A world of change

Lenovo’s W700ds workstation laptop has gotten an overdue upgrade in the form of the W701ds, and now its guts are every bit as over the top as its integrated secondary display. Seriously: this thing is a hoss.

To start, you’ve got up to Intel’s Core i7-920 Extreme processor, a 17-inch WUXGA (1920×1200) primary display, and Nvidia Quadro FX 3800M graphics. The W701ds can ship with up to 16GB DDR3 memory, 500GB HD storage, and all models have WiMAX support, one USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports, and a 2-megapixel camera.

But really, the star of the show is still that secondary display, which allows you to keep your mail your chat windows separate from your primary focus. It’s a 10.6-inch, WXGA (1280×800) screen that that’s stored in the laptop but pops out when needed for work or a fun party trick. Although with a weight over 9 pounds, it’s unlikely that you’re going to want to drag this monster to many parties. The W701ds will be available in March starting at $3800.

If you want to forgo the extra screen (because you are a crazy person?) and some power and storage, you might want to take a look at the base model of the W701. It compares favorably to the Dell M6500, while its $2200 base price compares favorably to the Dell’s $2750. [Lenovo]