Practically an iPhone moment for the laptop, the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus is a laptop, notepad, and e-book reader… all in one single device. Now the idea of two screens on one device has been floating around for long. The MacBook with its touch-bar is literally a dual-screen device, and the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 from 2018 flirted with the idea of turning the touchpad into a secondary screen… but the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus has pushed limits by making its secondary screen a decidedly large 10.8-inch e-ink display that sits on the lid of the laptop, facing outwards. Lenovo feels the dual-screen nature boosts the laptop’s productivity, and on paper, it definitely does. Let’s dig in.
The secondary screen sits on the top of the laptop, making it look almost like a really thick Kindle with massive bezels when closed. The e-ink display on the outside is touch-sensitive too, responding to fingers as well as a stylus that comes along with the device. The secondary display can be used for taking notes, interfacing with your laptop (even when it’s closed) by talking to Alexa, accessing your calendar, or doing various small tasks that makes little sense to open the laptop and boot it up to execute. When closed, the ThinkBook Plus still remains functional, letting you draw, write, and even read, thanks to the Windows Kindle app that lets you access your ebook library. Is it worth it, using a massive 13.3-inch laptop to read books on? That’s something the consumers will decide.
Other than its dual display, the ThinkBook Plus is a pretty decent laptop. It comes with a 13.3 inch IPS 1080p primary display, Dolby Vision support, a power button with a fingerprint reader built into it, a pretty sturdy aluminum body, and a price tag of $1199, which seems alright considering you’re getting a laptop and Kindle (with built-in Alexa) for the price of one device.
Designer: Lenovo
