and the cheap price) might actually give a hint to this being valid as well.
August 9th, 2008 6:41 am
@ Christian: I like your suggested SL slogan
August 9th, 2008 9:21 am
As it has been said if you don’t like it, don’t buy it. There are T, X, R series thinkpad.
August 9th, 2008 4:43 pm
klaus – why dont you just buy Lenovo and then you can build ThinkPads as you see fit?
given the enormous cost of such a venture, i think you too would quickly do what every major brand across the globe has done – diversify into money-making markets-
Mercedes launched the C class
BMW launched the 300 series
etc…
Lenovo wants to make money from the ThinkPad name – Otherwise, they may just terminate the line all together!
Be thankful for what you have – and be appreciative to Lenovo for giving it to you – Otherwise, you may soon find yourself as a customer of Dell!
August 9th, 2008 7:32 pm
I prefer to be an Hp customer an buy an HP pro notebook instead of being an Dell customer…but it’s just my own opinion.
August 10th, 2008 3:39 am
Christian you can always be the HP customer, and complain on their blog and forums, which is difficult to use and find. HP/Compaq laptops had a mass failure of their motherboard where tens of thousands of machine failed just after one year warranty. Some company purchased one thousand machines and 700 suffered the mb failure in 6 months, and the repair same failure occurred in 6 months. HP initially denied they had a problem with their motherboards, so US customers wanted take HP/Compaq for a massive lawsuit. HP then decided to settle out of court with replacements, fixing and other options. While this was not offered to people outside of USA. So what HP/Compaq did was signify they are only after profit and nothing else. Also they consider customers outside of USA are bunch of cash cows.
Christian, HP is definitely for you. Yet you are repeatedly coming back to this blog, isn’t HP catering for all your needs that you need to visit Lenovo blogs so often???
August 10th, 2008 8:56 am
You have not understand my answer. I just say that i prefer to buy an HP pro notebook instead of dell laptop.
I’ve no HP laptops, but 2 REAL Thinkpads.
“Lenovo SL series, the only compromise Thinkpad”
August 10th, 2008 10:35 am
sorry misread.
August 14th, 2008 3:59 am
[...] David Hill posted a post about it – ThinkPad SL Series. [...]
August 15th, 2008 5:26 am
okay now I’m at it again, but seriously folks a breathing red dot? hello black mirrorfinish mac-clone.
I would really like you people to innovate, since I find the thinkpads to be currently the best laptops on the planet. You might do better things than replicate mac’s. If you RECONSIDER what thinkpad should stand for.
Thinkpads used to stand for conservative rugged yet sleek machines, like what you get when you mix the image of a perfect sitting black suit with the technical beauty of a jet engine.
Just keep up the new style and every one but the insane fanatics will leave you.
A thinkpad is reliable and seriously well designed, if you manage to carry this over into the cheaper models you’ve performed an amazing wonder of design, if not, you’ve just diluted the brand recognition.
This is just making money off the brand. And you people should know.
Do I hear a job offer in your marketing/design department?
August 18th, 2008 3:23 pm
[...] all the public outcry at mention of the new series it’s clear that there are some hesitations about the changes. [...]
August 18th, 2008 5:41 pm
Interesting opinion Lauge Brixvold.
“Lenovo SL series, the only compromise Thinkpad”
August 19th, 2008 3:55 am
Firstly, Thinkpad and Thinkcentre division of IBM was recording record losses before IBM’s decision to sell it to Lenovo. These recorded losses made by IBM in their Think branded computers was obviously caused by something, when HP/Compaq and Apple at the same time was gaining grounds in the computer market. If Lenovo continued the old marketing strategy of IBM, then Thinkpad and Thinkcentre would obviously become a liability for Lenovo.
Time is over when laptops could only be afforded on executive and manager’s monthly incomes. Nowaday if you can purchase a computer then you are likely to able to afford a reasonable spec laptop. The days of Thinkpad dominance in corporate market are long gone, HP and Dell are all ahead of Lenovo dominating both corporate and consumer market. While Apple. Inc under old ‘iCEO’ Steve Jobs is making record profit year after year, in the consumer market the Apple logo is the king, you could sell anything with the Apple logo on it, even products of questionable originality and usefulness.
