And there’s the pen: you’ll be able to scribble or take notes on this second screen like the last time, but there are some notable changes to remember. On the one hand, the pen fits inside the notebook this time, instead of magnetically – and somewhat awkwardly – fitting on the side of the screen. More importantly, the stylus can also be configured to launch specific applications, as it is removed from its box, a movement that makes it look similar to one of Samsung’s S Pens.
Meanwhile, the rest of the machine is pretty standard road warrior material. You can equip it with an 11th generation Intel Core i7 chipset and up to 1 TB of storage, while 16 GB of RAM, integrated UHD graphics, WiFi 6, 2W Harman Kardon stereo speakers and two USB-compatible Thunderbolt 4 C ports are common in all configurations. Lenovo says you can expect up to 15 hours of use for the ThinkBook Plus 53Whr battery, although you can take considerably more life out of this notebook if you only use that E Ink screen – think about 24 hours or more.
The original ThinkBook Plus was charming in its strangeness, but some of Lenovo’s software options and features seemed incongruous with the notebook’s business focus. This time, however, the company not only improved the functionality of the second screen – it focused on it. Sure, that means it’s a little less fun than before, but hey, these changes also make Gen 2 i easier to sell to IT departments and a great starting point for professionals who end up with this things.