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Lenovo Unveils Android ThinkPad and IdeaPad Slates
MojoKid writes "While many tablets are slimming down (and losing valuable ports), Lenovo's new ThinkPad Tablet is on the bulky side with the hope that business professionals appreciate it. The Tablet is a biz-oriented slate with a 10.1" panel, a Tegra 2 (1GHz) chip, and most importantly, a full-size USB port. Lenovo is also introducing a $99 Keyboard Folio case, which will wrap around the device to keep it safe, but also provides a full QWERTY keyboard and an optical trackpad. It features Android 3.1, access to Lenovo's app store, a 2MP front-facing camera, 1080p video output, Wi-Fi, 3G, 16/32/64GB of storage, and a 5MP rear camera. The company also introduced a consumer targeted slate called the IdeaPad K1, and it sports a 13.3mm thin form-factor that focuses on entertainment and consumption."
At that price, why wouldnt i just buy the thinkpad edge or something? looks to be about the same size + weight. or that low end X series?
This tablet's 4.5 lb weight is not a design flaw. It's a feature!
Then it may read barcodes. My company is stuck on ex-symbol, now-motorola MC50 and alikes, overpriced and underperforming for today's standards. We're seeking an alternative for them, but barcode reading on iPad and such devices are clumsy, not suitable for production. Hope that full-size USB can power devices.
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barcode reading on iPad and such devices are clumsy, not suitable for production.
I don't think you are going to be much happier with the built in cameras on the new device then...
The solution is to use a dedicated hardware reader, such as the Scanfob. There may be others for the iPad as well, there are a number of choices for the iPhone that are integrated cases.
The iPad does offer a USB port dongle but like you say it can't really power devices.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
The iPad2 already has:
USB port (via dongle)
HDMI out
A number of third party cases with integrated keyboards
Rear and front camera (admittedly slightly lower in resolution)
better battery life under REAL conditions (this states eight under "ideal").
The iPad is far lighter too. And the idea of including an optical trackpad so you can "move around the device" is NUTS on a touchscreen system.
So what is going to be the draw? Especially for a business, where the third party aftermarket is much more extensive for the iPad?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Lenovo's new ThinkPad Tablet is on the bulky side with the hope that business professionals appreciate it.
I think they will. I can't tell you how many professionals that have taken one look at my iPad, and said "nah, I could never use something like that. It's not bulky enough."
Does it have a capacitive finger-friendly screen that can also do pressure sensitive (512+ levels) pen input for more accurate stylus use or sketching?
And "8 or so hours in ideal conditions" - man I hope that's not directly from the marketing department. If your marketing guys are hedging their words like that, they know damned well that it's going to go 3 hours under full use, and probably have everything turned of and in active sleep mode for 3 of the hours to get 8 hours of runtime.
I've said it before - it's going to come down to software support. The OS and drivers are going to have to handle stuff seamlessly. Apple gets away with is 'cause they offer so little functionality, there's little to break/go wrong. I want to see this work, but I'm sure as hell not going to by the first version.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Why Android tablets cost twice as much as a netbooks running Win7?
This tablet also has an SD card slot for storage.
I don't understand why publications are so focused on presenting the varying built-in storage options but not even mentioning whether a memory card slot of some type is present. I'd much rather know if the device has cheap expandable storage than know how much the company is going to overcharge me for the largest built-in storage option.
Don't underestimate nerd rage ain't going buy anything from Apple types. Believe me, they are everywhere. Not quite as numerous as the gottagetitnowiGeneration
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
Uhmm, looks like the only thing they eliminated is the hinge.
Why wait? Just today, I finally broke down and joined the tablet craze by ordering an Acer Iconia 32GB tablet. Nvidia Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 32GB flash storage, USB, HDMI, micro-SD slot, bluetooth, WiFi, 1280x800 10.1" display, Capacitive Ten-point Touchscreen, 2MP front camera, 5MP rear camera with flash Android Honeycomb.
BONUS? Available now for $450
Better late than never? Not so sure in this case. Lenovo has a lot of catching up to do to play in the same market as Asus, Motorola, Acer ...
Wow, where is the tablet?
Same joke, new company: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h3hrn_XGM8o/Ra4T4ZdHrKI/AAAAAAAAAE4/TwLeWrgzOZw/s1600/BMW%2Bshit.jpg
So, Apple has a standard docking port for iPads. I hope the Android world can converge on a standard docking port as well.
Clearly the ThinkPad Tablet must have some sort of docking port, since TFA mentions a clamshell keyboard case that docks with it. Does anyone know what this is?
I have read that the Samsung Galaxy Tab uses PDMI for its docking port; can anyone confirm that?
I don't really care what the standard is; I just hope there will be one.
P.S. The worst thing about the Motorola Xoom is the lack of a docking port. Desktop docking stations for it require you to get a micro-USB connector and a mini-HDMI connector to line up and engage the sockets on the tablet. And, none of the available desktop docking stations pass through the USB! You do get HDMI passthrough but not USB, which totally sucks if you are a developer trying to work with a Xoom.
steveha
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
For consumer use, the iPad can also read SD cards with a plugin reader (actually a few, Apple makes one but so do other companies).
