u/DrewUniverse

Hi there. I'm seeking options for the Flex 7 14IRU8 laptop. I'm aware of the Digital Pen being compatible, but I was not able to confirm which protocol the screen (and pen) use. It makes all my research into third-party options feel useless. Does anyone here have first-hand experience with the Flex 7 14IRU8?

If possible I'm looking for a stylus/pen that is affordable, has 4K pressure levels, palm rejection, and/or USB-C charging. Thanks in advance.

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My research:

Beginning with the laptop's product page from Lenovo itself, it merely remarks the "Digital Pen" product. No detection protocol or alternatives.

The Digital Pen product page mentions some features like pressure levels and palm rejection, but no protocol.

On filtering for this laptop, I am shown the Digital Pen 2. Its product page doesn't mention a protocol. I also checked its corresponding support page.

As an aside, the Notebook Pens reference guide seems like it hasn't been updated in a long time.

Country: USA

Budget: $300-400

Used/Refurb Only

Own Research / Candidates At End Of Post

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Priority: Versatility > Battery > Build Quality

Weight/Size: Any

Screen: 14" Touch (16:9, else 16:10). 1920x1080 or 1920x1200.

Storage: M.2 slot, else 2.5" SATA. Drive not required.

RAM: 16GB

Usage: Multipurpose.

Requirements: Touch screen; Pen support. No Chromebooks.

Nice-to-have: Headphone jack > 2 USB-A slots > Aftermarket pen support > Sufficient brightness near sunlight > AMD CPU

Summary:

Simply put, having one device for several use cases is the sole reason I'm looking to buy a 2-in-1. Browsing, writing, watching, sketching, et cetera. Nothing extreme, but I wish to avoid low-end traps i.e. Celeron CPUs. My current laptop CPU is a Ryzen 3 7320U.

The device will have its OS replaced with Linux (Debian-based). Known support for basics would be nice if possible. Touchscreen, pen writing, wifi, et cetera. However, any built-in camera or mic will not be used.

Recent considerations from my own searching:

$350 Latitude 7420 / CPU i7-1185G7 / RAM 16 GB
$370 Latitude 7390 / CPU i7-8650U / RAM 16 GB (nix due to CPU?)
$390 Latitude 7430 / CPU i5-1245U / RAM 16 GB
$350 IdeaPad Flex 5 / CPU Ryzen 5 5500U / RAM 16 GB
$385 Flex 7 14IRU8 / CPU i7-1355U / RAM 16 GB (strongest CPU?)
$400 Yoga 9 14ITL5 / CPU i7-1185G7 / RAM 16 GB (listed with perfect battery health - nearly unused. However, 4k res feels wasteful at this screen size)

The main clincher seems to be CPU performance vs the price. Seems 8650 is a hard no. The 1185G7 is better, but markedly behind 1355/1245/5500. I guess this comes down to whether yall find the 1185G7 to be sufficient.

Out of the options I found, the Flex 7 seems best value. If yall can match or outdo these candidates with your own findings for a similar price, please let me know.

Touch Protocol or Pen Options for Lenovo Flex 7 14IRU8?

Versatile 2-in-1 [Used/Refurbished]