More long interviews with Mr Naito Father of ThinkPad

 

ThinkPad celebrated its 25th anniversary on October 5, 2017. In commemoration of this, we will deliver an interview with Mr. Akimasa Naito (currently in charge of research and development, director and vice president of Lenovo Japan, who has been involved in ThinkPad development since the days of IBM Japan and is also known as the "father of ThinkPad". He talked about his history and the future of "PCs" from various technical perspectives such as wireless technology and input devices. Part 1 will ask about wireless technology. Mr. Azumasa Naito, who was involved in the development of ThinkPad at IBM Japan from the beginning, and is currently in charge of research and development, Vice President of Lenovo Japan. Wireless technology and ThinkPad --Looking back, ThinkPad was equipped with wireless technologies such as IrDA, Bluetooth, wireless LAN, and LTE modem at a relatively early stage. Why did you take the initiative in installing wireless technology? Naito: Notebook PCs such as ThinkPad are free from the power cable by installing a battery, and can be carried anywhere, but the network was still a wired connection. It was clear that "the next challenge is the network". However, since networks require partners, we had to wait for the establishment of standards and the spread of infrastructure. * Author's note: The first ThinkPad 700 was in 1992. The first standard IEEE 802.11 that connects to the current wireless LAN was established in 1997. The IEEE 802.11b standard was established and commercialized in 1999. At first, I could use a high-speed network when I went to work. Eventually, when high-speed Internet such as ADSL (service started in 1999 in Japan) was introduced to ordinary households, networks could be used on "islands" such as homes and offices. The usage was to do possible work between "islands" and "islands" even if they were not connected to the network. Gradually, the number of "islands" where communication is available, such as coffee shops and airports, has increased, but wireless LAN has an important role to connect the "last 10 meters" to such "islands", and for ThinkPad. It should have been installed. Difficulties when starting to install wireless LAN ――What did you struggle with when you first started installing wireless technology? It seems that the importance of antennas is often talked about at recitals. Naito: Of course, the antenna is important, but in the early days, the problem was the "algorithm" that correctly controls the wireless LAN. Research in this area was not advanced, and it was necessary to modify the algorithm by repeating various experiments. Communication efficiency may be improved by changing the position and shape of the antenna. However, that alone does not provide any "value" to the customer. At that time, engineers didn't even know that. The value of our customers is, for example, that we will be able to cover 10 access points, which we used to need, with 3 access points. The goal should be to be able to provide some value to our customers as a result, rather than simply increasing the catalog value. Wireless LANs that are used on the move do not always have the same radio wave environment. Therefore, I put the equipment on a wagon with tires and moved around the laboratory, switching access points and measuring the communication status. As a result of the verification, the importance of the wireless LAN control algorithm that switches the access point well was found. If you make a mistake, you will end up connecting to an access point with weakened radio waves indefinitely, resulting in slow speed. In other words, increasing the gain of the antenna alone cannot improve the communication quality, and unless we do it comprehensively including the algorithm, we cannot provide new value to our customers. ――I see, but basically wireless LAN uses chips from semiconductor manufacturers, and I think it's not easy to reflect the knowledge gained from PC manufacturers. Naito: I don't think the PC industry can keep technology and know-how "secret". Of course, there are first-mover benefits, but it is not possible to feed back what the semiconductor manufacturer has learned and reflect it in the product, or to improve the system module and device driver in collaboration with Microsoft to improve the company's product. As a result, it will spread throughout the PC industry. On the other hand, if you try to keep it completely secret, you will have to give up general-purpose semiconductor products and standard Windows, or do it all yourself. ――Does that mean that the knowledge gained during the ThinkPad development process was also fed back to the manufacturers of wireless LAN controllers? Naito: That was quite a lot. The spread of WWAN and the era of constant connection ――Currently, I think that it will be a WAN such as LTE, but is it more difficult to install LTE than Wi-Fi? Naito: Even with wireless LAN, there are some parts that are not easy, such as being affected by metal near the antenna, but LTE can be said to be several times more difficult. Although there are many PCs equipped with wireless LAN, the number of PCs equipped with LTE is small because of these difficulties. There is another reason. Until recently, communication charges were high, and even if LTE was installed, only a limited number of users could use it, and even if it was installed, it was not evaluated by many users, so it was limited. It was deployed on the same model. The reality is that many users, including myself, have to use tethering such as smartphones because of the high running costs. At that time, I wondered if it makes sense to have LTE built into the PC, but now that LTE data communication costs are