I maintain a 17 year old ThinkPad

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Usability of Old ThinkPads Today

  • Strong split: some say 15–20-year-old ThinkPads are “dog-slow” for modern web apps, video calls, Slack, and heavy multitasking; others daily‑drive T/X/W‑series from ~2009–2013 and report they’re fine for coding, browsing, office work, and light media.
  • Performance is heavily tied to:
    • Swapping HDD → SSD
    • Maxing RAM
    • Running Linux or a lean Windows build
    • Aggressive ad‑/tracker blocking in the browser
  • GPU is a common weak point (video, WebGL, some games), and 720p TN panels are widely disliked; some users do FHD/IPS or LVDS mod boards to fix this.

Modern Software Bloat vs Hardware Limits

  • Several comments argue that poor performance says more about unoptimized, ad‑heavy, JS‑bloated web apps than about the old hardware.
  • Others counter that real workloads (multiple browsers, Electron apps, video calls, AI tools) genuinely benefit from modern CPUs/GPUs and large RAM.

Repairability, Mods, and Parts Ecosystem

  • ThinkPads are praised for:
    • Detailed maintenance manuals and FRU parts ecosystem
    • Socketed CPUs (in older models), replaceable Wi‑Fi, RAM, SSD/HDD, fans, keyboards, ports.
  • Popular mods:
    • Coreboot / EC firmware patches, Wi‑Fi whitelist removal
    • CPU swaps (e.g., dual → quad core)
    • Keyboard swaps (T420/T520 keyboards into newer chassis)
    • USB‑C charging mods, ExpressCard/M.2 storage, eGPU use.
  • Batteries are now the weak link; quality and longevity of third‑party packs are hit‑or‑miss.

Framework vs ThinkPad vs MacBook

  • Framework:
    • Admired for ethos and modular design, but criticized as expensive, flexy, and still requiring costly mainboard swaps for big upgrades.
    • Second‑hand market and long‑term economics are debated; some see it as “gimmick priced like a premium laptop,” others as the only modern ThinkPad‑like option.
  • MacBooks:
    • Praised for rigidity, screens, trackpads, and M‑series efficiency.
    • Criticized for soldered RAM/SSD, fragile screens, and lifecycle tied to Apple’s OS support; viewed by some as “folding smartphones.”
  • Many commenters want a modern, rigid, ThinkPad‑style chassis (or “restomod”) with contemporary internals and true serviceability.

Keyboards, Pointing Devices, and Build Quality

  • Old ThinkPad keyboards (7‑row, deep‑travel, TrackPoint with physical buttons) are a recurring obsession; many consider them unmatched.
  • Newer Lenovo lines (soldered RAM, fewer ports, thinner shells, noisier cooling) are widely seen as a decline, though some recent T/X/P models still get positive notes.
  • Durability stories (drops, spills, being stepped on, surviving a decade+ of travel) are common and contrasted with more fragile modern ultrabooks.