The company worked with iFixit to make repairs easier
The ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop: A New Refreshed ThinkPad Notebook with an Intel Core-Ultra Processor for Desktop Typing
All Intel-configured ThinkPads hit stores starting April 2024, with pricing expected to start at $1,199. The ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 will be starting at $949. The ThinkBook and USB-C dock arrive in March 2024, starting at $1,169 and $89.99, respectively. The portable monitor arrives in July 2020.
The company introduced a rollable laptop that expanded its display with a simple push of a button a year ago, and is now at Mobile World Congress with a sci-fi concept device. This is the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop, a 17.3-inch notebook with a screen you can peer straight through.
There are three new refreshed ThinkPad T-Series laptops: the T14 Gen 5, T14s. Gen 5, and ThinkPad T16 Gen 3, all with Intel Core Ultra processors (or an AMD Ryzen 8040 option for the T14 Gen 5). All three get Lenovo’s communication bar, which extends a portion of the top bezel to house the camera and microphones, giving those laptops slimmer top bezels and taller display ratios. Lenovo previously added this feature to other ThinkPad laptops, like the X1 Carbon and X1 Nano.
The T-series keyboards also now have the same tactile markings, (homing bars) on the Fn, Insert, Enter, and volume keys as the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 and ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 laptops to make typing more accessible to those who are visually impaired. Most of the laptop and keyboard manufacturers put keys on the outermost edge, so Lenovo swapped the Fn key for the extra-sharpCtrl to break with its longstanding tradition. There is a physical Microsoft Copilot key, which you can use between right Alt and pinch, but Lenovo left the Windows key alone. (Phew!)
Lenovo also collaborated with iFixit to make it easier to replace certain hardware components on the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and T16 Gen 3. This includes a move back to fully socketed DIMM slots instead of soldered RAM, user-replaceable cable-free batteries (with fewer screws to remove them), and accessible SSD and wireless adapter slots.
For users who have never done a laptop repair before, the laptop body has a QR code inside that you can use to find instructional videos. There are also indicators that point to the specific screws to remove if you’re looking to just replace the keyboard and trackpad.
The second version of the ThinkPad X12 is up for grabs. We liked the first-gen model a lot when it was released in April 2021; this upcoming version will have an Intel Core Ultra U processor, 32GB LPDDR5x soldered RAM, a 5MP front-facing webcam that supports Windows Hello, an 8MP outward-facing cam, and support for a 4G LTE wireless adapter.
A Touch-sensitive Surface for Typing on a Prototype Penta-Layer: The Case for a Surface-Like Surface to Sketch on
The downside is that when you’re not sketching, you have to use the completely flat surface as a touch-sensitive keyboard, which was definitely the weakest element of the prototype device. It will not surprise you to hear that this mechanical keyboard fan didn’t love stabbing his fingers at an image of a keyboard, and I made endless typos in my attempt to write a simple test sentence.
There was an Artificial Intelligence element to the demonstration. The company had set up a small camera on the rear side of the laptop’s chassis to perform object recognition on devices placed behind it. It was possible to show the results on-screen while it was still in full view. Put sunflowers behind the laptop, and it’d identify them as such. Display some information, and show a butterfly flying around them. A small model of coral can show a fish. It was very proof-of-concept stuff.
Until Lenovo finds its killer use case, we’re left with an exceptionally cool-looking device that’s capable of some fun novelties. In the middle of my interview, I pulled my laptop’s screen away from my phone to double-check it, and when it came time to call, Butler leaped on it.
When you draw on a drawing surface or even step away from the laptop completely, the projection on the keyboard will disappear when you use a stylus. Then you’re left with a flat surface to sketch on, similar to what you’d find in a screen-less Wacom tablet.
Although the appeal of transparent screens in sci-fi films and TV shows is obvious (opaque screens are boring, actor’s faces are interesting), it’s a lot harder to put your finger on their practical uses in real life. How often, of course, do you actually want to see the empty desk behind your laptop? If you could be able to see your colleague sitting across from you, would it be beneficial?
The key draw is its MicroLED display, which has up to 55 percent transparency when it is black and turned off. When the display is bright, you can see through it, but later on when the display is less bright, you can see a white surface with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits.
