Thinkpad: A Different Shade of Blue

Book Description

ThinkPad: A Different Shade of Blue tells the exciting inside story behind the creation of one of the most successful brand names in computing. Through interviews with the ThinkPad Team and IBM executives, and access to internal documents and memoranda, the book provides a rare inside view into the workings of an IBM brand team. Here is the inside scoop on the cultural and personality differences that almost killed one of the most significant development efforts in IBM history. More importantly, it offers valuable lessons on what it takes to build a world-class, enduring brand or product.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating. Perhaps Insightful. Watch out for the detail!.......2002-04-30

A fascinating technology success story. Told in detail with plenty of first-hand anecdotal material. Too much, unfortunately. Coupled with a sometimes dry almost academic style -- complete with footnotes. By chapter 20 I was asking "Are we there yet?" Sadly not. There are 31 chapters in all. Possibily the definitive biography of IBM's development and management of the ThinkPad brand. The Foreword -- The Seven Qualities of Enduring Brands -- is penned by Thomas J Kosnik. Each chapter ends with one or more paragraphs headed "The Authors' Insights". These largely seek to draw us back to the successful-brand-management aspects of the Foreword. A mechanism that fell flat for me. Too many of the insights are rather trite. And what is the entire book if not a presentation of the facts wrapped in the authors' insights? That said, individuals involved in the project are quoted liberally -- often across multiple paragraphs. The problem here is that if one is not paying attention it isn't obvious who exactly is saying "I finally realised" or something similar deep into the quoted portion.

On the plus side: I stuck it out to the end although I read it purely out of interest -- I am a gadgets person but I'm a Business Analyst. If product development or brand-building is your thing, there is plenty of detail here -- from a member of the original team.

Thinkpad owners and business professionals will love this!.......2002-04-28

Being an extremely satisfied owner of an IBM ThinkPad A-series laptop, I came across this book by accident and immediately found myself immersed in the inner workings and coporate culture of the storied IBM corporation. The one thing this book succeeds at detailing are what is actually involved (politically and financially) when large corporations find themselves in the position of creating and branding a new product. Creating something like the Thinkpad notebook computer was a tremendous undertaking and the process in which this was gone about is vastly different than how a small business or startup goes about its business.

Some may be turned off by the technical nature of the book, but I believe that owners of Thinkpad notebooks are a tech and business-savvy group and will thoroughly enjoy this fascinating book. It's the closest you can get to an IBM development team without having to work for Big Blue!

By the way, opt for the hardcover version of the book. This is definitely a title you'll add to your permanent book collection shelf!

An enjoyable must read for anyone trying to sell product.......2000-03-19

This is a great story about an $80+ billion company that could not compete with competitors and consciously decided to do something about it. It's about how having a clear vision, putting great people in place, fostering innovation, developing a strong brand, and listening to the customer DO come together to create success! It's how big companies DO stifle creativity and how you have to stand up to overcome it. It's about cool technology. Most importantly it's about people. You'll read about a jelly donut maker and a typewriter salesman who went on the manage the biggest brand within IBM. It's a blueprint for success!

A blast from the past.......2000-02-20

Having been involved in this part of the business during the early years of PC and Thinkpad, I found the book an exciting chronicle detailing that period of IBM's history. It's always fun to re-live those times and the book put lots of details in perspective and 'filled in the blanks'.

Being somewhat of a techno-geek, I found the style to be interesting with the mix of technical enumeration of facts interspersed with the prose detailing people and events. There's only been a handful of I/T related products which evoke the brand recognition that Thinkpad has created. The book should be a lesson and guide to product developers and management on 'the right way to do it.'

My copy has already been passed around to a number of folks.

Thinkpad Lessons.......2000-02-16

Rarely, if ever, do we see such a good example of what it takes to break the mold and create a new brand in a large company. This book provides several "object lessons" on how a high-level executive's vision and some talented managers with adequate authority and resources can make something happen that changes everything. While it was slow going in the beginning (both the book and the project), once the key players are in position, the vision takes shape and the team rises to the challenge, I found this to be an absorbing look behind the scenes. Both the technology and the politics were difficult, and there were numerous "moments of truth" which solidified elements critical to the team's ultimate success: clear focus, good people and commitment to deliver.

Thinkpad shows how a small team with a mandate can buck the bureaucracy and shine. It clearly wasn't easy getting the Thinkpad off the ground, but anyone interested in finding a niche for their project should find some insights to adopt as their own. I would assign the chapter on "Influencing the Influencers" to any new manager on an innovative team: it's an excellent case study of building support both inside and outside your group which has paid dividends for years.

