Lenovo is putting Windows Precision trackpads in its ThinkPad laptops

Lenovo said today that it was updating its line of ThinkPad laptops in 2017 to include newer processors, more authentication features, and improved trackpads — something that has been a point of weakness with previous iterations of

ThinkPad laptops.
Several new laptops, including the ThinkPad X270, the ThinkPad Yoga 370, four new ThinkPad T Ultrabook models, and the less expensive ThinkPad 13, will include support for Microsoft’s Windows Precision Touchpad, a new-ish set of drivers and interface for configuring touchpad gestures that was released with the launch of Windows 10. ThinkPad trackpads for years have been iconic at best and awful at their worst, with their little red TrackPoint buttons and sometimes-jittery touchpads. The TrackPoint button still makes an appearance on these newer laptops, but at least with the Precision Touchpad support there’s the promise of a smooth, fluid trackpad.
The new ThinkPads will also run on Kaby Lake, the newest architecture for Intel’s Core processor. And some will get updated authentication features, like support for Windows Hello, a facial recognition feature that utilizes an infrared camera; and biometric matching on a fingerprint sensor, which includes onboard firmware for fingerprint matching. This was added to newer machines partly to support customers in Europe, Lenovo says, where there are more stringent security requirements.
The new ThinkPads include: the 12-inch ThinkPad X270 with a touch display option, starting at $909 and available next March; the "bendy" ThinkPad Yoga 370 with a full HD 13.3-inch display, also shipping in March, for $1,264; four new ThinkPad T Ultrabook models, starting at $909, that come in a variety of customizations; the rugged ThinkPad L 14-inch and 15-inch laptops, which start at $779 and $909 respectively; a less expensive ThinkPad 13, which is aimed at small business owners or students and sells for $674; and an array of new docks that support Thunderbolt 3 and USB Type-C. Some of the new laptops, like the new Yoga 370, will come in silver in addition to standard black, a first for ThinkPad computers.
Lenovo, which is the world’s largest PC maker by shipments, first acquired the ThinkPad business from IBM back in 2004, and it’s by far the company's biggest business. However, an overall contraction in the PC market hasn’t been good for any computer maker, including Lenovo. In its most recent earnings report, Lenovo said its personal computing and smart device business group shipped 14.5 million units for the quarter, down 3.3 percent from the previous year.
The ThinkPad announcement is coming just ahead of CES, where it’s widely expected that Lenovo will have more news around its consumer line of laptops and tablets.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Linktree’s free workaround lets you add multiple links to your Instagram bio

Image
Instagram only gives you one opportunity to link to outside resources inside its photo sharing platform. This might not be a problem for a majority of the users, but for those wanting a little more customization and even more options, it leaves much to be desired. Enter  Linktree , a free tool for Instagram designed to improve traffic to your outside link, be it a blog, portfolio, or store. How it works is fairly straightforward. After connecting Linktree to your Instagram profile, you’ll receive a single link to place in your Instagram bio. Once that link in place, you can customize what it’s linked to within your browser, be it a single website, or a collection of sites you’re looking to direct followers to Say you’re a photographer who’s using Instagram as a marketing tool for your wedding photography. Using Linktree, you can direct Instagram followers to your blog, your portfolio site, and even your other social media accounts. Until now, you would’ve been stuck choosing b
Read more

EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE PIXEL 4, THE MOST-LEAKED PHONE EVER

Image
Google’s  Pixel 3 might have been the  most-leaked phone in history . Long before its unveiling, we knew practically everything about it from unboxing videos, photo comparisons, even a full review of the device. Surely, for the Pixel 4, Google would clamp down on leaks to leave some surprises for its debut on  October 15th , right? Let’s just say, if that was the plan, it didn’t exactly work out. We’ve now seen the Pixel 4 XL from every angle and in three different colors. At least seven different sources have touched this phone, many of them confirming the same specs. We not only know which cameras it’ll have, but also what they may be capable of, including air gestures (go figure). That doesn’t even count information Google has already shared  on purpose. So if you want to know almost everything about the Pixel 4 nearly a month before it’s announced, buckle up. We’ve sifted through all of the rumors and information we can find to compile everything we know — and everything we
Read more

Our favorite iOS apps for the iPhone and iPad in 2018

Image
As 2018 comes to a close, it’s time to look at some our favorite apps of the year. While not all of these are brand new, many of them popped up onto our radar for the first time in 2018, and are definitely worth the attention. Others are some of our favorites that are still best-in-class despite having been around for some time now. We aim to do things differently at TNW, and as such you’re not going to find the recommendations you’re probably used to seeing: Gmail, Skype, Dropbox, and the like. Instead, we want to focus on the best-of-the-best that you may not have heard of, and others that are just special enough to warrant a mention. As always, we’d encourage you to share some of your favorites in the comments below, or on Facebook. Enlight Pixaloop (Free Pixaloop  is one of my favorite apps on the market. Unlike typical image editors that allow you to remove red eye or apply a filter, Pixaloop allows you to create stunning photo animations with a few clicks on your
Read more