And then there’s the style: you can dead read or record notes on this second screen like last time, but there are some notable changes to remember. First, this time the stylus fits into the notebook, rather than clicking magnetically – and somewhat uncomfortably – on the side of the screen. More importantly, the stylus can also be set to launch specific apps as soon as it is removed from its housing, making it feel like it is no different from one of Samsung’s brand S Pens.
Meanwhile, the rest of the machine is pretty standard road warriors. You can set it up with an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 chipset and up to 1TB of storage, while the 16GB of RAM, integrated UHD graphics, WiFi 6, 2W stereo Harman Kardon speakers and two Thunderbolt 4 compatible USB C-ports are common in all configurations. Lenovo says you can expect up to 15 hours of use of the ThinkBook Plus’ 53Whr battery, though you can get significantly more life out of this notebook if you just use the E Ink screen – think 24 hours or so.
The original ThinkBook Plus was charming in its strangeness, but some of Lenovo’s software and feature choices did not match the notebook’s focus on business. This time, however, the company not only expanded the functionality of the second screen – it focused it. Of course, that means it’s a little less fun than before, but hey: these changes also make the Gen 2 i easier to sell for IT departments, and an excellent conversation starter for professionals who end up deciding with these things.