At IFA, Lenovo was presenting the new Thinkpad Helix, a 2-in-1 detachable PC designed primarily for the enterprise. It has a 11.6” display and weighs about 1.8lbs. Its design makes it usable as a pure tablet (detached), or as a laptop. Lenovo points out that it can also be placed in Tent, Stand and Desktop modes (using a different keyboard).
The new Thinkpad Helix is powered by Intel’s new Core M processor, which is a new product designed to provide better performance per watt. Not so long ago, many people told me that they were waiting for the Microsoft Surface to use one of those Core M CPU… In any case, this helps Lenovo achieve a nice 12 hours of battery life (their claim) which if true, would be a 60% improvement over the previous Helix.
The Helix also has a digitizer pen and a smart card reader, two favorite features for enterprise customers. To make it look completely business-like, Lenovo has opted for a nice dark aluminum finish. As it stands, this is not a typical laptop, and even if you want an Ultralight “consumer” laptop, you may be able to find something different that may be more affordable.
However, for Enterprises that need a versatile tablet/computer, this has the advantage of being a relatively portable tablet which is PC-compatible, and that can turn into a truly productive computer for typing reports and emails. Price: $999+.