Thinkpads Forum

Interview in Brazil with David Hill, after he 'rewired'

David Hill wrote:Here's an interesting statistic: We conducted some surveys to find out what the user profile would be interested in buying a Retro-ThinkPad thinking they would be older people who spend the day sitting on the porch of the house or in the nursing home and average of respondents were under 30 years old - millenials!

RealBlackStuff wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 16, 2017 6:31 am

Interview in Brazil with David Hill, after he 'rewired'

David Hill wrote:Here's an interesting statistic: We conducted some surveys to find out what the user profile would be interested in buying a Retro-ThinkPad thinking they would be older people who spend the day sitting on the porch of the house or in the nursing home and average of respondents were under 30 years old - millenials!

once again the millennials screwed us over.
well, I hope we get a better T30-Retro!

once again the millennials screwed us over.

Indeed:

[The millenials] liked the proposal because it is authentic, it is different, it is anti-type company with fruit name.

exTPfan wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 16, 2017 9:12 pm

once again the millennials screwed us over.

Indeed:

[The millenials] liked the proposal because it is authentic, it is different, it is anti-type company with fruit name.

What was voted on was NOT what was released. If the interview is to be believed, millennials got screwed over as well.

hengster wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:57 pm

once again the millennials screwed us over.

This narrative is tired and unproductive.

Actually, I identify as a Centennial, so I'm in the demographic.
I highly doubt this is the reason why, I think they went with 16:9 and making an excuse instead of it being 4:3 or 16:10...
The under 30 crew wants better graphics, why they didn't go with nVidia MX150 graphics is beyond me.

The Greatest Generation (1901-1927)
The Silent Generation (1928-1945)
Baby boomers (1946-1964)
Generation X (1965-1980)
Millennials (1981-1997)
Generation Z, a.k.a Centennials (1998-2010).
Generation Alpha, a.k.a. Next Gen or Gen Tech, (2011-2025)

That means I'm a centennial too. Just one stuck back in 1987.

My computers are from the 80's.
My typewriters are from the 80's (and before)
My music is from the 80's. (and on cassettes)
My games are from the 80's.
MY COMPUTERS ARE FROM THE 80'S!!

I'm a millenial and didn't like the route Lenovo took on the T25 Retro, seemed ludicrous trying to profit just by putting the 'classic' 7 row keyboard. Now to me a high resolution panel LCD is more important than having the classic 7 row keyboard, you can't have a cake and eat it too.

We should just accept and move on that a proper ThinkPad would no longer be produced by any official authority, what we could do is try to make Lenovo to continue offering laptops with the old keyboard layout and type and offer plenty of customizations such as Quad Cores and QHD or higher.

David Hill will still work in a consultancy role so he was hardly going to say that Lenovo had a great opportunity here but dropped the ball.

shawross wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 21, 2017 12:55 am

David Hill will still work in a consultancy role so he was hardly going to say that Lenovo had a great opportunity here but dropped the ball.

I think the worst part was that he decided to call it the ThinkPad retro while Lenovo just wanted a special model with a limited release.
Because of the questionnaires, we thought it was going to actively affect Lenovo's decision.

Saucey wrote: to call it the ThinkPad retro while Lenovo just wanted a special model with a limited release.

Classifying it as "Retro" is wrong and as you say Lenovo only wanted a "Limited edition". Lenovo didn't mind the extra hype and interest that "Retro" provided at the expense of Thinkpad enthusiasts. It should be renamed T25-SE and probably people on the forum would be more accepting.

shawross wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 22, 2017 6:15 pm

Saucey wrote: to call it the ThinkPad retro while Lenovo just wanted a special model with a limited release.

Classifying it as "Retro" is wrong and as you say Lenovo only wanted a "Limited edition". Lenovo didn't mind the extra hype and interest that "Retro" provided at the expense of Thinkpad enthusiasts. It should be renamed T25-SE and probably people on the forum would be more accepting.

I totally agree. I think Lenovo knew of the hype and rode with it.

shawross wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 22, 2017 6:15 pm

It should be renamed T25-SE

The official name of the product is "ThinkPad 25 Anniversary Edition" already. "ThinkPad Retro" is just the codename for the project.

Saucey wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:50 pm

Because of the questionnaires, we thought it was going to actively affect Lenovo's decision.

The surveys did influence Lenovos decisions. Without them, there wouldn´t have been any return of the 7 row keyboard.

There is one big thing in the survey-results that Lenovo didn´t do and that is 16:10. Other than that, the ThinkPad 25 mostly lines up with the results of the surveys. Some important results of the survey were for example the preference for 14", a replaceable battery and for built in Ethernet and an SD-card reader. The T470 as the base for the ThinkPad 25 fits best with those results. Had Lenovo chosen the ThinkPad T470s as the base, for example, it wouldn´t have had a replaceable/expandable battery.

You can read the results of the surveys here:

http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-th ... -keyboard/

http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-th ... -the-hood/

http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-th ... cellaneous

http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-th ... -to-think/

Ibthink wrote:The official name of the product is "ThinkPad 25 Anniversary Edition" already. "ThinkPad Retro" is just the codename for the project.

My belief is David Hill wanted to make a Retro but the bean counters at Lenovo shut this down and provided an "Anniversary Edition" instead.

shawross wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 23, 2017 6:01 am

My belief is David Hill wanted to make a Retro but the bean counters at Lenovo shut this down and provided an "Anniversary Edition" instead.

Its the same product. The Thinkpad 25 is the result of the ThinkPad Retro blogs.

Ibthink wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:08 am

The Thinkpad 25 is the result of the ThinkPad Retro blogs.

Well, if that were indeed so, they obviously didn't pay a blind bit of attention to the non-keyboard stuff.
In that respect, Lenovo is just like Trump: lots of tweeting and shouting, but nothing to show for! LAME.

Actually, according to the stuff they presented in the surveys - it does seems as if they paid attention to most things, except the screen ratio, which is what Ibthink had said.

Multiple trackpoint caps, all the most popular ports, etc.

Ibthink wrote:Its the same product. The Thinkpad 25 is the result of the ThinkPad Retro blogs.

The Retro was a concept and not a product and screen ratio was a major part of the concept. Surveys were used to define the concept.

Obviously the T25 Anniversary Edition is a product and that is what they are selling.

Product sadly isn't the same as a concept.

shawross wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:56 am

The Retro was a concept and not a product and screen ratio was a major part of the concept. Surveys were used to define the concept.

David Hill created a concept before any surveys were done. You can see that concept here: http://blog.lenovo.com/en/blog/retro-th ... e-machine/

The concept you can see there was just that, a concept, an example how such a "Retro ThinkPad" could look like. The surveys were used to see how such a concept could be translated into a product and how many people were even interested.

Ibthink wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 23, 2017 8:12 am

The surveys were used to see how such a concept could be translated into a product and how many people were even interested.

I can't remember an option in these surveys along "Do you want very limited edition of T470 with 7-row keyboard and touchscreen available in 13 countries?"

Ibthink wrote:The concept you can see there was just that, a concept, an example how such a "Retro ThinkPad" could look like. The surveys were used to see how such a concept could be translated into a product and how many people were even interested.

Yes David Hill had a concept for a Retro and Lenovo produced the T25. Lenovo made compromises from the concept to get the final product.




.

And where is that final product anyway? I can't buy it anywhere in my country, even though there's abundance of any other Thinkpad. I'd gladly buy the T25, but Lenovo says "fvck you for being non-American", so yeah, thanks Lenovo for this retro keyboard I've been awaiting for two years!

Hi kony,

Noted that from your region you are perhaps based in Poland, and presume you wish an English keyboard version of TP25.

TP25 is selling reasonably well, sold out in a number of English countries:
USA - Sold out for now
Canada - Sold out for now
UK - Sold out for now
Australia - Sold out for now
New Zealand - Sold out for now

TP25 is still selling from the following cities:
Hong Kong - have TP25 in stock for both with WWAN, also without WWAN options.
Singapore - have TP in stock only for with WWAN (Mobile Broadband).

Not sure if they are willing to ship to Poland (due to insurance reasons)...

kony wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2017 2:52 am

And where is that final product anyway? I can't buy it anywhere in my country...
I'd gladly buy the T25 ... thanks Lenovo for this retro keyboard I've been awaiting for two years!

kony wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2017 2:52 am

And where is that final product anyway? I can't buy it anywhere in my country, even though there's abundance of any other Thinkpad. I'd gladly buy the T25, but Lenovo says "fvck you for being non-American", so yeah, thanks Lenovo for this retro keyboard I've been awaiting for two years!

Cited from a notebookcheck article:
Based on the available keyboard-layouts, it seems the ThinkPad 25 will be available in the following countries: Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, USA, China, Great Britain, Japan as well as Denmark and Norway. Of course, this is still unconfirmed information and there is a chance that this list isn´t quite complete.

So it seems there won't be a Polish version. And probably the Polish thinkpad distributor won't import TP25's with other keyboard layouts. So if you don't mind a non-polish layout, order in the country with your preferred alternative layout. For example, the German version is still available, eg at ok2.de

If you want a Polish layout, yes, you're out of luck.

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the help, but I don't want to import it because I don't want to risk that I will get a faulty device and then I won't be able to use the warranty or even get parts due to low number of the laptop worldwide and none in my country.

Anyway there wouldn't need to be a Polish layout of the keyboard as in Poland we just use the American one. Only Macbooks here use non-American layout, which is UK one.

Hey Kony,

I live in Dubai and its not available here either. And I've been waiting patiently since David Hill released the first blog on the 'Retro Thinkpad' in 2015. I was one of the fans who voted too in the poll. Only to find out they aren't bringing this to the Middle East after 2 long years.

But I ordered the T25 from Singapore where I'm getting one of my friends to bring it over to Dubai. All Thinkpad 25s sold across the world comes with 'International Warranty'. I even double-checked with Lenovo Singapore and they said the warranty is applicable in Dubai as well. So yes even if you get it shipped to Poland the warranty will be covered there. Benefits of Lenovo being the leader of PC electronics in the world.

So if you still want it. Both Singapore and HK still have it in stock (definitely not for much longer). Its sold out everywhere else I believe. Hope this helps you make a decision. Cheers.

w0qj wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:52 am

TP25 is selling reasonably well, sold out in a number of English countries:

I hope Lenovo finally gets the effing hint...

imranvp wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:12 pm

So if you still want it. Both Singapore and HK still have it in stock (definitely not for much longer). Its sold out everywhere else I believe. Hope this helps you make a decision. Cheers.

Its still available in the US (or rather, its available again after being unavailable for some time): https://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/t ... 2TP2TTTP25

Also still available in Europe through German resellers: https://geizhals.de/lenovo-thinkpad-25- ... 07467.html Just very expensive