ThinkPad 700C

The ThinkPad 700C was the first ThinkPad in a long series of ThinkPad designs to follow. The ThinPad was inspired by the proportions of a classic cigar box, a simple rectangular box that reveals something entirely unexpected when opened up. The black color adds to its simplicity and mystery, but also helps in making the screen appear brighter.

“The ThinkPad design aesthetic was a departure from the norm, not just for IBM but for the entire PC industry. The 700C’s look was unapologetically boxy, with squared-off angles and a lack of ornamentation. The Color sapper chose – a raven-black – also helped the ThinkPad look elegantly purposeful, in an era when most big-name portable computers were beige, white or various shades f grey, and didn’t seem to aim for any particular effect at all. Sapper even made the TrackPoint part of the branding exercise by colouring it bright red, accenting the black case in a way that made the Thinkpad immediately recognisable. The ThinkPad soon became a status symbol.” (Harry McCracken for FastCompany, 5 October 2017).