ThinkPad Helix 2 Discussion Thread

Nobody knows, dude. Sheesh! You always ask the same questions about 3 monitors. We know you like using 3 monitors. You'll have to wait until it's released and someone with 3 monitors tries one, just like the rest of us sad saps.

 

About those prices, yes, they're high, but that's nothing new here in Australia.

There are a few reasons for this: things like the fact that we basically live on an island in the middle of nowhere, and we have a minimum wage more than twice as high as you've got in the States.

Or you could just blame the "Australia Tax" and call it a day.

 

It also looks like it will be able in colors other than BLK. Now if only there were models that were 12" and that came with DGTZR.

That island in the middle of nowhere is a lot closer to the manufacturing plants than the USA though, so at least it shouldn't be shipping cost.

 

Shipping cost isn't calculated by distance and distance alone. There's more cargo going to US than AU; just imagine if a mini bus with a capacity of 10 people and the one travelling to AU is half full while going to US is full. Travelling to AU could be more expensive simply because less people is sharing the cost.

 

Lenovo Service Training for Thinkpad Helix 2: http://download.lenovo.com/lts/RTPW1320/CourseFiles/player.html

 

any idea what's the difference between digitizer and active pen?

 

Really weird. Is it possible that the Helix 2 is N-Trig? I've never heard a Wacom pen referred to as "Active" and the stylus that ships now is passive. Does that mean it's capacitive?

 

Perhaps Lenovo will be copying the Bluetooth button idea of the SP3 to launch apps?

On another note, I don't see any mention of a GNSS chip in the Helix. Personally, I think all tablets should be fitted with this by default...

 

FWIW, the term "Active Pen" has historically been used to describe the Wacom system for many years. Generally speaking, it was borne back in the time when many devices had resistive touch systems and people were writing about devices featuring something different - i.e. a device with a Wacom digitizer panel layer and corresponding pen - vs. what was more common at the time. Then, as now, there were competing systems, though Wacom was the clear leader. Anyway, "Active Pen" is still sometimes used to describe the generic difference between a true pen system and a system with a "stylus" on capacitive or resistive layer applied to the screen subsystem. I do not believe there is any significance to their descriptive use of this terminology (vs. naming Wacom) other than perhaps the writer being "old school", generic, etc.

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-

/end/

 

Randall,

The Lenovo material refers to the digitizer being available in the November launch (and it is specifically called out separately from "touch"), whilst the "active pen" is listed for the February delivery. Also, I've usually come across "active" being applied to the digitizer itself, as in "active digitiser".

That's what is so confusing. Why on earth would they make the Wacom digitizer available in November, and not deliver the pen until February?