Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds in Laptops

We're not quite sure what left-handers will make of it, however, and if you don't baulk at the prospect of transporting the W700's hefty frame from place to place, then suffering a few hundred grams more for a discrete graphics tablet isn't likely to prove too much of an aggravation. Still, it is an optional extra, so you can choose which you value more; £61 off the asking price or a built-in tablet, it's your call.

Performance is impressive, too. Our review unit came equipped with Intel's latest entry-level quad-core Q9000 processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory and dual 200GB hard disks running in a RAID 0 array. Despite the processor's relatively low 2GHz clock speed, it's a combination which powered the W700ds to a fine 1.39 in our benchmarks.

Lenovo's online configurator doesn't currently offer the Q9000 as an option (our review machine - part code NRPMKUK - is only available from resellers such as Dabs.com), instead giving you the option of choosing the dual core 2.53GHz T9400, a dual core 3.06GHz X9100 or the quad core 2.26GHz Q9100.

Those looking to cut costs, or those running software which takes little advantage of four cores, might consider specifying the cheaper dual-core T9400 part. Do so and you could save hundreds of pounds in the process.

Picking up the pieces

The W700ds is dauntingly expensive, but its range of abilities remain unmatched by any other mobile workstation currently available.

If the burning question is whether you really need the secondary display, integrated Wacom digitiser or Pantone colour calibrator then bear in mind that you can point your browser at http://shop.lenovo.com and configure the W700 just the way you want it. Indeed, plump for a slightly lesser specification and you can pick up a W700ds for about £2200 inc VAT.

Regardless of which configuration you eventually choose, the single year of return-to-base warranty comes as a bit of a kick in the teeth, though. And remember, if portability really doesn't matter in your line of work, you could potentially save yourself a packet by opting for a desktop workstation instead.

Author: Sasha Muller