About.com Rating



Lenovo's ThinkPad Helix is a unique Windows 8 laptop, with versatile configurations (Ultrabook laptop, detachable tablet, fold-over tablet, and "rip and flip"), plus a number of excellent features for the mobile professional or road warrior. This one's a keeper--but quality doesn't come cheap.~ August 26, 2013

Specs

• Processor: Intel 3rd Generation Core i5 or i7 Processor
• Operating System: Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro

• Display: 11.6" widescreen display
• Memory: 4GB or 8GB memory
• Hard Drive: 128GB or 180GB Solid State Drive
• Graphics: Intel Integrated Graphics
• Warranty: 1-year Limited Warranty
• Ports/Communication: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Mini DisplayPort, NFC, USB 2.0 (1), USB 3.0 (2)
• Battery: Up to 10 hours (6 in tablet mode, 4 with the keyboard)
• Weight: 3.68 pounds (1.6 pounds as a tablet)
• Thickness: 0.8 inches (0.5 inches tablet)
• MSRP: Starting at $1,679

The Good

Ever since Lenovo announced the ThinkPad Helix back at CES, tablet PC afficionados like myself have been waiting (im)patiently for the tablet-laptop hybrid to arrive on the scene. The initial January ship date was pushed back to February, then "spring," and then finally the Helix was available in late June. Personally, I think it was worth the wait--even though the version available as I write this lacks the latest Intel Haswell processor . Here's why I'm holding onto the Helix.

The ThinkPad Helix fits all of the requirements for my next new laptop: portability, long battery life, and stylus support, since I'm a big OneNote fan.

Some of the outstanding Helix features include:

Excellent keyboard and trackpad: The renowned ThinkPad keyboard quality is carried over to the Helix. Because of the keyboard's uniquely shaped keys, you'll make fewer errors and type faster compared to the common slick chiclet keyboards found on other laptops. I typed about 70 words per minute on this laptop, on par with using a full-size desktop keyboard. The Helix, in fact, has similar specs to the Toshiba Portege Z10t, which is also a pretty good Windows 8 tablet-laptop hybrid--but with too many keyboard issues. The Helix's keyboard isn't backlit, unfortunately, and you'll have to change the Function and Control key placements in the keyboard settings if you're not used to the ThinkPad keyboard layout, but otherwise the Helix upholds the ThinkPad's stellar keyboard reputation.

The unusually large glass trackpad also wouldn't disappoint you. It's smooth, accurate, and a pleasure to use. The trackpad buttons are built into the trackpad, but there are ones at the top and bottom of the trackpad.

Battery life: Even though the Helix doesn't have the Haswell processor yet, which promises all-day battery life, that's not much of a problem, thanks to this laptop's design. The tablet is rated for 6 hours of battery life alone, and the battery in the keyboard dock adds 4 hours. Those 10 hours of combined battery life mean you'll be able to take a long flight and keep on working. In actual use, I got about 7 hours of battery life unplugged, doing my normal browsing (twenty tabs, usually), Photoshop image editing, and other tasks of medium-intensity.

Versatility: Of course, one of the best things about the Helix is its versatile form factor. In addition to using it in Ultrabook/slim laptop form, you can detach the display to use in tablet form. Like other current 11.6-inch hybrid Windows 8 laptops, the Helix is more unwieldy than pure tablets like the iPad. That's because the Helix is packing most of the powerful components that make it work just like a laptop into the tablet part of the computer. So if you're going for more portability or want to use the Helix more in tablet mode, you might want to take extra care that the size and weight are right for you.

The Helix's "Rip and Flip" feature, where you can dock the screen facing away from the keyboard (towards the back) was one I didn't think I would use, a novelty. It came in handy, however, during a recent trip. The feature is positioned as a way to give presentations on the laptop without the clutter of the laptop keyboard in front of it. When on an airplane tray, however, the feature serves another purpose: You can greatly adjust the screen angle of the ThinkPad Helix when in the "Rip and Flip" mode--even if the seat in front of you is pushed back so far you couldn't see the screen under normal laptop conditions. In laptop mode, the screen can be pushed back only so far (but still has more adjustability than similar dockable laptops); in the presentation mode, tapping away at the screen or viewing it at more angles is even easier. This is a feature unique to Lenovo's ThinkPad Helix.

Advanced features: Stylus and NFC: Part of the reason the Helix costs more than other Ultrabooks/laptops is the touchscreen. But it's not just a normal touchscreen--it's one with an active digitizer, with stylus (or digital pen) support. I found inking and drawing on the screen accurate and comfortable, especially with the latest pressure sensitivity drivers installed. I did wish the stylus included in the silo was thicker and better overall; often I'd unintentially hit the buttons on the stylus as if clicking the right mouse button.

NFC is the other interesting feature included with the Helix. I haven't tried it yet, but the technology is meant to facilitate easy sharing of information from different devices. It's not a reason alone to get the Helix, but I'm glad it's available, just for future-proofing.

The Bad

Weight and thickness: The ThinkPad Helix is slim by most common laptop standards, and meets Intel's Ultrabook standards for light-and-thin notebooks. However, it also has to be evaluated in tablet-only mode. The 1.6-pound weight in tablet mode doesn't bother me, but potential buyers should keep in mind this is more of a hybrid than a standalone light tablet.

Heat: The Helix also gets hot, in the upper right corner of the screen. When docked into the keyboard, heat isn't too much of an issue--the keyboard sports fans in the back, but the tablet gets hot quickly when undocked.

Ports: The ThinkPad Helix, being a business-oriented laptop, also skimps too much on ports. For ethernet, you need the included USB-to-ethernet dongle. Most of the ports (on the bottom of the tablet) are unusable when the screen is docked. And, perhaps most disappointing, there's no card reader