14 DAY TRIAL // You probably like thin and light Ultrabook machines that device manufacturers are putting out on the market these days. But what if some of the features that were popular 20 years ago were to make a comeback into some of today’s offerings?
Lenovo’s David Hill is curious to find out whether you’d be interested in a modern ThinkPad laptop that takes advantage of a retro design, reminding you of days past.
He teased users with a bunch of images showcasing what a truly retro Lenovo ThinkPad computer might look like, but he’s not making any promises as to whether the device maker will actually go ahead and build one.
So what makes this ThinkPad concept so very unique, you might wonder. Well, here are a few features that make it quite appealing: multi-colored ThinkPad logo, a 7-row keyboard, 16:10 aspect ratio display, dedicated volume controls, rubberized paint, exposed screws, status LEDs, and a blue enter key.
The concept also shows two “ThinkLight” lights placed above the display that might be used to illuminate the keyboard while the user is typing away in the darkness.
Lenovo's ThinkPad concept blends the old and new
However, Lenovo has added some modern touches to its ThinkPad concept, making the imaginary device only 18 mm / 0.7 inches thick rather than 56 mm / 2.2 inches (like Lenovo’s original ThinkPad 700c).
Lenovo is still continuing to design and extend its ThinkPad family of laptops. Back at CES 2015 in Las Vegas, the device maker unveiled the new X1 Carbon, T450s, X250 and ThinkPad Yoga bunch which came equipped with a TrackPoint pointing stick.
The company wanted to give users the option to navigate more quickly and accurately without having to lift their fingers from the keyboard, so it added little red bulges between the G and H keys.
Hill explains that the ThinkPad design must continue to evolve in order to attract new customers and align with the ever shifting dynamics of the market.
What do you think of this concept? Would you prefer a modern ThinkPad laptop or a classic, retro one?
