Time to update you on another
forthcoming update in the laptop world, this time concerning Lenovo's premier widescreen workstation range. Purported internal Lenovo slides from earlier this year show the new W701 and W701ds ThinkPads nonchalantly hanging out next to some pretty beefy spec sheets. The W701, which we saw
passing through the FCC, is again listed alongside an Intel Extreme series CPU and a Wacom Digitizer, while its display quality has been upgraded all the way to 100 percent of the NTSC color gamut and 280 nits of brightness. Going stride for stride with it is the dual-screen W701ds, with both machines offering up to 16GB of RAM, SSD options up to a quarter of a terabyte, and Ultrabay expandability. DisplayLink ports and the like are just glazing on the cake, but we can't help noticing the frankly silly two-hour battery rating on the 701ds -- guess that CPU is going to live up to its Extreme name in every way imaginable. The announcement date listed for these machines is February 23, which is when we'll be better able to gauge the veracity of the specs before us.
posted February 19th 2010 7:45AM
wow, this makes Alienware look like a netbook...
@egress63 this makes any notebook look like a netbook ...
@egress63
But the Graphics card is a mobile workstation one, so its better built for 3D design and computation than for gaming.
@egress63 Perhaps. But this most obviously makes Apple look terrible.
@JRKScope
this isn't aimed at gamers, obviously.
@MostAmazing Anyone who cares about spec is holding off Macbooks until the bump sometime in the upcoming weeks. My guess is 2/23, but we will see...
@rkd Yeah, but they'll be $2000 up. I bought a sony vaio with a core i7, 6GB RAM, and full HD for 1300 as bestbuy. almost 1k more than what my Macbook Pro costed, my macbookpro which had less than a third of what my Vaio has now!
@MostAmazing Almost 1k less, excuse me. lol. Core i7 Macbook pro for $300, silly me!
@Atkins
The w710ds has TWO screens, along with an i7 and a Quadro graphics card.
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT IT TO HAVE!?
@MostAmazing Macbook Pros are luxury items, there is no doubt about that. But they are pretty sweet, if you can afford them.
@Atkins
Take a look at the specs again.
BTW, to everyone saying stuff about MBP; engineers don't use Apple computers, they use DELL workstations with NVIDIA Quadro.
@MostAmazing dude you've got some issues ... why always these cheesy apple comparisons
@Atkins
How the fuck can you compare a Macbook (of any sort) to this? They aren't even in the same league.
@Atkins
Yes. Because you're completely ignoring the necessary space required to properly cool them. You think you can just shove an i7 and a mobile Quadro workstaion graphics card in a slim form factor and expect it to not overheat and explode?
Newflash, high-end components get hot.
@egress63
Is it posible to have a discussion without the pc vs mac debate?
This computer is not made to compete with a macbook pro. The MBP is for people who need high portability, power and battery life. This Machine is more for people who want tons of horsepower and aren't too worried about portability.
@Atkins
Im talking about the whole MBP comments in the post, not about yours.
@Atkins
I agree, the laptop is much heavier than the MBP. But it has a hotter processor, better screen, expansion bay, and is better reinforced. Thinkpads generally have better thermal design than the MBPs as well. All of these features add weight, although if this machine were using the same battery design as the MBPs it could be lighter. The tradeoff is that it would be less modular as the battery would not be compatible with other Thinkpad units, which is probably important if you are running an IT department.
@egress63 Both models boast a 17-inch screen and have the latest Intel processor, as well as good memory cards like the NVIDIA Quadro FX 2800M or 3800M. In terms of memory RAM it has 4 slots so you can have up to 16GB of DDR3, which should be enough for all your needs.
Caveat? Price will be 2 grand.. More: http://bit.ly/lenovo-w-series-laptop
Pls santa can I have one pls :)
Am I the only one who would never go near a think pad just because they're so ugly as sin it makes me vom in the mouth?
Yes, you are.
@Hobsie So does that mean you normally buy things that are flashy and crappy? lol
That is one ugly, heavy laptop...
