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Lenovo's development really is sad - each generation has become less serviceable and maintainable, and increasingly static/locked in. Even if you follow along
by 3np 6y ago
Lenovo's development really is sad - each generation has become less serviceable and maintainable, and increasingly static/locked in.
Even if you follow along models with a similar physical footprint as each series has incrementally shrunk over generations (say, compare the 2020 T14 to the t440s).
I've had enough Thinkpads that I lost counter over the years but my next laptop will be of another brand.
Hopefully I won't need a new one until one of the more open alternatives come with a decent 13-14.5" model with 2k display.
- hr2016 6y agoInteresting, which brand would that be? My old Thinkpad is due for replacement soon.
- 3np 6y agoSome Clevo model (eg system76), purism, pine64 for example.
- Al-Khwarizmi 6y agoI agree with you, but I'm locked into ThinkPads due to the trackpoint. To me, using a trackpad or having to carry a mouse around when trackpoints exist would be a massive downgrade in comfort and usability, comparable to e.g. not having a battery. Thus, as trackpoint uptake from other brands is almost nonexistent, I'll swallow whatever crappy decision Lenovo comes up with in new laptops. They would have to do something exaggeratedly egregious (no battery? no USB ports? That kind of thing) for me to even consider the competition. It's sad, but as bad as it is that Lenovo makes these changes, to me it's even worse that other brands don't even bother to offer a TrackPoint in at least some of their lineup, considering that it takes negligible space and the inconvenience for people who don't use it is near zero.
- pmyteh 6y agoWork have just given me a new HP Elitebook with a trackpoint, so they're not completely unknown on other makes. Not saying that machine's any good, mind - I haven't had a chance to play with it yet.
- pjmlp 6y agoThey used to be patented, not sure what the situation is currently.
- Al-Khwarizmi 6y agoAFAIK it's expired, see: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6115030A/en?oq=6115030 https://patents.google.com/patent/US6115030A/en?oq=6115030
- pjmlp 6y agoI see, thanks.
- jpetso 6y agoThe trend is not going in the right direction despite the expired patents: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-kills-off-its-TrackPoint-on-the-new-Latitude-5320-Latitude-5420-Latitude-5520.513041.0.html https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-kills-off-its-TrackPoint-... Add to that the braindead half-size arrow key design of most models (often paired with a loss of Home/End/PgUp/PgDown keys, thanks a ton Apple) and already there's a comfortable gap between ThinkPads and most other laptops. HP seems to be an exception here, and you'll have to go larger than the 12"/13" range to even find any options there.
- 3np 6y agoIDK if you're married to using your laptop keyboard - Leno has USB/BT keyboards with identical trackpoint.
- Al-Khwarizmi 6y agoAt home that's a good solution, but when on the go, lugging a keyboard around does seem like too much discomfort too.
- 3np 6y agoRight. These days I can't sit at just the laptop for an extended period without severe back pain anyway, so I just lost the habit of using it betwene that and adopting a more keyboard-centric workflow. I have been keeping an eye out for options of operating the pinter device from a mech without having to ove from the home row. There are rotary encoders, sensors you can put on the keyboard itself if you make it small and mobile enough, I think I saw something trackpoint-like at some point as well, but nothing fundamental so far.
- TonyTrapp 6y agoI'd say they are actually meandering. For example, the T460s is straight-forward to open, while the T450s had many painful plastic clips to undo. But yes, all in all the trend is pointing downwards.