• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling

2

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

3

'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt

1

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling

2

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

3

'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
TechLenovo

What Lenovo Is Planning For ThinkPad for ‘Superfans’

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 22, 2017, 10:05 AM ET

With a special anniversary coming up, this gadget maker is preparing a special edition of their iconic, ground breaking hardware to wow fans and raise a little extra revenue.

Nope, it’s not Apple’s 10th anniversary special edition iPhone that’s been strongly rumored. In addition to whatever the phone wizards of Cupertino are whipping up for the fall, the laptop gods of Lenovo are also planning a super-special version of the all-black, corporate raider of PCs, the ThinkPad, on its 25th anniversary.

After years of rumors, design chief David Hill let the news slip in a blog post on Wednesday.

“At this point, it seems like the cat’s out of the bag,” Hill wrote. “There are certain things I can now confirm. Yes, Lenovo will be making a special edition ThinkPad as part of the 25th anniversary celebration. It’s aimed at enthusiasts and superfans that were kind enough to share their thoughts about what the laptop might be.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Dubbed the Retro ThinkPad Initiative, the laptop will have a black rubberized coating, as opposed to the slick carbon or plastic on most current models, Hill said. Lenovo isn’t releasing exact pricing and availability yet, but the designer said rumors of a $5,000 price tag were totally false.

“I’ve held early development hardware in my hand, powered it on, looked at the screen and even typed on it,” Hill added. “Those who have seen it can’t help but smile. Please be patient, there’s more to come. It’s alive.”

The original ThinkPad laptop made by IBM (IBM) came out in 1992. Conceptualized by designer Richard Sapper, the original model was said to be inspired by a Japanese bento lunchbox. Almost immediately becoming a status symbol across corporate America, ThinkPads also traveled beyond the planet on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.

The first model, and pretty much every iteration since, included the now-famous red TrackPoint nestled between the G and H keys, so users didn’t need to carry a separate mouse. It also had a spacious seven-row keyboard, a feature that Hill hinted could return on the retro edition.

To accommodate a more old-school keyboard, the upcoming retro edition might be thicker than Lenovo’s recent cutting edge, 5th-generation ThinkPad Carbon X1 model, the top of the current line up. The latest X1 editions are super thin, only 16 millimeters, in keeping with laptop design trends from Apple (AAPL), Asus, and others. The retro model won’t be anywhere near the thickness of the original ThinkPad, of course, which was 56 millimeters, or 2.2 inches.

The retro edition is also expected to have a taller, less wide screen that shows more top to bottom and less side to side. That helps show more of a spreadsheet than the movie screen like dimensions of current models.

Lenovo took control of ThinkPad development in 2005 when it bought IBM’s entire PC business for $1.75 billion.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

SpaceX may be the biggest IPO ever, but Morningstar says it is overvalued by half and the smart investors will wait out the hype and buy later
Startups & VentureSpaceX
SpaceX may be the biggest IPO ever, but Morningstar says it is overvalued by half and the smart investors will wait out the hype and buy later
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Kumo AI cofounders standing in a line. From left: Vanja Josifovski, Hema Raghavan, and Jare Leskovec.
Startups & VentureNvidia
Exclusive: Nvidia snaps up Kumo AI in latest acquisition
By Sharon GoldmanJune 3, 2026
2 hours ago
These Fortune 500 companies are bigger than most national economies—here’s where they’d rank as countries
Big TechFortune 500
These Fortune 500 companies are bigger than most national economies—here’s where they’d rank as countries
By Catherina GioinoJune 3, 2026
3 hours ago
ste
EconomyRecession
OECD warns of ‘scarring effects,’ recession scenarios—but finds ‘no signs of widespread labour displacement’ from AI
By Nick LichtenbergJune 3, 2026
3 hours ago
Google CEO Sundar Pichai
AICorporate America
By every measure, U.S. companies are winning on AI adoption—but a series of high-profile snafus shows they’re getting pummeled by costs
By Tristan BoveJune 3, 2026
3 hours ago
‘A landmark moment for homebuying’: A San Francisco seller wants OpenAI or Anthropic stock for their $3 million home
Real EstateHousing
‘A landmark moment for homebuying’: A San Francisco seller wants OpenAI or Anthropic stock for their $3 million home
By Sydney LakeJune 3, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
North America
Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
By Katie Savin, Callie Freitag, Matthew Borus and The ConversationJune 2, 2026
1 day ago
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
Environment
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
2 days ago
'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
Banking
'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
By Nick LichtenbergJune 2, 2026
2 days ago
Cognizant CEO says AI is remaking middle managers into player-coaches who can 'both  execute and develop others'
Newsletters
Cognizant CEO says AI is remaking middle managers into player-coaches who can 'both execute and develop others'
By Diane BradyJune 2, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 2, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of June 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of June 2, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 2, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.