Though it’s one of the oldest brands in the business, Lenovo’s ThinkPad family is always tossing new additions into its lineup that continue to innovate and surprise.
This year the company has pulled the covers off a device (or a random spattering of separate devices, depending on your pocketbook) that seeks to bridge the gap between four of the most important peripherals travelers use whenever we’re on the road. The STACK is a whole new way of thinking about mobility and functionality on the vertical axis, in probably the last way you’d expect.
The device is formed by up to four different interlocking modules that can be hot swapped to fit your personal requirements. The first piece you buy is entirely up to you, and each thereafter can be “stacked” on top of the other to fit your mobile needs as they change. Every module can be used independently of the rest, so how you want to mix-and-match them is up to you.
Available modules include a fully-functional Bluetooth speaker, a compact 10,000mAH USB charging station, a Wi-Fi hotspot that can connect to mobile data and, finally, a one terabyte portable hard drive to take care of any storage your ThinkPad laptop can’t shoulder on its own. Together the STACK provides a comprehensive mobile solution unlike anything else on the market. It’s possible to assemble a similar collection of devices, of course, but they’ll be more unwieldy and will take up more space.
The Bluetooth speaker will go for $89.99 at retail, the power bank will be $49.99, and both the wireless router and 1TB hard drive kit will set you back $199.99 by the time all four hit store shelves sometime in April 2015.
