I don’t travel very often, but when I do, I find it difficult to fit my 15.6-inch laptop into my bag comfortably. At home, it’s a perfectly fine laptop, but it’s a hassle elsewhere. I don’t want to give up the screen real estate at home since I travel so little, but I also don’t want to have a separate laptop, so my options are limited.
That’s where Lenovo’s ThinkBook Project Swan laptop comes into play. On the surface, it just looks like another ThinkBook, but it comes with an exciting twist. The 14-inch display expands to a 17-inch one with a press of a button. I thought this was just a simple party trick, but after seeing it for myself, I’m amazed by what this laptop can do. Lenovo is calling this a proof of concept, so it might not be something we can get our hands on right away, but it’s impressing nonetheless.
A 14-inch laptop is a lot easier for me to stuff into a bag, and when I take it out, I can fully expand it to something larger than the current screen I use. When I think about innovation, that’s exactly what I’m thinking of. Fittingly, this laptop was unveiled at Lenovo Innovation World. Lenovo did something out of the box here, and it’s something I didn’t even know I wanted until I saw it in action.
Laptop docking hubs
Trivia challenge
Ports, protocols, and power delivery — how much do you really know about
laptop docking hubs?
ConnectivityHardwareStandardsPowerPorts
Which interface standard is most commonly used by modern laptop docking hubs to
carry both data and power over a single cable?
Correct! USB-C has become the dominant connection standard for modern
docking hubs thanks to its ability to carry data, video, and power simultaneously. Its reversible
connector design and broad compatibility made it the go-to choice for laptop manufacturers and accessory
makers alike.
Not quite — the answer is USB-C. While USB-A 3.0 and Thunderbolt 2 were
popular in their eras, USB-C’s ability to handle data, display output, and power delivery over one cable
made it the standard of choice for today’s docking hubs.
What is the maximum power delivery wattage defined by the USB Power Delivery 3.1
specification, relevant to high-end docking hubs?
Correct! USB Power Delivery 3.1 raised the ceiling to 240W, a massive
leap from the previous 100W limit. This makes it viable for charging even high-performance laptops and
workstations through a single USB-C connection on a docking hub.
Not quite — the answer is 240W. USB Power Delivery 3.1, introduced in
2021, extended the maximum power output from 100W to 240W, enabling docking hubs to charge increasingly
power-hungry laptops and workstations through a single cable.
Which Thunderbolt version introduced a maximum data transfer speed of 40Gbps, making
it a popular choice for premium docking hub connections?
Correct! Thunderbolt 3 was the version that hit 40Gbps and also adopted
the USB-C connector form factor, which was a major turning point. It allowed a single small cable to
drive high-resolution displays, transfer files at blazing speeds, and charge a laptop simultaneously.
Not quite — the answer is Thunderbolt 3. While Thunderbolt 4 maintained
the same 40Gbps speed, it was Thunderbolt 3 that first introduced this bandwidth ceiling. Thunderbolt 3
also switched to the USB-C physical connector, massively boosting its adoption in laptops and docking
hubs.
What does the term ‘passthrough charging’ mean in the context of a laptop docking
hub?
Correct! Passthrough charging means the docking hub accepts power from
an external adapter and then forwards that power to the connected laptop, so you only need one cable
running to your laptop for both data and charging. It’s one of the most convenient features of a modern
USB-C hub.
Not quite — the answer is that the hub delivers power from a wall
adapter to the laptop. Passthrough charging is a key docking hub feature that lets the hub sit between
the power source and your laptop, consolidating connections so a single USB-C cable handles both data
and charging.
Which display output standard, commonly found on docking hubs, uses a royalty-free
protocol and is often used alongside USB-C via an alternate mode?
Correct! DisplayPort is a royalty-free standard developed by VESA and is
widely supported in docking hubs. DisplayPort Alternate Mode allows the signal to be tunnelled directly
over a USB-C cable, making it especially common in compact hubs that want to avoid adding a dedicated
video chip.
Not quite — the answer is DisplayPort. Unlike HDMI, which requires
licensing fees, DisplayPort is royalty-free and integrates neatly into USB-C via Alternate Mode. This
makes it a cost-effective and technically elegant choice for docking hub manufacturers.
Before USB-C docking hubs became mainstream, which proprietary connector did many
Dell laptops use to connect to their official docking stations?
Correct! Dell’s E-Port connector was a proprietary interface found on
the underside of many Dell Latitude and Precision laptops. It allowed users to snap the laptop directly
onto a docking station for instant access to peripherals, displays, and network connections without
plugging in individual cables.
