Classic Thinkpad vs. modern Lenovo Thinkpad redesign - thoughts.

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Here I discuss the design aspects of the older vs the newer Thinkpads, from an unbiased standpoint. I am not a curmudgeon, nor am I someone who is always out to keep up with the Jones. I like what works, and here I will discuss what does not.
Buttonless trackpad vs. trackpoint with dedicated buttons. Chiclet keyboard vs. old style keyboard. What do we prefer?
Check out more on our blog post here about the new Lenovo. www.rossmanngroup.com/new-leno...
In the end, as miserable as the t440p keyboard/trackpad was, I wound up going for it. I fell in love with the sturdiness of the keyboard and the clarity of the screen. Looking at the old screen after looking at the t440p screen just made me sad, as someone who reads a lot of small repetitive text day in and day out.
Also, it seems like Lenovo might just change everything around: please convince them to do so, see my video on their newest blog post referencing returning to standard design!
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[@rossmanngroup]

Thank you to everyone who made a purchase on eBay via our affiliate link at rossmanngroup.com/ebay for helping support this type of content. Your viewership is appreciated and as always, I hope you learned something!

[@theweredragon9887]

I am a design student and the person that was in charge of the retro project came to give a talk. He worked on the original think pad and then was booted off and had to do work for alienware/dell much to his dismay. The retro project was a response to him retaking control of the thinkpad division because it was going under. I asked him about shamelessly appealing to nostalgia and he said that was his play to regain trust from people and was his only option due to management shooting down all his upgrades he wanted to make to the design of the thinkpad. I though you might want to know.....

[@houghwhite411]

Lenovo should grow ears and make the old keyboard optional, some people would pay more for old keyboard Old thinkpad is ugly, but it fucking works and that's what's matter

[@jugostran]

Louis Rossmann ThinkPad what did they do to you?

[@jugostran]

aldo s The looks are subjective

[@LeonardoBarilariDaniel]

weird, my antivirus jumped when i tried to enter that url the first time, any idea why?

[@meletispogkas1475]

The Macbook is like ''What the hell am i doing here bro?''

[@ayaseshinomiya6524]

To the MacBook, I'd be like, "To compare it to the new ThinkPad. You see, after 2012, Lenovo realized its average owners were professionals and businessmen, kinda like Rim's Blackberry, and so Lenovo had to do something to frighten them off. They're going in your direction, MacBook."

[@Hades035]

22:30

[@inspectorlunge3887]

It's funny how at 14:33 he points the camera toward the MacBook like he's sending a message

[@hexa3389]

Just to be shamed

[@eco_logic]

you can compare that airbook only against the Thinkpad X1 carbon

[@Arsonist42]

"it's bullshit and it's not forgivable" I love Louis lmao.

[@4ohm531]

minute?

[@fokjohnpainkiller]

4 ohm 7:10

[@alpzepta]

It’s so unforgivable that I now use a Fujitsu Lifebook

[@hydraxonn]

(screws on camera to tripod without cutting footage) (Immediately after) 14:54 "We're gonna talk about common sense here" lmao

[@kneel.downnn]

This guy has real passion towards comfortable design

[@0xgroot]

I feel his passion too. Lol

[@CMDR_Birb]

Fuck the new lenevos. IBM design FTW. I love my X220 and T420's I bought my off-lease X220 with 9 Cell and IPS for like $200. Worth every penny.

[@briankamras2913]

The X2XX and T4XX are both Lenovo designs.h

[@briankamras2913]

+Alternate Potato They're nice but about as nice as a macbook's keyboard. And they aren't IBM's designs.

[@briankamras2913]

Not really. There was consulting involved, but Lenovo had ultimate control.

[@patriotbarrow]

I have an X230 with the lenovo redesigned keyboard. It's a joy to type on and the illumination helps a great deal.

[@huroners]

well stil enjoy with my X201 and T410 :)

[@JayMerchantPhD]

GIVE THIS MAN A FUCKING MEDAL! Everything that you've stated in this video is absolutely spot on. Subbed.

[@rossmanngroup]

Thank you sir!

[@JayMerchantPhD]

Louis Rossmann With honor. I really, really want a Lenovo executive to see this.

[@rossmanngroup]

***** I don't think any of them give a shit. They really don't. You should see who offers warranty service in our neighborhood, all people working out of their apartment who don't know how to repair laptops. But they can because they sell $60,000/mo worth of Lenovo products. We were denied ability to become a warranty service facility, as a place that repairs these products on a component level daily, because of sales volume. I tried to sell their products, but even at $250 below MSRP, no one will take them. The entire reason I am now the owner of a T440p is because even at $600 I could not sell it. This product has no userbase amongst Thinkpad loyalists or the common user. It is a pariah.

[@JayMerchantPhD]

Louis Rossmann Wow, I did not know that becoming a Certified Lenovo Service Facility was so difficult. That is especially tragic considering the level of understanding and experience your company has with their product line. In the video, your point about Lenovo's target market makes so much sense to me. Regardless of the industry you are in or the scale of your business, understanding and defining your target market is a critical step to success. Really, who the fuck was Lenovo planning on selling their products to? IT specialists, software developers, hardware developers, media generation, engineers, scientists, doctors, architects, etc. all used ThinkPads for their usability and simplicity. By transitioning to a more modern design (a bandwagon move from my understanding), they are isolating their core consumers, and for what? They certainly aren't attracting any new customers with the...what did you call it? "new grey color." ThinkPads, for me, represented a simple but sophisticated piece of technology that was a productivity multiplier. Having a ThinkPad meant that I could take on a full workload under a variety of circumstances virtually unbound by physical location. With these new design changes, I cannot. If Lenovo does not change now, they will become the next BlackBerry. On a separate note, what do you think is the next best mobile workstation platform? I was curiously looking at Dell's Precision line.

