On November 17, Lenovo held the 20th anniversary event for ThinkVision and ThinkCentre under the theme “Change Driven by Thinking · Leading the Future”. As representative works of the Think family, the high-end commercial product lines ThinkVision and ThinkCentre have accompanied Chinese people’s desks for 20 years.
The term PC is no longer fresh in today’s world; almost every industry relies on computers for information processing and data management, with new remote and hybrid working models also on the rise.Looking back over the past twenty years, from the “big bulky” models to thin shapes, from having just one computer in the office to having several monitors on today’s desks, ThinkCentre and ThinkVision have witnessed the changes in the working methods of Chinese people, while also bearing witness to the rapid development of China’s industry, commerce, and technology.
The First Decade: How Commercial Computers Became Popular
In 1951, the world’s first commercial electronic computer, UNIVAC-1 (UNIVersal Automatic Computer), was massive and heavy, occupying 27 square meters and weighing over 7 tons. For decades, manufacturers focused on making computers more compact, with companies like IBM, Apple, and Xerox introducing various forms of products, successfully popularizing the concept of the PC, or personal computer.For a long time, there was no clear distinction between home/personal consumer computers and commercial computers, as computers were considered luxury items that required programming and technical backgrounds to use, and there were almost no entertainment applications. As part of exploring specialized fields in the 1990s, Lenovo introduced the “Business Doctor” product aimed at enterprise users through a PC + printer + software solution, achieving good sales.Today’s commercial PC shapes originated from an innovation attempt in 2003. That year, the ThinkCentre M product line was officially established, launching its first product: the M50, which was later regarded as the first computer that was purely commercial in positioning and design, featuring hardware designed for easy management and information statistics, along with built-in enterprise management software.The next decade marked China’s economic boom. The real estate market heated up, state-owned enterprise reforms were vigorously carried out, and China’s per capita GDP exceeded $1,000 in 2003… Although people might not have used them yet, discussions about the internet were everywhere, and computer courses became popular from campuses to the streets.At that time, Lenovo had become the number one PC manufacturer in the Asia-Pacific region. With the advent of the internet age, more and more enterprises began to use IT tools for office work. Reports indicated that by the early 21st century, commercial PC sales accounted for more than half of the total PC sales in China.A large number of information technology projects, such as e-government and the Golden Tax Project, were launched. Medium and large enterprises began upgrading their commercial computer equipment, and sales of mid-to-high-end commercial machines maintained rapid growth. Thus, commercial PCs became a battleground for the market, with soaring demand and rapidly changing product shapes. The ThinkCentre M series was the first in the industry to introduce a convertible chassis, targeting enterprises’ demand for “smaller computers that occupy less office space.” This change was significant; when computers took up only a small space on the desk, it meant that every employee in the office could potentially have access to a computer.The now-common all-in-one computers were still a novelty at that time, characterized by their small size and ease of installation. In 2009, the first commercial all-in-one machine, ThinkCentre M9000z, was launched, which was the industry’s first all-in-one desktop to receive TCO Edge certification (a standard for product sustainability), saving 70% of desktop space and upgrading in terms of electromagnetic radiation and operational noise to ensure a healthy and comfortable office environment.More and more enterprises added computer procurement to their to-do lists. In those years, learning to type with Wubi, using “E-mail,” and mastering e-commerce were all fresh concepts. Employees who had just started using computers were most concerned about whether the computers were convenient and easy to use. In enterprises, computer users often had limited knowledge of IT technology, making it a new challenge for many manufacturers to simplify computer operations, ideally enabling users to learn without formal instruction. New designs such as hot-swappable technology, front-facing USB ports, and Self-Encrypting Drives (SED) began to emerge.
By the third quarter of 2012, a report from Gartner showed that Lenovo’s share of the global PC market reached 15.7%, marking its first ascent to the top of the global PC rankings. Since then, its position as a global leader has rarely changed.
The Second Decade: New Era and New Demands
As the 21st century entered the 2010s, China rapidly embraced the mobile internet. Smartphones transcended the “shanzhai” era, becoming battlegrounds for mobile applications; BAT competed for new “tickets” through financing and mergers in various fields such as social media, gaming, search, and e-commerce; new business models continuously emerged, with shared economy, online travel, and takeout services transitioning from “burning money” competition to mergers.IT equipment became the infrastructure of the new era, as the “white-collar” class emerged, and computers transitioned from luxury goods to productivity tools.After lightweight business all-in-one machines made office desks cleaner, a wider range of demands emerged. The manufacturing industry adopted higher-end industrial software, and “cockpit” large screens entered the workshops, allowing factory workers to understand yield and KPI data. However, some dust was unavoidable in the environment, and some machines needed to operate in “extreme” conditions such as high temperatures and humidity. The media industry “abandoned” drawing boards and film, opting for digital tools, but design software often required more powerful computing capabilities. In hospitals, patient registration and prescription data were not just stored in backend systems but also entered nurse stations and small carts, requiring products to be flexible and lightweight… Moreover, in finance, power grids, and government service windows, every scenario posed challenges for commercial PCs.