falling considerably, I added another contract. The number of users who think that it is okay is increasing. Now I think PCs should connect directly to the Internet via LTE. I think that there are many people who operate a smartphone to turn on tethering or find a wireless LAN and connect to it, but if it becomes normal to be able to connect to the network at any time after opening the PC, the operation procedure of tethering etc. You can only think of it as a hassle. Unlike today's smartphones, PCs do not connect only when needed, but become "Always Connected," and I think that new ways of using them will emerge. ――In Windows, Connected Standby (also known as Instant On, etc. In Windows 10, it was named Connected Modern Standby), it became possible to turn off the screen, go into a low power consumption state, and communicate from time to time. However, is it going to be a direction for PCs to incorporate such functions more? Naito: I think so. When it comes to introduction, it will be from the higher model. Because, if you try to move it properly, this is quite difficult. This is because the low power state can be maintained only when all the device drivers in the PC behave correctly. In the past, there were some third-party drivers that behaved suspiciously, but recently Microsoft is also focusing on box drivers, and the quality is improving. ――If that happens, will the usage like smartphones increase? For example, you can use it to issue commands by voice. Naito: Overall, I think it will increase, but the senses of users are different between businesses and consumers. If you are a consumer, you may think that it is convenient to listen to your instructions at any time, but when it comes to business, many people think, "Are you always listening to me?" In that case, the ability to always accept voice commands is not always a business benefit for users. So, as a "capability", you should always be able to hear the audio, but you need to be able to control it. ――Returning to the theme of wireless, in addition to wireless LAN, “wireless” technologies such as Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, and wireless charging have increased. When considering mobile PCs, will many things that were previously connected by wire become "wireless"? Naito: I think there is such a tendency, but it depends largely on the spread and infrastructure, so it's not just a matter of technology. For example, when considering wireless charging, the biggest benefit is when wireless charging becomes possible in places such as hotels and coffee shops, and mobile devices will naturally support this. However, if it can only be used for charging at home or in the office, it will be difficult to find a cost advantage. Complex devices and cloud services -So, even with LTE, wireless communication will be free, and you will be able to connect to various devices via Bluetooth, NFC, etc. What happens after that? Naito: It's hard to say, but I feel that the environment you are using, such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs, is more complicated than you would like. There are multiple platforms such as Android, iOS, and Windows, each with its own cloud service. However, other services may be available from other platforms, and if you don't think twice, it's hard to even tell which device and service your address book is on. If we proceed as it is, each will have various functions and the mutual relationship will become more and more complicated. I feel like I have to "reset" it once somewhere to make it simple. Of course, it's not something we can do alone, but we've been thinking about it all the time. IBM was a typewriter company ――What was the position of the keyboard in the ThinkPad? Naito: IBM had a typewriter as a product, so many people think that keyboards should be like this, and follow the trend of people who have the pride that "we are keyboard professionals". So, there was a part that I couldn't give up here. (Continued to Part 2) Next time, we will talk about the commitment to the ThinkPad keyboard and the trends of input devices such as touch and pen input. * This article is information at the time of publication and may differ from the latest one. Please note. 1 Ask "Father of ThinkPad", present past and future part 2 He talked about his history and the future of "PCs" from various technical perspectives such as wireless technology and input devices. In the second session, we asked about the future of the input interface, in addition to the development of the keyboard, which is indispensable as the "stickiness" of ThinkPad. "Points that won't shake, number one" keyboard ――What was the position of the "keyboard" in the ThinkPad? Naito: Many people think that "keyboards should be like this" because IBM had a typewriter as a product, and it follows the flow of people who take pride in being a keyboard professional, so here There was a part that I couldn't give up. Although it looks like the products of other companies, we focus on the differences when developing. I understand why the rubber cap inside the keyboard should have this shape. The "travel" (stroke length) of the keyboard used to be around 4mm, but now it's 1.8.It has been shortened to about mm. However, there is a reaction that you can tell that you "inserted" the characters properly, and even if you use them for a long time, your fingers will not hurt. Equipped with such a keyboard that can input firmly can be said to be "the number one point that cannot be handed over" as a ThinkPad. ――That means that you are focusing on design every time. Naito: The most important point is the foundation. If you don't design it properly, you can't do just the keyboard part. Mobile PCs in the 1990s are big and heavy, partly because