ThinkPad X1 Helix (11.6" FHD IPS)

[Puppy]

Supposed to be a Windows 8 notebook with multi-touch 11.6" 1920x1080 IPS display (glossy Egde-like display rounded corners design )

More information and pictures
http://thinkpad-forum.de/threads/147265 ... d-X1-Helix
http://product.pchome.net/tablepc_think ... -3700.html

[elray]

Note the massive touchpad and the newly crammed key height. How can the "designers" defend this?
Does anyone type anymore?

(photo of X230 aside an Edge Twist, which looks much like the Helix keyboard on the chinese sites.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60081959@N04/8090549118/

Alleged helix (see photo #10 of 18).
http://pad.it168.com/tu/1407517_1.shtml#5

[ajkula66]

Note the massive touchpad and the newly crammed key height. How can the "designers" defend this?
Does anyone type anymore?

Nah, no need for typing in Windows 8, that's so XP...

That is - in my opinion - one horrendously ugly laptop. And the touchpad is to blame for most of it...

[Ibthink]

That is - in my opinion - one horrendously ugly laptop. And the touchpad is to blame for most of it...

It is actually not a notebook. Its a Tablet. The keyboard is detachable an optional.

Note that they integrated the trackpoint-buttons into the TrackPad.

[twistero]

But where are the trackpoint buttons?

[Ibthink]

As I wrote, integrated into the touchpad/trackpad.

[twistero]

As I wrote, integrated into the touchpad/trackpad.

But where, are, the, buttons???????????? It's not a trackpoint if it doesn't have proper buttons. If I have to tap/click the touchpad, I might as well use the touchpad.

[Ibthink]

The, button, are, in, the, TrackPad! You have to click the trackpad. They did this because the 11,6" system is so small.

[Latios]

Props to them on the display(finally, now let's see it go to the rest). But there's at least an AR coating on it right?
Here's hoping it at least comes with a digitiser which the Twist sorely missed out on
Thumbs down on that trackpoint indeed. I can't imagine what they're going to do next

[Puppy]

And BTW Sony VAIO Duo 11 has trackpoint

[Ibthink]

And BTW Sony VAIO Duo 11 has trackpoint

Yes, but it is a optical trackpoint like the one on the ThinkPad Tablet 1 or 2 keyboard, which isn´t really a trackpoint. It is more a "mini-touchpad". The Helix keyboard has a real Trackpoint.

The Vaio 11 is also really thick and the weight is to high compared with the helix.

[Summilux]

Note the massive touchpad and the newly crammed key height. How can the "designers" defend this?

They've already got rid of the proper 7 row, non-island keyboard. So why are you surprised.........

[penartur]

Judging from the photos, it is certainly not a new ThinkPad but rather some chinese replica (like with all these iphone fake photos leaks)... OH WAI--

[zmurf]

yes... the specs so far for the Helix is very similar to devices like the Samsung 700T1c... The only real difference is the trackpoint. So it could very well be some kind of Thinkpad branded OEM device

[loyukfai]

Heard that Lenovo is discontinuing the traditional X-series Tablet line in favour of this (and Twist and Yoga and Lynx)...

Cheers.

[ThinkRob]

Heard that Lenovo is discontinuing the traditional X-series Tablet line in favour of this (and Twist and Yoga and Lynx)....

Dunno, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Personally I don't mind -- I think the Tablet PC idea has been mostly useless for the 11 or so years it's been around.

[pianowizard]

Heard that Lenovo is discontinuing the traditional X-series Tablet line in favour of this (and Twist and Yoga and Lynx)...

Cheers.

Cheers indeed. I have always found the traditional X Series tablets disgusting.

Personally I don't mind -- I think the Tablet PC idea has been mostly useless for the 11 or so years it's been around.

Well said. I didn't realize this when the iPad was launched but in retrospect, it was a revolutionary design. True, it was a simple design -- it was just the iPod Touch made much bigger -- but it was a major breakthrough nonetheless. I would rather have this X1 Helix than any of the traditional convertible laptops. However, I wish it had the 1920x1280 (*not* 1920x1200) of the Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ that I just bought. Those extra 200 pixel lines are soooooo helpful.

[loyukfai]

Seeing this Samsung slate w/keyboard dock in the local stores, seems to be something similar to the Helix...

http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/tabl ... 0T1C-A02US

BTW, the Verge has published a review of the (relatively) stripped down traditional ThinkPad tablet design, the Twist...

http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/6/37325 ... ist-review

Cheers.

[Ravin' Ray]

Hello, long-time lurker, first-time poster and new Edge E130 user (office-issued, not personally owned), but after weeks of no news about the Helix CNET's Chinese website has a recent article, so it seems this will be one step closer to release.

http://crave.cnetnews.com.cn/product/207.shtml

[Ibthink]

ThinkPad Helix chinese User-Guide: http://webdoc.lenovo.com.cn/lenovowsi/n ... 指南V1.0.pdf

(don´t know why this link won´t work here...)

