Mystery ThinkPad surfaces, purportedly on track for 2008 release

There's not a whole lot to go on here, unfortunately, but according to the folks at 51nb.com, the slim-looking ThinkPad you see above is real, and set to go into production sometime this year. Nothing too unusual there, except that the full versions of the slides (which unfortunately seem to be unavailable as of this writing) are clearly marked "(C) 2006," which sure is a little longer than most laptops take to make it from the prototype to production stage. Still, 2006 or not, the form factor is certainly nice, as is the supposed LED-backlit 13-inch screen, but we're inclined to wait for something a little more concrete before getting our hopes up too much.

[Thanks, Alpha]

[Ipaq3115 @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:06PM]

Have no idea why...

[OneLove @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:07PM]

over priced, over hyped anywayz.

[Ethyriel @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:20PM]

How the hell is something we've never seen before over-hyped?

[Ellianth @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:21PM]

And you forgot: overly ugly.

And please, no one give me the, "it's for business" excuse. Do business people drive ugly POS cars?

[Ethyriel @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:30PM]

And I think your bright & shiny consumer notebooks with glossy screens and crappy build quality are ugly.

I swear, ricers are taking over the world, can we please function on functionality and durability instead of glossy surfaces and misguided designs?

[Jon @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:40PM]

I have a ThinkPad and not used for business. Love it. Whether or not it is ugly is subjective. I think they look beautiful, more so than VAIOs and MBs. Near indestructible too.

[OneLove @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:58PM]

Ethyriel, its called a prediction. wow.

[sotec_productions @ Jan 14th 2008 4:47PM]

Ellianth, yes they do. See: Volvo.

*shudders*

I actually like the design of Lenovo. I know I said that it was the same ole same ole, but the design works. Not to mention I'd rather have an all black notebook than a silver, or a canary yellow debachery of a notebook. Or even something with a game's logo smeared all over it *ahemDellahem*. My issue is the screen size. 13 inch? Are you kidding us? With options that exceed 17inches, why would they put out a 13inch screen? That is SO 1995... -_-

-S.O.T.E.C

[Ipaq3115 @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:08PM]

Oh yea the laptop...

Looks nice

[Chebwa @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:17PM]

Oh my God you must be kidding me.

GO AWAY.

[MrFuNKy76 @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:24PM]

yes

[Ethyriel @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:25PM]

I'd love to see a more traditional ultraportable Thinkpad. The X series is too loud and hot, and the screen pretty well sucks. If they're able to make a 13" laptop under or near 3 lbs with the same build quality we're accustomed to, I'd be all over it. But please, don't try to squeeze a full speed or LV processor in, ultraportable users aren't afraid of ULV.

And can we please switch to DVI already? We can get simple DVI to VGA cables, but these stupid VGA ports just ruin it for those of us who want the digital goodness.

[tom @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:29PM]

If you haven't used a Thinkpad laptop, STFU! Thinkpad is the best laptop on the planet

[Magallanes @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:14PM]

No way!.

-incompatible with windows (yes, in some models,thinkpad came with a custom windows)
-Unstandard serial and parallel port.
-Ugly.
-Lack (in some models) of touchpad.
-Bulky and heavy, specially those T Serie.
-Slow.

[Ethyriel @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:33PM]

Way to pull things from your ass, Magallanes.

Special Windows? I'd love to hear more about this theory. Are you talking about the rather good management software they include which ties into existing hooks in the OS to handle things like power management?

I've never seen a non-standard serial or parallel port on of their laptops, maybe I'm wrong, and they needed to save space at some point.

Here's an amazing concept, not every design needs cater to you. Some people don't like touchpads, and yes, even think that Thinkpads are rather attractive in their geek laden simplicity.

I'll give you heavy, only because they're slightly heavier than some of the competition. That competition tends to have some serious flexing issues, though.

Slow? Are you on crack? Seriously, now. So they don't have a gaming video card, that doesn't make them slow unless you game, which I'm sorry, is really really stupid to buy a laptop for. The CPU's and memory scale just as high as the competition.

