History of IBM Thinkpad
The IBM ThinkPad's debut garnered more than 300 awards for usability, reliability and design. The Shuttle Endeavour took the first ThinkPad into space in December 1993 to assist in the repairs of the Hubble Space Telescope--the first modern laptop to enter orbit and the first of many journeys off-planet for the ThinkPad product line. ThinkPads have received recognition for outstanding design innovations and performance throughout their history.
Other People Are Reading
-
Notable Early History
-
IBM employees often carried notepads with them that bore the word "Think" on the cover, which later became the inspiration for the ThinkPad brand. The first production ThinkPads made their appearance in October 1992, bearing the model numbers 300, 700, 700T and 700C. The 700T was a Tablet PC and did not have a keyboard. A month later, the ThinkPad 750P entered stores. The 750P had a hybrid design that allowed its display to fold back and down, much like a tablet PC, and had a pressure-sensitive input device.
Notable Late History
-
IBM began producing the ThinkPad TransNote in February 2001, which featured an innovative portfolio-style design and included the ThinkScribe digital notepad. October 2003 saw the ThinkPad R50 and T51 into stores, bringing the world's first hard drive protection system to laptop computers. "PC World Magazine" named the IBM ThinkPad to their World Class Hall of Fame in 2004, citing the reliability, innovation, design and power of the ThinkPad line. IBM introduced new biometric fingerprint technology alongside improved data encryption for their new notebooks, including the ThinkPad X41, in February 2005.
-
Historical Features
-
Distinctive and innovative features of the ThinkPad include the TrackPoint input device, the Active Protection System, the ThinkLight visual aid, a roll-cage to protect the mainboard, and the ThinkVantage utility suite. The Active Protection System utilizes motion sensors to detect if the laptop is dropped, shutting down the hard drive to prevent catastrophic damage. IBM ThinkPads are generally black. Rugged construction, such as titanium-reinforced cases on some models and drain holes to reduce spill-damage, allows the ThinkPad a wide variety of operational environments. New York's Museum of Modern Art features the ThinkPad 701, which introduced the remarkable butterfly keyboard design.
ThinkPads in Space
-
ThinkPads were the first laptops to achieve certification in long-term flight aboard the International Space Station. NASA used various ThinkPad models on at least 31 shuttle launches, while also entering orbit with the Russian space program. In 1998 alone, 54 ThinkPads were launched into space--some making several trips. ThinkPads ran experiments, provided reference data to astronauts, and assisted in various control and maintenance functions aboard the space vehicles.
Lenovo Group Acquisition
-
IBM sold the ThinkPad line, along with their entire personal computer division, to the Lenovo Group in 2005. Lenovo continues to produce various models of the ThinkPad, which, as of April 2010, include the ThinkPad SL, ThinkPad Edge, ThinkPad R, ThinkPad T, ThinkPad X and ThinkPad W series---ordered from least to most powerful.
-