battery technology is underdeveloped. For example, some people say that the ThinkPad 600 keyboard was "great" because the keyboard was on the battery and the base was solid. ThinkPad 600 was popular because of its ease of use of the keyboard. As PCs became lighter and the parts inside became lighter and smaller, the rugged surface disappeared. Then, even if you put the same keyboard on it, the deflection of the lower part will change depending on the key, and the amount of pressing will change slightly. There were times when the person using it felt uncomfortable. At one point, I received various suggestions. Therefore, we introduced a robot that checks whether all keys have the same stroke and force by pressing each key, and adopted a method of investigating. Not only the quality of the keyboard as a part, but also the keyboard must be considered as a "total system" when it is put in the housing. Now I'm pretty confident in the keyboard again. ――In other words, you need the rigidity of the base part. Naito: That's right. Nowadays, the keyboard itself isn't so tight because of its light weight, but it's becoming quite thin, and it can only be made to bend in combination with the part below it. Today's keyboards have a "bar" between the key tops (Note 1), and I didn't want to install such a keyboard originally. * Note 1: A so-called isolation keyboard However, when the housing and keyboard became thin to a certain extent, it became difficult to maintain rigidity without such a structure. Personally, I prefer the type where the key tops are next to each other as in the past, but that was the only way to achieve thinness and lightness and the rigidity of the keyboard. 2 Track points brought in by researchers ――ThinkPad is also one of the features of TrackPoint, but when you were thinking of ThinkPad, were you already thinking about adding such a thing? Naito: When I was developing the ThinkPad, other companies were also working on notebook PCs, and I was also looking for a new pointing device to replace the mouse. At that time, parts manufacturers were also developing various pointing devices. Among them, the trackball was relatively easy to operate, but there was a structural problem that "the main body cannot be made thinner than the size of the ball". However, if the ball was made smaller, the operability would deteriorate, so it was not adopted. At that time, a researcher named Ted Shelker (Note 3) at IBM's Almaden Research (Note 2) brought from the United States the prototype of TrackPoint. * Note 2: Almaden Research Center: IBM's research center located in San Jose, California, USA. Currently IBM Research --Almaden * Note 3: Ted Selker (Edwin Joseph Selker) invented TrackPoint by launching User Systems Ergonomics Research lab at IBM's Almaden Research Center. The track point does not actually move and measures the distortion due to the applied force, but the surrounding rubber cap deforms and the user feels that the track point itself is moving. I will. The feel of the rubber makes a big difference in the impression I used, so I tried various things. At that time, they were able to bring knives to airplanes, so they cut about 20 types of "rubber" and made prototypes on airplanes coming to Japan. The one that felt the best was actually the rubber used for the wheels of roller skates. Control algorithms were also important in the development of TrackPoint. When you start pushing, you add acceleration to make it move faster, and when the force loosens, you are approaching the target location, so it is easy to use if you can not control it so that it moves slowly with opposite acceleration. It doesn't become a thing. This algorithm was created at IBM Research, New York. ThinkPad is TrackPoint ――At ThinkPad, you didn't decide to adopt TrackPoint from the beginning, did you mean that the results of your research came in at the right time during development? Naito: That's right. However, I didn't think that the shell car was for ThinkPad, but I was researching it as a pointing device for mobile computers. -There are PCs of other companies that are similar to TrackPoint, but isn't it a patent? Naito: Some of the products of other companies purchase TrackPoint itself from us. I haven't confirmed whether the patent itself is valid yet, but I remember that the TrackPoint patent is surrounded by the three keys of GHB and that the acceleration control algorithm is important. doing. Touch and pen will be in the direction that must be installed from now on --What about input devices such as touches and pens? Naito: I used to think that touch operation was unnecessary for the clam shell, but I am now using the ThinkPad X1 Yoga and operate it by touch. After all, once you get used to touch, when you use a machine without touch, you may think "that" when you try to scroll the screen with your finger. Currently, not all machines are equipped with pens and pens, but I think that in the future, all machines will be able to use pens and pens. -If that happens, it may affect the shape of the notebook PC. For example, if you try to use a pen, it will not open up to at least 180 degrees even if the display does not rotate up to 360 degrees like X1 Yoga. It is difficult to use, or the keyboard part must be removable. Naito: Of course, that kind of influence will come out. The ThinkPad is designed to open 180 degrees regardless of whether or not you can use the pen. I use a tablet to read emails while lying down on my bed in the morning, but there are definitely uses that make me want to use a light slate (tablet). There are some situations where it is difficult to use with a normal clam shell. There is also a way to remove the keyboard and use it lightly, but originally, I think that the main body should