Testing Lenovo's ThinkPad W700ds Dual-Screen Notebook 197
MojoKid writes "Lenovo's ThinkPad W700 is a unique product, targeted squarely at mobile professionals who require the power, features, and performance of workstation-class product in a notebook. The machine has a few stand-out integrated features, like a Wacom Digitizer Tablet and X-Rite Color Calibrator. In addition, the ThinkPad W700ds version and adds a secondary, slide-out 10.6" WXGA+ display, which increases monitor real-estate by 39% spanning across its two panels. HotHardware's video demonstrates the machine's arsenal of toys for the graphics pro, in a somewhat portable desktop replacement notebook."
Well (Score:1, Insightful)
As usual, Portability = $$$$$$$$$
I'm sitting in front of a hand built desktop that runs at 3.2 Ghz (Lenovo runs at 2.53) with 4 gigs of RAM and a terrabyte of hard disk space. I'm using an IBM model M keyboard (long live the king!) with dual 27" monitors from Dell, with S-IPA panels.
Total cost? about 2 grand, and I put together the CPU unit 2 years ago.
Re:Well (Score:2, Insightful)
Ok, so your system is cheaper. But that's a *quad core* 2.53Ghz machine of the latest architecture. It's pretty damn fast. And the hard drives are 7,200 RPM and they're running on RAID 0, which is also very fast.
Plus it has a bunch of features yours is probably lacking:
- webcam
- fingerprint scanner
- Wacom tablet
- VGA/DualLink DVI/DisplayPort
- Display Calibrator
- FireWire
- Express/Smart Card expansion
- WiFi/Bluetooth
- Not to mention... fits in your backpack
All in all, that thing isn't too bad a price for a truly mobile workstation. But it has a pretty small target market.
Re:Dual Screen? (Score:3, Insightful)
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Expandable+keyboard+puts+new+IBM+ThinkPad+in+a+class+of+its+own-a016694636 [thefreelibrary.com]
But will it ... (Score:4, Insightful)
And this time it is no meme, but a real question. What good are slide-out screens and fancy fingerprint readers if they are based on such obscene hardware hacks that a normal operation system would be unable to use it all.
That is something reviews would actually be useful for.
Re:Well (Score:3, Insightful)
Alright, now take it down to Starbucks to work on stuff while you have a coffee.
So much for boasting about '2 grand', huh? I agree with your point, but there are uses for expensive, portable computers, even uses that justify spending that kind of money.
RAID-0? (Score:3, Insightful)
And yes, this is honest constructive criticism here. I'm a proud ThinkPad owner myself (T60 to be exact).
Dual screen? More like 1 1/3 screen! (Score:5, Insightful)
Calling this thing dual screen is not too different to calling an old tv with an lcd display of the channel number dual screen. Okay that's a _slight_ exaggeration. Only slight. The second "screen" looks like it's not worth the trouble. Good for task lists and the like but not much else, yet oh so breakable. The headline had me envision something like a tablet pc with a second screen - instead I see something about the size of a size mirror on a combi van. More gimmick than useful. Farq off.
Re:Well (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Well (Score:4, Insightful)
Not to mention that Lenevo (read = IBM) laptops are not 'just for mobility'. The built quality is just insane(ly good).
Laptop makers like Dell & co are building their portables with predictable failure in mind. That ofcourse means the cheapest of the cheapest parts that they can get their hands on and it must die in a certain amount of years, while Lenevo is know for building laptops that last and can resist impacts (like the harddisk that stops working when the laptop sensing it is falling).
So in other words you pay more money for a laptop that is built to last for as long as you'd wish. Lenevo is known for making Linux friendly computers, so you pay extra for the additional Linux testing. You also pay for the innovation that is really innovative (like the 'falling'-sensor so your FS doesn't get corrupted by a HD shock). The only thing that doesn't work yet is the fingerprint reader and the GPU switcher on Linux, but you can't blame Lenevo for that because there is simply no such functionality in Linux.
The GPU switcher is software that is being worked on in X.org (but development/planning has stalled) that switches between the onboard GPU and the ATI/nVidia GPU based on power management.
Ummmm, why wouldn't it? (Score:5, Insightful)
Modems don't take up much space, nor cost much money. So unless you are dealing with a very small laptop (you aren't) or a cheap one (again not) why wouldn't you include a modem? The idea of laptops is to be able to take them on the go. Well guess what? Some places you go may not have high speed Internet. I know for the geek that has never left the city this might seem impossible but it happens. There are places where high speed just hasn't gotten to yet. However phone lines, well those are pretty wide spread. While it isn't impossible to find a location without a phone line, it is far more difficult than finding a place without high speed Internet.
Thus you include a modem, so that if it is needed, it's there. No reason not to when you've got the space and the $5 for the hardware isn't a major part of the price.
So while I wouldn't get a modem for a desktop, I'm glad my laptop has a modem, I've actually made use of it. My grandma finally did get high speed Internet because my uncle got tired of her not having it and set it all up, but until very recently she didn't. So when I went to visit her, it was dialup or no access.
It isn't as though the computer is just dialup. It also has a wired Ethernet connection, and WiFi. It just includes dialup as a fallback option.
Re:WTH (Score:3, Insightful)
Guess what? Outside of the giant city where I'm going to assume that you live and spend 99% of your time, modems are useful. Faxes and dialup get the job done. There's never any internet at the factories I visit in China, but just hook up the phone and dial 16300 and I can get my emails.