Is it a tablet? Is it a laptop? No it’s a Lenovo Twist! This is the latest in a string of Windows 8-running hybrids trying to bridge the gap between the convenience of a tablet and the capability of a laptop. However this crossbreed has a little (excuse the pun) twist compared to the competition.
Not restricted to a single clamshell action, as the name suggests, the Lenovo Twist allows you to turn, bend, fold and spin the entire screen to offer a number of different positions; the Chinese gymnast of the computing world. The laptop and stand mode is implied for more business-based activities, where as tablet and tent mode are lent to viewing, media consumption and occasional gaming. Work and play has been united in one machine.
Built for function as well as form, the ThinkPad Twist is understated and elegant. Covered in a black, slightly rubbery material there’s nothing garish about its appearance. The water resistant keyboard is highly responsive, feeling effortless to type on with a slightly concave shape to the keys that caress your fingertips with each press. As well as featuring a velvety smooth texture to the Trackpad and iconic red TrackPoint the Twist has a 12.5-inch touch display that sits behind Gorilla Glass. The 1366×768 resolution is superb with colours that are accurate. Full fat 64-bit Windows 8 not only looks good but also delivers a sensitive enough screen to make using it a breeze. Sitting above is a webcam with capabilities of handling a 720p video, more than adequate for a Skype conference call. The Twist also comes with pre-installed dedicated software tools aimed specifically at small businesses, like Lenovo Solutions for Small Businesses and Lenovo Cloud Storage.
This gymnast is made up of strong stuff, the uni-directional hinge can survive hundreds of thousands of rotations with a hard disk equipped with an anti-shock system to protect your data from those errant tumbles. Inside it boasts one of Intel’s third-generation Core architecture processors, the i5-3317U. This is a dual-core processor that can handle up to four threads at the same time so whether you’re managing emails, checking the latest news or working on a project The Twist has it under control. As well as running at a desktop-speed drive of 7,200rpm it packs in a 8GB of RAM into its modest 1.6kg body keeping things running efficiently throughout its 6-hour battery life.
The Lenovo Twist manages to squeeze a lot out of its sturdy design, achieving a strong performance either as a laptop or as a tablet it has been built with a workhorse attitude. From just £8.20 + VAT per week it offers business-class perks such as the morph-design, responsive touch interface and unrivalled typing experience making it a serious gold medal contender for us at GEEX.