added second take on lenovo Slim Pro 7 review

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 ## Lenovo Slim 7 Pro Review
 
-Lenovo's new Slim 7 Pro 
+Lenovo's new Slim Pro 7 manages to be both powerful enough to edit video, and portable enough—with enough battery life—to actually be useful o the road. That's a rare combination, especially at this price. 
+
+That's not to say it's perfect, but the compromises it makes to achieve what it is are the right compromises to meet the needs of those who, for lack of a better term, get called content creatives. That is, video editors, photo editors, perhaps even programmers who appreciate a 2.5K screen.
+
+## HD
+
+The Slim Pro 7 is a 14-inch AMD-powered laptop that sits somewhere in the middle of the Lenovo Slim/Yoga lineup (Lenovo uses the Yoga branding in some markets, but not the U.S.). The Slim Pro 7 X is the more powerful version with a slightly better screen, while the Slim 7i is less powerful. The Slim Pro 7 then, is something of a Goldilocks, or at least it would like to be.
+
+I tested the Slim Pro 7 with a new 7000 series AMD Ryzen 7 chip (7735HS) and both integrated Radeon graphics card and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050. It comes with 16 gigabytes of RAM (soldered, not upgradeable) and a 512-gigabyte SSD (upgradeable by anyone with a Torx screwdriver and a modicum of courage). 
+
+Those components are wrapped in a very solid, all-aluminum chassis that didn't flex even when I picked it up with from the front with one hand. It's a solid, well-built machine, though it is on the heavy side at 3.5 pounds. It didn't mind toting it around, but it's not an ultralight by any means.
+
+One of the highlights of this machine is the screen. This 14.5-inch display crams in 2560 x 1600 pixels, making it 2.5K resolution. It's touch capable, though I still haven't found much use for touch on a laptop. More interesting is the 90 Hz refresh rate, which isn't quite enough to make hard core gamers happy (if that's you, the Slim Pro 7 X is the machine you want, with it's 144Hz refresh rate), but it's makes everything else quite smooth. The screen has 16:10 ratio, giving you a little extra height of the more common 16:9. It doesn't sound like much, but I find it helpful when browsing the web. It also makes the preview pane in video editors a bit larger.
+
+Speaking of editing video, I did, and the Slim Pro 7 handled it quite well. I used both Blender on Windows and Kdenlive on Linux. I had to enable GPU support in Kdenlive before I saw much performance boost, but in the end I was able to render out a 5 minutes of 5.2K footage in just over 12 minutes. For reference, my Lenovo X14 with an 6000 series AMD Ryzen 7 takes over 30 minutes to render the same footage. Presumable the main difference is the dedicated graphics card.
+
+You don't need to edit video to appreciate the performance here, but if you aren't editing video or doing other GPU-intensive tasks this might be overkill for your needs. At the same time, the slower screen refresh rate means this isn't the best option for mobile gaming, though it would no doubt serve the casual gamer.
+
+Performance like this often means poor battery life, but that's not really the case here. Lenovo has packed in a 73 watt hour battery that manages to get about 7 hours of battery life in real world use. That number will come down the more time you spend editing video, but it's still very impressive for a laptop with these specs. Suffice to say that for casual use you can just about eek out a day's work, but if you're headed to the coffee shop to edit video, bring the charger.
+
+Unlike its port-cutting coompetitors, Lenovo always makes sure you have what you need in its laptops and the Slim Pro 7 is no exception. It's got two USB-C ports, both of which can change, one of which is USB-C 4.0. There's also a USB-A port for older peripherials and an HDMI port for plugging in a monitor. A headphone jack and webcam kill switch round out the sides of the Slim Pro 7.
+
+While there is much to love about the Lenovo Slim Pro 7, there are things I dislike. My number one gripe is the location of the power button on the right side of the body, just about where I instinctively grab it to carry it around. I can't tell you how many times I accidentally shut down the machine doing this. I'd much prefer a power button up where it belongs, one the top of the laptop.
+
+The webcam was also not that great. It's 1080p, but I found it looked rather dark much of the time. It's fine for casual video conferencing, but if you spend a lot of time in online meetings and otherwise love this laptop, check out our guide to the best webcams for something better.
+
+The other thing that bothers me isn't Lenovo's fault, but Windows 11 remains a dumpster fire of frustration. It's hard to believe it's the successor to Windows 10. It feels much more like a buggy beta. I considered testing Windows 10 on the Slim Pro 7, but I don't have a copy anymore. Instead I installed Linux, which worked beautifully. I tested both System76's Pop_Os! (which I'd suggest for Linux beginners) and Arch Linux (which is what I use) and both worked great. 
+
+If you're in the market for a mobile, video editing workstation that's truly portable, and don't mind sacrificing a bit power to retain that great battery life, the Slim Pro 7 is an excellent choice.
+
+
 