[@2000ViperGTSsubscribe]

Louis Rossmann I have a 19,000 square foot facility with 19 years in business as an IT repair and reseller and I LOVE Lenovo laptops, but dealing with them is a TOTAL and complete joke. We do not even sell their laptops because of their REALLY crappy reseller system. We are very good at fixing the laptops too, but it is crazy how Lenovo is operating and a HUGE missed opportunity for them as I am loyal to the Thinkpads.

[@s2korpionic]

Dude, you 'comparison' is a much better review than most other dedicated review videos in youtube. Congrats.

[@rossmanngroup]

Kalsonic I want to try the W541, but don't wan to spend $2100 on a laptop I don't want to keep. It supposedly throttles under load, more signs of Lenovo paying homage to Apple. :(

[@moslimislam5714]

Man this guy really doesn't edit. I lolled at 14:30.

[@FerraVenetoStato]

Yeah, and you miss the repetition and wtf the introduction on the end?!? I like what's he is saying, but he had treats his video like lenovo have treats thinkpads! :(

[@rainretribute9852]

Lmao that was hilarious

[@andrewclark8630]

I think it's the new trackpad's fault...

[@metaphoricdirigible1499]

I drifted off for a second and thought he was making some kind of point about the computers. Not helping my nascent migraine lol.

[@Pianoplayer104]

>tfw you fix bugs in pulse audio at 2 in the morning the feels man

[@roottoor9029]

fucking love this guy. 100% correct on the traditional thinkpad macbook air demographic comparison. kicking it on freenode

[@rossmanngroup]

+root toor Thank you! What channels are you on?

[@mcnuggets4ever]

+root toor Yup the demographic of Macbook Air is growing insane recently, And we need to fix that by publishing better Thinkpad touchpad/keyboard.

[@burnzy3210]

holy shit an actually proper review

[@rossmanngroup]

burnzy3210 Thank you!

[@rickcupola6262]

69 likes? Nice. (As of this moment)

The T420 (and similar machines) have the best layout on a laptop that has ever been made. It's a shame Lenovo dropped it in their latest models the last few years.

[@marcelmuscalu2922]

I have an X230. I'm at the third laptop with Ivy Bridge. I just can't go beyond that, they are just horrible. The keyboard on the second generation does look awesome, but I very much like the feeling from the third generation on.

[@formbi]

it's the best layout at all, I use such a layout on my stationary PC as well

[@DatamasterCorporation]

0:18 LinusTechTips impersonation spot on.

[@MrSonic731]

Datamaster lmaoo

[@spectre_8690]

bhahahahhahaa

[@User9681e]

Lol

[@gabriellebenele353]

spot on linustechtips

[@Soccercrazyigboman]

🤣🤣🤣

[@davidmaglioli7048]

I like this guy. I think I discovered I'm a ThinkPad user

[@Ttomisabeast1581967]

Long time ThinkPad user myself. I don't like what Lenovo has done with the line now in comparison from what IBM and earlier Lenovo did. But if I need a Windows laptop, ThinkPad is the first choice and always will be

[@Ttomisabeast1581967]

***** True.

[@BhfuilIAm1312]

+ybnrmalatall Very true. I bought an X201 for £100, then upgraded the RAM and storage to an SSD - it now has better specs than most of the new ThinkPad range. Apart from the graphics card, but meh, if I want a gaming laptop I'll buy one for that specific purpose and I won't have Linux.

[@beezito]

+David Maglioli Lol, I still use my IBM Thinkpad T42 as a low maintenance home server pc(I Use Windows 7 with a easy to use program called Tonido)! XD I also have 8 other T42's cause I took them just before the were about to be thrown into a bin, what awesome luck. :D

[@dwong98]

7:32 If he truly was a ThinkPad user, he would've heard of a thing on the new ThinkPads called function lock (Fn + Esc). That then converts all of the secondary controls of the function keys and turn them back into the fuinction keys.

[@da3159]

This is what happens when you let people who don't use the machines design the machines

[@kellihollinger7715]

As a design engineer, I agree. If the designer doesn't use and develop the machine the result will be garbage.

[@garrykoalman3684]

Somehow I miss the iconic blue "enter" key on those thinkpad laptops. Also, I personally don't like how Lenovo uses the Chiclet style keyboard on the current Thinkpads. It looks pretty but I can't type as many words per minute compared to the older IBM Thinkpads. Overall I'm just glad Lenovo didn't fuck over the Thinkpad series laptops. Those IBM Thinkpads were so great that NASA used them in their space shuttle.

[@SMGJohn]

@no, as a matter of fact That is a dumb fucking conclusion, some jobs requires you to have high WPM skills, if you are a teletypist which yes that still is a fucking thing as even for 50 years that voice to text software has existed its still not good enough. Also typing fast is shown by research to be more productive if you can type as fast as you think you can get stuff done quicker, this is a fact practically and theoretically. And I have both old IBM ThinkPad and the new ThinkPad and while the old ThinkPads feel really cheap these days the keyboards on them are undeniably superior to modern keyboards, only a mechanical keyboard can surpass them.

[@JodiGilar]

@no, as a matter of fact yeah, a laptop and external keyboard and an external mouse is certainly portable when working on commute..

[@egg5474]

I doubt that you couldn't afford the weight/space of half a kilo, if you're just commuting between home there's nothing stopping you from leaving your setup at the office and just taking an external ssd with your work instead unless of course you can't afford 2 setups that allow you to be equally productive, or your work specifically needed you to be mobile and travelling light (I know what it's like to carry an IBM thinkpad with 3 bags everywhere, it's not fun). I would vouch for taking a bluetooth mouse with you as it improves qol and forego a mechanical or even membrane keyboard, but then again if you have an old thinkpad it's almost as good as having both anyway, which is probably the sole reason why they were so popular.

