It seems all hope is lost with Lenovo ThinkPad. They simply don't understand what a keyboard layout means nor why it's important to group keys and create keys with different sizes. Also the slim keys are bad in many ways. The omission of the F-keys, the omission of the audio&mic-keys. ThinkPad was easy to open using just 2 screws. Replacing parts was easy. Forget that with their new consumer style T430+ series.
I personally give Lenovo one more chance for a "T460" in 2016, but I doubt it will resurface the T420 series style. I would support a kickstarter campaign that sole goal should be creating a premium business notebook "IBM ThinkPad style".
They removed the physical buttons older thinkpads had [1].
2015 Thinkpads (2015) for X (including x1 carbon), T and W have corrected numerous issues the last generation(s) had, including:
- Bringing back physical keys and the old-style trackpad!
- The "adaptive" function keys on the X1 carbon
- The merged insert key on X series
Lenovo took a bad bet, but give them credit, they fixed 2015 thinkpads.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb7p3VkQCOo - Side-by-side comparison.