The old computer Time Machine

Lessons from a ThinkPad X200

May 1, 2023 - Willem L. Middelkoop

As part of a greater plan to optimise my entire workflow, I am doing a little experiment this month: using a 15-year old ThinkPad X200 laptop as main computer. It’s from an era before “the cloud”, popular among free/libre software enthusiasts. What can we learn from this antithesis of modernity?

This laptop lid hinge, made from metal, is designed to last - note the keyboard has keys a modern MacBook can only dream off (PageUP/PageDown, Home, End, Delete).

See pixels on a greyish black background - the X200’s display is no match for modern HiDPI micro led or OLED monitors

Classic ThinkPad advertisment “Its mother was a mainframe, its father a Maserati”

Plenty of hardware ports, including a PC-card slot, integrated gigabit ethernet, USB-A and a hardware switch to disable WiFi

The old computer Time Machine

Lessons from a ThinkPad X200

Other stories

The Same, Differently

Impact of training

Tablet as Tool

Using AI to generate code

Tagged