UltraNav screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/a2R7ULk.jpg

A Lenovo driver update (well, Synaptics really) changed the settings tab name from UltraNav to "ThinkPad." 

I've tweaked PalmCheck and Touch Sensitivity quite a lot and still get some occasional failed two-finger scroll attempts but overall this is the one of the best trackpads I've used on a Windows machine (and Windows machines have notoriously awful trackpads, so this is a pleasure). 

Battery test, sort of  yesterday

conditions

- experimented with powerpoint presentation projection (both mirrored and extended displays) direct hook up to projector via mini display port to tablet and to base; wireless hook up via Belkin cast to tablet and base.

- four port usb3 attached with usb thumb drive, two portable memories, and CD player attached to that

- loaded programs from CD player

- rendered 12 images in Photoshop to a panorama image,

- installed virtual program to be able to run XP programs I like for work (still a work in programs)

- transferred files wirelessly and also from thumb and memory drives

-  searched the web

- BT always on and used BT mouse (MS 8000 combo mouse and projection control) <-- BT connection still get dropped and I have to restart the mouse.  Do not know if it is the helix or mouse but mouse works on all other devices

- wireless always on

- screen brightness about 80 - 90 % with auto brightness turned off

-  installed printer and printed wirelessly

- probably some other stuff but I forgot

4.5 (maybe 5)  hours to 20% battery (depleted base battery)

dave

Well for me the next test would be a "normal" working day.  Hopefully tomorrow.  Then I can tell beter and we and make a decision.

dave

@FreedCandy,

thank you, helps very much! Its nice to have the possiblity to change the size of the buttons.

But the other part of the quesiton: What about the UEFI-BIOS setting? I am curious if the TrackPoint buttons will stop working if you deactivate the TouchPad in the BIOS.

I can't believe there is possibly a screen door effect on this.  After the entire X1 and X1C debacle, is it really that hard of an issue for Lenovo to fix???? At least you're saying it's not that noticeable, but it sure was noticeable on my X1C.

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wrote:

I can't believe there is possibly a screen door effect on this.  After the entire X1 and X1C debacle, is it really that hard of an issue for Lenovo to fix???? At least you're saying it's not that noticeable, but it sure was noticeable on my X1C.

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I can't for the life of me detect and screen Door effect at all.    Certainly much less than my 27" Mac monitor, which I feel is awesome.

I also calibrated the screen with the basic Pantone Huey and I must say the difference was less than it was with my Mac monitor as well.   Did quite the reasonable job.

@I tried Lightroom 4 and compared it to my Desktop, which is an overclocked i5-3570K @ 4Ghz with 16GB of DDR3 2400 memory and 256x2 RAID0 SSD drives, and I must say I'm pleased with the performance.    Importing raw took about  photos took about 40% longer (rendering 1:1 previews), but actually going from image to image viewed at 1:1 was only a little slower (3.5 sec vs 3 sec).    It's more than usable for Lightroom.     I love the display port as well, since I can swap plugs (USB and Displayport) from the displayport Mac 27" monitor (which has my keyboard and mouse plugged in) quickly and then I have the desktop experience.

All in all, after a few days of using it and using the TPFanControl with the fan settings of:

53   0

57  1

and the rest at the defaults, I couldn't be happier with the helix.

I also adjusted the trackpad so it wouldn't detect multi-gestures in the bottom 1/4 of the pad and that helped me since I tend to keep the left finger on the pad for left clicking.

The pen has the same issue as with the Surface Pro...quite inaccurate in the edges/corners when using it to select menu items or bookmarks even after calibration.     But finger use is actually quite usable.

Can anyone else, who currently has the Helix, try some art programs and verify that pressure sensitivity is indeed missing.  

Lenovo advertised that the Helix would have over 2000+ levels of pressure sensitivity.

Or are we stuck waiting for the same drivers that Microsoft is working on for the Surface Pro?

Regarding the screen, I'm considering it's a defect but I'd think it would be less uniform.  Lenovo panels also have a history of this effect.  This will probably be one of those things that depends on the person to see/notice.  However, as much as I'd like to say otherwise, it's certainly not in my head and I double-checked by comparison a white background on the MacBook Air 11" to be sure. 

I did consider the placebo/psychosomatic possibility after reading on other forums that some other early adopters report the screen as excellent, but it's just not possible to say it isn't there once you see it despite the otherwise indeed excellent IPS display.  It's a faint, almost film-like gray "grid" or honeycomb pattern in the screen most noticeable--or perhaps to be fair only noticeable-- on white and gray backgrounds.  In my years of pickiness about screens, nothing about this one makes me think it's a unique manufacturing defect of my machine and I think we all have the same production run in all likelihood.  So it's probably dependent on the person to notice.  One thing I've read is that it could be related to Lenovo's touchscreen tech.

But it's nothing like the X1C's.  I hope other users can get their hands on the machine soon to report back and make me appear less crazy here. 

Assuming it's going to show up on other models (not guaranteed as yet; wait for other anecdotes), keep a few things in mind as you guys lurk for impressions:

* It's slightly distracting with text on white when you are in tablet mode (since that's when you are looking more up-close at the screen), but not enough to upset me.  I've gone through probably a half dozen personal laptops in the last year on account of various nits and picks, so that's saying something.  Definitely can't notice it in laptop mode ~2ft away from the screen.  Tablet mode is where it could bother you if it does.

* My wife needed her glasses to see it.  We're in our 30s and her prescription is pretty weak.  So it's not something that jumps out at you as on the X1C.

* Since it's indeed 1080p on an 11.6" screen--or so I assume this is why-- the "grid" effect is pretty small.  Way smaller than the X1C's lower res 14" panel for sure.

BTW, TPFC has drastically improved my experience as well.  No more fan complaints!  Wonderful.  I am also pretty clueless about the pen stuff so I can't help with that.  Seems like the Surface Pro's to me as well but I'm certainly no artist.  Limited utility for a non-artist IMO.