Rugged Thinkpads coming to America?
(Credit:
Inside the Box blog)
Two months ago, Lenovo competitive analyst Matt Kohut wrote a blog post, Thinkpads are Ruggedized Machines, explaining why the laptop brand favored by many corporate wonks isn't available in a box you can drive over with your 7 Series. But it's not like the company is a stranger to expensive laptop packaging: It's releasing a $5,000 version of the X60 that's swaddled in leather and coddled by a special support staff.
On a recent trip to Lenovo HQ in Beijing, Kohut was shocked--shocked--to see a Lenovo-branded fully-rugged PC on display in the company's Innovation Center showcase. Available only in China right now, this Lenovo-but-not-Thinkpad laptop is fully encased in magnesium with rubber bumpers and built-in handle, and is apparently capable of operating under a stream of running water while you continuously bash it against the rocks. Which, if it comes with Vista pre-installed, is something you might realistically do.
(Credit:
Inside the Box blog)
No word on the internals, nor if it will ever come stateside and how it would be branded. And if it did, who'd buy it. The truly-rugged laptop market is not all that large. Although I would wager that there are more Carhartt buyers than Armani, if you know what I mean.
Rafe Needleman writes about start-ups, new technologies, and Web 2.0 products, as editor of CNET's Webware. E-mail Rafe. 
"is apparently capable of operating under a stream of running water while you continuously bash it against the rocks. Which, if it comes with Vista pre-installed, is something you might realistically do."
Nice.
- Leave Vista Alone!
- by Kev50027 October 23, 2007 5:55 PM PDT
- Give it up already. If I wanted your opinion on Microsof's latest OS, I'd ask. Seriously, it's getting really old how you people triumph anything Apple and dis anything Microsoft.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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- 100% Agree
- by StargateFan October 23, 2007 6:52 PM PDT
- Like this
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(3 Comments)