[@user-cr5wt6gl2o]

Oh, good old days. Louis didn't even imagine what TOUCHBAR IS :D

[@doctor_titi955]

am i the only guy who think old Lenovo laptops are sexy AF?

[@stardust6004]

Doctor_Titi No you are Not ;)

[@ayaseshinomiya6524]

Obviously, nope! No, you are not alone, except I don't. I think they're rugged and reliable.

[@TheRealFobican]

They look more Thinkpad than the new one.

[@ayaseshinomiya6524]

@@TheRealFobican More ThinkPad obviously because they were built better and were more reliable back then. I still have my T520i.

[@TheRealFobican]

@@ayaseshinomiya6524 The T430s is a good option I can tell you, I once held another laptop and compared to the Thinkpad it was another story.

[@TheJennetteFan]

If you are not using the trackpoint on a thinkpad you do not deserve a thinkpad

[@rossmanngroup]

+HwareMega THIS GUY GETS IT!!!

[@shayamaddex996]

+Louis Rossmann I tried using a ThinkPad yoga and afterwards I just felt confused about weather to treat it like a laptop or a real pc.

[@rossmanngroup]

Shaya Maddex Don't get me wrong I love the high res touchscreen for going over large schematics. For standard tasks I need my trackpoint.

[@shayamaddex996]

+Louis Rossmann the trackpoint is also my favorite because it actually works unlike touchpads

[@RohanRonQM]

+HwareMega A lot of people ask me what's the point of the TrackPoint if you have a touchpad and I tell them that I can type and scroll with ease and no need to look at the keyboard for any darn reason. By the way I have an HP Elitebook 2760p and I love the older ThinkPads. it's too bad that many enterprise-oriented laptops are sacrificing suitability for style.

[@Bakagajin555555]

"This is not sexy" I disagree.

[@ayaseshinomiya6524]

[Bruce] Well ThinkPads used to not be. These things were designed to be reliable and tough. They could almost never ever break! If you wanted an exciting computer--one where you never knew if it would start when you hit the button--back before 2012 the ThinkPad [especially my 2010 T510I] wasn't for you, because every time you hit the button, those things started up!

[@FerraVenetoStato]

@@ayaseshinomiya6524 Yeah, that's a definition of sexy for me. ;)

[@ducciboi]

You either like the beauty of utilitarian design or you like macbook trash.

[@JanZamani]

@@ducciboi Untrue, I like both.

[@igorificolikantropo8963]

So.. you have a weird fetish... we get it.

[@fontende]

Who also gets this recommended by KZbin algorithm in late 2019?

[@guruoo]

That's how I found it, but I'm subscribed to the Rossmann.

[@kjell744]

me

[@666Tomato666]

it's still relevant

[@greasysteve5671]

@@guruoo I was subbed to him till I got unsubscribed for some reason. IDK maybe I'm crazy but I'm sure I was subbed but Ill know if it happens again.

[@s1mph0ny]

Yeah, I'm over here wondering how there were 1000 morons who disagreed about lenovo totally fucking this up.

[@Dkcode]

Lenovo removed all the LEDs. Caps lock and HDD. That makes me sick.

[@abcdefg9613]

@@studiopapa5874 he meant the led, not the actual hard drive. He was pointing out that you don't know anymore when your system is doing heavy io without monitoring it from task manager or resmon.

[@TheRealFobican]

The lack of being able to lock the screen in place when folded down and the mousepad being like that of a chromebook which I know from using one isn´t the best in the world made me very disappointed. The thing I think the saddest of all is the key to disable the microphone completely not being there at all.

[@ericcartmansh]

That was a rant worthy of a 31 min watch

[@rossmanngroup]

ericcartmansh Thank you!

[@Dkcode]

The video hits the nail on the head but i'd like to add my own experience of these products. I am a rollout engineer based at a technology centre for a bank and I deal with hundreds of these laptops every week. Lenovo have really cut costs on these newer designs: 1. The quality of the LCD panels - even the clear type IPS used in the X240/X250 is not very good. 2. Only single channel memory supported on the X240/X250 and T440/T450. To upgrade the RAM the entire back has to come off the machine and these things are held together by plastic clips that break very easily. Also the case cracks easily on the edges near the SD card slot if you are not careful. On a machine costing nearly a grand they should be more durable. 3. Motherboard failure rate is higher than the previous generation. We have swapped out an alarming number of X240/X250 and T450 machines that fail to power up even after a full power drain. Only solution is to have Lenovo come and swap out the motherboard. 4. The removal of a single USB port on the X series to give a total of 2 USB ports over the 3 on the X230 and beyond - now been fixed with the X260 but should have been there in the first place as it was with the X230. The business has had to buy thousands of 4 port USB hubs so people can use mice, keyboards and USB headsets at the same time. 5. The removal of indicator lights such as caps lock and hard drive light LED. Stupid design decision on any Windows machine let alone an enterprise product. I can't see any gain to removing this. Honestly I don't need to explain why this is such a wank idea. 6. The touchpad on the X240/T440 series is embarrassingly bad. I feel bad for the person who I am handing over one of these laptop to knowing that this person has to use this kit to actually get any work done without a mouse. 7. Overall they feel bland and cheap, its more of a personal perspective how i feel about them. Before they felt bland and solid where as now they just feel cheap and flimsy. That reassuringly solid chunk has now gone. Another issue I have with Thinkpads, and that is not exclusive to the new design; is the soft touch rubberised coating sprayed onto the front and back is not durable. Even taking it in and out of a bag a dozen times causes the edges to wear. Also they pick up scratches easily. This might sound vain but when spending a lot of money on a product it should hold up cosmetically. Hard wearing materials give the product the impression of solidity and quality. If I hand over a laptop to a user that is covered in scratches and scrapes they think I am handing them over a piece of shit that is not going to be reliable, just by looking at it. So any slight ailment that pops up they think the machine is 'unreliable' and they start giving me a fucking headache. The X230/T430 is probably the last great Thinkpad product Lenovo made before they cheaped out with this crap. We still have X201's and X200's kicking around which have seen over 6 years of hard service in this place. These machines get used for over 8 hours every day most days and they get used hard. The X200/X201 only have issues with the wireless adapter switching off when pressure is applied to the bottom left corner of the machine on certain batches. Most die due to the CPU fan not providing adequate cooling so they switch off mid-use. I don't know if this is down to the assembly coming away from the CPU or the fan itself becoming less effective. Either way you can buy a new replacement cooler and the problem is fixed. A solid design. Even the hinges are still sturdy after half a decade of use unlike the lids on Dells that become floppy after 6 months. I would say the X201 is probably the best machine I have dealt with. Its solid chassis combined with its portable size and speedy 1st generation Core i5 processor followed by the X230 - which still perform as good as the newer laptops with an SSD and 8GB of RAM. With all that said the newer machines do what they need to do but i wouldn't buy one with my own money where as I would have with the older generations.

