Lenovo used MCW 2024 to showcase a host of PCs for home and office; PCs that will soon be available to buy. And all of which were new generations of familiar models. But the most eye-catching news at the Barcelona booth was a concept model that may sometime in the future become a commercially viable product: the crystal-clear, responsive Crystal PC.
The Crystal laptop, formally named the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop Concept, is a futuristic laptop with a transparent 17.3-inch Micro-LED display. The borderless screen, transparent keyboard area and “floating” stand almost make the computer disappear.
According to Lenovo, the micro-LED display has a brightness of 1,000 nits and high enough contrast to be used outdoors. However, the transparent screen had less contrast with its surroundings for good reason.
The transparent screen allows you to merge the digital and physical environment and display images “in mid-air”. Something we’ve been waiting for since Blade Runner in 1982.
Reality – with subtitles
Lenovo’s vision with the Crystal PC goes beyond free-floating images. Using Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC), the transparent will enable interaction with physical objects, with additional information about the objects superimposed on the screen. A pen and drawing board will allow for creative interaction with mixed reality.
There is no information on when – if ever – the transparent PC will be available for purchase.