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The Chinese company “Lenovo” has been experimental and revolutionary from the moment Windows 8 got here out, and has worked hard to take advantage of Microsoft’s touch focused OS.
This has seen the release of convertible units in various type factors that provide companies an all in one tablet and laptop.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 continues this trend with a travel friendly tablet that may be converted into a totally functioning ultrabook utilizing a keyboard attachment.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2: Design
The Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 is a complete made from 2 halves. The notebook itself consists of a tablet display and a keyboard dock that the display screen plugs into.
The tablet half of the system appears like somebody simply chopped off a notebook display screen. Its lower edges are fairly hard, offering a visual cue for the user when they are able to dock to the rest of the system. Decked out in a matte black plastic, the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 tablet half acts as the brains of the operation. Contained inside it are all the things that make the package work like an audio jack, processors and storage.
On the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 tablet back is a standard ThinkPad logo, 2 speakers, a fingerprint reader and a 5 MP camera for capturing memories and including pictures to notes. On the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 edges are a headset jack, volume rockers, mini HDMI port and a single USB 3.0 port. An embedded line wraps around the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 tablet half, giving the sea of black a hint of design. A red ring across the camera lens within the upper left corner offers something on your eyes to focus on.
On the front of the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 is a 11.6 inch FHD display, embedded in a rather massive bezel. There is a power button and a devoted screen rotation lock button too, which may be very handy.
This half of the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 suits into one of Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 keyboards with a snap and are disconnected from them with a easy button press. Lenovo hopes that the usual Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 Ultrabook Keyboard will work for many users and that the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 Ultrabook Pro Keyboard will set productivity-minded users up for very productive night and days.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2: Display
The 11.6 inch FHD display screen has the standard 1920×1080 resolution that is out there on most laptops. The display seems good, and web, videos, and the occasional low-end sport look sharp. There are advanced display screen settings for colour saturation, brightness, contrast, and so forth. The brightness controls are very robust though, you really would not need to tweak them too much or else the display screen gets washed out fairly quickly. Documents and different productivity applications look good.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2: Hardware
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 contains Intel Core 5Y71 processor and 8GB RAM. Lenovo’s website permits users to configure the machine with much less storage and 4GB RAM. Though its Intel HD 5300 Graphics are not a real substitute for a dedicated graphics card, nobody however gamers will notice. Each app masses fast, each program performed fine. 3D games like Star Trek On-line are not one for the Best looking, however this is not a dedicated gaming machine.
You may store games, apps and just about anything else on the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 built-in SSDs. With the 256 GB SSD that completely balances store space and pace. Those stereo speakers on the back of the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 tablet half are Dolby Stereo Speakers and so they sound terrific, however lack bass.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2: Software
The Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 is running Windows 8.1, although it’s out there for the Windows 10 update as soon as that’s out there here within the weeks. Windows 8.1 acts as you’d anticipate that it’d. Lenovo contains a few of their own software on the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2, together with SHAREit, SECUREit, SYNCit, SNAPit, and SEEit.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2: Camera
The Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 has a 2 MP front camera and a 5 MP rear camera.
In a well-lit room, the front camera captured photos that were very detailed, with correct colour. However, there was a persistent graininess that became more pronounced in darker conditions.
The rear camera produced clear images with tremendous detail, though bright spots were far too bright, tap to focus was very slow to process and the auto focus was inconsistent at finest.
A 1080p video shot utilizing the back camera suffered from similar issues, with the camera seemingly unable to resolve what to focus on.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2: Keyboard
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2: Touchpad
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2:Battery
The Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 itself has a score of 8 hours battery life, and you may eke out an additional 4 hours (12 hours total) with the Ultrabook Pro keyboard included battery. The device ought to definitely get you through a whole work day without any problem. In my testing I averaged between 7 hours and just under 8 hours on the tablet. The keyboard will clearly extend that battery life, and you may simply use the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 while plugged in, extending battery life even additional.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2: Performance
Lenovo has loaded the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 with Intel’s power conserving Core M 5Y71 processor, HD Graphics 5300 and 4GB or 8GB of DDR3L RAM.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 performed pretty nicely when benchmarked on Sunspider, Kraken and PCMark 8. The device scored 438.7 ms on Sunspider and 2,167.5 ms on Kraken, where a lower rating is preferential.
The ThinkPad Helix scored 2,700 work and 1,906 conventional on PCMark 8, which checks how the gadget features in specific user cases, and where a better rating is best.
The scores are pretty impressive and put the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 a cut above most other convertibles. For instance, the Microsoft Surface 3 scored 1,571 work and 1,282 conventional on PCMark 8, 556.6 ms on Sunspider and 3,950.2 ms on Kraken.
The Intel integrated graphics imply that the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 is not a serious gaming machine, however it’s greater than powerful enough for office and productivity duties and we did not notice any serious efficiency issues.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2: Specification
- OS: Windows 8
- Body: 11.85 x 7.57 x 0.37 inch
- Weight: 3.7 lbs
- Display: 1920×1080 pixels , 11.6 inches
- Memory: 256 GB , 8 GB RAM
- Processor: Intel Core M 5Y71
- Camera: 5 MP, 2 MP secondary
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5300
- Battery: 12 hrs / with 26 Whr in Pro Keyboard
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2: Verdict
If a tablet for business use is what you want, however you would not thoughts one that you could additionally use as a regular computer when docked, then the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 is a sweet offering.
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