[@rossmanngroup]

+Dan Kitchen domt forget that the t460 still uses sata while apple has been on PCI express for three years now

[@Dkcode]

Yes! Good call. Have you dealt with many P50 workstations?

[@rossmanngroup]

***** None. Off center keyboard, no option for 4k touchscreen, so I have no interest.

[@Dkcode]

What are you using as your main driver these days chief?

[@rossmanngroup]

***** I don't use a laptop anymore. I got a cheap NVR for the store and took the NVR PC I Used at the store and took it home so I have a home desktop, and a work desktop. Instead of editing videos on the train using the laptop, I walk home, and stopped editing video altogether. I hit stop recording whenever I want to do something else, or when I need to cut something from a video, so instead of lengthy editing process I just cut the heads & tails off my clips and render it. I changed my workflow entirely so I don't need a laptop. When someone comes out with a laptop worth a shit, I'll buy it! I want something with the proper ergonomics of the T520, with a 4k touchscreen so I can browse through schematics with my finger. None of this off center keyboard nonsense or $5000 machine with 1080p screen!

[@jamesknight9912]

hahaha "I can assure you its been dropped of a chair 5 times by my cat". I have that laptop and while watching this my cat knocked if off the kitchen table.

[@rossmanngroup]

+James Knight I wonder if they're related!

[@munyaradzichitsinde627]

James Knight 😂😂😂

[@barneyy6942]

@@rossmanngroup The cats or the laptops? JK

[@aceviewier]

This guy sounds like a Saul Goodman.

[@manueltricarico7625]

aceviewier lol I was thinking the same

[@HossoUb]

+aceviewier I was thinking "where I heard this voice", hahha

[@ElmetiYT]

i was about to comment that then i saw your comment hahahahaha

[@JollyFlowFuck]

omg yes there are parts where he sounds just like him wtf.

[@putrariskiadi1906]

so true

[@JustOneGuy]

My left ear had a nice time.

[@nikelquint]

The audio is fine..

[@sersoft_corp]

+Stas Szatkowski Yes... only on the left though On the right side it kind of sucks

[@tarkang657]

luckily my left speaker on my 3000 n200 is not working ;]

[@eduardoavila646]

So your eraphone had a bad time...

[@KrotowX]

I'm hearing both sides well... your earphones seems have a bad time.

[@DeLorean4]

Your discussion about Lenovo, IBM, and Apple customers and their wants is 100% correct. I miss my old IBM ThinkPad T41. That machine was so incredibly well designed, and when my sister got a Lenovo ThinkPad (following my recommendation from my IBM experience) the quality simply wasn't there anymore. Nowadays, I don't have a choice of work laptop, and I couldn't keep up in my personal life with a proper IBM machine (they're so old and slow at this point), so I keep my Desktop running with one of the last competitive IBM devices that can actually still be used... an IBM Model M keyboard from 1992.

[@TheBoredEditor]

I just bought a T420 over a newer ThinkPad based on this video and saved myself a ton of $$ in the process. It works great with an SSD, and ergonomically it feels way nicer to use. Thanks!

[@BigHumz155]

28:17 "half of the people watching have a bigger dick than the battery" this is the best review on KZbin.

[@rossmanngroup]

Humza Ahmed Thank you! Lenovo battery life has always frustrated me.

[@aleksandrsk8547]

Thumb up after first 40 sec. Great review!

[@rossmanngroup]

+Александр Кутин Thank you!

[@coorbin]

+1000 for mentioning people fixing PulseAudio at 2 AM :D I miss my X61T.

[@mybigfatpolishlife]

The touchbar is really reinventing the wheel

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

And like most others in this comment section: I too lament the current trend in mobile computing where form and style take precedence over comfort and functionality. * All-metal laptops? Too friggin' cold when used as a *lap*top in the winter. * Trackpads without separate physical buttons. * Trackpads larger than some European countries. * Completely flat chicklet keys, almost no travel. Perhaps the hollowed out keys on this new one are a good compromise, but they still have less travel and feedback, and will slow you down. They also feel different from your desktop keyboard, so there's always that little mode switch in your head. * Keyboard layouts that differ from brand to brand, from model to model within a brand, and never match a desktop's layout. Every time you get a new laptop, you need to retrain. Every time you switch between the external keyboard and the laptop, you need to adjust. Wireless keyboards make a lot of the same mistakes, btw. Now I understand the space constraints don't allow for the two rightmost areas on a full-size keyboard, so compromises need to be made. But as an industry, decide on a standardised layout and stick to it already! * Half-height up and down arrows to save a bit of real-estate. No, just no! We use those keys all day long, we should not have to hunt for them or be surprised that when we think we tap the up-arrow, nothing happens because we merely tapped Shift. * Keyboards where the function keys double as something else, and "something else" is the default. I use the function keys a hell of a lot more than calculator, "start a new browser window", open media player, turn Wifi off etc... * Zero separation between groups of function keys. F4 and F5 are just as close together as F3 and F4. Happy hunting! * Displays stuck in pre-2000 resolutions for what seems like an eternity. Like Louis said: phones with 1/3rd the screen diagonal have had 1080p for ages now, can we at least double the resolution on laptop screens? The list goes on and on... Laptops these days are made to look at, not work on.