be light enough that it does not need to be removed, so the direction of "thinning" and "lightening" will continue in the future. I think this is a theme that should be pursued. Even a 2in1 that transforms into a tablet may be light enough so that you don't have to worry about its weight. However, even at that time, it may be lighter if you remove the keyboard, which is an annoying part. 3 Will the usage of peripheral devices change? ――The topic has changed a little and I would like to ask you about peripheral devices. In the past, ThinkPad tried to connect a camera or microphone to the top of the LCD and integrate it. Other companies also had products that were integrated with dedicated options. Is it possible to have a solution called a peripheral device that can be integrated with such a main unit in the future? Naito: What I used to do with ThinkPad was that when the camera was too big to be built in, there were many things that could be done with a combination of a camera and a PC, such as videophone calls and online meetings. Was issued. However, it was rather a "measuring measure". This is the method I don't want to do anymore. Of course, it was good for people who really wanted a camera at that time, but when the camera became smaller and could be built in, it became useless. For me, I would like to add an industry standardized interface. If you adopt something that is not de facto, you are quite prepared. Otherwise, you will end up inconvenience to your customers. ――Speaking of cameras, there are examples of installing 3D cameras that can acquire depth on PCs and smartphones. Naito: Regarding 3D cameras, the problem at this point is that there is no "killer app" in the application that uses the acquired 3D information, rather than the 3D camera itself. In the case of video conferencing, there are applications such as using depth information to hide a messy background, but it is not a killer. On the contrary, if a 3D killer application comes out, I think that 3D cameras will become widespread. Also, it is no longer impossible to acquire 3D images with a normal camera. A 3D camera is not always essential because it is possible to obtain simple 3D information from camera images if the resolution is high to some extent and the load of software processing can be withstood. ――What about the microphone for voice input? When recording with a PC, the operation sound of the keyboard and pen sometimes traveled through the housing and entered the microphone, making it difficult to hear the recording. Naito: For certain types of sounds, it has become possible to mute those sounds by processing the software. In the past, when someone took out a memo on a PC at a video conference, the keyboard sound was heard, making it difficult to hear the story, but with recent models, the keystroke sound is heard during the video conference. It is devised to lower it. I haven't dealt with the sound of using the pen yet, but if this also becomes a problem, I'll be able to pull it out soon. What I'm worried about with a microphone right now is where to install it according to the spread of situations such as when you want to talk when the display is open or closed, or when you want to talk from a distance. That is the point. The same is true for speakers. When using a tablet like 2in1 and a clam shell, when using it in various orientations such as vertical and horizontal directions, it is a difficult problem to decide what to do. There is a vague idea to attach it to both sides, but it seems that we need to study a little more about where the speakers and microphone should be. ――How do you feel about the use of sensors? Recent PCs are equipped with brightness and geomagnetic sensors. Naito: As for sensors, many are already installed, and I feel that they are sufficient at this point. If you have more sensors, you'll need to have a clear reason to use them. For example, there is a barometric pressure sensor that is installed in some smartphones but not in PCs. It is possible to detect the ascent and descent of stairs, but there is no way to use it as a "killer" yet. Even if you install too many, there is nothing you can do if there is no use. If it says that it will increase steadily from now on, it will not be so. Recently, there seems to be gaze (gaze, so-called line-of-sight input).However, in business, it is a device that is not often used unless it is used like a video conference. If anything, it doesn't seem to be very popular in business. Many business people raise their hands when they say, "People who have put sticky notes on the camera, raise their hands" at the event. When you get a video call, such as when you're relaxing in a hotel room in rough clothes, you'll want to turn off your camera, if possible. In some cases, the feeling of being "seen" may not be preferred. I don't think that using a camera to control the cursor with the line of sight is not very popular except for certain uses. This is because I find it impossible to use my eyes as an input device. In a multi-display environment, there may be a way to move the cursor to the display the user sees. We have actually made a prototype. However, moving the cursor with the line of sight on the display has a problem of accuracy, and I think it is difficult to spread it to the general public. Next time, we will hear about the evolution of batteries that are indispensable for notebook PCs, the commitment to materials used, and the design of ThinkPad. 