Lenovo rolls out dual-screen ThinkPad

Lenovo's ThinkPad W700ds features two screens

Lenovo has rolled out its latest line of notebook and desktop systems, including four IdeaPad models, an all-in-one IdeaCentre system and a ThinkPad for enterprise customers.

The new W700ds ThinkPad will sport two screens. In addition to the 17in main screen, a second 10in display slides out from the notebook's casing.

Lenovo hopes that the new model will appeal to workers in traditional graphics-intensive enterprise fields such as digital media creation, geological exploration and computer-aided design.

Mark Cohen, vice president of Lenovo's notebook business unit, explained that balancing size and performance had proved a challenge for the company.

"Bringing this level of innovation to the most extreme PC users required continually balancing size and functionality with keeping the PC cool and quiet, " he said.

The new IdeaPad and IdeaCentre consumer offerings, meanwhile, will be pitched on their lighter weight and smaller design.

The IdeaPad systems will sport case designs as thin as 1in and offer screens as large as 16.5in. Lenovo is also offering a new netbook model with a 10in screen at a cost of $349 (£237).

The desktop model will sport a frameless 21.5in screen with an ATI Radeon graphics card and Intel Core 2 duo processor. The new system will also feature card readers and USB and FireWire ports. Like the notebook models, the desktop will be just 1in thick at its slimmest point.

Lenovo said that the dual-screen ThinkPad model will be available immediately, while the consumer notebooks are set to arrive in March, followed a month later by the A600 desktop model.