[@tachalorah]

All trackpad nowadays are bigger that Vatican, I swear

[@lasercrafter4408]

Anything that is a non Apple trackpad doesn’t need to have a big ass trackpad because with Apple, at least the palm rejection is great, whereas on windows and Linux, it just sucks ass and I would disable it outright and use an external mouse

[@lasercrafter4408]

Windows trackpads have gotten better, but on Linux... yeah

[@tachalorah]

@@lasercrafter4408 I have been used both Windows and Linux for years and I can say that Linux is better at trackpad. On Windows, I can't find the correct drivers for my trackpad, it'll crash the entire system, or it won't be work. On Windows 10, everything seems to be great at first. It installs the correct drivers for me (yay). But after a few month, I reinstall Windows (time for 1903), and... it install the wrong driver, then it's cause BSOD every time I boot up the system.

[@lasercrafter4408]

fa2_l yeah but still those laptops need smaller trackpads or optimize their palm rejection algorithm

[@nathangehman7018]

Louis: _Goes on a rant without breathing_ Louis: _GASP THAT FEELS EXAGGERATED_ Louis: _Tries to calm down as he continues ranting_

[@devnullskull]

Best computer review/comparison I've ever seen. Hilarious and insightful!

[@followufollowme]

From Left to Right : Professional, Amateur, Emo.

[@DerpProductionz]

Jaoo Asiz ikr

[@intuit13]

hate3 on mac all you want, but the FULL MacOS (OS X) is WAY, WAY, WAY better than Windows. It's better than most distributions of Unix/Linux (yes, I know it IS a Unix variant). Why do you think SO fucking many of the smartest hackers/coders on earth use powerbooks, even though they HATE apple and almost everything it stands for. It's because the powerbook is an amazing machine (not talking about physical design here, talking about the software mainly). MacOS is the new Hacker's choice (since about the mid-2000's). ps. I don't own any apple product. Wouldlike a powerbook but can't afford. So it's Ubuntu or Slackware for me.

[@averagegeek3957]

+Dragaan I use Linux and I honestly never needed any software that runs on Macs only. Seriously, what unique software does Apple have that Linux doesn't?

[@ShagitZiganshin]

AverageGeek as Arch user, I say that Mac have beautiful OS in terms of UX

[@AntiChangeling]

Emo? I think you just time traveled here from 2004.

[@ov3rkill]

This video needs an update on the X1 vs. Classic.

[@johndrachenberg2254]

18:50 "It's a triangle, it's not a square. It is not a square. It is actually a triangle." LOUIS ROSSMANN IS A TRAPEZOID EARTHER CONFIRMED!

[@reydavid6882]

the most thorough laptop review/rant you should do reviews a lot more

[@michelemarie3974]

Wow.... I feel like I won the lottery with your video. I am a court reporter who edits all transcripts on my T510 and have loved it despite the weight, etc. It's time to replace and was going for Lenovo once again despite their malware BS and a few other things. You just saved me a whoooooooooole lot of misery. I would go insane with the trackpad....and totally agree with the buttons set up and feeling like you are really typing on a proper keyboard, although I usually use a mouse anyway. Great rant and loved every minute. Very much appreciated your review.

[@rossmanngroup]

Michele Marie What malware BS were you dealing with? Just curious!

[@Stegobits]

Louis Rossmann he's referring to superfish

[@woooweee]

Its a mistake even IBM made, the stock thinkpads had eye bleeding screens, this is where apple does it right, you either buy their nice screen or you buy nothing, there is no garbage product to ruin perception of their brand.

[@rossmanngroup]

Yeah most PC laptops come with garbage screens. :(

[@CondoreComputing]

the screens on the high dpi Dell XPS laptops are amazing, of course its more of an ultrabook though. lenovo's OLEDS are pretty good though.

[@atlanticimports6939]

I've upgraded one of my thinkpads screens to an IPS type and the difference is amazing.

[@lennywinbox1734]

Hey, I found this screen replacement for my T430, where would I get an IPS type? I don't see that in the specs. thanks! www.laptopscreen.com/English/section/search/

[@wolfgangem1565]

When he was talking about one handed usage and he said maybe I'm having a drink, I thought he meant he would be using one hand because he was drunk, then I realized that a drink takes one hand... 😂😂😂

[@georgf9279]

same here...

[@orepeo]

Eventually a youtube tech reviewer with some enthusiasm!

[@rossmanngroup]

Someday I will try to review other things when I find good reason to.

[@jerm1027]

I just picked up an X220. Literally, the perfect laptop. Everything works, and even if it doesn't, you can make it work. My biggest complaints were the swapped Fn+Ctrl keys compared to a standard keyboard layout, but there is a BIOS option to switch them. My other issue was the tiny trackpad - irrelevant because the trackpoint is a wet dream. I picked it up second hand from a reseller for a $130 and it came with an Intel 520 series 480GB SSD and an IPS screen. I don't like the 1366x768 resolution, but with Ubuntu's Unity, it makes effective use of the limited screen real estate. Best laptop I've owned and I've only had it for a day. And given the way Lenovo has progressed, someone is probably going to have to pry the X220 from my cold dead fingers to get me to use something else.

[@RonLeeThatsMe]

Jeremy Garcia Where the heck did you get it with an ips screen and 480gb ssd for only $130? That's highway robbery.

