Lenovo at all times unveils a cornucopia of devices at CES and this yr is not any completely different. In addition to good dwelling merchandise and numerous laptops, the corporate is displaying off an unconventional method to PCs. Since introducing the AssumeBook Plus collection in 2020, Lenovo has used it as a platform to roll out uncommon type components, just like the earlier iteration with an e-ink display on its lid.

Now that the laptop computer is in its third era, Lenovo is transferring its second panel all the way down to the keyboard deck and making it a full-color LCD as a substitute. Not solely is that this method extra helpful, it’s additionally doubtlessly extra power-intensive. At a current hands-on in New York (held in accordance with COVID-19 rules), I checked out the AssumeBook Plus Gen 3 and, despite some bugs, I’m intrigued by the premise.

The laptop computer’s predominant display is a 17.3 inch IPS show that runs at a 3K decision. It’s accompanied by an 8-inch 800 x 1,280 LCD to the fitting of the keyboard and options an built-in digitizer layer to allow stylus help. The machine runs an fascinating model of Windows 11 that gives a number of extra orientations, along with the standard snap shortcuts that you simply see once you hover over an app’s title bar.

On the AssumeBook Plus, once you drag an app, a small dialog field pops up with two advised layouts (and 5 extra seem once you hover over an arrow right here). Windows 11 will simply see the 8-inch LCD as an exterior display and push out content material the best way it could to your related displays. You can select to snap a window to take up the entire backside panel, half of it, cowl the complete high show, take up solely two thirds of it and extra. The most unconventional of those layouts is one thing Lenovo referred to as “waterfall” the place an app can spill excessive display into the underside, which could possibly be nifty for further lengthy lists.

I dragged a protracted spreadsheet into waterfall mode, for instance, and will see complete columns at a look. Or say you’re watching a live-changing Ted Talk up high and need to jot down notes by hand. Writing on the demo unit was surprisingly clean with satisfying latency. I additionally appreciated the place of the pad as a result of it felt extra intuitive than attempting to attract on a laptop computer’s show.

During my hands-on, the AssumeBook Plus was responsive at snapping apps the place I wished them to go and did so rapidly. But it struggled when launching another features that Lenovo constructed into the decrease show.

There’s a whiteboard instrument that turns the panel right into a notepad, in addition to a digital numpad. With supported apps like Adobe Lightroom, you too can have a devoted dashboard of shortcuts or a magnified view sitting subsequent to the keyboard. Lenovo made a “Magic Launcher,” which is a row of buttons on the backside of this display for fast entry to the whiteboard, numpad and different specialised software program.

This was essentially the most buggy a part of my hands-on expertise. Sometimes, tapping the buttons wouldn’t work (or would take quite a lot of seconds earlier than something occurred). The demo unit crashed no less than as soon as, too. But we’re no less than a couple of months away from May, when Lenovo expects to promote these machines, so it has a while to iron out these kinks.

The remainder of the system carried out as anticipated. The predominant 17.3-inch IPS show runs at 3,072 x 1,440, which is a side ratio of 21:10. It’s simple sufficient to separate three apps on that roomy display, although if you wish to use all of it for modifying photos in Lightroom, no less than you possibly can control Slack or Twitter with the underside show.

Keeping all this working is a Twelfth-generation Intel Core processor with as much as 32GB of DDR5 RAM. It makes use of Intel’s Xe graphics with Unified Memory Architecture, which ought to be highly effective sufficient for some picture modifying. There’s additionally a Full HD IR digicam with a privateness shutter and an array of ports together with an HDMI socket, two USB A jacks and a Thunderbolt 4 connection.

It’s price noting that the battery dimension right here is 69 Whr, which is fairly typical for many laptops this dimension. But most laptops this dimension do not even have a secondary monitor to energy, so we’ll have to attend until we are able to check one out for ourselves to get a way for real-world endurance. You’ll solely have the ability to get these in May, they usually’ll begin at $1,399.

Lenovo additionally introduced a slew of different merchandise in its AssumeBook and ThinkCentre household of business-minded units. There’s the up to date ThinkBook 13x Gen 2, which may work with a “Wireless Multi-Device Charging Mat” that recharges Qi-compatible devices whereas additionally powering the laptop computer itself. The firm additionally debuted a brand new ThinkCentre Neo line comprising three desktop programs for small and medium companies. Finally, the brand new AssumeBook 14 and 16 Gen 4+ i (sure, that’s a part of the title, not a stray letter) sport 16:10 screens working at 90Hz and 120Hz respectively, amongst different updates.

The AssumeBook Plus Gen 3 is likely one of the most eye-catching issues I’ve seen this CES, although that’s to not say Lenovo is breaking new floor. ASUS has already made a number of dual-screen laptops in its ZenBook Pro Duo collection, and Lenovo itself additionally tried earlier than with the ill-fated Yoga Book line. Dell and Intel have proven off some ideas, too and I’m very intrigued by the premise right here. With Windows 11’s launch final yr, it looks as if extra PC makers could possibly be able to ship actual dual-screen laptops and we may see extra of them in 2022. As a style of what’s to come back, the AssumeBook Plus Gen 3 is tantalizing and I applaud Lenovo for persevering with to try to innovate.

Follow all the newest information from CES 2022 proper right here!