Tony Narlock Not just 'cause I say so.

10 reasons why ThinkPads are my favorite line of notebook

When a friend or colleague is laptop or computer hunting I always try to recommend my favorite products and websites in order to help accommodate them. If you're great quality laptop, you can't beat the Lenovo (Formerly IBM) ThinkPad.

I work regularly on a X200 Tablet and a T400 refurbished from the Lenovo Outlet. Suffice it to say, I am a very satisfied Lenovo customer.

1. Time tested. Thinkpads have had the same characteristic look for ages. 1992 to be mm-specific. So that's about 18 years, more or less.
2. Industry tested. Many corporations and government agencies swear to Thinkpads. They even use them in space.
   

   Space-approved.

3. No odd keyboard placement or other gotchas. I have an ASUS N50V and I hate the swapped Fn and control keys keys. Why don't they just use Fn-Ctrl? When they change the order on laptops you use regularly it's annoying.  Also other laptops are designed in such an odd way, non-standard keyboard placement, mouse in a weird area, etc. For office professionals, sometimes standard is the most ergonomic fit you can get.
4. Consistent design. Other laptops spend too much time "rounding" out their looks with shiny plastic glosses. Manufacturers do this to improve the look when selling them on the floor as retailers like Best Buy and Fry's.
5. Great build quality. Carbon-fibered reinforced plastic cases. Also, newer models have a Magnesium-alloy roll cage to protect the internals. (Thanks Wikipedia, was wondering what they were made from ).
6. Price point. While some configurations can be pricey, most are fairly economical. Use the Lenovo Outlet for refurbished/used or go for stock models. These laptops will include a variety of unique configurations; whatever is on the shelf.
7. Decent hardware. Lenovo isn't perfect, but relative to other manufacturers who screw you over with Broadcom and other odd hardware you can't trust, they'll give you a system you can expect. They use Intel Centrino (Chipset, Mobo, Wireless) on most laps. So this works well.
8. Wireless-friendly. Newer laps have support for wireless 3g/wimax. You can look for this in outlet or customize for this. My T400 has a 3g and wifi. My X200 has a wimax and a regular wifi card.
9. Linux-friendly. Currently I'm running Kubuntu Karmic AMD64 on both my X200 and T400. Also, for a great Linux documentation source, check out ThinkWiki.
10. No camera option. What is the problem with Dell/HP/etc. with understanding that many places have a no tolerance policy for cameras? Ever try going to a court house with a camera on your lappy? They'll turn you around. Helpful hint: Lenovo Outlet lets you search via a "No Camera option"

My hope is Lenovo carries on the legacy of the ThinkPad into the future.

(Thinkpad Image courtesy of Goldman40, Wikimedia Commons)