[wickedpheonix @ Jan 2nd 2008 8:03PM]

@ magallanes

ROFLMAO!! When was the last time you used a thinkpad, 1995?!

[Nick @ Jan 2nd 2008 10:56PM]

@magallanes
are you kidding me?
Thinkpads are amazing machines with unbelievable durability and quality.
as for the touch pad remark, have you ever used a thinkpad trackpoint? and im not talking about one on a dell or HP, the IBM/Lenovo one is amazing, once you use it you will never use a touchpad again. i have a T60 and i haven't used the touchpad since i got it...

[digitallysick @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:34PM]

dear IBM please remove the vga port on the back and make it a DVI port thanks, its the future, we like it here

[TheCow5 @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:54PM]

I do believe Lenovo now owns and makes ThinkPad.
And I've only owned ThinkPad laptops and must say there the best; it’s not about looks it’s about performance.

[silverblackvoid @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:54PM]

shouldn't you be referring to them as Dear Lenovo???

[Douglas Knudsen @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:30PM]

regardless of the company name comments, I agree, where the hell is DVI?

[Toadlet @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:38PM]

Is the picture upside-down? camera-angles...

[Denver_80203 @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:39PM]

Two hinges = not a tablet
interesting placement of jacks.. where is the battery? Normally the larger batteries hang off the rear so it must be inside the frame now.
Odd to see the wireless on/off switch on the rear.. I almost wonder if this is fake just because of that.

[Brad Green @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:51PM]

Well, it is fairly obvious that there is no IBM logo on that laptop, which indicated it is Lenovo branded. This would tell us that it should be fairly new, or definitely after 2006.

[computer.dude.28 @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:13PM]

You're even worse than the ones that just say "FIRST COMMENT!" You're actually Admitting you don't have a life.

[Fred @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:24PM]

If I was gonna pay money for a PC only laptop I'd buy a Lenovo. We use these in my office, and they seem pretty reliable, and durable. They are pretty ugly, but I don't buy a computer for what it looks like, I buy it for what it can do. Aesthetics are nice, but totally secondary.

[Fred @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:26PM]

I should clarify. We don't use THESE laptops. We have T4X-T6X

[Denver_80203 @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:31PM]

I wouldn't call them ugly.. maybe "plain". My girlfriend has a flashy HP which works well as a couch computer at home but I wouldn't haul it very far and the silky smooth shell is only pretty as long as you don't touch it. After you've done that it's nothing but a finger smudge magnet.

The plain design of the thinkpads changes focus from the machine to the job at hand. They are working class and rightly proud of it.

[Ipaq3115 @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:33PM]

Glad you think so computer.dude.28

I do have a life...

It's just on hold over CHRISTmas break... :-)

[Gadgetman @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:33PM]

I'm a big fan of the thinkpads infact I still use an R40.

[Ipaq3115 @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:36PM]

I sure hope it went through a few revisions since '06

[R @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:49PM]

I would love it if the next generation Thinkpad X-series were about as small/thin/light as the Sony TZ laptops. I've had my T30 for a few years now, and I'm itching to get an X61 now.

The keyboard layout, trackpoint, reliability, and awesome repair service is what makes Thinkpads rule.

[Ethyriel @ Jan 2nd 2008 5:13PM]

I don't know, I finally got around to checking out a TZ just before christmas, and I have to say I was very disappointed. I know I should expect something flimsy from them, but after some seemingly trustworthy reviews that stated otherwise, I didn't expect it to be so cheap feeling.

Anyway, my point is that I don't think we can get the Thinkpad build quality we demand in a package as small and light as the TZ. Maybe close, but Sony just doesn't use enough material to make their machines durable. I think Lenovo could do pretty well, with a minimalistic mag alloy frame and thicker carbon fiber, but I'd hate to think of the price for all that carbon fiber. Maybe titanium with key areas using carbon fiber or plastic for the sake of wireless transmission.

[KaBaL @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:51PM]

I'm in the market for a new Thinkpad now, my T20 is finally starting to show its age. Yes, it has taken this long, goes to show how reliable they are. I was waiting for the Penryn chipset, but I might hold off longer if something comes of this.

