ThinkPad
These top-of-the-line laptops are designed to weigh only 3-3.5 pounds, but retain the full featureset that the ThinkPad is famous for. They all come by default with 13-14 inch high resolution screens (1440x900 or 1600x900)
- X240/T440s
- X1/X1 Carbon
- T430s
- T420s
- T410s
- X301
- X300
Here are some keyboard rankings; based purely on keyswitch feel.
These keyboards have the new layout. However, the switches have not changed; though some of the worse manufacturers are now more common.
- Lite-on - Not sure if NMB or Alps merged with Lite-on, but these are the best keyswitches around, about as nice as th
- Chicony - These are the more common series. Not as good as the old ThinkPad tradition, just acceptable.
- Shanghai - These are pretty bad; the keys feel very light to the touch. About the same feel as a Macbook keyboard. This is probably what turned a lot of ThinkPad fans off to the new keyboard.
These keyboards are the last 7-row keyboards ever fitted to a ThinkPad; and have the very best keyswitches. And this series has a more solid backplate than any other ThinkPad series before it.
- NMB (Red caps) - The very best ThinkPad keyboard ever produced. Easily outshines even the old Blue-capped NMB Keyboards.
- Alps (White caps) - Also very good, not as nice as the Red capped NMBs; but is closer in feel to the old Blue-capped NMB Keyboards.
- Chicony - Untested.
- NMB (Blue caps) - These are really nice to use, and are the keycaps that built the ThinkPad's reputation. They are only outshone by the NMB (Red caps), which have significantly improved keyswitch feel. (Rumor has it that the T43 NMB keyboard, made in Thailand, was better, though.)
- Chicony (White caps) - Meh. Better than your average laptop, but
- Alps - Not tested.
These ThinkPads aren't as useful for modern day tasks, but they are still solid, collectible workstations.
- Introduction - A quick intro to the rationale and ideals of this guide, and modding in general.
- Essential Maker Skills - Essential Skills that every maker should have.
- Archivist Tools - All the tools an internet archivist needs under their belt.
- Android Development Codex - All kinds of Android smartphones.
- Business Class Laptops - Computers that last: The ThinkPad, the HP EliteBook, the Dell Precision/Latitude.
- EBook Readers - A good eInk screen remains the best way to read literature comfortably.
- Game Consoles - Homebrew development scenes have made it possible to unlock the full power of your game console's computer chip.
- Graphing Calculators - This is the last vestige of the age of 80's Home Computers; where programs were simple and graphics were minimal.
- Home Server - Why buy cloud storage when you can build your own cloud? For media streaming, torrenting, and VPN access (to bypass blocked internet).
- Routers - Amazingly, your ordinary router probably runs Linux on it's little embedded CPU.
- Authentication Wallets - Manage your plethora of accounts, passwords, and RSA public keys using a GPG-encrypted wallet.
- LEGO Mindstorms - The easiest way to build functional robots and machines; using good ol' LEGO and Technic bricks.
- Vintage Computers - Amiga, Apple ][, and all the other random home computers that defined the 1980s.
- Genetic Programming - Programs that mutate and evolve by themselves, like Genes. It's a very difficult concept to grasp, but a very powerful method that transcends math or algorithms.
- General Guidelines - The ideals that you should uphold while working with and editing this guide.
- Device Guide Templates - Templates and general guidelines for creating customized guides for a device.
- Linux - Run a full desktop OS on your little mobile device; research is being made to make it comfortable to use in the mobile space.
- Glossary - Contains all the crazy acronyms and word soup that you'll need to wade through when using this guide.