Product Central
Dispatches from the Reviews Editor's desk
Thursday 6 September 2007, 9:33 AM
Lenovo's World of Leather
Following the celebrations surrounding the ThinkPad's 15th birthday, news arrives of Lenovo's latest wheeze: the ThinkPad Reserve Edition. This is not a notebook likely to be rolled out to the motorway-pounding corporate sales team, one suspects, given that it costs £3,119 (inc. VAT). Other pointers that the ThinkPad Reserve is destined for the CEO's office include the following:
— it's a limited-edition system "encased in premium leather, handcrafted by expert saddle-makers for a distinctive appearance that's both stylish and protective".
— support includes "an Executive Welcome Service that begins with an initial one-on-one setup call between the customer and his or her dedicated Executive Support staff specialist", after which the lucky exec gets "concierge phone access to the Executive Support staff, with all calls anwered within four rings in the owner's native language".
Phew — but wait, there's more...
— "If needed, a specially-trained technician will be at a customer's location within four hours in 20 countries, and will even [get this] condition the leather exterior before departing".
Bring me my leather-bound computing machine...
We really, really hope Lenovo can spare us a review sample of the 5,000 Reserve-status ThinkPads it's planning to release. We just can't wait to test the 'specially trained' technician's leather-conditioning expertise. One for our Dialogue Box video show, I think.
PreviousComments on this post
what a horrible idea, a leather laptop? and completely at odds with the understated, matt black look of the Thinkpad. I have always seen the thinkpad as the audi of laptops - with all the smart thinking employed inside the box. This would mark a departure into the hideous territory of those vile Ferrari red Acer Laptops that were around a couple of years ago.
I read some research a while ago about a leading mobile manufaturer trying new finishes for mobile phone casings, including leather, suede, snakeskin (raised eyebrow..) marble (astonished glance...) and even wood(jaw dropping...). True it did not come with a concierge service to match but I am still unusure about the value of this.
I only hope Lenovo have tested this idea.