[KazO @ Jan 2nd 2008 5:13PM]

Hmm, a slim 13" machine would be great. A proper reincarnation of the 560/570. I've never been a fan of 12" machines in general. I don't see myself replacing my T42 or T60w anytime soon, but this could be a good choice for the 'road warrior' who needs a real keyboard.

New-style ThinkPad logo and 19v DC jack indicates this is not some old pic dug up. The rear wireless switch is odd, and no indication of a front or rear-extendable battery.

[Edward @ Jan 2nd 2008 5:16PM]

Guys, this is definitely a Lenovo ThinkPad. The AC adapter jack is a T60/T61 style. One interesting thing is the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/charging indicators on the LCD lid have moved from the hinged edge to the lefthand edge. I wonder if the battery might hang from the front, left, or right edges now? That ultrathin LCD lid though is pretty hot. It'll definitely be integrated graphics though ... there's no way to get long battery life with a discrete GPU. I'm predicting this is a ULV Santa Rosa-based notebook with SSD storage.

@ThinkPad haters -- what's appealing to you? Cheap, flimsy plastic that shines? Blue LEDs all over the place? Substandard warranties and non-existent customer service? Sorry, but I don't think QUALITY ever goes OUT OF STYLE.

[Perry @ Jan 2nd 2008 5:50PM]

How can anyone look at these and say they are ugly? Yeah, yeah eye of the beholder but COME ON! This is the quintessential notebook design. Perfectly blended amounts of both form and function. I have reviewed at least 50 notebooks in the last two years from all makers. The only companies that get my hard earned dough when I buy notebooks are Apple and Lenovo.

Its like a Kubrick monolith with a cool red laser eye. The keyboard is bliss, Ultranav is legendary, and the titanium composite and magnesium contruction is apocalypse proof.

ThinkPads are used in heaven AND hell.

[tom @ Jan 2nd 2008 6:21PM]

Look at hinge of a recent Thinkpad, it has two hunk of metal upholding the LCD. In comparison to other brand, those hinge is made of plastic. YIKES!

For those of you who don't know, the keyboard actually had liquid drain channel. That thing saved my precious once upon a time =D

[Perry @ Jan 2nd 2008 5:55PM]

The T20 is a classic but I like new tech too much to ever deprive myself of a new notebook for 4-5 years.

I was looking to MacWorld for purchase ideas, but this may change that.

ESPECIALLY, now that Lenovo is making these cheaper to buy. 14" widescreen T61s were going for $700 CDN last week on the Lenovo B-Day sale site.

[Tin Marin @ Jan 2nd 2008 6:15PM]

It is probably a fake because of the following:

- Odd placement of the wi-fi switch.
- Odd placement of the USB port (in the back).
- All ThinkPads from day one, have had the battery from the back, as is known the two-spindle design was created by the design team at IBM and now at Lenovo.
- No much sense for a 13 incher, if this has some plausibility of being real, it would be 14". Already in the lineup: X series cover the same at 12" and 14" already the low and high end of portability.

If this is something, might be a next gen T-Series. Not X-Series.

To all, I've owned ThinkPads for my whole professional life and I can tell you that in the PC world they are on a segment of their own, perhaps followed by Fujitsu nowadays.

Become literate on design: How many people care about posts on new crappy Dell, HP or Acers? Business perhaps is boring, but durable is a must.

[Irfan @ Jan 2nd 2008 10:26PM]

everyone here likes to spew out random misinformation.

i have an X31 and here are some features that you guys say are wrong or not in line with thinkpads:

1- mine has a USB port on the back

2- mine has a standard parallel /serial port

3- mine has the battery on the bottom, not sticking out the bottom.

4- ok not really based on my laptop, but Lenovo notebooks (not the thinkpad line) have names like N200.. so x300 isnt too far off.

5- it has windows with some ThinkVantage software added on for the better (unlike other brands that ruin the OS with their add ons.)

6- its not heavy, its about 3.7 pounds ... the x40 is about 2.7

7- learn to use the trackpoint, you'll never go back

If this is the new X and it has a bright widescreen 13" with higher resolution, then that would be terrific. And make it run cooler... way way cooler. this x31 is burning my lap as I type this.

[kev @ Jan 2nd 2008 6:48PM]

While I'm not overly impressed with this (placement of switch/lan/usb, lack of DVI)... I love my old Thinkpad T42 and this gives me hope the Thinkpad line isn't dead solely in Lenovo's hands. I wanted to jump on the T61 but it just seems too bulky to me.

[sotec_productions @ Jan 2nd 2008 7:23PM]

Lenovo has some solid notebooks, but that's the only thing going for them. They always put out under-performance, not-up-to-date hardware filled notebooks. Whatever. Another over priced, underwhelming notebook that hasn't changed designs in years. Bleh.

[Ethyriel @ Jan 2nd 2008 9:37PM]

Where do people keep getting this idea that Thinkpads underperform? And why does your handle include another laptop maker's (Averatec's) old name?

[sotec_productions @ Jan 14th 2008 4:39PM]

Well, like I said, Lenovo has some solid notebooks. They are typically very solid, very reliable, and virtually indestructible (I know that's debatable, but this is IMPE). However, I tend to see the lower end of hardware advertised for their machines. I personally love the mouse-joystick and would buy a Lenovo for just that feature! But, they remind me faintly of Mac, whereas the hardware is not that up to speed (excuse the pun) (and I am versed in the fact that Mac's don't require as much processor speed as PC's do. I run Linux as much as I run windows. I'm well aware of the memory/processor/graphics footprints of each OS), yet for some reason, Mac's cost arm and leg more than PC's, which is a really bad selling point for pc-to-mac converts, since the pc crowd is all about speed and power. Yes, that can go both ways, I know. But initially...well. I think it really boils down to personal experience and personal observation of the pc market. I just know that everytime I see a Lenovo notebook, I'm not impressed enough to try and build one. I don't debate Lenovo's greatness though. They are a strong company, with a loyal following.

As for the name, it's my company name, which is an acronym. Has nothing to do with any previous manufacturer's name. I've never even heard of that company before, and thanks for the clue-in. :) I'll make sure I sig with S.O.T.E.C from now on.

[Toekiller @ Jan 2nd 2008 7:23PM]

It looks like a slate tablet. IE like a Motion M1700.

[wickedpheonix @ Jan 2nd 2008 8:06PM]

Oh by the way, daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn does that screen look thin. Be nice to see this come into its own - been waiting to see the next Thinkpads with some Penryn goodness at the very least.

[bandrews-engadget @ Jan 2nd 2008 9:57PM]

Yeah, so those of you complaining about DVI - when's the last time you saw a DVI port in the average office conference room? Yeah, some of the projectors have them now, but the cables run from the projector to the table usually are VGA.

Carrying the DVI dongle for my Mac portable got so infuriating I started carrying my Dell D620 to presentations instead. It's not an ultraportable if you have to bring a handbag of dongles to get it to work properly.

DVI's time for corporate laptops will come eventually, but not yet. I'm sure it's available where it matters - on the docking station, for use at your desk with external monitors.

-Ben

[Joe @ Jan 2nd 2008 10:20PM]

I own a T61 and i have to just tell all of those out there that this isn't meant to be a gaming machine but it'll blow the doors off of most the other machines out there, a couple of my friends have HP DV9000's and i beat them with frame rates in Supreme Commander, Its solid as a rock i fortunately haven't dropped it yet, but i am confident it could tell a hell of a beating. And the biggest deal for me is that Lenovo still offers XP Pro.

[Che @ Jan 3rd 2008 12:19AM]

If it is a 13 incher with outstanding battery life, an LED backlit display, an option of an ssd, maybe a ULV processor and weight in the same range as the X61, I'm going to be really bummed that I bought an X61 a few weeks ago. I was disapointed that Lenovo still didn't have an LED-lit display and that there was no SSD or ULV options, but decided it was better to buy than wait.