Asking for a anniversary T30 (or T35) model

[nfotis]

Hello there (long time no see),

as I am typing this on my T480, I would like to express my frustration with the current Lenovo Thinkpad range.

I recently visited a Lenovo store here in Athens, and I have to say that I was quite disappointed with the current models.

First of all, no SD card reader (you have to get an IdeaPad for this).
For a guy who still shoots with a dSLR, this is a major PITA. I don't want to add a USB card reader hanging off my laptop.

And since I mentioned USB, the current crop seems to abandoning USB connections as well. No type A USB ports anymore, maybe one USB Type C for power and another for peripherals.
So, if I want to connect anything more than a mouse, I have to carry a USB C docking station brick. Seriously? And it seems that Ethernet connections are being relegated to slim connectors (I wonder if that's a good idea in an office environment).

It seems that all the T480 capabilities are going into the IdeaPad range (minus the OK keyboard and the TrackPoint). And I have to say that I don't like this trend at all towards thinner and smaller laptops.
Even the T16 models with the AMD CPUs don't offer adequate connections, despite their bulk.

I feel that an updated version of my T480 would be a nice workhorse laptop, especially if you add a classic keyboard (oh, how I miss the keyboard of my X220!). I don't really need a discrete GPU, just a good cooling system which can let a current i5-class CPU work full speed for a long time without thermal throttling.
Can we hope for an anniversary T25 refresh, maybe? Or are we doomed to hunting down used T480 laptops?

Cheers,
N.F.

[astral]

we got one last year i believe... i forget which model they used (i think it was an x1 carbon) but about all they did was put the t25's rgb thinkpad logo on it and then called it a day. they clearly don't care enough about the people who want a modern thinkpad with the 7 row keyboard to put the money into making one, real shame.

[TPFanatic]

The zany Z16 has an SD reader, along with the P16 workstation.

[nfotis]

The zany Z16 has an SD reader, along with the P16 workstation.

No USB Type A ports at all? Where's the world coming to?
At such a large size (Z16), they could be offering 1-2 USB ports more.
From the reviews, the reviewers don't seem very impressed with the keyboard, though. How I would LOVE to see a version with the classic keyboard...

Thanks for the pointer, I will examine it more closely (I was looking into the T series, thinking that these were the workhorses)

N.F.

[nfotis]

we got one last year i believe... i forget which model they used (i think it was an x1 carbon) but about all they did was put the t25's rgb thinkpad logo on it and then called it a day. they clearly don't care enough about the people who want a modern thinkpad with the 7 row keyboard to put the money into making one, real shame.

That's unfortunate, I have to say.
Probably most Thinkpad old timers like me are resigned to the current crop of keyboards in laptops...
At least, the Z16 suggested in another response offers a 16:10 screen, which is a nice improvement for people writing code or reading text...

[astral]

I see some potential hope in laptops like the framework - perhaps someday, we will be able to choose which style of keyboard we prefer and have multiple options available.

[TPFanatic]

Of the current lineup I only like the P16 and the L14, for having no soldered memory. I never liked 15.6" so I don't care for the L15, and all the mini X and Yoga laptops are soldered now.

A dongle to SD is not the end of the world. If cutting edge brand new hardware is required, then so is accepting the trend. Otherwise we have to look at older technology for cheap, acquire enough redundancy and follow best practices, and carry on.

Edit to add:

The P1 Gen 6 still has SD reader. And no soldered memory. I forgot about this model but it's also one of the best.

[nfotis]

I see some potential hope in laptops like the framework - perhaps someday, we will be able to choose which style of keyboard we prefer and have multiple options available.

When making a configuration order on your PC, you have some flexibility like that.
On laptops, the tight integration isn't very helpful, though - since you install the main board, your options are fixed (maybe a discrete GPU or extra memory and storage)

[nfotis]

A dongle to SD is not the end of the world. If cutting edge brand new hardware is required, then so is accepting the trend. Otherwise we have to look at older technology for cheap, acquire enough redundancy and follow best practices, and carry on.

The bad thing about an SD dongle is that it also eats one of your precious USB connections (of which there are too few today, even in large laptops).
Talk about a double whammy...

[TPFanatic]

The USB4/Thunderbolt ports with all their bandwidth have all but replaced docking ports. So a dongle on a USB/TB "dock" should solve a problem of lack of ports.

In any case I apologize for forgetting about the P1. These are top tier ThinkPads with top spec options. Z16 is too consumer-style for my tastes but P1 is a true ThinkPad through and through.

[nfotis]

The USB4/Thunderbolt ports with all their bandwidth have all but replaced docking ports. So a dongle on a USB/TB "dock" should solve a problem of lack of ports.

In any case I apologize for forgetting about the P1. These are top tier ThinkPads with top spec options. Z16 is too consumer-style for my tastes but P1 is a true ThinkPad through and through.

Wut? No Ethernet port?
That's a major item for office use...

[TPFanatic]

We are expected to adapt it through USB4/Thunderbolt (dedicated adapter or a dock), which is already faster, it can adapt ethernet with throughput to spare.

Example of the ThinkPad TB4 dock: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/accessor ... 40b00135us

Very few models still have a dedicated RJ45.