@JustThatNerdyGuy Isn't it fortunate you don't have to sleep with it then?
@JustThatNerdyGuy
Actually, I more than agree with you. I bought one of these and returned it .. well, the W700 that is. HUGE border around the LCD of wasted space, gargantuan, and seemingly needlessly so. There have been other machines with the same processor and video card that are smaller, so, perhaps its to keep the temperature lower. I don't see this as a good trade off.. The LCD should always be the primary determinant in the footprint.
And hey! Why hasn't Lenovo made a 15.6" with a number pad?? For that reason alone Im abandoning my T500 and switching to the HP 8540w when it finally exists..
@JustThatNerdyGuy You know, not everybody buys their electronics based on looks. I have grown accustomed to the simple, business look of my Thinkpad.
A laptop doesn't need to be light if it will sit on a desk all day. The user might remove it from a dock in order to bring it home. In this case, the only movement it will be doing is just going from your building to your car.
@Vlad Savov
Hahahah nice one although if i judge from the pic neither the laptop would like to sleep with him also !!! hehehe
That is one SEXY looking ThinkPad. And those specs are to die for. Next time I've got a few grand on hand, I'll definitely pick this sucker up. Looks like it could breeze through all my NX and Solidworks programs without even so much as breaking a sweat.
@Prevacator More like a dozen grand?
@revoltracers
Nah. Now if I was looking at their D20 workstation with Dual i7 Nehalems, 128GB of RAM, and Dual-Quadro cards...THEN I'd need about 10 grand or more.
Doubt this is accurate. They're doing usb 3.0 in the W500, why would they disclude that from the W701. Inexplicable - which makes the rest of the listing LIKELY, in most line items, but not a certainty.
@TrumanHW
They're not excluding it, can't you read? It says one of the 5 USB ports is USB 3.0. The same goes for the W-510. Only one of its ports is 3.0.
@Atkins
Seriously, what don't you get? It uses a Mobile Quadro, has a 17" screen, WITH a secondary smaller screen. Has support for 2 Hard Drive bays, and needs room to properly cool the i7 processor, and 16GB of RAM.
What do you expect out of it?
@Atkins
Lenovo has a magnesium/titanium/or carbon fiber roll cage, depending on the series, to protect the screen, a roll cage for the hard drives, and a roll cage for the internals. While those exotic metals and composites are light, when you put enough in the computer, it does add weight.
@Atkins
"So what is in the 1kg difference in weight? Nvidia Quadro? A second bay? Some space to cool the processor?"
Yes. Do you not know how components work? MacBook Pros have a Core 2 Duo, and a 9600m. They basically cool themselves. Not to mention all the anti-impact protection that's built in to ThinkPads like the steel roll cage, and the magnesium shell. Yes, you need room for cooling, for the copper heat pipes, for the large monitor (single or otherwise) and for enough expansions slots for 16GB of RAM. If you buy a 17" laptop with specs like these, it's going to be very heavy, and even with a 9 cell won't have a long lasting battery.
You can't even compare that with the MacBook Pro as the specs between the two can't even be compared.
These are coming out soon if you're looking for a comparable 2nd screen for your laptop www.mycinq.com
17" WXGA+ (1440x900)? That's a terribly low resolution for the screen size. It's only 100 pixels per inch!
My ancient ThinkPad T60p has 1600x1200 on a 15" panel - a much better 133 pixels per inch.
To match that pixel density, the W701[ds] should have a 1920x1200 (WUXGA) display.
@Atkins - Naturally this is a matter of personal preference, so as long as they offer a high-resolution option in addition to the lower-resolution screens I'd be a happy camper.
One thing that is key to using a higher-resolution screen is to set Windows to the 120DPI setting instead of the default 96DPI (in the Display or Personalization control panel depending on the Windows version).
The other thing is to get a good pair of single-vision prescription glasses set up for the distance from your eyes to your computer screen - typically about 20", *not* the same as a reading prescription which is typically 16".
If you're having trouble seeing the icons on a 133 DPI screen, it's a good indication that you would benefit from those glasses.