Do you really want a dongle flopping around while you are walking around with your device in your hand?
However for business use, why would they want something like an SD card so easily lost/stolen to begin with?
How easy is it to lose something that is inside the device? This tablet also encrypts the SD card, so theft is not an issue. If you look at the specs on Lenovo's site you will also see that it comes with Computrace for free.
Do you really want a dongle flopping around while you are walking around with your device in your hand?
No, that's why I mentioned that specifically for consumer use (to read camera cards).
How easy is it to lose something that is inside the device? This tablet also encrypts the SD card, so theft is not an issue.
Think about what you are saying for a second. It's easy to remove, right? So why would someone not simply walk off with it - not for theft, but just to use it?
Which brings me back to my main point - WHY? When you already have 64Gb of storage, what are you really going to use another 8-32GB for that is not better served by simply downloading data over the network and caching it on-device? Remember for business use these are primarily going to be dedicated devices, it's not like someone is going to store every episode of "24" on here. You 64GB is a huge space to cache all kinds of dedicated data, and instead of an SD card which WILL get "lost" you simply download it over the network at any time.
I mean seriously, you may as well ask for a 5 1/4" floppy in the thing too.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Apple can get away with exorbitant pricing because they have a hugely loyal fanbase. Lenovo, while well regarded, probably won't be able to get away with it. The business folks, being decades behind, are still mentally stuck on Wintel.
It also seems overpriced compared to a Wintel netbook. The netbook's Intel CPU+chipset is more expensive, Windows license cost is substantial, the battery has to be larger to get the same runtime... And yet they can sell netbooks for $200-300. Ok so the tablet has a cap touch screen and on additional low quality camera, but at best that's a wash with the netbook's higher costs. And they have the gall to charge $99 for a keyboard?? That totals to $599 for the Lenovo tablet + keyboard, roughly 2-3x the cost of a good netbook.
Why dont any of these tablets have handles? Seriously... I have a tablet and would just love something on the back or side to attached something a bit more grippy than flat smooth plastic. I've already lost one due to a slippery dry hand on a cool day.
The think pad has the same style for about 20 years now. Yes there were tweaks here and there slimmer lighter... But still the black dull matted plastic shape. I am happy the Lenovo Tablet follows that design.
Businesses don't want noticly fancy they want the borring drab color system so they can look really good with it.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Okay I'll bite on this because the way this is presented is a bit of a slanted statement. It's accurate, but disingenuous by what it implies. TCP/IP offers very little functionality, it only does one thing... and it does it really really well. Because it does it so well, it frees up developers to innovate on top of it. Therefore trying to say iOS offers little functionality distracts from the idea that despite this, it's doing very very well for businesses who want to easily expand on the product and provide services to people who want to use iPads and iPhones in their business and personal life, simply because it does what little it does very well. Apple lets other people expand on the functionality.
It doesn't come down to software support, it comes down to the experience. Windows has the software support already, and it's on a decline because the market is saturated and Tablets are changing the computer paradigm. If you think pressure sensitive pen input support is the make or break feature for the tablet market at the moment you need to go back and study the market again.
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
Lenovo has posted an excellent video showing off this tablet on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXFexk6k39M
Android (a back button!, I don't know how you live without a back button).
I do not live without a back button. I live with a device where the back button is placed where it makes sense, an infinite capacity to place them in the best location.
Now if we were talking about phones, you could possibly argue that a whole button consuming real estate makes some sense because at least it's located in a single place. But on a tablet that you can rotate, the whole physical button thing breaks down utterly. It's a big reason why the Android specific tablet requirements dropped physical buttons, because on a tablet you cannot have a physical thing located conveniently for all orientations.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I don't understand why people ask "I don't see any advantages, so why not just get apple?"
That is not AT ALL what I asked. I asked the question every tablet designer should be asking themselves from the start "What are the reasons I would get this instead of an iPad?". I am pointing out the features highlighted in the article, and saying they do not appear to be enough because the iPad already has them - they are not things making the device unique enough to gain traction in the market.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I'm sold, I'm a big fan of the bulky, dark and pragmatic design from ThinkPads. The only thing this is missing is 2 trackpoints (for vertical and horizontal use) W/ that resolution and keyboard would make a nice Debian Desktop. At last a tablet that does not look like a toy.
tgfm
Lenovo's tablets look nice, I believe the thinkpad tablet has the best chance with its
finger touch, or stylus interface and its dock along with reasonable price point.
A little heavier can be helpful, if too light too easy to drop, it goes flying...
Android device security is important –
I recommend 2x mobiledevicemanager
Download at http://www.2x.com/mobiledevicemanager
or from the Android Market
I'm sure they check for Apple's approved chip/license key before talking to an accessory just like they do for iPhone and iPad 1.
The iPad can use any USB keyboard over the USB port, not just apple branded ones.
There's no reason to expect that any Thunderbolt device connected to an iPad that supported Thunderbolt would not be treated the same... especially displays.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley