IBM Thinkpad - The Leica of Laptops? or perhaps a better analogy is needed

[clarence]

I recently spilled a bowlful of ramen onto my IBM Thinkpad R50 and managed to damage it after 4 long years of its having survived despite having been dropped a few times. I expected complete system failure after the accident but the only part that failed to work was the LCD backlight.

The opportunity to get a new laptop presented itself and I bought a 12.1 inch Thinkpad X30 on ebay. The build quality and attention to detail is incredible, from the keyboard layout to the matte top cover which seems sprinkled with tiny particles that shine when the light hits it at an angle.

The similarities to Leicas are aplenty: Classic, utilitarian, unchanging design; seemingly extortionate prices; quality that speaks for itself in durability.

I expect a lot more from my computer than I do from my cameras, otherwise I would be buying only Leicas. The problem is that I desire a 10.4 inch laptop and the only Thinkpad which has this specification is the elusive S30, which was developed in small numbers for the Japanese market and now commands a ridiculously high price on the used market, if you can even find one.

The question, then, is whether a Sony VAIO laptop, for example, would be durable enough for me. I do not use Leicas regularly and my cameras seem to take punishment well enough. Am I being too hung up on the Thinkpad's branding?


Clarence

 

[mbisc]

Well, about 5 or 10 years ago, I would have agreed with your assessment of IBM Thinkpads. Since then IBM shipped off their manufacturing to a contractor in China (i.e. Lenovo), which then bought out their notebook business a couple of years ago. The current generation of Thinkpads (including those manufactured in the last couple of years) is only mildly better than a Holga (to stay with camera analogies) 😡 😡 😡

 

[Morca007]

Uh, the quality of the Lenovo produced thinkpads is still up to par.
That said, it's not as though Thinkpads are magical, just a well built computer, just like Leica is nothing more than a well built camera, nothing magical at all.

 

[JoeV]

The Leica of laptops is the old Radio Shack model 100, which was essentially a dedicated text-editor only. But the batteries lasted much longer than they do in contemporary laptops, and for the purposes of mobile writing they are still a very practical tool.

I would liken the IBM Thinkpad series to something analagous to a higher-end film SLR, like a later Nikon F-series.

~Joe

 

[crawdiddy]

This is a bizarre thread.

I am also a fan of IBM Thinkpads, although my last couple of laptops have been HPs. Many of my colleagues use them, and they have always been impressed with their compact size and build quality. Several of these were Chinese built Lenovo's.

I'm not sure that camera/laptop analogies make sense, unless you limit cameras to those with operating systems.

 

[fbf]

IBM used to be the leica of laptops. IMO, not any more. Not because Chinese company has taken over the personal laptop business from IBM, but lowering the cost and standard of the laptop is the only way IBM can compete with other brands nowadays. As you all know, "IBM" has been erased from all models of lenovo laptops, even the classic T , X and R series. If you need a performance laptop, "IBM"- Lenovo is NOT the answer.

 

[clarence]

Thank you all for your wide ranging responses.

Frankly, I'm not too concerned about the current Lenovo Thinkpads since laptop technology circa 2003, well before the acquisiton by Lenovo, is good enough for me. Just like how my film cameras are at least 20 years old.

Is there anyone here who has used a Sony VAIO ultraportable?

Clarence

 

[Anupam]

The current generation of Thinkpads (including those manufactured in the last couple of years) is only mildly better than a Holga

Really? My Holga has been beating the crap out of the Nikons and Canons, then. I have been very pleased with Lenovo products, second only to the smoothness of a Mac.

-A

 

[40oz]

As I understand it, Lenovo had been producing the Thinkpad for quite a while prior to the separation of Lenovo and IBM. It's not like some random Chinese corporation somehow convinced IBM to stop making laptops. So the idea that somehow the quality has fallen after Lenovo began branding them is kind of silly, and points to some kind of personal prejudice.

As far as ANY computer being built as tough as a Leica? Not so much, IMHO. Thinkpads have a well-deserved reputation for durability, but only as they are compared to machines that are hardly designed for a rough life. Leica has a well-deserved reputation for durability, even compared to camers that are designed for harsh duty.

IMHO, the reputation of Thinkpads is deserved but not really saying much, while Leica's rep is well-deserved but quite often overblown by wishful thinkers. Peruse rf forums for any length of time, and you'll find numerous posts concerning fogged Leica lenses but very few mentions of fogging in contemporary examples from non-Leica brands. Just browse used camera listings at any of the major online retailers, and the phrase "speeds off" or "rf mis-alignment" are common as dirt in the Leica listings, and rare as hen's teeth in the listing of their contemporaries. I think the Leica M bodies are rather durable, but nowhere near the bomb-proof structures some seem to imagine.

 

[Pablito]

The Leica of laptops is the MacBook pro. I'm surprised no one said so yet in this thread. This comparison has been made quite a lot. The elegance, the simplicity, aluminum case......

 

[kmack]

The Leica of laptops is the MacBook pro. I'm surprised no one said so yet in this thread. This comparison has been made quite a lot. The elegance, the simplicity, aluminum case......

I will have to agree, like Leica, Mac laptops are more expensive than other of their kind, they retain their value and usefulness longer and are artfully designed.