[@jerm1027]

Craigslist - some guy working out of a shack buys corporate surplus for "10 cents on the dollar and sells for 20 cents on the dollar." Very lucky find. He had a selection, I picked the one that looked the cleanest, had the most responsive keyboard, and the slightly higher clockspeed of 2.6GHz - I was fully expecting TN and a hard drive, but to my surprise - IPS screen (standard on 2.6GHz models) and the "500GB" drive as a SSD. Came with 9-cell battery that was shot, so just picked up new 6-cell.

[@RonLeeThatsMe]

Nice. The HD alone is worth more than $130! Need to find me one of those guys in my area.

[@jerm1027]

The 480GB retailed for $1000 at release. A SandForce SSD, over a $1K. Still works quite well, especially on Linux. The X220s themselves weren't exactly cheap at launch either, most of them configurable to $1400-$1800 as well, so they did start at just under $1000. Crazy to think how quickly technology depreciates. My X220 is still very capable. For the day to day stuff, it's quicker than a gaming laptop with a Core i7 4810MQ, 8GB of RAM, GTX 860M, and 240GB SSD + 1TB SSHD.

[@RonLeeThatsMe]

I agree, I picked up a T60p with the 15" 1400x1050 Flexview screen for $200 (original retail over $2k) plus shipping 2 years ago - popped an ssd in there and was a great office machine. The sad thing is it was thinner, stronger, and had a better keyboard than any of its successors that I owned (T500, T520). For day-to-day stuff I've put together used Core 2 Duo machines with SSDs for friends and family (~$100-$120 total) and they're still perfectly fine for day-to-day use -even 1080p video streaming. I shake my head when I see people dropping a grand or more on new laptops that'll never see anything more intense than Office or Netflix.

[@wombat1238marsupial]

This is my kind of reviewer-NO GLOSS JUST STRAIGHT TALKING😊👍👍👍

[@JustAskSeekandKnock]

I never had a Thinkpad before... watching this make me want to get a used classic Thinkpad. I think I'm going to get a w520 on eBay. Thank you for the super informative video.

[@RoundWounds]

That zoom at 4:00 had me in tears

[@Bagnerdpak]

i own lot of ThinkPads, and i enjoy your review (for the contents and for the colourful language!).

[@KTPurdy]

I never get tired of this review.

[@MsMarciax]

I still love my old i7 X220 brick with a SSD fitted. It runs forever :)

[@nomebear]

A friend got his shit together after being in recovery for a year, so I sold him my x220. I hope the SOB stays sober because I really miss that laptop.

[@ZX3000GT1]

4 years later, and I'm also a believer. Ended up with a X220T, the best hybrid laptop I've ever used. You don't get usable keyboard with touchscreen laptops anymore. And the keyboard feels even better than almost all the keyboards off newer laptops I've tried.

[@slam5]

I have a W520 AND 530. My 530 has a 1920x1050 panel. Feeling blessed! These are sweet machines!

[@svampebob007]

+S Lam Yeah I freaking love the W530, it was my first Lenovo, and it's the best laptop I've ever used. Though he's 100% right it is not "sexy" (I think it is), but when you use sexy computers they always feel sluggish imo. I've always struggled with their shitty ass keyboards or track-pads, I feel like a grandpa when I fail to press the right keys or can't get the shitty track-pad to work smoothly. The looks people give you when you pull out that brick of a laptop, at least you can be smug that it's a functional brick. What he didn't point out is that little light above the screen, not many people get the point, when you could just have back-light on the keyboard, but they'd be surprised how many times I've used that light, I wouldn't like to go back to a laptop without one. I feel that Lenovo made the right decision when they only included the light instead of the back-light on the T430 What I just hate is the fact that they did what's "hip" and switching the CTRL with Fn, though again they gave the option to switch it in the bios... how often do you see an actual useful bios on laptops?

[@namsu2403]

Have a E530 and it's got a 1920x1080 with a wide gamut AUO V7 gloss panel. Cannot replace this laptop full size keyboard with numpad , only thing I could do with is backlit keyboard

[@GlenwingThink]

THANK YOU Good lord, you took the words right out of my mouth. For 30 minutes straight. **Tips hat**

[@aretard7995]

only good ltt moderator.

[@YR7A]

THIS is natural THIS is fuckshit. -Louis Rossmann

[@ultrapeepee731]

Your commentary is legendary.

[@larsschothorst521]

5:49 This... Is fuckshit. XD

[@hattrickster33]

lmao awesome word

[@Lagggerengineering]

Best word 2014!

[@MattTheriot]

LOL

[@alvydas6157]

You can change setting in bios for function key, i saw in few laptops so check it out.

[@meinsgtv]

Best ever insider commentary on Thinkpad, thumbs up Louis!

[@dandanik8685]

After watching this video I feel a bond with fellow ThinkPad users. :) It seems like we value the same functionality original ThinkPad provides (the design amazes me up to this day). And I am pretty sure it is not simply due we got used to it.

[@kowabundant]

Watching this video in 2019, I now see that Louis Rossmann was responsible for all the current Thinkpad's batteries being mounted inside the case. Removable batteries for life! xD

[@ImmutableCabbage]

A true ThinkPad user carries extra batteries and swap them when the battery is low. Also Lous Rossmann made a much newer video about them removing the removable batteries and complained about it.

[@silvernode]

great video, exactly what I wanted to hear. Though repeating yourself was getting in the way just like that trackpad.

[@LDdrums20]

So much wisdom. What a great find this channel is. Thanks for sharing!

[@Bbarm97]

I love that you won with this video. thinkpad now has the three buttons separated on top of the trackpad, smaller trackpad etc. just the page up and down buttons stayed the same but i can live with that.

[@nvelopd]

What do you think about to 2016 Thinkpads? I seen some changes for the better in comparison to this 2014 model.

[@Stop_code_0e]

I absolutely love my T520. I adore the aesthetics and overall feel of the Thinkpad.

