Lenovo's ThinkPad W700ds photographed and reviewed

Though a few lucky souls have already wrapped their paws around Lenovo's completely unorthodox W700ds, the dual-screened machine has yet to undergo a proper review... until now. Laptop Mag found the rig to be expectedly dominant in all the right areas, with a ridiculous graphics performance and a stunning display. Yeah, display. As in, singular. The main 17-inch panel was nothing short of stupendous, though the pull-out 10.6-inch LCD was said to be "significantly duller and dimmer." Additionally, the vertical orientation wasn't well suited for much of anything outside of sidebar applications (chat boxes, Photoshop toolbars, etc.), but you probably knew that already, didn't you? All told, the W700ds wasn't deemed the best value in the world with an anticipated price point of around $5,000, but those with highly specialized needs might just pay the premium to make their dreams come true.

[bolezhinkov @ Dec 31st 2008 2:16AM]

first off, its extravagent. other than that, think of all the novelty uses and productivity delusions you could have with that extra display.

[Tarnation @ Dec 31st 2008 8:18AM]

I agree this is way more useful than Engadget seems to realize. I have always wondered why no one has designed something like this before. With the increase in OLED technology I am looking forward to three screens one sliding out of each side. Think of the possibilities. All those little apps and sites that you love to keep running but don't want on your desktop while say watching a movie. Or better yet from a sysadmin view VMs, Remote Desktops, and network status. This is coated in teh awesome sauce.

[Christian Martin @ Dec 31st 2008 11:58AM]

And the concept slide-out, triple-OLED laptop that trounces this thing screams "WHAT productivity?! EXTRAVAGANCE, bitches!":

http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/prime_gaming_laptop_with_three_collapsible_screens.php

[V Langs @ Dec 31st 2008 7:15PM]

hmmm, linderman can i be one of your scientists?

my name''s mohinder suresh, heard of me??

lawl sauce

[linderman @ Dec 31st 2008 2:17AM]

Definitely something I will take a look at while I'm at CES next week. This new machine will generate some excitement in Las Vegas. Since laptops are going to be the big thing at CES, I am looking forward to shopping for the perfect notebook for my clients along with the best peripherals. This new computer will be an interesting start.

[Saad Rabia @ Dec 31st 2008 4:51AM]

So, I learn from what you said that you are going to have a look at this laptop, at CES, next week, in Las Vegas, and check for new notebooks for your clients? You sound very successful.

[brett @ Dec 31st 2008 9:16AM]

linderman = fusion fuzo?

[Kinger @ Dec 31st 2008 12:57PM]

can I be you

[linderman @ Dec 31st 2008 1:27PM]

I have clients who are scientists and do cancer research and I specialize in non-profit organizations and mainstream consumers. The more sophisticated computers are for the scientists. Hopefully they will use these machines to find a cure for some of the dreaded diseases our world faces each day. That is what I do for a living and I go to CES to look for technological solutions for my clients to make their lives easier.

[wildman_91 @ Dec 31st 2008 3:35PM]

sounds like a certain tv show i watch....

especially with the name linderman.

[BigDaddyM @ Dec 31st 2008 2:19AM]

I bought the Sony AW because I didn't feel Lenovo used quality screens (for photoshop, and yes I do color critical work).

I wish I had a quad core in my system so it is not perfect, but if I going to get a second screen, I do not want a dimmer and duller to pick my colors from my color palette...


I do think the idea is awesome for creatives, but if they make future versions, it hopefully will be better. Of course, I am waiting for a screen to pop from both sides!
M

[lars @ Dec 31st 2008 9:16AM]

How do you find the Sony Vaio AW screen WRT color space and tonality?

[Fosnez @ Dec 31st 2008 2:24AM]

Actually, vertical orientation can be used quite well with MS Outlook, just put the reading pane at the bottom and you are set.

[darkfox2002 @ Dec 31st 2008 2:26AM]

It would be cool if the smaller screen were a touch screen now that might make it more worth the money.

[Justin @ Dec 31st 2008 10:26PM]

Yeah, because a flimsy touchscreen only on the side of tilting laptop screen sounds really practical.

[bokeen @ Dec 31st 2008 2:36AM]

If the side display was a touchscreen, then we'd be talking business. Imagine running iTunes or Winamp or even pr0n on the side monitor, while attending to email and other work related shit on the main screen. In my book, that is good times..

[Patriks7 @ Dec 31st 2008 8:35AM]

Are you kidding me?! It should be porn on the main screen and work on the small one! Who needs work when there's porn?

[Arkenklo @ Dec 31st 2008 2:52AM]

What's up with the black area in the bottom of the main screen?

[ugg.tryptophan @ Dec 31st 2008 3:26AM]

some people like big taskbars...

[eric @ Dec 31st 2008 3:37AM]

Just looks like a really poor composite in photoshop.

[Abe Froman @ Dec 31st 2008 4:26AM]

Yeah, poor Photoshopping. If it were just a multi-line taskbar then the system tray icons would also span multiple lines, instead of just one.

[eric @ Dec 31st 2008 3:02AM]

I ordered a W500 to be used for live audio performance and photoshoppery / after effects-er-y, last night.

Now, I am a student with a pretty barren bank account, and out of fear of never being able to get on top of the credit card debt, I canceled my order.

