Lenovo’s upcoming ThinkPad W700 mobile workstations are loaded with high-end features, including Intel Core 2 Quad CPUs and Nvidia Quadro Express graphics, RAID storage, and built-in Wacom pen tablets. But one feature is as close to being genuinely jaw-dropping as anything I’ve seen on a laptop in a long time: an optional secondary 10.6-inch LCD display that sits to the side of the main 17-inch screen. (There it is on the left–I’m not entirely clear on where the secondary screen goes when not in use–whether it slides, folds, or detaches.)
My first take on the second screen was that it was wretched, pricey excess. But the W700 is aimed at CAD users and other types who want all the power they can get their hands on, and all the screen real estate, too. Portability is not top-of-mind for these folks, and I’ll bet that a meaningful minority of the people who buy the W700 spring for the second screen.
The W700ds (hey, wonder what the “ds” stands for?) will start at around $3600 and will ship in January.