[@Palismail8896]

Man you are hilarious. I honestly liked your contents a lot! Keep going 👍🏻

[@stuartmallett6334]

I love my old Thinkpad, so nice to type on, I have a few. My favorite classic was the ThinkPad 701c, if only we could upgrade it. Like your channel very much, keep up the good work, thank you.

[@TheRealTobias]

Even though it's very, very obvious that you've done the editing of this video with one hand standing in a train or something, you've made a really good point. I hope somebody at Lenovo sees this... I am by the way pretty happy with my T430. It has a good battery and the new type of keys without the (totally) fucked up keyboardlayout, the worst thing about it is the "hd+" screen though.

[@GenePavlovsky]

What's wrong with the "hd+" screen? I have an X220 with 1366x768, and a mild case of jealousy for FHD screens available on the newer models.

[@TheRealTobias]

Well, hd+ is not full hd, the viewing angles are not good as well as the colors of the screen...

[@yazidaziz309]

Couldn't agree more with you. Been using Thinkpad since T43.

[@MrEtnn]

Really need more reviews like this

[@MaheshSilwal]

Would love a similar video in 2019.

[@easa127]

This video should be seen by Lenovo engineers as it reflects thoughts if (I believe) every TP user.

[@LCDqBqA]

Old design = God.

[@ayaseshinomiya6524]

And what does the new design =?

[@ivanlovric5805]

thank you for being an honest straight up guy with this review. first review in a long time that is not low quality paid review.

[@yakir11114]

i love how you go into specifics fucking great channel

[@fritzsalzmann]

nice review! i liked the insight into the usability of laptops. my favorite laptop (on which i am writing right now) is an x230t. it is ugly and heavy, but reliable and feels good to type on.

[@KTPurdy]

best keyboard ever and the perfect size for your lap.

[@simondev913]

excellent review about laptop, even in 2019.

[@JerryWDaviscom]

I bought a T520 after watching your review, and man are you correct about that computer. It is a real computer (and my second Thinkpad) and every bit as crisply functional as you describe it. Thanks for the excellent analysis of the T520 VS all others.

[@Flux799]

i like this guys attitude, i just subbed to your channel.

[@rebane2001]

Thinkpad T60, no flexing keyboard problem here!

[@NGRosales]

rebane2001 damn... now I feel old for still using a t60p still... but that 1600x1200 screen

[@devicemodder]

I too still use a T60. it's amazing how fast it gets when you max out the ram and install an SSD

[@pawelhener5338]

We still have one T60 from 2007 still running / upgraded CPU / new heartsink / 3GB ram / 120 GB SSD - it still runs windows 10 pro and is used in a warehouse for printing stuff and writing excel sheets 😁👍🏻

[@gauve30]

Loved that intro. I’m the rare ibm fan. 💁🏻‍♂️😅

[@JodiGilar]

My W520 was sometimes used as my son's "jumping launchpad" when he wanted to jump on his trampoline back when he was 4.. :')

[@zzztidurvirus]

At least, the newly revised ThinkPad TrackPad do have that physical 3-key buttons. The blue keyboard may be gone, but ThinkPad is not a ThinkPad if it does not have the Red TrackPoint + that 3-key buttons. I own an E555.

[@Somgosomgo]

T460 user here. I've seen people with a 440. I can't fathom how they put up with all its design flaws.

[@TheRealFobican]

Makes me think of a question from a long time ago. Louis, is it possible to get away with throwing in the hardware of a newer thinkpad into an older thinkpad just to have the performance of a much more modern machine but still keep the feel of an older generation Thinkpad as you see fit?

[@Dani13G]

no it wouldnt really be feasible as many featureshave been removed and the aspect jas been changed

[@BrianAndersonTT]

14:32 i almost thought this was his way to describe the trackpad.

[@nivesmiletic1811]

I loled on the problem with self moving mouse!! Great video.

[@bklynrx7]

It's great to watch this now in 2019. My current thinkpad (a 2017 model) looks much more like the Apple on the inside than the ThinkPad in this video. Soldered CPU, soldered ram, and a battery bigger than the motherboard. I'm glad they didn't go full-on Apple and I can still replace or upgrade the storage.

[@snolahc]

Wow, i agree on 100% of what you said. This comment is posted from a T420 in mid 2020 ;-)

[@McDonnellDouglasMD87]

This video is fucking right-on the edge of perfectness. I find it so stupid shitty that Lenovo would move the more modern laptop and mess with the configuration of them. I totally agree with what you said in the video - what the living hell was wrong with the classic think pads? Even today the think pads got the i3, i5, and i7 processors, but that isn't a fucking reason because of the newer think pads that are coming out are possibly the same as the classics - all because Lenovo fucked up the design of the model. I hate the new trackpads and I like the classic ones much more. Plus, when I work at a classic, I feel like I'm actually getting stuff done because the classic Lenovo think pads just feel like more of a business kind of environment while the newer ones just feel like nothing is progressing.

[@michaelcaballero9718]

I wasn't expecting to stumble upon Louis Rossmann while going down a Thinkpad rabbit hole. I was only half listening while doing some other stuff until I recognized that tone of annoyance and beautiful sass in regard to the lack of functionality towards a device.

[@jliljj]

Bruh how have i not seen this channel before. Subbed!

[@asherv.4332]

this guys knows his shit

[@KTPurdy]

I've really enjoyed my T25 with has the old layout, a nice typing experience, all on a modern spec'd hardware. Also, in addition to the top and bottom surfaces on the T25, the palm rest is also soft touch.

[@Yousitech]

No 4:3 screen.

[@KTPurdy]

@@Yousitech No doubt that would have made it better.

[@jakemiles9827]

this is the best review I've ever seen.

[@Kacpa2]

They only briefly fixed some elements of it on A485/T470/T480 models. Three physical buttons for the trackpoint bigger internal and external removable batteries.