So question here is how Lenovo is going to make Thinkpad the money winner here. Obviously large corporate market is important, despite many of which is run by Accountants who would do anything to save a penny or two. While, the small business and consumer market are growing and are actively going out comparing products of similar price, to see which is more suitable for their needs and budget. I think it would be stupid for Lenovo not to want a slice of that cake.
To many people whom are used to other brands of laptop, to them Thinkpads equal this mysterious product that are really only suited to people whom are in the corporate world. Many people automatically think that Thinkpads are way overpriced (because they were highly expensive in the day when it was under IBM, as compared to the lesser laptops). For the first timers of Thinkpad ownership, there are so many features of Thinkpad that they didn’t know existed and would not use unless someone taught it to them. While, another strength of traditional Thinkpads lies in the hardiness of its construction, but it is questionable whether every Thinkpad are going to be stepped on and thrown around.
So SL line has less of the expensive feature of traditional thinkpads, and it is priced accordingly. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. SL provides a nice stepping stone (due to cheaper price) and nice learning curve for people new to Thinkpads, as much of the Traditional Thinkpads layout are quite unique and some people are not used to that when they first got it. Some people like Thinkpad’s traditional look, some loathe the look of the Thinkpad, it is an acquired taste. While the looks and the LED feature of SL series are to attract people whom are attracted to the bling and the gimmicks.
As people needed a new laptop, they would then move up the Thinkpad ladder, getting R, T, W or X series, which are still faithful to the old IBM thinkpads.
Regarding Widescreen laptops, it is quite clear that large electronic manufacturers (i.e. Samsung, LG-Philips and various other brands) are forcing it on every laptop contract manufacturers. Also every large laptop companies are pretty much using widescreen, there is not enough demand for standard aspect ratio screens to make it worthwhile for Lenovo to continually pushing standard aspect ratio screen, without cutting into profit in the long run.
Unless there are large numbers of people whom are going to pay a handsome premium for standard aspect ratio Thinkpads over a similarly specced widescreen version, then there is very little chance of turning the tide of change.
August 25th, 2008 6:26 am
I have been a thinkpad user for many years and have gone through the 600E, 770X, 600X, X21 and X32 models. They have all served me incredibly well and my feelings towards them go above and beyond what is normal in a human-machine relationship. Truly outstanding hardware in a very well designed package, free from any useless gimmicks or “sales room features” (like glossy widescreens, subwoofers or built in webcams!). It breaks my heart to see that Lenovo obviously do not understand what a Thinkpad buyer will be looking for and I fear that now there will never be a worthy replacement for my X60. Please, we beg you, continue the proud tradition of the solid no-nonsense Thinkpad. That means compact, titanium composite, black rubberised durability with reliability on the inside. Yes, this would (and did) cost a premium, but you know what? You get what you pay for!
August 25th, 2008 10:54 am
Lomax,
Sorry but Lenovo management will not do what you ask.
They want to do cheap laptops for everybody, they just use Thinkpad name to increase their sales.
Lenovo is not IBM. Is it best or worth…?? Each of us have their opinions.
Thinkpad was an excellent brand.
“Lenovo SL series, the only compromise Thinkpad”
August 25th, 2008 4:17 pm
i agree Lomax titanium composite casing was the highlight of Old thinkpads and oozes class, while Lenovo discarded and replace it with strong internal magnesium roll cages. To be honest i am not too happy with the plastic they use on the new T series, it just doesn’t have this quality feel to it like the titanium composite did, i think Lenovo for the next line should either use a magnesium or aluminum lid casing (well my wish anyway, it doesn’t mean much). Camera wise i don’t have much use for it, but maybe for a few people especially oversea students they use it alot to communicate with people back home.
