A ThinkPad is a line of business-oriented laptop computers and tablets that were originally designed, developed, and marketed by IBM, starting in 1992. Lenovo became the owner of the brand when it acquired IBMs personal computer division in 2004, and it has continued to develop and sell new models under the ThinkPad name. ThinkPads are widely praised for their superior keyboard quality on a laptop computer and have been the first to employ a pointing stick for cursor movement. Some models have built-in key lights, and the folding "Butterfly" keyboard won awards for its unique design. ThinkPads have a distinct black, boxy design, which originated in 1990 and is still used in some models. 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 are known for their reliability, durability, and high-quality components, such as Intel NICs and fast SSDs. They are also designed with security features, such as anti-theft software, layered data encryption, and Cisco Virtual Private Network (VPN) .