1 There is no magic in the battery anymore He talked about his history and the future of "PCs" from various technical perspectives such as wireless technology and input devices. In Part 3, we asked about the evolution of batteries that cannot be removed when talking about notebook PCs, materials such as carbon fiber that ThinkPad continues to stick to, and design. What will happen to the battery in the future? ――What about batteries? ThinkPad was used before lithium-ion became widespread, didn't it? Naito: Batteries have changed from nickel-metal hydride to lithium-ion, and the capacity has increased by several percent every year while changing the method and structure. The shape changed from a cylindrical shape like a dry cell to a retort pack with lithium ion polymer, and it became a free shape to some extent. This makes it possible to make the battery thinner, which is a huge change. The usage has also changed, and the voltage of the battery has gradually increased in relation to safety standards (Note 1). * Note 1: If the power is constant, increasing the battery voltage can reduce the charging current. As for future developments, unfortunately, there is currently no technology that can significantly increase battery capacity. There are technologies called "innovative" such as silicon anodes, but they have not been put into practical use yet. Silicon is a good battery material because it absorbs a large amount of lithium, but on the contrary, it has the problem of destroying its own structure, making it difficult to put it to practical use. It seems that the industry has been working on this issue for quite some time, but it's hard to break through. The same is true for other technologies, and the existing technology is currently not moving much from around 700 watts / liter. As a result, there is no longer an easy way to increase capacity and device operating time due to the evolution of batteries as in the past, and now we will use components that steadily reduce power and do not use power steadily. I think that developing is the most effective. This may be offensive to battery-related people, but from the perspective of PC makers, the current situation is that batteries no longer have magic. Even with the same component, there is a difference in integration ――However, in the case of PCs, even if you make steady efforts, many components and CPUs have their own specialized manufacturers, and all set manufacturers assemble using the same ones, so there is room for ingenuity. Isn't there much? Naito: For example, it is said that CPU power consumption has decreased, but that is not the case. It is possible to reduce the power consumption when not in use, to make it as fast as possible when operating, and to finish the process in a short time, so the average power consumption seems to be small over a long period of time. In other words, it consumes some power when it is moving. However, in order to move at high speed, it is necessary to efficiently dissipate the heat generated there. Conversely, if the heat dissipation efficiency is low, it will not be possible to operate with high performance. And when trying to make it thinner and lighter, heat dissipation is the biggest problem, and this is the part that makes a difference depending on the set maker. If you try to make it lighter and thinner, you will try to use it for heat dissipation by using metal for the housing. However, if the whole is wrapped with metal, there will be no place to place the wireless antenna this time. In that sense, even if you use the same chip, I think it will be a game of integration. Never go back to replaceable batteries anymore ――I feel that the battery capacity is not as large as it used to be, probably because the power consumption has decreased recently. Naito: That's because the entire notebook PC has shifted toward being "lighter." To reduce weight, it is necessary to keep the battery, which occupies a considerable volume, small. For example, if you want to increase the number of microphones for voice input and to install LTE for communication, there is a demand for more stuffing, but also for making it stronger. The battle for the elements is not over. Components can be made smaller to some extent with the efforts of the parts manufacturer, but not all custom parts can be made, so they can only be made smaller in stages. The only place that a set maker can make smaller is the main board. Miniaturization is possible by using the mounting technology used in mobile phones and multi-layer boards. However, the manufacturing equipment for assembling the main board is different for mobile phones and PCs, so it is necessary to remake it from the manufacturing line. From now on, even for notebook PCs, the main board will be made smaller by using the same manufacturing line as mobile phones and smartphones. In that case, the thermal density will increase more than ever. How do you "scatter" this? This is a world where experience matters. ――In the past, notebook PC batteries were always replaceable, but nowadays, non-replaceable built-in batteries are the mainstream. However, the replacement does not extend the operating time. Is this the same direction in the future? Naito: The biggest reason why the battery was replaceable was that if it couldn't be replaced, the battery would "scratch" and become unusable. In a sense, batteries used to be "consumables." However, with the progress of battery technology, it has become about the same as the life of the main body. Specifically, as the number of charging cycles has increased, it is no longer necessary to replace the PC during the average usage period of the PC itself. The other is that if you want to make the battery replaceable, you have to make a housing with such a mechanism. It also leads to increased weight and makes it harder to thin. Considering the current battery performance, the built-in battery can produce a better total. You won't go back to a replaceable battery anymore. That's really not good. That's why I will keep My 6 PCs, all