Lenovo's design chief wants to build this retro-classic ThinkPad
Lenovo design VP David Hill has a dream: a dream of blue enter keys, seven-row keyboards, and status LEDs. In other words, he wants to bring classic ThinkPad design DNA back from the era of IBM and into the present day. In a blog post on Lenovo's site, Hill says he's been "exploring the idea of introducing a very unique ThinkPad model" that "embodies all the latest technology advances, however embraces the original design details in the strongest way possible."
Hill refers to the concept as "retro ThinkPad," and here's what it might look like:
You can see vintage notes like the multicolored ThinkPad wordmark that evokes IBM's classic logo, the keyboard layout with a gap at the top for dedicated volume buttons, and the rubberized finish. Hill likens the design to resurrected cars like the new Mini Cooper, suggesting the original ThinkPads have a similar power to move people. "None of our competitors can lay claim to a heritage or pedigree as deep as ours," he says.
The retro ThinkPad is just an idea for now, but if it's one you like, you should head on over to Hill's full blog post and let him know your thoughts. It might help convince Lenovo to put the laptop into production.