Lets compare old Lenovo model to some modern approach to see the trend

Get cheapest amateur Thinkpad around $599 (in 2009-2010)

1.6GHz Celeron T1600 (666MHz FSB, 1MB Cache) CPU

Socketed CPU, upgradable to T9550 Core 2 Duo, 1066 FSB, 2.6GHz. Around 2x performance.

Compare it to totally soldered Celeron or Atom now.

Screen: 14.1" WXGA, Anti-glare (1280×800, 200nit)

Now around 99% of all cheap laptop panels are glossy. Lot have horrible TN screens still.

Memory: 2GB DDR2, two SO-DIMM slots (up to 8GB)

Compare to soldered 4-8GB now :-) Non upgradable in cheap notes and Macs.

Storage: 250GB SATA HDD (5400rpm), + can install second one into CD/DVD using special case.

Just install pair of cheap SSDs now.

Lot of soldered SSD now in cheap Lenovo notes now, some of notes have NVMe places and even fewer have 2.5" HDD/SSD place.

Battery - removable 6-cell Li-Ion, uses standard 18650 cells

Compare to small custom LiPol battery making it cheaper to dump your note and get new one.

Spill resistance keyboard with good keys, non flexing and with proper Trackpoint

Well, I better keep silent instead of writing bad words about almost all current Lenovo keyboards.

Idea to copy all bad Apple traits is visible.

Notebooks progress slowed down significantly now (but can pick up with AMD new chips soon).

Yet you mostly get non upgradable mess for now and it is very visible thing.

And no, it is not related to thinkness only, mostly it is related to green and that it is no organized users group who prevent top management and designers to fuck things off.

Best engineers are working in Lenovo (and it is bad for ya!)

Lenovo management wants to return to old naming ala ThinkPad T14 и X13.

They hope it'll allow to use some of the old glory and make people forget issues with modern new models.

New Lenovo keyboard

Cost is $100 and it is wireless.

So, instead of getting much superb Thinkpad layout they just used exact new shitty keys.

Now just try to follow Apple, even with names (it is Chinese naming)

Lenovo ThinkPad T14, almost dead main line

Specs

• Intel Core i7-10710U or Intel Core i5-10210U, later AMD Ryzen 4000 Mobile Pro
• Optional NVIDIA GeForce MX330
• Display
  • 14.0”, HD (1366 x 768), TN (horror!)
  • 14.0”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), TN (horror!)
  • 14.0”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), IPS
  • 14.0”, 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), IPS
• Ports (Intel)
  • 2x USB Type-A 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1)
  • 1x USB Type-C
  • 1x USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3
  • Still HDMI 1.4 (sic!)
  • MicroSD Card reader (sic!)
  • Audio jack 3.5 mm combo
• Ports (AMD)
  • 2x USB Type-A 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1)
  • 1x USB Type-C 3.1 (3.1 Gen 2)
  • 1x USB Type-C 3.1 (3.1 Gen 2), Thunderbolt 3
  • HDMI 2.0
  • MicroSD Card reader (sic!)
  • Audio jack 3.5 mm combo
• SSD up to 2000GB SSD
• RAM up to 32GB
• OS Windows 10
• Small 50Wh battery
• 329 x 227 x 17.9 mm (12.95" x 8.94" x 0.70")
• 1.46 kg (3.2 lbs)

Again Thunderbolt, reminder for used buyers

Be VERY CAREFUL if you consider buying a (new or second hand) *80 generation (and many others)

Lenovo acknowledges that there is a big problem on the *80 generation (and others) with Thunderbolt port failing "after 6 to 12 months of typical usage" (it is all over the internet).

My personnal (1850$ CAN at the time) T480S is affected: no more Thunderbolt, no more USB-C connection and (worst of all) USB-C Power Delivery limited to 15 watts - so my battery is DISCHARGING WHILE PLUGGED when doing any light CPU task (heck, even using Skype depletes the battery).

https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/es5vt4/be_very_careful_if_you_consider_buying_a_new_or/

Small list of IBM/Lenovo "achievements" concerning Thinkpads

Keyboards

• From very sturdy classic and still best 600/600e/600w keyboard with zero flex, single manufacturer
• To more flexy T lineup classic keyboards, manufactured by multiple random Taiwan makers
  • In reality they became progressively worse, as Asian factories cut costs and magnesium frame had been eliminated
• Replaced by so called chiclet keyboard, manufactured by multiple random Taiwan and Chinese makers
• Replaced by less travel and more flex backlight chiclet keyboard, manufactured by multiple random Taiwan and Chinese makers
• Also exist various versions of chiclet keyboards, like some awful of early X1 Carbon

Note that all that they made was to appeal to lovers of thinner laptop. They gained around 150g here by making is less durable and flexy, also gained 2-3mm of thickness.

Most of last chiclet keyboards can survive water spill and not let water in, but they are not made to withstand it more than once or twice. Contrary to classic keyboard with water drain holes.

Water drain had been eliminated at almost all models as authors of actual platforms (Taiwanese firms) wanted to simplify MB designs and get more profit (around $2 more for $1500 machine).

CPUs

• From Socketed CPUs, 45w TDP, proper cooling in T lineup
• To Soldered CPUs, 25w TDP in T lineup, but 45w and more are available in Txxxp and P lineups
• To Soldered 15w TDP in both T and Ts lineups

All this to make laptops thinner and lighter. They gained around 100-150g out of this all, seriously.
Removing socket get you around 2-3mm, but not always, sometime it gives you none.

Also from simple $0 CPU swap work and CPU you can buy you now need to go to advanced repair center who will charge $50-250 for work only and most probably will install used CPU (as Intel do not sell them anymore, except few last authorized centers).

Batteries

• From single replaceable battery of IBM T models
• To double (internal and external) nice system of Lenovo T, X and Ts models
• To double internal batteries of few T/Ts models
• To single (usual for other companies) internal battery

Managers tend to not know the real market needs (I talked with too many of them to know) and tend to copy other big players, as it is safe move, you can't be blamed for any original idea.

And companies really hate external or even just easy to replace batteries, really. As far as I know lot of Lenovo good progress in double battery department had been forced by some old engineers and big pressure of few large corporations who just demanded this.

On why keyboards had been not flexible (Thinkpad 600-600e, best ever Thinkpad keyboards)

Notice how below keyboard it is not just empty space like on modern laptops

Palmrest

Center of keyboard is braced in 3 points and palmrest has super hard magnesium frame below it.