The end of the ThinkPad?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-12-03 12:50pm

Various news sites are reporting that IBM's PC business is up for sale and rumours about at possible buyers. While their desktops haven't had a good reputation in years their ThinkPad line is widely considered the best laptop bar none -- if at a premium price.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-12-03 01:48pm

Here's a New York Times link, snarfed from Slashdot.

Whoever buys their PC business had better keep the Thinkpad robust and not make it a flimsy POS like Dell's laptops...

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-12-03 02:01pm

Who else wants Apple to pick it up?

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-12-03 02:03pm

When that happens, they'll be having a snowball fight in Hell, I would think.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-12-03 02:37pm

Crayz9000 wrote:When that happens, they'll be having a snowball fight in Hell, I would think.

I personally wouldn't mind an Apple laptop in IBM Black.

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » 2004-12-03 02:43pm

There's been a commercial series on TV recently for one of those "Buck a Day" computer sales type companies... and one of their selling points is some guy saying "When I want a Computer I want a real computer, Clones are for sheep.".

With this news I wonder how much longer they'll keep that up seeing as how they'll all be 'clones' now.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2004-12-03 04:55pm

Durandal wrote:Who else wants Apple to pick it up?

That'd be sweet. The current PowerBooks are great, but not very durable (drop it, and you're in trouble, as I learned

). Put Mac parts in a thinkpad...Hey! A ThinkBook!

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-12-07 10:50pm

InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2004-12-08 02:17am

Heh, looking at that graph, I had no idea Gateway was doing so crapily (despite their hardware, which shares a common adjective). Though I'll admit, I don't recall any gateway comericals in a good long time.

Wonder what this will do to the quality and support of "IBM" machines? Anyone own a Lenovo (sounds like a car...)?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-12-08 09:20am

Press Release

Apparently this will be a new company 18.2% owned by IBM -- who will continue to produce IBM-branded products.