Earlier today, Lenovo Malaysia marked the arrival of the company’s latest addition to the ThinkPad family: the ThinkPad Helix. Announced back at CES this year, this new Ultrabook from the company features a “rip and flip” design, allowing the ThinkPad Helix to be used in four different “modes” as was shown before in the IdeaPad Yoga and ThinkPad Twist.
In addition, despite being a hybrid device the ThinkPad Helix is specced to be as uncompromising a device as possible, featuring the latest Intel Core i7 processor and a hefty 256GB of speedy SSD storage.
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Aimed not only to IT professionals and CIOs, the ThinkPad Helix is also designed for road warriors and tech buyers who crave for nothing but the bleeding edge in technology. In this regard, the ThinkPad Helix does not disappoint one bit. Featuring a new Intel Core i7-3667U 2.0GHz processor with 8GB of RAM, this Windows 8 Pro-running hybrid has an 11.6-inch Full HD 10-point multi-touch IPS screen capable of producing 400 nits of brightness and is also protected by Gorilla Glass. Also, the tablet portion of the device – which weighs 835g – has two Full HD cameras: a 2MP front-facing one as well as a 5MP rear module with low-light sensitivity and face tracking technology. In addition, the tablet also houses a USB 2.0 port, a miniDisplay port, an audio combo jack, a 3G (and optional 4G LTE) SIM slot and a battery slated for six hours of use. Finally, the tablet also houses a Wacom digitizer stylus with over 2000 pressure points.
Bottom portion of the ThinkPad Helix (L-R): DC in, miniDisplayPort, USB 2.0 port, SIM slot
On the other hand, the 892g keyboard dock contains an additional battery pack that boosts battery life to 10 hours when attached. Also, the iconic ThinkPad keyboard with the TrackPoint makes its appearance here as well. However, Lenovo’s engineers have been hard at work at redesigning the new five-button clickpad, allowing for improved gesture input for Windows 8. Also, this new clickpad adapts to the user’s needs, where the surface area for left, middle and right-clicks vary depending on whether the TrackPoint is being used.
In addition to the extra battery life, the keyboard base of the ThinkPad Helix also adds two USB 3.0 ports. Holding the tablet in place on the dock is a die cast hinge with a pull-out latch that firmly secures the tablet. And, like all other ThinkPads, the ThinkPad Helix passes eight US mil-spec durability standards.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Helix is available now, with pricing to start at a cool RM6500. The hybrid Ultrabook will also come with three years on-site warranty as standard. For more information on the new ThinkPad Helix, head on to Lenovo’s product page here.
