Alright, let’s talk about ThinkPads. These solid laptops are just ridiculously good for what they cost. If you want something reliable, affordable, and kinda versatile, ThinkPads are the way to go. Let’s dig into why they’re still super good, with a bit of history and my own experience with my beloved T460.
A Quick History Lesson
These laptop's hit the scene in 1992, thanks to IBM Thinkpad 700. They became super popular for being tough, professional-looking, and having those amazing keyboards everyone loves(referring to the classic ones).
Fast forward to 2005, Lenovo took over the ThinkPad line from IBM and released the X41. A lot of people were worried it wouldn’t be the same, but Lenovo stuck to the ThinkPad vibe—durable, practical, and no-nonsense—while adding their own upgrades over time which have made various current generation models hardly distinguishable from consumer-grade machines and current ThinkPads have focused less-and-less on their upgradability/reparability factor.
Another brand named Framework are actually doing great progress towards a greener future with their although slightly costly yet perfectly modern, medium to high-end laptops that have iFixit score of literal 10/10, almost as if these new frameworks are advancing and carrying forward the original ThinkPad legacy.
Cheap & Reliable
It’s honestly crazy that in 2024 you can grab a working ThinkPad for as less as 50 dollors although it won't be the newest, shinest thinkpad ever yet it'll be yours to tinker with.
These laptops are solid—like,
"you can toss it in your bag without stressing" solid. They’re perfect if you’re a student, need a backup computer, or just like messing around with tech and linux/development stuff in general.
The Keyboards and Battery Life
ThinkPad keyboards? just plain amazing. Typing on one feels so good, whether you’re writing essays, coding, or idk writing an angry reddit rant about some SAAS product you didn't like, and the battery life holds up, especially with lightweight operating systems like AntiXLinux. Sure, you’ll need to do a bit of research to pick the right model, but once you do, you’re set and as per the people at r/thinkpad, the T480 has a great price/performance ratio.
My ThinkPad Story
I got my first ThinkPad, T460 about a year and a half ago. I started by dual-booting Linux Mint with Windows 10 so I could mess around with both but eventually, I ran out of space so I swapped out the SSD for a 512GB one. That’s the beauty of ThinkPads, cause they’re like super upgradable.
Right now, I’m using my ThinkPad for school/ work, and retro gaming on weekends to play UT1, CS 1.6, Halo CE, Quake 2 and other classics.
Over on Linux, I’ve been learning kinda a-lot about linux tools and workflows. I've recently got into window managers, bspwm was my first one and I'm thinking of moving towards a Arch+Hyprland setup in future. Setting it up was way easier than I thought, and I got inspired by a YouTuber named jvscholz, who’s all about minimalism and productivity.
What Can You Do With a ThinkPad?
Servers: Perfect for running Linux projects.
Daily Drivers: Reliable and tough for everyday use.
Learning Linux: Awesome for experimenting with different distros or trying out cool setups like bspwm.
For Kids: If you want to give your kid a solid intro to computing, an older rugged ThinkPad is a great option.
Built to Take a Beating
ThinkPads are made to last. Even older models can still handle a lot. When I first got mine, I loved how carefree I could be with it. I’m not saying I’d throw it around or sum, but it’s nice not having to worry so much.
Why Linux Rocks on a ThinkPad
If you’re into Linux or want to learn, ThinkPads are basically perfect.
They’re compatible with almost every distro you name it from the most niche distros to the popular ones, and the community around ThinkPads is stronger then it has ever been, also check out r/thinkpad, r/thinkcat while you're at it.
I’ve learned so much using Mint, there’s something really satisfying about customizing your window manager setup and making it your own.
Final Thoughts
ThinkPads aren’t just laptops, they’re a experience if you may!
Whether you need a tough everyday machine, a linux experiment box, or even a retro gaming rig, these laptops are all for it, plus they're cheap, durable, and super flexible. If you’ve been thinking about getting one, just do it.
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