Lenovo launches laptops with capacitive multi-touch screens

It’s no secret that Windows 7 supports multi-touch displays, but there aren’t that many laptops that have one — until now. Lenovo has unveiled a couple of ThinkPad portables that both use this next-generation touch-screen technology — the X200 tablet and T400 laptop.

Both models have capacitive touch-sensitive screen (as used on the Apple iPhone) and the 12.1in screen on the ThinkPad X200 can recognise two-finger taps, while the 14.1in screen on the ThinkPad 400s can recognise up to four fingers.

This means that in addition to the usual pinching and swiping gestures, it’s possible for more than one person to press on-screen elements — or you can just use two fingers on each hand if you’re feeling dexterous.

More details after the cut.

In addition to being able to interact with Windows 7 and its applications with a fingertip rather than a trackpad or stylus, Lenovo has also developed its own ‘SimpleTap’ software.

When activated, this pops up a grid of customisable on-screen shortcuts for launching applications and accessing such laptop hardware functions as the backlight control and Wi-Fi switch. Engadget has a video that shows SimpleTap in action and it looks pretty slick, although we’re not sure how useful it will be in practice.

In fact judging by some of the early reviews, multi-touch seems to be a bit of a short-lived novelty on these new ThinkPads. A more accurate and sensitive touch-sensitive screen is certainly a welcome addition to any tablet PC, but reaching to prod the screen of a standard laptop isn’t a natural action — or at least that’s the response of the reviewer at jkOnTheRun .

The laptops will be available in the US within the next couple of weeks — the ThinkPad X200 costs $1,654, the ThinkPad T400s costs $1,729. There’s no news of UK availability yet, though.