Lenovo ThinkPad Helix

Lenovo describes the ThinkPad Helix as a "premium convertible" that combines laptop performance with the flexibility of a tablet, and the description is apt, if not understated. The ThinkPad Helix brings together the best elements of a full HD tablet and an excellent keyboard without losin...

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Veröffentlicht in:CADalyst 2014-01, Vol.31 (1), p.30
1. Verfasser: Moreno, Curt
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Lenovo describes the ThinkPad Helix as a "premium convertible" that combines laptop performance with the flexibility of a tablet, and the description is apt, if not understated. The ThinkPad Helix brings together the best elements of a full HD tablet and an excellent keyboard without losing the usability or benefits of either. Hardware design. The ThinkPad Helix is designed in the image of Lenovo's other tablets and laptops, with a black satin finish and the distinctive red LED over the "i" in the ThinkPad logo. It comes with a choice of Intel Ivy Bridge processors: the i5-3317U, the i5-3247U, or the i7-3667U. Lenovo reports that upcoming models of the Helix will offer fourth-generation Intel Haswell processors. The touch-screen tablet is responsive and features an 11.6" 1080p IPS screen that is vivid and bright. It includes a Wacom stylus that fits nicely into the 11.6-mm-thick bezel for storage. Much like other tablet designs, the Helix has both frontand rear-facing cameras, a power port, a 3.5-mm headphone/ microphone jack, power and volume buttons, and a physical Home button. Unlike some tablets, the Helix also includes a USB 2.0 port, a Mini DisplayPort, and a SIM card slot for cellular service up to the latest 4G LTE networks. The unit ships with Intel HD 4000 graphics and 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, but is available with as much as 8 GB of RAM. For the duration of this review, I replaced my tried-andtrue 17" desktop-caliber laptop with the ThinkPad Helix. I suspected that I would not be able to go very long before supplementing this change with my larger laptop. To my surprise, I found that the Intel i5 processor packed enough power to handle all my office and CAD needs. AutoCAD 2014 and AutoCAD Civil 3D 2014 worked well on the Helix. However, large 3D CAD models and extensive Civil 3D calculations did reach the limits of the unit's Intel HD 4000 graphics and installed RAM. For better performance, I recommend the i7 model with 8GB of RAM. Still, the Helix outperformed any tablet or hybrid I've ever seen attempt these demanding tasks.
ISSN:0820-5450