[@dionizas]

One of the greatest comparison videos I have ever seen, all true and no bullshit. I am ThinkPad ONLY user and had maybe 10-12 thru 14 years. Now Im typing on my T420s and waiting for T430s to get here friday, was NOT spending another $1400 (my t420s was that much) again on "fake" thinkpad this time from lenovo. Your video just proved that. And yes, IRC and Freenode was a funny line and very true one. Btw, aside from Screens another thing that they put shitty for such a pricey computers is video cards... However Im a true thinkpad guy. I still pull magic tricks with ultra bay in front of Mac people, as I swap it to my extra battery or ssd :) GREAT VIDEO, made me subscribe.

[@rossmanngroup]

+dionizas I love ultrabay. I have a desktop I edit video on. I want to edit on my laptop ont he train ride home, but files are 200 GB. gigabit limits me to about 100 MBps, or I can take the SSD out, plug it into the desktop and get 400-500 MBps. with my T440 I have to open bottom case, with T520 I just hit the switch and pop it out.

[@dionizas]

+Louis Rossmann Very true, Hey next time you going to be tightening loose hinges on thinkpad, make a detailed video. As you know ur thinkpad video got most reviews :)

[@daof95]

your videos are so good man!

[@edialbert8035]

Hey Louis, I was looking at the P72 but I’m going to be getting the P71 with the UHD screen and Xeon processor. I’ve noticed that the P71 has both the “quick swap” batteries, and the buttons, both on-top and beneath the trackpad. Similar specifications to the P72. What are your thoughts on the P71?

[@haseeb_]

KZbin is showing this is my 2019 timeline why?. To show lenevo ThinkPad actually had some positive growth after this?. (I mean they actually improved after this)

[@greyfox3015]

They have gotten a little better, but only on certain models, and only marginally so. I bought a T550 back in early 2016. It came with that chicklet keyboard, which is ok, but I have the better trackpad and actually have three separate keys for the mouse button click, similar to Louis' old T520. Alas this machine came with the dreaded TN screen, which really is complete garbage! 1440x768, uneven backlight distribution, and absolutely no optimal viewing angle, makes this machine absolutely unacceptable for the 1400$ retail price I paid. The saving grace of this model is the outstanding battery life. It has two batteries, one bigger one inside, and one smaller one on the bottom that can be easily swapped out (plug and plug) while the machine is on for uninterrupted use. Aside from that, the machine is ok, save for a CPU power limit issue that turned out to be a poorly thought out Windows setting by Lenovo (I corrected it and it is much faster). I've had it for almost 4 years now without much issue. All in all, I would say that if it didn't come with the crap TN screen, it would have been well worth the 1400$ price tag. It's a lot more than you'd pay for most similarly speced laptops, but that extra money goes into the laptop's durability.

[@jetpbastos]

@@greyfox3015 I just bought an e595, and I'm super hyped, paid $500, it's got the old style trackpad buttons as well as an ips 1080p screen

[@ireminmon]

I just love the way you think. Glad I'm not the only one. I have one question though. If you were to design a laptop, where is it you would put stereo speakers? Putting it next to the keyboard decreases the size of the keyboard. I don't really like the feeling of speakers above the keyboard. Maybe put in on each side of the screen? That would increase keyboard size and it would work even for the latest designs like yogas, with speakers always facing directly at you. Just a question.

[@rossmanngroup]

Ire Min Mon If I designed a laptop I would sell a USB DAC and a set of Vandersteen 3A Signatures with every model. :)

[@ireminmon]

Louis Rossmann Not quite the answer I was hoping for but thanks.

[@jfriend2k2]

Louis Rossmann You should have seen the crazy deals they had on their x1 carbon 3rd generation. Selling for $725 new with corei5. Crazy right? I just want a computer that will last me for 5 years. I had the pleasure of using my uncles 2009 thinkpad t410 w/ i5 and i just liked how solid it felt.... THAT and the 6 year old computer, the battery in it still held 80% charge! That is RIDICULOUS. Especially when it had been left plugged in half the time. I have yet to own a laptop that can handle that. And even battery university says its best to keep battery from 30-90, and not fully discharge or keep at 100 for long periods. why cant laptop companies implement that into their charging? So instead, I buy black friday computers and deal with their quirks. I got through 4 years of college using best buys compaq mini 110 that sold for $179. And I just got the asus x205ta from staples for $99 last november. The battery life on it is INSANE. 12 hour battery life, but actually lasts 2 or 3 days!!! Lenovo needs to make a real workhorse machine like you describe for under $1000.

[@eduardomartinezjuarez7849]

One pro of the new ThinkPad is that it's beautiful. Omg that simple square design

[@lqr824]

When you talk about locating the Delete key on the 1998-to-2013-or-so ThinkPad keyboards*** I don't use the SIZE of the delete, necessarily. Instead I use the GAP between the keys. The key is the ONLY key in that entire quadrant with a blank gap to its left. I also use GAPS to unerringly navigate to, say, F5 which I use constantly in Visual Studio. F5-F11 which I've turned into macro bindings for drawing diagrams in Word, and so on. These GAPS are so great that even if my left hand isn't in some "home position" I can find the keys. For instance, I'll be mousing with my right hand and drinking coffee with my left. I set the coffee cup down... I want to group the selected objects, which I have bound to F5... my left hand can move to the keyboard, find that three-way T-intersection gap, and press F5 with my middle finger. If I need F6, I find the three-way gap with my ring finger fingertip, at which point my middle finger is on F6, and so on. I'd love a T460s but since the keyboard changed I can't buy one. Hopefully they remedy this issue before my T420s turns into a brick. (in my ownership, 770Z, A31 I think, T400s and T420s... PLUS the ThinkPad keyboards I've used on desktops exclusively for the same time period):