Laptop Computers News

Lenovo’s Thinkpad W700ds is the first laptop ever to sport two LCD screens – a 17-inch primary and a 10.6-inch secondary screen. The laptop comes with your choice of Intel Core 2 Quad processors and combined with the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700M GPU. It will also comes with up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, and a pair of hard drive/solid-state drive bays for up to 960GB of storage.

While Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds is expected to be available in January 2009, Laptop Magazine has already get their hands on and published a review for this dual-screen laptop. They have rated the laptop 4 out of 5 stars, and here’s the verdict:

“Like previous W700s, the Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds incorporates a slew of innovative features, but its secondary display is truly groundbreaking. Exact pricing has not yet been set, but our configuration is valued at close to $4,600 without the secondary screen, and Lenovo said that the second screen will come with a $500 premium. You can bring the cost down by hundreds of dollars and still get the secondary display if you configure the system with a dual-core CPU, a slower graphics chip, and a single hard drive.

So is a 10.6-inch screen worth an extra $500 when 19-inch external monitors can be had for $100? It is if you need to take that screen with you to a work site and you can’t pack an external monitor in a carton. As mobile components become less expensive, we expect the prices of high-performance notebooks like this one to come closer to those of similarly configured desktops. If you need that kind of mobile horsepower and versatility today, the W700ds is worth every penny.

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.”

(Read the full review for Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds on Laptop Magazine)