Deep Thoughts with Richard Schoen

I was having a discussion this morning regarding which laptop was better: Dell, Toshiba or IBM. Because I have been using an IBM Thinkpad for the past 6 years, I’m sure you can guess my answer. Part of the reason I like Thinkpads is that they are built like tanks. I also like the fact that IBM has seen fit to keep the little red joystick in the middle of the keyboard for all these years. Toshiba did away with this feature several years ago and promptly lost my future business. The little red joystick thingie has become quite useful when sitting in a coffee shop, airport or when jammed in between passengers on a crowded airplane. Each time I have upgraded my Thinkpad to a new model, the insides have changed. The outsides have changed a little too, but the good old Thinkpad keyboard allows me to become proficient almost immediately when faced with a new laptop. Thinkpads are usually more expensive than some of the retail brands, but worth every penny in my opinion. Now that Lenovo has taken over the reigns, I am hoping the Thinkpad product line will remain the close friend that it’s always been. So far the trend looks promising. If you’re in the market for a tablet PC or a nice small laptop, take a look at the Lenovo web site and check out the Thinkpad X41 model. It’s a little small for my taste, but it shows they are moving in the right direction…..so far. Long live the Thinkpad.