Datasheet:

Features

Processor
• Intel ® Core ™ i3, i5 or i7 ULV processor

Operating system
• Microsoft ® Windows 8 (64-bit)

Memory
• 4 GB

Built-in storage
• mSATA solid state drive: 128GB, 180GB, 256 GB (depending on the model may be)

Display
• Infinity Glass
• Size: 294.64 mm (11.6 inches)
• Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
• automatic brightness control (ambient light sensor)
• multi-touch technology
• Support for ThinkPad Digitizer Pen input
• Built-in digital dual array microphone
• a number of built-in stereo speakers

The keyboard in the keyboard on the docking station
• 6 line full-size keyboard
• ThinkPad positioning device (TrackPoint pointing device and touchpad)
• Fn key function
• volume control keys
• The speaker mute button
• Microphone mute button

Integrated camera
• front camera megapixels
• rear camera, 50 megapixels

Interface
• Tablet PC:
- A USB 2.0 interface
- A Mini DisplayPort interface
- An AC power connector
- Two keyboard docking connector
- A combination of audio interface
• keyboard docking station:
- Two USB 3.0 ports
- A Mini DisplayPort interface
- An AC power connector

GPS and wireless features
• Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite receiver (models equipped with wireless WAN)
• Bluetooth 4.0 (with some models)
• NFC (with some models)
• Wireless LAN (802.11a/g/n)
• Wireless WAN (equipped ThinkPad X1 Helix 3G)

Specification

Size
• Tablet PC:
- Length: 296.1 mm (11.66 inches)
- Width: 187.3 mm (7.37 inches)
- Height: 11.1 mm (0.44 in.)
• keyboard docking station:
- Length: 296.1 mm (11.66 inches)
- Width: 226 mm (8.90 in.)
- Height: 8.5 mm (0.33 inch)

Battery
• Tablet PC: 42Wh lithium-polymer battery
• keyboard docking station: 28Wh lithium-polymer battery
Power supply (AC adapter)
• sine wave input, 50-60 Hz
• AC power adapter rated input: 100 VAC to 240 VAC

[lead_org]

Nice. Two batteries.

A Surface Pro competitor.

[loyukfai]

The manual.

The specifications are somewhat similar to Sony VAIO Duo 11, but of course the design is very different.

The digitizer is Wacom...? Cause no battery is mentioned for the stylus.

The charging plug is not the traditional round type...?

No weight figure...?

BTW, the rear camera is 5MP, not 50MP. (the front is 2MP).

Cheers.

[Ibthink]

It seems that the Tablet is too thin for the traditional type. Maybe Lenovo will switch all ThinkPads to the new type in the next year, to have a standard across the portfolio. Lenovo Yoga also uses this new charging plug.

[loyukfai]

Thanks for the heads-up... What's the input voltage...? Is a charging tip available for the Ultraslim adapter...?

Cheers.

Edit: Is it the X1C-type...? http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/product ... D=PD025643

Edit2: The Samsung ATIV 700T seems quite similar to the design of the X1 Helix.

Edit3: Some features usually found in traditional ThinkPads are missing: ExpressCard slot, SD card reader, fingerprint sensor, RJ45 port, no RAM expansion...?

[Ravin' Ray]

It's already announced on CES.

http://www.cnet.com/laptops/lenovo-thin ... 60390.html
http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/06/leno ... -official/
http://blog.laptopmag.com/lenovo-thinkp ... -backwards

I'll be surprised if Laptopmag's report of a lack of media card slot will hold true. Price is $1499, release is late February.

[loyukfai]

If it's going to be available in Feb, it's unlikely that the design will change much, if at all, the tooling and many other stuffs should have already been finalised.

Cheers.

[zmurf]

Is there any information if Lenovo going to release any more similar devices as this one this year? I really like the concept. But I would like a bigger display, better graphics and support for up to 16GB RAM.

...

But my trusty T61 is starting to be a little bit slow for the work I put on it... so there is a high probability that I'll buy the Helix in either case...

[pianowizard]

I really like the concept. But I would like a bigger display, better graphics and support for up to 16GB RAM.

This Helix concept isn't unique at all, because there are already quite a few slate tablets with attachable keyboards and the number will go up dramatically in the near future. Tablets with larger screens have also started to appear, so there's no reason to settle for 11.6" if you find that too small.

[loyukfai]

It'd likely see a refresh with the introduction of Haswell. Support for more RAM is certainly possible, IMO.

For a slate design like this, 12" is, IMO, borderline max., and 11.6" is not far from that. And unless you're gaming or doing CAD/CAM, the integrated graphics of the latest Intel CPU is probably more than enough.

If you need a bigger screen, you can always use an external monitor. If you want more graphics power, then pray that Lenovo will incorporate a Thunderbolt or ExpressCard interface in the next model, so you can use an external PCIe graphics adapter if needed.

Cheers.

[zmurf]

This Helix concept isn't unique at all, because there are already quite a few slate tablets with attachable keyboards and the number will go up dramatically in the near future. Tablets with larger screens have also started to appear, so there's no reason to settle for 11.6" if you find that too small.

But the unique part is the trackpoint. That's why I'm interested is this particular device.. I won't buy a laptop or tablet-with-keyboard that hasn't got a trackpoint. Back in 2001 I traded my Thinkpad 390 for a PowerBook G4... I will never make that mistake again to get a laptop without trackpoint. I really thought I would get used to the awful trackpads... So a couple of years later when I got a new computer again i got a 12" PowerBook G4 (Thinking back on it I can't understand why since I didn't even like OSx). But after using Macs and the i.m.o horrible OSx for 4 years I had had enough and bought a Thinkpad x23 in 2005 and later on a Thinkpad T61 in 2007.... and I will not get a computer without trackpoint again.