Not quite — the answer is Dell’s E-Port connector. This proprietary
bottom-mounted connector was Dell’s solution for enterprise docking before USB-C arrived. It allowed
laptops to physically dock and instantly connect to a full desktop setup, which was a popular feature in
corporate environments.
What is the key technical difference between a USB hub and a Thunderbolt docking hub
when connecting multiple monitors?
Correct! Thunderbolt docks benefit from the high bandwidth of the
Thunderbolt protocol to natively drive multiple displays without additional hardware. Standard USB hubs
that offer video output typically rely on DisplayLink technology, which uses software rendering and a
dedicated chip to compress and transmit display data.
Not quite — the answer is that Thunderbolt docks natively support
multiple high-res displays, while USB hubs usually rely on DisplayLink chips. DisplayLink is a clever
workaround that compresses video data over USB bandwidth, but it introduces CPU overhead and can affect
performance compared to a native Thunderbolt connection.
Which feature, increasingly common on premium docking hubs, allows a single hub to
simultaneously output video to two 4K displays at 60Hz over one Thunderbolt 4 cable?
Correct! Multi-Stream Transport (MST) is a DisplayPort feature that
allows multiple video streams to be combined and sent through a single connection, then split out to
separate displays at the docking hub. This is how premium Thunderbolt docks can drive two 4K60 monitors
from a single cable to the laptop.
Not quite — the answer is Multi-Stream Transport (MST). This DisplayPort
technology enables a docking hub to carry multiple independent video streams over one connection and
then distribute them to separate screens. It’s a crucial feature for professionals who want a clean
dual-monitor desk setup with minimal cable clutter.
Your Score
/ 8
Thanks for playing!
A laptop for home and for travel
The best of both worlds
Something I’ve realized a lot since switching to an ultrawide monitor for my desktop computer is that I value having a lot of extra screen real estate. A laptop doesn’t match that, but you can always add an extra screen through the HDMI port, but that adds extra bulk that I don’t like. The Project Swan ThinkBook gets around that with the expandable screen, and at 17 inches, it makes it one of the larger laptop screens on the market. The fully expanded screen is a 16:9 aspect ratio, a ratio that puts it in line with TVs more than it does laptops. When it’s not extended, it’s a 4:3 display.
You might think a laptop like this has to sacrifice its weight, but that’s not the case. This laptop comes in at just over 3.5 lbs, so it’s not as heavy as you’d think with such a large screen. In terms of thickness, it’s 17.9mm, so it can slide into a travel bag with ease. I could easily see myself making this laptop my daily driver, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. While the screen expands, you’re not able to stop it at a specific size, so you’re stuck with either 14 or 17 inches. I don’t think that’ll be much of an issue, but I figured it’s worth mentioning.
It’s begging for a USB-C hub
A common theme among many laptops
USB-C is great and all, but it’d be nice to have some variety. A lot of laptops still have USB-A ports, HDMI ports, and some still keep the Ethernet port around. That’s not typically the case for thinner laptops, and you’re saddled with a plethora of USB-C ports with Project Swan. This pretty much guarantees that you’ll need to use a USB-C hub to connect additional devices to your laptop, such as monitors and an Ethernet cable. If you’re still relying on a USB dongle for a portable mouse, as I am, you’ll be in trouble here.
Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need that HDMI port since the screen can get so large, but one of the main appeals of this laptop to me is its portability, so the fact that I still have to bring along an external hub makes it a bit of a bummer. The pros vastly outweigh the cons on the Project Swan, so these are definitely things I’ll put up with. No price has been announced as of yet, and I feel that could end up being one of the dealbreakers here if there is one.
The floor for a ThinkBook is often around $1,000, and it goes up from there. That doesn’t exactly scream budget-friendly, and it’s a tough sell for somebody who doesn’t use a laptop daily. I use my desktop PC for work far more often than a laptop, which is why something like the Lenovo IdeaPad lineup is more appealing to me. Project Swan just caught my attention due to its innovation, and I could easily see it being worth a higher price tag. There’s definitely an audience out there for this laptop as the expandable screen makes everything easier whether it’s basic web browsing or working with spreadsheets.
The 16:9 aspect ratio makes it a good fit for watching movies on Netflix, too. I wouldn’t recommend picking up a laptop just to watch movies, but Project Swan will do a better job fitting a 1:78.1 movie on the screen than a 16:10 aspect ratio laptop would. I’m excited to see how this one holds up to regular workloads.
