Lenovo Announces Dual-Screen Mobile Workstation - ThinkPad W700ds

[malware]

Lenovo this weekend officially announced its ThinkPad W700ds (ds stands for dual-screen), a mobile workstation with two fully functional LCD displays. Inside and round the back of the main 17-inch display is housed a second one, 10.6-inch in diagonal that can also be tilted up to 30 degrees like a car's rearview mirror. The secondary WXGA display (768x1280), allows users to own a workstation notebook with dual-monitor support for the first time. Wes Williams, product marketing manager for ThinkPads, said: "People that use high-end computers, whether they are professional photographers or work in other fields, all use two displays at their desktops ... What we were trying to do in building a mobile workstation is give them the same experience. Not only do you need a great display, great graphics, great processor and RAID hard drive with a workstation, but it is hard going back to a single display mode." The Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds is said to make its first appearance at CES, starting January 5, 2008. Among the other cool features that will be integrated inside the W700ds are the latest Intel Core 2 Quad 45nm processors, NVIDIA Quadro mobile graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, and a pair of hard drive/solid-state drive bays for up to 960GB of storage. The W700ds' starting price is expected to be $3,600 upon availability.



Source: Engadget

[King Wookie]

I'm impressed!

[lemonadesoda]

Looks like it also has a SECOND, GIANT, trackpad



I like what they are trying to do here. But, OMG, fugly.

[Ripper3]

That giant trackpad is actually a wacom device, can't remember what I saw it called, a digitiser I believe, but basically, I figure it's a mini graphics tablet, which I think is the second most awesome thing about this laptop.
If that second display were a touchscreen, you wouldn't need that tablet area, but it could prove to be useful.

Someone will still likely start saying "what's the point", and "get a desktop" blah blah blah, but I see this as rather useful. Forget having a desktop at all. This may not be extremely portable, but if it was meant to be, then they would have figured out a system using two 13" displays, and just gone for some ULV mobile processors, and some less powerful graphics circuitry inside.
I see this as possibly being the start of something. Laptops are slowly taking over, and now they have something that fits in nearly any category.
Next, a triple-monitor laptop

[FordGT90Concept]

That's a bad resolution being 9:17 (literally). I can see that screen breaking off easily too. Personally, I really fail to see the point. You don't need dual monitors when you are "mobile." You save the dual monitors for when you are doing a lot of work in your work environment (an office).

Not to mention, I'd never buy a Lenovo because of their shitty OS reinstall routines.

[lemonadesoda]

This isn't a "mobile". This is a desktop replacement. This is becoming more a more prevalent in "hot-desking" environments.

The second window is for:
1./ email, or
2./ messenging, or
3./ graphics program toolbars

Makes a lot of sense. Most "second" screens are "underutilised", so for someone needed something to keep their main desktop clear, this is perfect.

For gamers
4./ Ventrillo/teamspeak

[Basard]

im more impressed with the num-pad than the extra screen :P

[theJesus]

That second screen is retractable, right? If so, that's awesome and I want to see them make a laptop with a another screen on the opposite side as well

[kysg]

meh, it looks ugly, I see what they are trying to do, but whats the point if your mobile, heck even in the office one big ol monitor will still take care of business over using two monitors.

[theJesus]

Originally Posted by kysg

meh, it looks ugly, I see what they are trying to do, but whats the point if your mobile, heck even in the office one big ol monitor will still take care of business over using two monitors.

Two smaller monitors are cheaper than one huge monitor.