[TriLUG] Re: Thinkpads... *** OT ***

[William Sutton]

I'd just like to point out that there is a very large difference between 
manufacturing a laptop to someone's spec and designing that laptop and 
manufacturing it according to your own spec.  At the moment companies are 
building ThinkPads (and other IBM hardware) according to IBM's design.  My 
understanding is that Lenovo is taking over the design part (the 
manufacturing already belonging to non-IBM companies).  Thus there is a 
potential for the design quality to drop off.

Mind you, IBM will very likely try to keep the same high standards they've 
had, but with only a (what was it?  18%) interest in the "new" IBM PC 
division (err, Lenovo), I don't know how much control they'll really have.  
I know IBM is very much a hands-on outfit when it comes to building their 
PC hardware...I just don't know.

Food for thought though.

William Sutton

As with the previous post I made on this thread, this does not reflect the 
opinion of my employer, which thinks this is a great move.

On Fri, 17 Dec 2004, Ed Hill wrote:

> On Fri, 2004-12-17 at 19:05 -0500, Lance A. Brown wrote:
> > Michael Alan Dorman wrote:
> > > "Lance A. Brown" <lance at bearcircle.net> writes:
> > > 
> > >>Ed Hill wrote:
> > >>
> > >>>ps - Yes, I *will* buy another ThinkPad when the time comes.
> > >>
> > >>Assuming they are still around and retain their quality.  Who knows
> > >>now that IBM has sold its PC Business to that Chinese outfit.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Well, apparently that company had been building them for years.
> > > Whether the designs will go downscale...
> > 
> > Yeah.  Tell me about it.  I watched my T41 get shipped from China to my
> > doorstep online.  I hope the quality remains because the Thinkpads are
> > some of the best laptop machinery out there.
> 
> 
> [ ...please forgive continued OT posts! ]
> 
> I've read that Lenovo (formerly Legend) was already building most of the
> ThinkPads.  So I don't see how the quality is going to suddenly change.
> Lenovo may eventually make a mess of things but the only real change I
> can see so far is a positive one.  Have you noticed the *much* more
> configurable "you build it" options on the web site?  Its a real
> improvement.
> 
> Ed
> 
>