Continuing to get it right after the product's initial success seems to be the most difficult challenge of all. Judging from the continuing good reviews of the most recent models, it looks like the Thinkpad team has learned just that.

Thinkpad: A Different Shade of Blue (Building a Successful IBM Brand)
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Thinkpad: A Different Shade of Blue (Building a Successful IBM Brand)
Deborah A.; Purdy, J. Gerry Dell
Manufacturer: Sams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NXUY1E

Book Description

Here is practical guidance for librarians and front-line staff on dealing effectively with everyday problems and challenges that arise when working with vendors and publishers, and for preventing many of these common problems in the first place. This invaluable new guide explains the "art"of vendor relations—how to identify potential vendors and select the best one for your library's needs, how to negotiate the license agreement and terms of service, and how to avoid disputes—or end them quickly and amicably when they occur. Here you will find practical advice on handling sales calls, returns, issuing RFPs, and much more! Special chapters are devoted to the stickiest problems, including tracking vendor performance, dealing with unsolicited materials, and switching vendors. Incorporating changes brought on by the Internet and electronic practices, this is the first comprehensive examination of vendor relations in more than a decade.

Buying Books: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians (How to Do It Manuals for Librarians)

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Buying Books: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians (How to Do It Manuals for Librarians)
Audrey Eaglen
Manufacturer: Neal-Schuman Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Beginning with a look at the publishing industry that explains how books are conceived, produced, priced, and distributed, this definitive guide shows librarians the ins-and-outs of vendor selection, book ordering, automated acquisitions systems, and the trends that can affect library acquisitions.

Buying and maintaining personal computers.(Review): An article from: The Australian Library Journal

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Buying and maintaining personal computers.(Review): An article from: The Australian Library Journal
David Mason
Manufacturer: Australian Library and Information Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Australian Library Journal, published by Australian Library and Information Association on May 1, 2001. The length of the article is 600 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Buying and maintaining personal computers.(Review)
Author: David Mason
Publication: The Australian Library Journal (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 2001
Publisher: Australian Library and Information Association
Volume: 50 Issue: 2 Page: 188

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Langmuir provides a thorough presentation of natural chemical concentrations, systems and processes to help readers (1) understand controls on the chemical quality of surface and subsurface waters, and (2) distinguish between the natural and the anthropogenic. Unlike most authors, whose civil/sanitary engineering backgrounds promote a more aquatic chemistry perspective, LangmuirÕs geology/geochemistry experience focuses coverage on the chemical interactions between water and geological materials. The book provides valuable training in using in the geochemical computer code MINTEQA2 as an integral problem-solving tool.

Customer Reviews:

thorough textbook.......2007-02-12

leading text in aqueous geochemistry is thorough and well founded. A very good reference.

Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry.......2004-06-17

This was one of the better texts that I used for a graduate course in chemical hydrogeology. More quantitative than most of the other books avialable. I found it somewhat useful. There are plenty of problems at the end of the chapters and the text covers more topics than Drever or Kehew. Langmuir covers thermochemical principles, kinetics, complexes, acid-base reactions, carbonate chemistry, silicate weathering, adsorption-desorption, redox reactions and computer models. This is a worthwhile textbook.

Hydrochemistry-Bestseller.......2001-09-18

Very valuable book. Useful for scientist as well as students of protection of environment

Worth having ..........2001-04-21

By the time I purchased this book I was absolutely new to the field of Environmental geochemistry and I was looking for book that would include all essential knowledge needed for succes in the course. The book comprises all crucial topics: some thermodynamic basics, aqueous chemistry, redox chemistry, isotopes. I especially appreciate solved problems ... as a guideline for study questions at the end of the chapter. However, to use and comprehend this book, you should have some backgroud of physical chemistry and thermodynamics, 'cause the introductory chapter on thermodynamics requires this kind of konwledge. The book is written in scientific style with pletny of pictures and diagrams - that are many times esseantial in order to understand the text. One more information - in thermodymaic calculations, author uses calories - just a reminder in case you are used to joules. Even though this is not the book for absolute beginners, my overall impression is very good and I higly recommend it.

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AQUEOUS ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY
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Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry
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The search for reliable aqueous solubility (Sw) and octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) data for hydrophobic organic compounds : DDT and DDE as a case study (SuDoc I 19.42/4:01-4201)

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The search for reliable aqueous solubility (Sw) and octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) data for hydrophobic organic compounds : DDT and DDE as a case study (SuDoc I 19.42/4:01-4201)
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An Unofficial Rose
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An unofficial rose. The red and the green / Ajris Merdok. Komplekt iz 4 knig. Dikaya roza. Aloe i zelenoe

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