Laptops of the past hid these features as much as possible - but the ThinkPad Z13/16 emphasizes it.
That’s where the “Communications Bar” comes into play, which hosts a 1080p camera with a larger sensor, an electronic e-Shutter for privacy, and dual-array microphones. While the TrackPoint nub remains, the left- and right-click buttons have been replaced by haptic feedback “ForcePad.”īut this is, of course, a business laptop first and foremost. If the X1 Carbon ThinkPads represented a modernization of the ThinkPad ethos, the ThinkPad Z13 and Z16 take it even a step further. Just when you think the ThinkPad brand couldn’t expand any further, Lenovo has announced yet another, the Z-series. The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook has the kind of polish we’ve simply never seen in a Chromebook, which makes it an obvious standout from CES so far. Most of these specs are unheard of in a Chromebook. But more than that, it offers an incredibly sharp 2256 x 1504 resolution, up to 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It’s the 5-megapixel webcam, the quad speakers, and even a Gorilla Glass haptic trackpad. The standard version of the Elite Dragonfly, recently announced to be in its third generation, is already one of the best business laptops you can buy, and bringing that amount of premium goodness to a Chromebook is a first. From what I’ve seen, it’s the most premium Chromebook ever made.
But the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is no ordinary Chromebook. It feels like the future of laptops, even if all the kinks haven’t been worked out just yet. Still, I have to admit I admire the brashness of the design. To say this laptop is taking a lot of risks is to put it lightly.
If those weren’t controversial enough, the XPS 13 Plus also does away with the headphone jack, leaving you with only two USB-C ports and wireless connectivity. And the function row of the keyboard? Gone, swapped in with capacitive touch buttons. Notably, the traditional touchpad has been replaced by a borderless haptic feedback trackpad. Aside from the screen, every other element of the device has been revamped from the standard XPS 13. The XPS 13 Plus is a brand new laptop from Dell that is both more powerful than the standard XPS 13 and decidedly more experimental in its design. It’s actually comfortable to type on, which might be the most surprising thing about this experimental piece of tech. The keyboard on the Zenbook Fold 17 also far surpasses other attempts at this, even offering a luxurious 1.4mm of key travel. That makes it a far more versatile laptop replacement. Once you pop the keyboard onto the bottom half of the screen on the Zenbook Fold 17, you’re still left with a 12.5-inch screen to work with. The larger screen makes for a far better laptop experience, which was one of the downfalls of the much smaller ThinkPad X1 Fold. Except much bigger.īut the 17-inch size has a point.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s quite similar to 2020’s Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold.
It’s a tablet with a massive 17-inch foldable screen and a detachable Bluetooth keyboard. Still, it’s a highly conceptual laptop that Asus Zenbook Fold 17 Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsĪnother wild design this year is the Asus Zenbook Fold 17. The only problem is that the flat angle of the second screen could be hard to see, depending on how you’re sitting. And since the system treats the secondary screen like a proper external display, you can use it for all kinds of different workflows and multitasking. Having a screen flat against the laptop is an ergonomically comfortable position to write or draw on. More than any other experiments with secondary laptop screens, though, Lenovo’s makes a remarkable amount of sense. To make it all fit, Lenovo had to stretch out the screen to an odd 21:10, making it nearly the shape of an ultrawide laptop. But this year’s model tries for something even more unconventional: A tablet-sized screen built right into the deck of the keyboard! The ThinkBook Plus first became famous for experimenting with e-ink displays on the back of the lid.
Let’s start with the most attention-grabbing laptop of the show: Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Gen 3. ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 Arif Bacchus/Digital Trends