Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga
Lenovo used Autodesk University to announce the new ThinkPad P40 Yoga. It is a mobile “multimode” workstation with the ability to flip into between four different modes: tablet, tent, stand, and laptop. Its tough too, Mil-SPEC tested construction.
The specs?
- NVIDIA Quadro M500M with 2GB VRAM
- Intel 6th Generation Core i7 CPU
- up to 16GB of RAM
- up to 512GB SSD storage
As you swing the screen (to switch into tablet mode) the keys sink and become locked. Because of this you can hold the device just any way you want and not have to worry about pressing the keys. “Hot dog” tabs also rise meaning you can lie it down as a tablet on a table and again not have to worry about pressing the keys.
World’s first multimode workstation delivers the creative freedom of a tablet with the performance and reliability of a fully loaded mobile workstation
Lenovo continues their partnership with Wacom, as the Yoga stylist is Wacom® Active ES technology. As Wacom technology is the standard for industrial designers this is a definite advantage over the Microsoft Surface (which uses different technology). The Yoga includes a pen that is stored in-chassis that is automatically charged when you insert back into the unit. The pen offers 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity on a high-res (2560 x 1440) IPS display.
Also, as you do not need to detach the screen to work as a tablet, you don’t run into the issue of having to shut down an app to go from workstation to tablet.
Optionally, add the battery powered Wacom ThinkPad Pen that is available with a variety of tip options, including plastic and felt. The type you choose is on your personal preferences. The felt tips wear out very quickly, but many artists prefer the softer touch.
The Yoga is planned for January 29th availability, if not sooner. Pricing will begin at US$1399. This really could become the PC to replace your Tablet
Creativity Without Limits, Performance Without Compromise
A sampling from the Lenovo Press Release…
Today, at Autodesk University 2015, Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) unveiled the ThinkPad P40 Yoga, a high-performing mobile workstation that unleashes the full power of professional creativity. The Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga delivers a first-class digital sketching experience with the ultimate in mobile workstation performance and reliability.
From digital artists storyboarding the latest Hollywood blockbuster to engineers designing the next hot new car, creative professionals need to both sketch their designs and bring those designs to life. To do this, users were forced to purchase two systems – a tablet to deliver the sensitivity and accuracy of a premium sketching experience and a mobile workstation to render designs in powerful applications.
“Professionals in creative industries have long demanded the ability to sketch and design freely and bring those designs to life in a single workflow,” said Rob Herman, executive director, Workstations, Lenovo. “The demands of professional applications are too great for a tablet alone, so this has been impossible – until now. Our new ThinkPad P40 Yoga is the first machine that truly provides both the sketching experience of a tablet and the power of an ISV-certified workstation.”
Yoga and Autodesk Sketchbook
During the presentation, Kyle Runciman of Autodesk sketched using Sketchbook and the P40 Yoga. I thought it was interesting how he laid the keyboard on the table and held the screen portion. He said this gave him the “sketch pad” feeling that he was used too. This shows the versatility of the device.
Here’s the results of Kyle’s work, which was done during our 30-minute session… very impressive!
And a quote from Kyle…
“Sketching is the foundation of everything we do,” said Kyle Runciman, industrial designer and strategic content manager, Autodesk. “Designers can sketch for months to hone their ideas, and when they do get them to a point where they feel they’re ready for prime time, they can benefit from a separate, ISV-certified mobile workstation to visualize the designs. The ability to perform all of these capabilities on a single machine is huge for our industry.”
Kyle’s Bio…
Kyle Runciman is the strategic content manager for Autodesk Consumer and 3D Printing, working across our digital art products, including SketchBook, Pixlr, and Graphic. Kyle is an industrial designer by trade and has designed products in industries ranging from medical to power tools to automotive. He has a Bachelor’s of Industrial Design from Carelton University in Ontario. In his free time, Kyle loves drawing cars and super heroes.
