The ThinkPad was developed to compete with Toshiba and Compaq, who had created the first two portable notebooks, with an emphasis on sales to the Harvard Business School. 10.22 25th anniversary Retro ThinkPad (2017).ThinkPads have also for several years been one of the preferred laptops used by the United Nations. ThinkPad laptops have been used in outer space and for many years were the only laptops certified for use on the International Space Station.
It has seen significant success in the business market. The ThinkPad line was first developed at the IBM Yamato Facility in Japan, and the first ThinkPads were released in October 1992. Most models also feature a red-colored trackpoint on the keyboard, which has become an iconic and distinctive design characteristic associated with the ThinkPad line. ThinkPads have a distinct black, boxy design language, inspired by a Japanese bento lunchbox, which originated in 1990 and is still used in some models. The line was originally sold by IBM until 2005, when a part of the company's business was acquired by Lenovo. ThinkPad is a line of business-oriented laptop computers and tablets designed, developed and marketed by Lenovo, and formerly IBM.