Thinkpad 25th anniversary edition keyboard?

[didjamatic]

Has anyone tried the keyboard in the Thinkpad 25th anniversary edition?
As an avid Thinkpad user since the 90's this is exciting to me and I'm hoping for some vintage scissor switch goodness, though with the thinness of the T470 this is based on, I don't know if they can fit a proper scissor switch into it.

https://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-t-series/ThinkPad-25/p/22TP2TTTP25

[bluesclera]

They peak with the w530, all downhill from there. This thing is hideous.

[ideus]

Let's see if someone with actual experience with previous original 7 row scissor switch keyboard makes a review for all us. However, judging from the specifications it is highly improbable that this new keyboard is an actual remake of the old good ones, instead, it seems to be just the key design that was actually retro-fitted.

[didjamatic]

I had a W520 but refuse to own a system with a power brick heavier than an entire 12" thinkpad.

I've been pretty happy with the X and T series and currently have a T450 which is a great system - dual batteries, decent keyboard for a laptop, true trackpoint setup, ssd, etc.

The Yoga X1 w/OLED that I'm using at the moment has a great screen and design but doesn't have a good keyboard or long battery life.

I'm hoping the typing experience on this 25th anniversary model is good and I'll get one.  But if it's no better than a T470 then I'll get that one.

[_rubik]

Quite honestly, if I want that retro feel, I'll go break out the T60.... I doubt the switches are actually the same in this new edition. It's most likely vintage styled caps on their new dome recipe. This is definitely one of the cases where the best one is the real deal.

[didjamatic]

True, but the real deal won't have an i7, loads of RAM, SSD and modern OS support.

Maybe there's hope.  This article on the Lenovo Y900 laptop indicates it uses mechanical switches that feel like cherry mx browns.
https://www.gamecrate.com/lenovos-y900-mechanical-laptop-keyboard-huge-deal-seriously/12597

[Kavik]

I have a T420, which has a pretty good keyboard. I specifically bought it because it has a nav cluster (unlike literally every other laptop), and it was $200. I can't imagine paying $1900 for a laptop though, even if it is more modern with the same good keyboard layout. I may pick up a refurbished one in a few years.

[ideus]

I have a T420, which has a pretty good keyboard. I specifically bought it because it has a nav cluster (unlike literally every other laptop), and it was $200. I can't imagine paying $1900 for a laptop though, even if it is more modern with the same good keyboard layout. I may pick up a refurbished one in a few years.

Interesting, however the stab like four posts guides may make the keys too mushy to be a real mechanical keyboard gimmick.

[AMongoose]

It still has a 16:9 screen at only full hd, what a let down.

[losing_ctrl]

Dang, it's out of stock already. I wonder if this is a limited run? I've owned a T510 for years with the same KB config, and that was a really great keyboard. I'd love to try the modern version of it. This would be really tempting if they had some in stock. Lenovo still has the best laptop keyboard by far - my work laptop is a Lenovo and the newer style island key switches work great, but the old config was better.

[davkol]

ThinkPad forum/subreddit got a bunch of reviews, when Retro shipped.

The keyboard does have the old layout and I get that some people like it… I, for one, couldn't care less.

Mechanically, it's not the same though. Actually, the same as what? Each thinkpad model/generation has had a slightly different keyboard, sometimes made by a different OEM. There was a notable difference between keyboards for the same model, but from Chicony and, say, NMB.

One major change is keycap texture, which is way smoother out of the box than back in the day.

Either way, I can't justify getting a T470 with a different logo and keyboard layout (that I don't care about), and the stock was extremely limited in Europe anyway.

[_rubik]

ThinkPad forum/subreddit got a bunch of reviews, when Retro shipped.

The keyboard does have the old layout and I get that some people like it… I, for one, couldn't care less.

Mechanically, it's not the same though. Actually, the same as what? Each thinkpad model/generation has had a slightly different keyboard, sometimes made by a different OEM. There was a notable difference between keyboards for the same model, but from Chicony and, say, NMB.

One major change is keycap texture, which is way smoother out of the box than back in the day.

Either way, I can't justify getting a T470 with a different logo and keyboard layout (that I don't care about), and the stock was extremely limited in Europe anyway.

Agreed. I adore my T450s, but I see no need to buy another for that retro feel. I feel like this product is for either a) the folks who are already looking for a new laptop and think it's cool b) Thinkpad junkies who will buy anything for the sake of nostalgic branding.

Let the record stand ... if it was actually made by IBM like the good ole' days, I would 100% buy it.

[ideus]

It is just marketing.

[dante]

So basically what you guys are saying is Lenovo didn't have a chance to do right by anyone?

The haters can hate but from what I understand they sold out of the entire 5,000 unit production in 3 days at a time when hardware sales are collapsing.

As far as I can tell they didn't need your business.

[davkol]

5000 globally is nothing, especially if it's distributed so that for example Germany got a few hundreds and that was the most in whole Europe IIRC.

The whole thing was bizarre. David Hill basically put his position in Lenovo on line for what? A colorful logo and a 7-row keyboard?

Looking back, it was an obvious mission impossible in company driven by bean counters. TBH IBM wasn't all that different in the end and they had bad series too, BUT they didn't give quality tools such a straight middle finger. Because the issue with this Retro boils down to the culture of disposable consumables.


alt: My favorite might be U+1F609 U+1F93F WINKING FACE VOMITING.
xkcd #1813

[SamirD]

*Pets the keys on his 9545 Thinkpad*

"It's okay, it's okay"