But let’s look at this problem from Lenovo’s perspective as a relatively new International computer company compare to Dell, HP/Compaq, Toshiba and many other established laptop companies. For any public company it has to grow, and produce record profit year after year inorder to maintain high share prices. Profits can be produced through either by increasing the profit margin per product or moving more products through cheaper prices (or combination of both). Lenovo is obviously is making Thinkpads more affordable than ever, just look at how much the price dropped, therefore it is the aim of Lenovo to attract more customers through better value. Lenovo don’t want Thinkpad product to be a niche player, which IBM Thinkpad was compared to what the other computer companies were trying to do. There is sort of aura associated with the Thinkpad name, which is synonymous with quality and people are attracted to that. While, Lenovo is trying to maintain the quality standards but at the same time trying to also make it affordable to people whom are in the market for a business laptop. The Thinkpad name and keen pricing are the two biggest weapons that Lenovo have in trying to fight for global prosumer and business market business. However, since Lenovo dropped the prices to such a low level, it has to discard the use of extremely expensive Titanium composite material and compensate that in other ways. As global economy tightens, value for money is the biggest weapon a company has to win market domination. German Aldi supermarket chain got successful not because it sells expensive product, but rather good quality products at reduced prices (in addition it has more streamlined ordering, logistics, packing and servicing systems than other competitors).
While every car company wants to produce cars at Rolls Royce and Ferrari standards, whether it is practical do so is another matter entirely.
August 26th, 2008 12:54 pm
wjli2, if you look at what Apple charges for a Powermac (or whatever they’re called now), they’re about 2x as expensive as a comparable Acer or Compaq or maybe 1.5x a Thinkpad. They sell plenty of them and they are highly profitable. Yes there are lots of users who want cheap, low-markup, craptastic glitz boxes, and that’s why Acer was invented. Other users want high quality professional machines and are willing to pay for them. Until recently the two professional choices were Apple and Thinkpad, and I’ve always preferred the more understated approach of the Thinkpad. So I hope Lenovo doesn’t go in the Acer direction irrevocably. I’m thinking of grabbing an X61 while I still can.
August 26th, 2008 2:10 pm
Apple goes down a very different path to Lenovo. How many different laptops are there with Apple currently?? You have Apple Macbook Air, Apple Macbook white/black, Apple Macbook Pro 15.4/17 inch. Compare that to what Lenovo offers. In addition Apple sells alot of iPod, iPhone and other various little gadgets. Lenovo’s mobile phone business is currently making losses after losses. So for Lenovo it’s sole business is laptop, while Apple can make money in various sectors.
August 28th, 2008 6:28 am
[...] all the public outcry at mention of the new series it’s clear that there are some hesitations about the changes. [...]
August 28th, 2008 3:14 pm
Alright .. now you guys are scaring me. I understand that Thinkpads are probably the most reliable laptops in the market today. I’ve been using a T60 for 2 years and recently used T61 for 6 months. I can only say that these laptops are solid .. rock solid (the best I’ve used).
I’ve purchased a SL300 and its due to be shipped in the first week of Sept 2008. I don’t care about the red LED on the cover and of course disappointed with the lack of THINK LIGHT. You guys are scaring me to death regarding the build quality. I haven’t seen a SL300 in a store and there are no reviews online yet.
I used HPs and SONYs (S series and SZ series) and DELLS (latitudes and inspirons) and ofcourse Thinkpads (Dell was the worst in my experience – cheap build, crappy hardware, all sorts of issues). I’d be happy to use the Lenovo SL300 if it is as good or better than the 13.3″ SONY vaio SZ series.
Anybody care to share their opinions ? Looking for realistic Pros and Cons. Please do not compare it to the Thinkpad T series as you have it clear that it is not in the same league (I pinch myself for that).
I’ll definitely post my review after I’ve used the SL300 for a few days or weeks.
Thanks
August 28th, 2008 3:22 pm
Not sure if it matters but the config of the SL300 I’m getting is:
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.53 GHZ Processor
3 GB Ram; Nvidia 9300 Graphics (I know its not the best graphics card .. lets move on)
160 GB Harddisk
All other features fully loaded except Bluray disk.
For the price I got the SL300, the features are mind blowing. But I’m worried about the build quality.
If this is the wrong forum to post this, I apologize
August 29th, 2008 3:03 pm
It’s about time they updated Thinkpad’s design. Thinkpads look so old timey. At least this one is a little less dated looking. … just a little.