of them with removable batteries. CMOS is another issue, but to keep the PCs alive (even virtually) we must do all that we can to care for them. I hope other vendors will still provide external batteries for people like me who don't use them. L4 is thus good… 2 Function equal beautiful The shape of notebook PCs and the future of materials used ――ThinkPad is a product that has taken the initiative in adopting new materials and has been paying attention to the robustness of the housing from early on. There were also unique things such as the ThinkPad 701C with a pop-out keyboard and the TransNote combined with a tablet digitizer. How will form factors and materials change in notebook PCs? Naito: If the shape changes drastically, it will change drastically. However, before the change, it is expected that it will remain an extension of the present. ThinkPad 701c familiar with the foldable "butterfly keyboard" ThinkPad TransNote, which is a combination of a notebook PC and a handwriting input part called a digital notepad When it comes to the material of the housing, in fact, it depends more on the progress of processing technology than the material itself. Magnesium cannot be used as it is, so "painting" is required, but there is also a processing technology that processes it by a method such as etching instead of applying paint. Looking at the combination of materials and processing technology, there are various possibilities. FE4 has this, and TZ2 has carbon fiber. My 4 other TPs / Aspire are PC / ABS… X 220 has rubber coating. Many manufacturers use metal materials, but we are a manufacturer that does not rely on metal materials. Probably the manufacturer who has used the most carbon fiber. Metal has its advantages, but carbon fiber has the advantage of being "light". However, both magnesium and carbon fiber are "conductive" materials, so the problem of antenna placement still remains. In the latest generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon, the low-density carbon fiber net is sandwiched between laminated high-elasticity carbon pre-bregs to achieve lighter weight and higher rigidity. Adopt glass fiber reinforced resin for the antenna part Also, the metal feels cold to the touch. This is a characteristic not found in carbon fiber. We consider both "rational" (rational) and "emotional" (emotional) when thinking about things. For example, if you think about transportation only by efficiency, it means trains, buses, and taxis, but some people want a cool sports car. It is a very difficult problem how to balance the weight and lightness while considering emotional factors such as "coolness". "Function Equal Beautiful" ――You can tell if the product is cool by looking at it, but it's too abstract and when you think about making it, you don't know what to do specifically. Does the ThinkPad have a "definition" or "standard" for "coolness"? Naito: We think of it as "function equal to beauty." David Hill (3), who has been involved in ThinkPad design for a long time under Richard Sapper (2), first showed me a picture of the tiger's rear view, saying, "There is no reason in nature. Nothing is made. " In other words, "design is a function". * Note 2: Richard Sapper (1932-2015). He has been a design consultant for IBM since 1980 and until 2005 after the ThinkPad business was sold to Lenovo. * Note 3: David Hill. Until June 2017, he was Vice President of Lenovo, Chief Design Officer & Distinguished Designer. 25th AnniversaryThe ThinkPad 25, a model, is designed by him. Brian Leonardo (4), the current ThinkPad design director, also said, "Beautiful things should never be inconvenient." "Beautiful things, he is equal and easy to use". * Note 4: Vice President of Design for Lenovo's PCs & Smart Devices business group to replace Mr. Hill who retired. A commemorative photo at the ThinkPad 25 presentation held in Yokohama, where the Lenovo Japan Yamato Research Institute is located. From right: Brian Leonardo, Naito, David Hill "Appearance", that is, the basic method of design, comes down from the design manager from the top down, and the line is always protected. In response to that, the designer who thinks about the concrete housing thinks about the details. However, even if the designer wants to sharpen this part, the sharper it is, the less it will fit. Or, even if a designer wants to use metal, he can't cover the antenna with metal. This is where design and engineering always clash. By repeating this, the ThinkPad will be completed. We don't mean to make something that is just beautiful in design. Or, it's not the ThinkPad that is too much ahead of beauty. However, getting there is not easy. Based on the 14-inch model "ThinkPad T470" (not yet released in Japan), "Retro" reminiscent of the ThinkPad of the IBM era, such as a "traditional" 7-row keyboard, 3-color logo, multi-status LED lamp, and dedicated volume button. It is a design. In particular, the 7-row keyboard will be revived for the first time in 6 and a half years, but it is said that the key touch etc. have been reproduced as much as possible. The base is the "ThinkPad T470", which is a little thicker for the current series, because the thin model such as the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is "too thin to give the feel of the time." All models sold in Japan will be arranged in Japanese. In addition, we do not plan to sell maintenance parts individually. The vanity case is also special, and contains a booklet with a message from David Hill and a replacement cap for TrackPoint. In addition, an inner case by Toray's Ultrasuede is included as a limited edition model sold in Japan. Toray supplies carbon fiber for use in ThinkPad, and it is said that this collaboration was realized due to that relationship.