If there’s ever been a truly iconic laptop in the Windows world, it’s the ThinkPad. Designed by Richard Sapper for IBM back in 1992, the ThinkPad’s clean lines and no-nonsense look made it a favorite among business users.
Twenty three years since the original was launched, Lenovo wants to bring back the classic ThinkPad with all-new internals and a few tweaks to honor its heritage.
In a blog post, Lenovo’s vice president of corporate identity and design David Hill shared renders of a special ThinkPad model with a seven-row keyboard, a blue Enter key, a 16:10 aspect ratio screen, dedicated volume controls, exposed screws and numerous status LEDs.
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He also proposed the use of rubberized paint that gave the original ThinkPad its unmistakable finish, as well as a multi-color ThinkPad logo featuring the red, blue and green hues that graced IBM’s wordmark on previous models.
Taking cues from the X300 released in 2008, the concept also has room for not one, but two ThinkLights above the display. Hill estimates that Lenovo could fit it all into a chassis 18 millimeters thick.
The concept is a solid effort that pays tribute to the memorable ThinkPad, while updating it for today’s users. Here’s what the device looked like back in 1992:
For now, it’s only an idea. Lenovo is hoping to receive feedback on whether it should build the device. If you’re a fan of the classic ThinkPad, let the company know with a comment on Hill’s blog post.
➤ ThinkPad Time Machine? [Lenovo Blog]
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Article image credit: Richard Sapper
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