September 10th, 2008 2:57 am
I had eyeballed the SL300 a few times and was planning to buy a couple for some of our traveling business users. We run about 70 R’s and 15+ T’s at our small company. It never once occurred to me that the SL would be anything but a full-blown ThinkPad. I knew it was a more media-centric machine and understood the need for that, but I assumed that it was on part with the R in traditional ThinkPad features and quality (as it is in price). I assumed that anything less would be launched under the IdeaPad brand.
When I was finally ready to order I looked closer and was very disappointed. About 5% of my disappointment had to do with having to find another model for my two traveling users; the other 95% was dismay that after 15 years of being able to rely on the ThinkPad brand by name alone, I will now have to examine each new offering as if it didn’t bear the name at all. I mean, if you would call the SL a ThinkPad, why not water down the T? If you introduce a J-series tomorrow, my first thought won’t be “Awesome, what are the specs!?” but rather “Huh. Is it any good?” You are treating ThinkPad as if it is just a word that you can assign to anything, but it’s not.
Lenovo, *please* learn something from all of this backlash. This isn’t like the ranting about stripes or hinges or Windows keys. This goes to the core of *why* we are hanging out here obsessing about minutiae. Call the SL by any other name you care, but don’t call it a ThinkPad. That you would try it in the first place is damaging enough.
September 11th, 2008 4:18 pm
I agree with all of you guys who do not want to call it a Thinkpad. Lenovo should have called it something else. Ok .. lets move on.
The SL300 is a pretty good laptop. I got mine yesterday and I was not as shocked I thought I would be. The LED backlight display is fantastic. I don’t care about the red light on the cover. In fact it would have been better without the red light.
The keyboard was fine. I guess the norm these days is to go with the 6 row keyboard. If that assumption is true, I’m happy with the keyboard. The graphics card (NVIDIA 9300) is not too bad .. I would have preferred a 256 MB GPU instead of a 128 MB.
Integrated web cam works fine. The laptop is loaded with ports for USB (not happy with the design for USB port placement), analog monitor and HDMI along with ethernet and firewire ports. Not bad for a 13.3 inch laptop. The CD Rom drive is sturdy, so I like it. The glossy lid takes the charm of a business laptop away from the SL300. It is fine for personal use but a definite NO for business class laptops. Lenovo promotes the SL300 as a small business laptop (I don’t quite agree). Attracts too many finger prints.
Build Quality: I had to touch it and feel it to give this review. Its not bad but its not the quality of what you’d expect in a Thinkpad. It is a very hard smooth plastic, unlike what I’ve seen in Dell, Sony and HP (SL300 is better than Dell, Sony and HP, I used a Sony Vaio S480 and it was built with the cheapest material available on earth). If lenovo wants to call it a Thinkpad, the build material does not qualify for the Thinkpad class. But its very sturdy and I have no problem with it. Can definitely live with it for many years to come.
Trackpoint- Unlike many reviews out there I have no issues with the trackpoint. It works like a charm.
Touchpad – I’m disappointed with the touch pad. It has a bit of a lag that makes it annoying that you have to reposition your finger very often even while scrolling.
Overall – I’ve used many laptops like Dell, Sony, HP and almost all sizes of screens available. The SL300 is a laptop that beats the crap out of the other manufacturers for the features that it offers including the build quality.
Can I use it excessively for personal use – Aboslute YES.
Can I use it for business in an office environment ? – NO.
But it is not a Thinkpad. Just not a Thinkpad. Maybe it falls somewhere between a Thinkpad and ideapad.
September 11th, 2008 4:21 pm
By the way. I forgot to mention Windows Vista sucks big time. Or maybe we have to smell the aging cheese and move on.
October 14th, 2008 6:32 am
Geez people, y are all of you taking a dish at Thinkpad Design? since when has design been the core of Thinkpad?
Thinkpad Lovers have grown (such as me) on reliability and to a little lesser extent innovation. All of this we have come to associate with the boxy matte that is the Thinkpad, but does that mean the design should stay within those lines? To ME Design isn’t what created the Thinkpad brand, it strengthened it(identity wise), but far more than matte design, Thinkpad to me resembles reliability!
