News about the W700ds was originally timed for release the week of the Consumer Electronics Show in early January. But details earlier this month on IBM's Web site.

"Why two screens? Most people are using two monitors at their desktop. So we wanted to give them all the things they are used to on their desk," said Wes Williams, worldwide product marketing manager for ThinkPads.

The primary WUXGA 17-inch screen is brighter and more colorful than other notebook PC screens, Williams said. The main screen is rated at 400 nits of brightness, which is brighter than any other notebook in the market, Williams said. It also has a color gamut equivalent to 72% of AdobeRGB that is better than other notebooks and a plus for photographers and graphic designers, he said.

The W700ds' secondary 10.6-inch vertical screen is about the size of a typical netbook display, Lenovo says, or about 40% the size of the W700ds' primary 17-inch display. It can also be tilted up to 30 degrees like a car's rearview mirror.

The W700ds also includes a built-in WACOM digitizer, also called an electronic drawing pad, and color calibration software. Despite its power and weight, Williams claimed that the W700ds runs "incredibly cool" due to the use of dual fans and dual heat reduction systems.