ThinkPad Tablet: Ready for the boardroom(review)

Android tablets are a dime a dozen, but the folks behind the ThinkPad line of notebooks are looking to change that. The ThinkPad Tablet by Lenovo brings professional styling, sturdy construction and special features to the tablet that are unique to the genre. Android is ready for the boardroom.

The ThinkPad Tablet has typical black styling familiar of the line of laptops, and while a bit heavier than some Android tablets there is no mistaking the solid construction. The attention to detail is evident in every aspect of the tablet, from the solid casing to the buttons beneath the screen covered with Corning Gorilla Glass. The ThinkPad Tablet will satisfy anyone wanting to give a professional image.

Check out the ThinkPad Tablet with pen and Keyboard Folio captured in photos

Hardware

Specs as reviewed:

• OS: Android 3.1 Honeycomb
• CPU: NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core mobile processor (1.0GHz)
• Display: 10.1” Multi-Touch Capacitive-Touch IPS Display, 1280 x 800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
• Memory: 1GB system RAM, 32GB storage (expandable through SD slot)
• Cameras: 5MP rear-facing; 2MP front-facing camera
• Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, SIM slot for 3G (not tested)
• Ports: Full USB 2.0, MicroUSB 2.0, MiniHDMI, 3.5mm combo jack, DC-in jack for AC adapter, dock port
• Battery: 3250 mAh Li-polymer
• Measurements: 10.3 x 7.2 x 0.56 inches
• Weight: 1.6 pounds

The specs of the ThinkPad are fairly typical of the genre, but Lenovo has included some special stuff to make this stand out from the crowd. Foremost is the use of an N-Trig dual digitizer which allows optional pen input on the screen in addition to the typical multi-touch input. The pen rests in a silo on the tablet when not in use.

Lenovo put a full SD slot on the ThinkPad, and a regular USB port that works with the optional portfolio case. The USB port can be used with standard USB flash drives for file exchange. File transfer can be done via the SD slot, too.

The 10.1-inch IPS screen is not the brightest I have tested, but it has outstanding viewing angles which is a good trait for a tablet. The front-facing camera does a decent job with video chatting, and the speaker, while not anything special, is quite loud for a tablet.

In a move rare for a Honeycomb tablet, the ThinkPad Tablet has four hardware buttons beneath the screen (in portrait orientation). These are a Lock Screen Rotation, Browser launcher, Back, and a Home button. These buttons are very rigid and can be hard to press. I find I end up using soft buttons on the screen out of habit.

There are two cameras on the ThinkPad, a 2MP front-facing camera and a 5MP camera on the back. The front camera delivered decent video chatting using Google Talk. The rear camera is nothing spectacular, as I found photos taken with it to be very basic. This tablet will not replace your basic point-and-shoot given its lackluster quality photos, not to mention its unwieldy size for snapping shots.

The ThinkPad construction used in the tablet make it easily the most rugged tablet I have used. It is heavy at 1.6 pounds, but it feels nice and solid in the hand.

Software

Lenovo is aiming the ThinkPad Tablet at the enterprise worker, and the software that comes standard reflects that aim. While there is plenty of entertainment software (Slacker, Netflix, Kindle, Zinio, Angry Birds), the tablet is loaded with apps for the worker. These include LANDesk, Computrace, Citrix Receiver, and McAfee Mobile Security. A full version of Documents to Go comes standard allowing viewing/editing of MS Office documents.

Lenovo has customized Honeycomb 3.1 to add a home screen launcher and a favorite apps wheel for easy access to the apps used most often. The Lenovo App Shop is front and center offering apps the company deems fitting for the ThinkPad.

The onscreen keyboard included on the tablet is the flexT9 keyboard by Nuance. This keyboard has good predictive text and autocorrection that starts learning from your typing as soo as you begin using it. I found it to be a decent keyboard, and it works with the optional pen to allow coarse editing of documents by pen. This experience was variable, and perhaps it would be better over time.

The web browser is typical Android with some special features. In the Settings screen there is a Labs function that makes web pages display in a full screen mode. Swiping in from either the left or right side of the screen causes a wheel menu to appear with common browser functions, such as Next and Previous. I normally use the Dolphin Browser on Android tablets, but this is a decent alternative.

The optional pen works with the MyScript Notes Mobile app that is preinstalled and uses a notebook metaphor to allow taking ink notes with the pen. Handwriting can be automatically converted to digital text if desired, or ink notes can be left as written. The latter worked better for me, as the ink-to-text conversion was not very accurate. The pen is the only input method allowed with the Notes app, which was a bit odd given the presence of an Android keyboard.

Source:ZDNet