I will try and do the responsible thing: Save up for a couple months and buy that lovely thing then.

Terribly excited to own it

[ugg.tryptophan @ Dec 31st 2008 3:30AM]

its good to not buy things you cant afford

[Boards of Canada @ Dec 31st 2008 3:47AM]

Dude, my main job is After Effects and 3d + I do music a lot (working on my second album right now)... get a desktop computer! no kidding, nothing can beat my 30inches Dell monitor for After Effects HD works and playing in Reason, all you rack+tools at the right and sequencer at the left. Also any cheap quad will have the same or better performance as an expensive mobile cpu...

you can get 2 workstation for the price of 1 quality laptop...

[eric @ Dec 31st 2008 7:02AM]

I do all my creation at home, on a desktop.
Albiet, something slower than the W500 I was going to order.

Sometimes I work on small animations in after effects- little animated flyers for upcoming shows. The W500 is more than enough to let me get cracking on those when outside of the house.

If I'm color grading HD footage off of my little canon hv20- you can bet I'll be doing that on my desktop!

And as for audio- something as rugged as a thinkpad will be great for performance.

[digitallysick @ Dec 31st 2008 3:18AM]

Rather than a keypad seems like they could of put something else like a small touch screen that you could make a keypad, short cuts, or whatever you wanted

[CrackedButter @ Dec 31st 2008 4:10AM]

It is a pity they stopped at one screen, why didn't they think to balance it out by inserting another on the left side of the main screen.

[xconan @ Jan 1st 2009 4:35AM]

Probably the next version will consist of 1 main screen flanked by 2 side screens... Minor improvements typically come at a cost.

[Rumle @ Dec 31st 2008 6:03AM]

Gesus, that reviewer really doesn't know how to use this computer properly. The videoreview is a joke, he talks alot about the dual screen and how you can use it for Skype, messenger, webpages and TV and other crap... He just notes that it is actually designed for photographers and graphicdesigners, then opens GIMP!!! to show it for about a 2 sec.

[Akio @ Dec 31st 2008 6:57AM]

It looks like a calculator, with a bigger screen.... or two.

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 31st 2008 7:52AM]

Just imagine the performance with 64GB of RAM! :P

I can really imagine that would be a great laptop for a good number of professionals (no, not you, Fusion) and who know, I wouldn't mind this dual screen tech filtering down to my next cheaper laptop.

[Alex @ Dec 31st 2008 9:35AM]

Why does IBM insist on sticking to these ancient designs? I understand the market their laptops are aiming at, but would it be the end of the world if they added some nice curves and gloss to their devices?

[Matt @ Dec 31st 2008 1:08PM]

IBM don't make laptops any more. Lenovo do.

Lenovo is not IBM.

[telepheedian @ Jan 7th 2009 6:23PM]

Silly rabbit, curves are for Apple!

Really, please, I hope they keep making them the way they have been, the thinkpad design is really really hard to damage or scratch/make fingerprints on.

[Evan @ Dec 31st 2008 9:57AM]

If the pull-out LCD is "significantly duller and dimmer", then it would NOT be suited for Photoshop toolbars, at least not the color and swatches, because the colors won't match the image.

Also, are the pull-our LCD's red-green-blue pixel aligned vertically or horizontally? That could mess up Window's "ClearType" anti-aliasing.

[Saif @ Dec 31st 2008 10:10AM]

I was just thinking that myself -- not only would it mess up subpixel rendering, it might also have implications for the viewing angle. It would be weird to move your head up or down a little bit and notice that side display is all of a sudden much dimmer, relatively. If they saved the good panel for the main display and used a more standard run-of-the-mill LCD for the secondary display, that would likely be a problem -- provided that it's actually the case that the secondary display is an LCD turned sideways.

If the side display is actually a normally oriented LCD which happens to be in portrait format, then no problem, really -- but I was wondering about that too.

[Hackettman @ Dec 31st 2008 10:30AM]

I cant believe they review it as extravagant...... I mean have they ever seen Batman or any superhero film or comic book..... Multiple screens is totally awesome....... If they could cram three in there and pull one out the top and both sides........ Itd have to be called the "Sexellent".......

[james @ Dec 31st 2008 11:07AM]

Did anyone watch the video? or may I say suffer through it? Ccould he be any more dry? I'm no public speaker but he could have acted a little more excited about the review - negative or positive. Wow.

Also, he seems to miss major points of the screen, and mobile workstations in general. Illustrating someone lugging around a desktop just sounded silly.

[Joelg88 @ Dec 31st 2008 11:54AM]

Man is that one small trackpad. They have all that space there and the thing is so small.

[Jae @ Dec 31st 2008 12:18PM]

Is it me or does the second display look like it's on a hinge and tilted towards the viewer? Didn't know it could do that (if it can).

[Blastar @ Jan 1st 2009 6:45AM]

Come on.. enough with this extended screen.. Get over it it and move on..
It's getting as boring as i-phone rapid posts.
At the end its Just a Laptop and an extra small screen for God.. its not something That special.
Just MOVE ON engadget please.

[mike @ Jan 5th 2009 6:36AM]

haha, you guys are priceless...

this thing is atrocious, impractical and too expensive for 99.9999% of consumers.

Since it's a Windows lappy, you're 'open minded' about it.

*applause.