Lenovo’s Transparent Laptop Concept: From Kickstarter to iFixit to the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen2
The pricing for all Intel- configured ThinkPads is expected to start at more than $1,000. The ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 will be sold in May of the following year. The ThinkBook and USB-C dock arrive in March 2024, starting at $1,169 and $89.99, respectively. The portable monitor goes on sale in July of 2024.
More so than its rollable laptop with its simple pitch of “more screen with the flip of a switch,” Lenovo’s transparent laptop concept feels like a collection of cool technologies in search of a killer app. Sketching behind the laptop screen feels similar to a niche use case for artists in the digital age, and Lenovo’s demo looks like it could be used to make a museum exhibit more visually interesting.
The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 laptop has some changes, including shortening the key travel and increasing the width of the touchpad. It also has new peripherals and accessories, including the ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 Mobile touch monitor and a USB-C Slim travel dock.
As well as the transparent display, Lenovo’s laptop concept also has a completely flat touch keyboard, rather than a physical keyboard with keys you can feel and press. It was thought that the device was just a sci-fi flourish, but it is actually a part of the pitch for artists. The base of the laptop is also designed to be used as a drawing tablet since it works like a keyboard.
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 are super new to laptop repairs, the SSD and RAM slots are clearly marked, and Lenovo now includes QR codes inside the laptop body near each repairable component with instructional videos about the process. There are also indicators that point to the specific screws to remove if you’re looking to just replace the keyboard and trackpad.
There is one more ThinkPad laptop up Lenovo’s sleeve: the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2. The upcoming model will be an Intel Core U processor, 32GB RAM, 5MP front-facingWebcam, and an outward-facing cam, which is similar to the one on the first generation model.
Putting your Fingers on a Surface: A Case Study on the MicroLED Prototype and Lenovo’s 2024 Object Recognition Demonstration
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. The mechanical keyboard fan didn’t like being stabbed with his fingers at the keyboard, and I made a lot of typos in my attempt to write a test sentence.
This being 2024, there was also an AI element to Lenovo’s demonstration. The laptop had a small camera set up on the back of it to be used for object recognition. The results of this could not be seen on-screen while it was still in view. Put sunflowers behind the laptop, and it’d identify them as such. Show a butterfly flying around and let them know about it. Put a small model of coral and you see a fish. It was proof-of-concept stuff.
Until there is a killer use case for the device, we are left with a device that is capable of some fun novelty. Halfway through my interview, I pulled my (decidedly nontransparent) MacBook’s screen forward to double-check my phone behind it, and Butler leaped on it immediately.
The keyboard that you can see on the laptop is actually a projection, which disappears when you bring a stylus close to the drawing surface or even when you step away from the laptop entirely. 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? Would it be beneficial to be able to see your colleague sitting across from you, or would it be distracting?
The MicroLED display’s 55 percent transparency is a key draw, thanks to the black and turn off setting. But as its pixels light up, the display becomes less and less see-through, until eventually, you’re looking at a completely opaque white surface with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits.