Here's a laptop that's about different thinking: the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus combines a fairly typical-looking laptop with a second E Ink display on its outside, transforming this device into a 2-in-1 with little compare.

It's not the first time we've seen Lenovo working with E Ink displays in its laptops. The original Lenovo Book was the keyless laptop from that future which, unfortunately, operated like it was stuck in the past.

So why's the ThinkBook Plus different? First and foremost this is a laptop: you can open it to expose the usual 13.3-inch colour screen on the inside, complete with full keyboard, and use it like any other laptop.

But when it's shut closed you can use the 10.8-inch E Ink display to scrawl notes using the included stylus - with proper OneNote sync now - making for an efficient low-energy setup. You needn't worry about what you have written on there, though, as in standard laptop mode the E Ink screen defaults to a preset screen saver. The E Ink display also allows emails and calendar notifications when in the folded shut position.

Fortunately there's an optional ThinkBook Plus case, sold separately, which allows for protection of the exposed screen, plus you can hide what's on it when in transit.

In terms of main spec, the ThinkBook Plus delivers a 180-degree lay-flat hinge design, integrated fingerprint scanner, up to 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processors (with 8GB/16GB RAM), alongside two USB-A and one USB-C port to cater for peripherals present and of the future.

We'll be at CES 2020 where we'll get a closer look at the ThinkBook Plus and how well this secon-screen setup operates. We'll be bringing you more from the show.

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus will be available from March 2020, priced from $1,199.