This SL line was made to attract new users, not neccesarily make an old user buy new. I think their efforts to Diversify with glossy lid and redpoint is a good one. As long as reliability is still guaranteed it has all the rights to be named Thinkpad.
I actually would consider buying this for my girlfriend, coz I think this Thinkpad looks better for the female audience, which perhaps Lenovo is targeting.
So its a bit Ironic and hypocritical that all of you who are saying “since when has a Thinkpad owners cared about design(attracting attention)” yet the very thing you are complaining about IS the Design.
November 10th, 2008 12:03 pm
Hi guys,
I am not – and never was – a ThinkPad user. My relation to IBM has always been with the AS400 (iSeries, System i, whatever). And what captivates me about IBM equipment and services is the reliability that comes along.
I understand that market tendencies (and, ultimately, consumers) have dictated that things would eventually go this way: low budget notebooks. Even from Lenovo and the notorious ThinkPad brand.
So I assume that the rupture with the 7 row keyboard is a way to make new Lenovo customers feel more at home with the “standard” 6 row layout. This whole SL thing is just a new product aimed at a new target audience. It’s all about delivering ThinkPad goods to budget conscious consumers.
Speaking for myself, I never equated getting a ThinkPad mainly because of its price tag. And I actually find this SL series to be a great product, with great value for money. Never mind if it’s a ThinkPad, it’s a good product.
Sticking to car analogies, bear in mind that Porsche now builds SUV’s with diesel engines! How dare they??
January 5th, 2009 4:30 am
Thinkpad fanbois always amuse me.
The SL series has proven to be a great machine. Rated one of the most impressive laptops of 2008 and one of the best budget laptops of 2008. You can all stop your bickering, since in my opinion, the SL series lives up to the Thinkpad name.
January 7th, 2009 8:27 am
What I find really amusing is that most of the negative marks people are putting against this laptop (thinklight, rollcage) were conspiciously absent from previous generation ThinkPads – so by following their logic, previous generation ThinkPads are not real ThinkPads and sully the ThinkPad name.
January 12th, 2009 2:58 am
I’ve had quite some problems with my titanium cover and it now just looks very ugly. Not so durable after all.
I’ve posted some pictures about it as well.
February 4th, 2009 5:47 am
TELL ME THIS AIN’T SO!!!!!!!!!!!
Just to chime in here as I actually have an SL500.
Understand that these are not real ThinkPads. They sort of look like one (though not really, with the glossy lid) but they don’t have lot of the features common to other ThinkPads (ThinkLight, roll cage, magnesium case) and the BIOS identifies the laptop as an IdeaPad, not a ThinkPad. This last part isn’t going to be an issue for most people, but it’s proved a real headache for those trying to run Linux. Other ThinkPad models are made to be Linux-friendly.
June 22nd, 2009 5:19 pm
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October 14th, 2009 4:56 pm
[...] arguably mature, design. Gone are the highly tapered edges, glossy finish, and even the sore-thumb pulsing LED. In an odd move, the system status LEDs on the outside are no longer on the LCD cover, but on the [...]
January 4th, 2010 10:09 am
[...] ThinkPad. There are lots of rounded, smooth edges and it even brings back the…interesting oozing LED in the exterior ThinkPad logo. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing and the changes do open up [...]
January 5th, 2010 5:33 pm
OMG…
To some people in here ..Get a clue!!!
The keyboard is now backlit… BACKLIT.
Thus there is NO REASON for a stupid think light that will only ILLUMINATE THE BACK OF YOUR HANDS while you type. Instead the light is where it is needed, coming from below thru the keys.
March 22nd, 2010 9:59 am
[...] Lightning Review – Crave / CNET – July 31, 2008 – Comparison to ThinkPad X61 / X61s – Design Matters (Lenovo Blog) – July 2008 – Mention of X200 – PC World – July 14, 2008 – News Release – [...]
April 15th, 2010 11:27 am
[...] Edge 13. Rather, there is a small LED next to the power plug that indicates charging state and the controversial red LED in the ThinkPad logo has carried over from the SL series.If someone had conceptualized the design [...]