There is already quite a selection of touch-optimized devices that run Windows 8 in the market, but there aren’t many enterprise-grade options. Lenovo looks to solve that with devices like the ThinkPad Tablet 2, which is a lightweight Windows 8 tablet that can give your business the IT boost it needs to optimize your productivity at the office. Luckily, I was invited by Lenovo to spend some time with it a few weeks ago along with the ThinkPad Helix, and while it’s a little late, I’d still like to share my thoughts on the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2.
The ThinkPad Tablet 2 is sleek and svelte, measuring just 9.8mm thin while weighing in at just 1.3 pounds. Processing is handled by a power-efficient dual core Intel Atom Z2760 1.8GHz CPU while the graphics load is shouldered by a PowerVR SGX545 integrated graphics chip. There’s an adequate 2Gb of RAM and a rather smallish 32Gb of storage. The device itself is quick and responsive although not necessarily snappy. It’s still quite decent compared to the performance of some Atom-powered netbooks I had used in the past.
The 10.1 inch HD screen isn’t anything spectacular, but being an IPS display, color reproduction is great and viewing it from a wide angle doesn’t cause that much color shifting. The 155ppi pixel density isn’t the sharpest that you can get in the market these days, but it’s still pretty decent at that size. At least it can accept input from a bundled digitizer pen for those who still like taking notes the traditional way, and perhaps, for those creative types who’ll be using image editing software as well.
Being a Windows 8 tablet, the ThinkPad Tablet 2 has much more connectivity options compared to anything you might be used to from an Android or iOS device. There’s both a full-sized USB and a micro USB port, the latter doubling as a charging port too. There’s also a mini HDMI port for those presentations, 3.5mm headset jack, and a micro SD card slot to expand the ThinkPad Tablet 2’s limited storage. Finally, there’s WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth and NFC, not to mention the option to outfit the tablet with a 3G module so there’s no need to rely on a WiFi hotspot just to connect to the internet.
For a tablet, the ThinkPad Tablet 2 is surprisingly capable when it comes to imaging. It comes with an 8mp rear-facing camera, which I consider to be a bit of overkill on a tablet. There’s also a 2mp front-facing camera for respectable video calls. Both cameras are capable of recording in 720p HD.
Probably the most useful aspect of Windows 8 tablets is their higher potential for productivity, which is why you’ll want the optional Bluetooth keyboard. It’s not actually a keyboard dock; just a keyboard with a slot that you can slide the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 into and start typing away. What I like is that it features a trackpoint that gives you mouse functionality and doesn’t take up extra space the way a trackpad would. For someone like me who’s only ever used a trackpad or mouse before, it does take a bit of getting used to.
If you’re itching to get one of these, rather than the more expensive and certainly more powerful ThinkPad Helix, you’ll be shelling out Php37,990. At that price, the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 comes with Windows 8 Pro and Microsoft Office preinstalled. It does seem rather pricey when you consider the that it doesn’t come with the Bluetooth keyboard dock yet, but it does come with licensed software that you’ll be installing anyway.
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 Specs
- 10.1” HD IPS display (1366 x 768, 155ppi ) with 10pt multitouchscreen support
- Intel Atom Z2760 1.8GHz dual-core CPU
- PowerVR SGX545 integrated graphics
- 2Gb RAM
- 32Gb internal storage
- 8mp rear-facing camera, 2mp front-facing camera
- WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, optional integrated broadband
- Digitizer pen
- 2 cell lithium polymer battery
- Windows 8 Pro with Microsoft Office
- Price: Php37,999 (keyboard not included)