Products evolved with demand. In 2012, Lenovo launched the ThinkCentre M4350Q, which was then referred to as “the most powerful 1L host,” shrinking the chassis down to a “mini” size of 1 liter while ensuring full functionality and performance, and it still has enthusiasts making unboxing reviews today; it remains viable even now.In 2014, the first modular all-in-one machine, TIO (Tiny-in-One), was launched, enabling flexible combinations of a monitor and Tiny host, with all necessary interfaces available, meeting the flexible procurement needs of enterprises. You can find it in narrow bank counters and at the desks of securities traders with multiple screens displaying rolling numbers. Additionally, administrative, financial, and marketing personnel in enterprises can use the lightweight Tiny host combined with different monitors to perfectly meet the needs of various scenarios.During the procurement and management of devices, the most important indicators for business owners are stability, security, and manageability, summed up as the need for “trustworthiness.” The ThinkCentre M series was designed based on these needs, with each product undergoing 12 rigorous tests, including vibration, temperature and humidity, sand and dust, liquid contamination, low pressure, mold, and salt mist, to ensure they can be delivered to users. The integrated design provides an IT comprehensive management platform, unifying the management of scattered hardware and software, BIOS settings, and Intel’s vPro management capabilities into the Windows interface, allowing administrators to deploy and manage quickly.In terms of performance, the current ThinkCentre M series can support up to the Intel i9-13900 standard pressure processor, with a 22% performance increase compared to the previous generation. There is also a self-developed “Xunying” calibration system that intelligently adjusts power supply during complex calculations through sensors and a unique five-tier protection algorithm, allowing the CPU to achieve high performance output with high turbo frequency, enhancing CPU performance by up to 36%.Besides performance, there is also the user experience. Hardware enthusiasts are certainly familiar with the fan noise produced by high-performance computer cases, and when placed in office spaces with dozens of cases running simultaneously, the noise can become a serious work distraction. Therefore, enterprise users need to have both powerful performance and a comfortable, quiet operating environment. In this regard, the ThinkCentre M series has uniquely developed cooling technology called ICE (Intelligent Cooling Engine), which can monitor the cooling system in real-time and switch between performance and experience modes as needed. Under the same performance, noise can be reduced by 3-5 decibels, while under the same noise level, performance can be increased by 10%-15%.Moreover, the value of commercial computers goes beyond just hardware; enterprise clients increasingly value pre-sales and after-sales service and support. Currently, the ThinkCentre M series comes standard with premium services, including three years of full warranty and on-site service, delivery and installation, basic data protection services, 24/7 customer service, and quick repair promises, ensuring enterprises can use them without worries.From a macro perspective, the ultimate goal of enterprise users in purchasing commercial PCs is efficiency and effectiveness improvement, rather than just focusing on cost-effectiveness. A common concept in the commercial sector is TCO, or Total Cost of Ownership, which encompasses the total costs paid by users when purchasing products and the overall services enjoyed after-sales. The positioning of “high-end commercial” aims to ensure extreme product quality while providing exceptional service, ultimately streamlining the customer’s TCO costs.This has made the ThinkCentre M series a trusted partner in many important events. In the recently concluded Asian Games, the ThinkCentre M master series desktops were used in command centers, main media centers, the Asian Games Village, and various competition venues, ensuring uninterrupted stable operation for 30 days. They completed various high-information, complex computation, and parallel processing tasks with “zero faults” during the games.
Innovative products, forward-looking vision, and historical accumulation have made the Think brand almost dominate the desks of major enterprises in China. IDC data shows that Lenovo’s commercial desktops have ranked first for 22 consecutive years. The gray-black logo with red accents has also become a subconscious association with commercial computers.
The Next Decade: What Surprises Await Commercial PCs?
It has been twenty years since the first true commercial PC was born; what possibilities does it hold?Some data indicate the opportunities here: under the transformation of hybrid work models and the push for enterprise digitalization and intelligence, commercial PCs remain a significant driving force in the PC market.According to consulting firm IDC, over 50% of the global demand for PCs, which totaled 300 million in 2020, came from the commercial market.On the other hand, the “digital native generation,” represented by those born in the 1990s and 2000s, has grown up with the internet and IT devices and has become an important workforce. This generation’s requirements for collaborative office applications are significantly higher than those of other generations, indicating that there is still room for growth in the demand for PCs in professional office settings.Manufacturers are also exploring more possibilities.In the digital and intelligent era, commercial terminals are evolving towards higher performance and diversified application scenarios.On one hand, the new wave of technologies such as AI and virtual reality is bringing new opportunities for commercial PCs. Previously, Lenovo announced that it had preliminarily completed a full-stack intelligent capability, including AI-embedded smart terminals, AI-guided infrastructure, and AI-native solution services.Commercial PCs are an important part of AI-embedded terminals, and as a high-end product line, ThinkCentre M is expected to be among the first to benefit from AI.On the other hand, under the “dual carbon” goals, all sectors of society are paying more attention to the green and energy-saving indicators of products and enterprises.In fact, ThinkCentre M began applying biodegradable PCC materials in machine packaging as early as 2005, and green and low-carbon practices have long been part of its DNA.The ThinkCentre M 950t, released in 2023, is the industry’s first commercial desktop product to receive a “product carbon footprint certificate.”ThinkCentre M also offers exclusive zero-carbon services for enterprise clients, achieving zero carbon emissions throughout the IT equipment lifecycle. Using Lenovo’s zero-carbon service desktop means saving 622 kWh of electricity in one year.The products themselves also need to be more recyclable and environmentally friendly.ThinkCentre M series plans to use 100% renewable plastics in all products and 90% recyclable materials for internal and external packaging by 2023.Driven by technological innovation, digital transformation, and green development, commercial PCs continue to thrive.As valuable partners on office desks and productivity tools in users’ hands, in the future, commercial PCs may not only be essential tools for office scenarios but also become indispensable innovation engines in the digital age, creating rich value for more industries.
*The above content does not constitute investment advice and does not represent the views of the publishing platform. The market has risks, and investment should be approached with caution; please make independent judgments and decisions.
