ThinkPad 2013: Clean Design, Big Trackpads and Smart Batteries

Laptops are evolving, and so is the ThinkPad. Lenovo is adapting some key models in the industry-leading line of business laptops it inherited from IBM to better appeal to today's power users. The latest ThinkPad Ultrabooks have some novel design elements that were directly influenced by feedback from — in the company's words — "next-genners."

Before you ask, the ThinkPad's signature red TrackPoint is still there. But the separated trackpad buttons — a mainstay of the line — are gone, discarded in favor of integrated mouse buttons and a larger trackpad. The new integrated pad is found on the ThinkPad Ultrabooks X240 and T440S (both shown, above), as well as the ThinkPad S Series laptops. Red stripes along the top of the pad give a visual cue to where there buttons once were.

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"We looked at ThinkPad loyalists, we looked at people who don't use ThinkPads and we looked at next-genners," said Brooks Flynn, Lenovo's worldwide segment manager. "Some people were having a negative experience with the buttons: 'Why are these buttons taking away space from my pad?' That was one of the drivers to go to the much larger touchpad — a lot of next-genners; that's the preferred input for their computing devices."

The overall design of the ThinkPad Ultrabooks is sleeker, too. While previous generations have usually sported extra edges and ridges on the sides — ostensibly for a better "fit" when folded — the new models are much cleaner, discarding much of the noise for simpler lines and adornment-free surfaces (seen in the T440S, below).

By far the most useful improvement in the new ThinkPads, however, is the addition of internal batteries. And we do mean addition — there's still a removable battery as well. Each one holds "at least" three hours of juice, according to Lenovo, and the laptop first drains the removable one before taxing the internal power.

The big benefit is that with the internal battery playing backup, the owner can easily swap out external batteries without shutting down the machine, inspiring the feature's name: Power Bridge. The batteries are also interchangeable between the 12- and 14-inch models.

Lest you think that means the internal battery will have a shorter lifespan than normal, Lenovo has taken that into account. The internal battery uses a different charging algorithm to ensure the maximum possible life.

"It's a little bit larger, and it has a different charging algorithm," Flynn said. "That was a question that goes back to development: 'What about the lifespan?' They think a lot of things down the road."

Finally, the new ThinkPads have a subtle branding change: The ThinkPad logo is now right-side up when the laptop is open. You only have to scan the multiple Apple logos in your local Starbucks to appreciate the significance of the revision.

"Traditionally, we always had the logos face the user," Flynn explained. "The idea was that it was your personal system. But when it's up, it obviously doesn't communicate the brand. We weren't actually planning on changing that until in the user survey, the next-genners kept asking, 'Why is the logo upside-down?'"

The 12.5-inch ThinkPad X240 Ultrabook starts at $749, and the 14-inch T440S is $949. The "prosumer"-aimed S Series Ultrabooks start at $999, and go as large as 15.6 inches, which includes a number pad with the keyboard.

What do you think of how the ThinkPad has evolved? Share your reactions in the comments.

Images: Mashable and Lenovo