Inside Lenovo’s Yamato Labs, where laptops become Thinkpads

By Matthew S. Smith Updated October 5, 2017

What does it take to make a ThinkPad?

You might point to the iconic black “bento box” design, the TrackPoint, the concave keyboard, or any number of other unique features. You’d be half right. ThinkPad’s look, feel, and feature set remains unique in the world of PC hardware, but the brand is known for more than looks. Its durability is legend. Geeks who demand a reliable laptop almost always end up with a ThinkPad.

In celebration of the ThinkPad’s 25th anniversary, Lenovo allowed Digital Trends a peek inside its Yamato Labs, located in Yokohama, Japan. The lab is responsible for a huge range of tests, from resilience against static electricity to hinge durability to radio frequency resistance. Every new ThinkPad goes through a gantlet of trials, and if a design doesn’t pass, the engineers have to take it back to the drawing board.

Check out the gallery above for an inside look at the lab that turns laptops into ThinkPads.

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Matthew S. Smith

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Matthew S. Smith is the former Lead Editor, Reviews at Digital Trends. He previously guided the Products Team, which dives…

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