A radically different-looking ThinkPad might not end up in as many cubicles. But it does make sense, as corporate IT departments value familiarity and continuity above all else.
In some ways it's surprising how little changes year over year in the ThinkPad design, as Lenovo has shown it can do radically modern designs with its IdeaPad consumer line. That said, this is still clearly identifiable as a ThinkPad at 100 paces, from the squared-off black shell to the overly busy keyboard with the iconic pointing stick in the middle. The look and feel of ThinkPad laptops has been tweaked over time, and different product lines and sizes have their unique features.