 # Guides Existing 
 
@@ -1430,7 +1460,7 @@ contain microfibers: http://guppyfriend.com/en/
 
 Nocs Provisions, which makes some of [our favorite binoculars](https://www.wired.com/story/best-binoculars/), has a new model it calls the Field Issue, a 32mm binocular that hits the sweet spot between magnification, price, and weight.
 
-While our binocular guide suggests 8x42 is the best all-around binocular size -- and we stand by that -- sometimes you want something lighter. Whether you're hiking all day, tk, or tk, sometimes the 8x42s get to be too heavy. That's where 8x32 comes in, it sacrifices some zoom to save a little weight.
+While our binocular guide suggests 8x42 is the best all-around binocular size—and we stand by that—sometimes you want something lighter. Whether you're hiking all day, tk, or tk, sometimes the 8x42s get to be too heavy. That's where 8x32 comes in, it sacrifices some zoom to save a little weight.
 
 Like the company's previous releases, Noc's Field Issue binoculars are colorfully coated with a soft, but rugged, ridged thermoplastic. A bit like Ruffles, but binoculars. The result is something that's tough, portable, and simple to use.
 
@@ -1444,11 +1474,11 @@ The Field Issue features fully multi-coated lenses and uses a BaK4 Prism, just l
 
 That's not the end of the story though. All that light has to also pass through glass lenses on it's way too and from the prism and this is where the differences between $2,000 binoculars and $300 binoculars come in. Sorry, but Nocs are not Leicas. That said, they're very good. I hardly ever noticed the sort of chromatic aberrations and purple fringing that you get with many options in the price range. 
 
-The 8x magnification is the equivalent of a 400 mm camera lens -- and in fact the eye cup makes it easy to hold your smartphone up to snap a photo, Nocs even makes [a mount ($27, Nocs)](https://www.nocsprovisions.com/collections/accessories/products/photo-rig-smartphone-adapter-for-binoculars) -- and offers, clear, sharp views. I also really love Nocs oversize focus wheels, they're smooth and I've never fumbled to find them. The focus dial is right where your fingers expect it and it's easy to turn as that bird flies away, keeping it in focus.
+The 8x magnification is the equivalent of a 400 mm camera lens—and in fact the eye cup makes it easy to hold your smartphone up to snap a photo, Nocs even makes [a mount ($27, Nocs)](https://www.nocsprovisions.com/collections/accessories/products/photo-rig-smartphone-adapter-for-binoculars)—and offers, clear, sharp views. I also really love Nocs oversize focus wheels, they're smooth and I've never fumbled to find them. The focus dial is right where your fingers expect it and it's easy to turn as that bird flies away, keeping it in focus.
 
 While the Nocs Pro Issue 8x42 binoculars do provide a bit better image, they're a full half pound heavier than the 16.7 oz Field Issue. The weight savings was very noticeable on an all-day hike in the baking April Florida sun. The IP7 rating helps too when you forget that you're wearing them and dive into the first pool of water you see.
 
-I've also always liked that when you buy a pair of Nocs you get everything you need -- eyepiece protectors, neck strap, and a drawstring pouch for safe storage. There's even a lens cloth included, something you rarely find with binoculars that cost twice this much. 
+I've also always liked that when you buy a pair of Nocs you get everything you need—eyepiece protectors, neck strap, and a drawstring pouch for safe storage. There's even a lens cloth included, something you rarely find with binoculars that cost twice this much. 
 
 All Nocs come with a lifetime warranty, which I have not yet tested, but accounts around the web suggest that Nocs stands behind what they make. And all Nocs ship in a plastic-free, post-consumer recycled box printed with soy ink, which lessens the environmental impact a bit too.