Lenovo Stack Review: Modular Gadgets For Road Warriors
Summary and Conclusion
Lenovo's Stack is a purpose-driven device. Or better yet, collection of devices. Though you can purchase the set separately, it is clearly meant to be used as a unit. At nearly $400, the components themselves are a bit pricery, but the $100 to $150 premium for the integrated design and overall convenience is justified for those who work from the road often. We've yet to really see such a tightly linked combination of wireless access, NAS, speakerphone, and power. Best of all, you don't need to be a ThinkPad owner to enjoy the Stack. It's just as useful for a MacBook Air as it is a ThinkPad laptop, thanks to its software suite, making it far more marketable.
If, however, you don't typically need to stand up a new office on a regular basis, the Stack is tougher to justify. The first four components are fairly basic, and the Power Bank in particular misses a huge opportunity to charge laptops (as opposed to just phones and tablets over USB). Lenovo has remained fairly quiet on what Stack components are coming next, but if it turns out to be somewhat popular, we wouldn't be surprised to see additional peripherals thrown into the mix.
We could see a pico projector fitting in nicely with the Stack, as well as a wireless charging pad. The future of Lenovo's plans for Stack are just as important as what is already available. For many, it's tough to buy into a proprietary set of peripherals if there aren't more compelling accessories waiting in the wings; but, for road warriors who are tired of lugging around a mishmash of components, the elegance and simplicity of the Lenovo Stack makes it quite compelling.
If, however, you don't typically need to stand up a new office on a regular basis, the Stack is tougher to justify. The first four components are fairly basic, and the Power Bank in particular misses a huge opportunity to charge laptops (as opposed to just phones and tablets over USB). Lenovo has remained fairly quiet on what Stack components are coming next, but if it turns out to be somewhat popular, we wouldn't be surprised to see additional peripherals thrown into the mix.
We could see a pico projector fitting in nicely with the Stack, as well as a wireless charging pad. The future of Lenovo's plans for Stack are just as important as what is already available. For many, it's tough to buy into a proprietary set of peripherals if there aren't more compelling accessories waiting in the wings; but, for road warriors who are tired of lugging around a mishmash of components, the elegance and simplicity of the Lenovo Stack makes it quite compelling.
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