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Lenovo's ruined the ThinkPad ... what's a professional user to do?

post #1 of 6
1/7/13 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
Well, my workhorse, the nc8430, though still chugging along, will be needing replacement soon (they don't last forever...). I bought it about five-and-a-half years ago. Though my very first laptop was a ThinkPad and I loved it dearly for it's drive-your-car-over-it build quality and incomparable keyboard, I shied away over fears that Lenovo would gut the ThinkPad and disgrace its name.

My fears have been proven right. This keyboard debacle is an absolute travesty. The layout of a keyboard is of prime importance to typists, programmers like myself and otherwise professional users. Lenovo obviously doesn't care that the ThinkPad core userbase is the professional, the typist, the power user.

This is what I'm talking about:

HP nc8430 layout:


What ThinkPads used to have:


Note of great importance: separation between F keys, the INS/DEL/HOM/END/PGU/PGD cluster exactly as it should be, double-height ESC and DEL keys that are an absolute godsend for programmers.

Now Lenovo seems bent on pissing off every one of their loyal customers.

At this point, I'm considering a W520 used, refurbished or unmoved stock. But barring that, is there any remaining refuge for the power user? Is there anyone with a proper 7-row layout?
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post #2 of 6
1/7/13 at 6:40pm
Keyboards manufacturers are for volume, not for specific users ... and that is a bloody shame. They could charge a little bit more for it but afraid of being sued laugh4.gif

cheers ...
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post #3 of 6
1/7/13 at 7:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Keyboards manufacturers are for volume, not for specific users
Indeed, but in the case of the ThinkPad, that volume is made up users who express exactly the same sentiments.

Exhibit A: http://blog.lenovo.com/products/why-you-should-give-in-to-the-new-thinkpad-keyboard

Lenovo's Social Media liaison gushes about the pretty new keyboard, includes a wack-load of transparent marketing gibberish, does a Jedi hand-wave and expects everyone to be hunky-dory. But you need only read the first few comments to see that response is overwhelmingly negative. That thread is six months old and still growing almost daily.

There are threads here and elsewhere ad infinity with equally dissatisfied users.

So, onto the crux of the matter: am I stuck buying used, refurbished or old stock or has some manufacturer been willing to stick their neck out?
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post #4 of 6
1/7/13 at 9:23pm
Dissatisfied Lenovo keyboard users should ban together and see if they can petition Lenovo to offer a different upper case for certain models. If the number fits the business model and cost for the special keyboard then Lenovo, or any manufacturers, would do it. If not, yes, Lenovo would not give a hoot about a small number of consumers say about them ... sad but true

cheers ...
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post #5 of 6
1/7/13 at 9:42pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Dissatisfied Lenovo keyboard users should ban together and see if they can petition Lenovo to offer a different upper case for certain models. If the number fits the business model and cost for the special keyboard then Lenovo, or any manufacturers, would do it. If not, yes, Lenovo would not give a hoot about a small number of consumers say about them ... sad but true

cheers ...
Indeed. "Banding together" is the tricky part :\
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post #6 of 6
1/7/13 at 9:49pm
yep. They got us all one way or the other thumbdown.gif

cheers ...
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