This new Lenovo laptop makes me wish my MacBook Pro had a second screen built in.

Should Apple have made the Touch Bar larger instead of removing it? So, according to a new Lenovo laptop unveiled at CES 2022.

This new Lenovo laptop makes me wish my MacBook Pro had a second screen built in.
Lenovo laptop, MacBook Pro

If what we saw at CES 2022 is any indication, some of the best laptops in 2022 will not have a single display panel. The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo has a dual-display design, as does the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold, which has a folding OLED. But it's Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 that has piqued my interest, thanks to its massive screen next to the keyboard.

The main display is perfectly normal and large: it's a 17.3-inch panel with a resolution of 3072x1440 and a 21:10 aspect ratio. However, to the right of the keyboard is an eight-inch portrait panel with a resolution of 800 x 1200 and a stylus.

This fascinates me.

APPLE IS NOT THE ONLY COMPANY THAT THINKS DIFFERENTLY.

I'm writing this on an M1 MacBook Pro with the contentious Touch Bar, a thin display above the function keys. With the exception of the Touch ID sensor, which is so small that I forget it's there, I don't use it. However, there is no danger of overlooking the second display in Lenovo.

I believe that bigger is better when it comes to secondary displays. That Lenovo display could house my Twitter or Messenger apps, as well as any other widgets I want to use while working. You could keep your palettes in there if you're drawing or editing photos. And, with stylus support, it places a scribble/drawing pad right in front of me, which is useful for signing documents or, more likely, sketching.

drawing mustaches on celebrity/management photos And, of course, it could be useful for gaming, removing distracting content from the main display so you can focus on the action.

My only concern here is ergonomics: after RSI-related hand surgery, I'm extremely picky about keyboard positioning and size, so while the Lenovo appears to be comfortable enough, I'd have to use it to be sure I could type comfortably on an offset keyboard. However, with a US price of $1,399 and an unusual design, I believe this unusual Lenovo has a good chance of making it into our best laptops guide this year.